I'm not trying to be rude it's jut the way you posted it made it seem like you were going to get rid of your little boy for a girl and that would be horrible.

I would never ever give up my my baby! And to the other poster, That was over 5 years ago that it happened. I had no control over it. It wasnt my dog, it was my moms, what I do have control of is ozzy. Hes my dog and always will be, I take care of him, i feed him, i play with him, i love him, i buy stuff for him, and he is perfectly happy!

good to hear. just keep him and don't let your mom's lack of care about animals effect you and your knowledge that dogs aren't toys and you can't just throw em' out when they no longer work for your lifestyle. i'm having a baby in Jan and have two dogs and people keep asking if they're going to be rehomed or get rid of them. NO WAY these are as much babies to me as the new human one coming and there is no way i'd just dump my dogs because my life may change a little and it takes time and effort to adjust.

my honest opinion though is that you prob should wait until you have your own home before getting a second dog. you sound like you have a LOT of people living with you right now and two dogs with all those people would add to some frustration and problems especially if your mom just gets rid of them when she's sick of it. i'd wait to get your own place in a few years and then maybe get a sis for Ozzy. good luck and remember that dog depends on you it's whole life. don't ever give up on it.

Well said! :D

I think all the concerns about the OP getting another dog, are valid. But, on the other hand, she is only 15 and in all probability her dream of getting another yorkie puppy in the near future is most likely, slim. Hopefully she will take into consideration the genuine concern and words of advice and realize that Ozzy is enough responsibility for right now........she has her whole life a head of her!

Original Poster:

It seems that you have read a lot of sweet stories about female Yorkies. It true, they are pretty cool pups, but what you are reading may be too good to be true.

I have a female. Ten years old. Knows exactly where to potty but a lot of the time she doesn't care to go where she should. She has barking issues. She is aggressive, moreso as she ages. She just wants her way... She is food possessive. She hates most other dogs. I love her to death and don't regret getting her, but she can be a pain in the butt!! I wouldn't concentrate on gender so much as personality.

Here is a price breakdown of veterinary expenses (times this by 2 if you get another one):

These are the things that have to be done:

Exam (1 or 2 routine checks per year) - $40-$50
Vaccines or titers (varies by year) - $0-$100ish
Heartworm test - $25-$35
Heartworm preventative - $40-$70
Flea Preventative - $50-$130
Fecal - $20-$30
Licensing - $0-$25

These are the things that should be done:
Blood panel - $50-$140
Urinalysis - $25-$50
Dental (when needed) - $150-$400 (without extractions)

And these are some things that can go wrong with approximate prices to fix eatch thing:

Luxating patella (occasionally surgical correction is needed) - $800-$1500 per knee
CCL tear - thousands to fix
IVDD - surgery when warranted is $3500-$7000
Liver shunt surgery is $1200-$5000 with testing
Specialist consult with abdominal ultrasound to take a look at organs when there is fluids in the belly, etc. is $400+
Xray - $80
Bladder stone removal surgery - $1000
Endoscopy for intestinal biopsy - $1000
Anal gland removal (if they continuously get infected) $1000
Urinary tract infection with exam, urinalysis and antibiotic is $100 (add a urine culture for another $100 for best results). UTIs are very common in females.
The $200-$400 routine dental above will jump to up to $1200 if there are problems.
Broken and abscessed tooth - $500-$1500.
Etc. etc., etc.

I hope you dogs are perfectly healthy and will need none of this, but the reality is they probably will need extensive medical care as they age. This is far from an exhaustive list. There are hundreds and hundreds of things that can go wrong. The prices are representative of those in my area.

Pet insurance can be a good alternative, but you still have premiums, deductibles, and copays.

My Yorkie is up to $8000+++ in vet costs. And my PBGV is costing us $45 a month for insurance (which will go up as he gets older) plus a $50 per incident deductible. And the money has to come out of your pocket before the claim is processed. I really think dog owners should get insurance and have access to at least $5000++ instantly in case an ER vet requires money up front for life saving procedures. Line of credit (Care Credit), etc. Easier said than done, but that is optimal.

Grooming will be $30-$75 every 1-3 months per dog unless you learn to do it yourself, but then there is equipment upkeep and such.

If you can buy the food at the grocery store, it probably isnt' worth feeding. My Yorkie is on an rx diet and my PBGV is on a good kibble. It's $2-$3+ per pound of food. It's several hundreds dollars a year to feed them.


Just some things to think about before jumping into this...

I am glad to see at 15 you reached out to get more info on yorkies since you own one! Very smart thing to do to develop responsible pet ownership! I'm glad to hear you would not take your mom's idea about getting rid of Ozzy and that you love him dearly.

You know, if you see a cute outfit, I would just get it for him. I mean, when they show these dogs, the boys wear the long coats and bows just like the girls. My girl now, Gidget, does not like to dress up. When I got her, her breeder had cut down her long coat into a puppy cut, and her hair was no longer long enough to wear a topknot. I grew it a bit and tried to get her to wear one again, and she is much happier w/o one; so, I am just letting her go w/o one.

Ellie May gave you some great advice on vet care. She would be a great role model in pet ownership.

Keep up the good work in trying to learn all you can. :)

Thanks to the people that actually understand and dont judge me or yell at me!

Congrats on the baby! :):thumbup: And I also agree with ur posting.

Great post!! Something for everyone to consider before adding another.:)

You do have to consider your age when adding pets to the family. While you may be capable of taking care of them now, what happens in a few years when you graduate high school- do you plan to go to college? there are only a handful of colleges that allow pets on campus. Will your parents be willing to take care of both of your dogs while you are at school? Will you be able to hold down a job and take classes? What if something major happens that costs thousands to fix- will your parents be willing to pay the money? or do you have that kind of money put away for emergencies? What happens if the two dogs don't get along, do you have the time and space to keep them and exercise them apart?

Thanks for all the advice you guys! I just want to let you all know I have decided if I will get a new puppy it wont be until next summer so I have a few months to train her. And I will save up money for doggy emergencies!

Also just to clarify, if I had the option to get a new girl yorkie but have to give up ozzy, or keep ozzy and not get another yorkie, it would be to keep ozzy!

I am glad to hear that you would keep your Ozzy. :) I just want to say that two is a lot more responsibility than one. I just added my second Yorkie and I am a lot older than you! ;);) Honestly, this is just my opinion, I would stick to just keeping only Ozzy until you get older. You have your high school years coming up and need to be able to concentrate on your academics and other things (like prom and graduation). Just giving you something to think about. And girl, what a boyfriend! :p They will want your attention! Lol. Just think about a lot of these things before getting another one. Two is not as easy as one! :)

haha i know! I will be in 11th grade this year, and back in march I got out of a year long relationship because after 8 months of it i moved back to kentucky and 5 months later we decided long distance wouldnt last! but ozzy helped me get through it!

11th and 12th grade....your fun years are coming! :D:D

i hope so!

WOW a second yorkie is soooo expensive hun u really wanna think this through! Me and my bf work full time and have an ok income and i dont think i could afford a second yorkie and we are just 25 years young! I just spend over £400 on Poppy this week at the vets... She had the works... everything came at once.

Spay, baby teeth removed, micro chip, booster, flea treatment, worming tablet and pet passport!! She also had gunky eyes and has eye drops!

I couldnt afford that if i had two yorkies! Has Ozzy been fixed? How on earth u gonna pay for your second yorkie? Have u got a job or is it from pocket money?

Anyway i have had a nose and i think ozzy is pretty dam cute! :D Good luck with what ever u decide to do <3 xxx

thanks for all the great advice<3 I will think about everything you all have said before even considering another yorkie!

Good for you! :)

I'm a little confused. In one thread you say you are going to wait until at least next year, but in another you are asking the price on a female in London.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/3619634-post3.html

I know. I was jst asking because I decided before I get a new puppy I was going to figure out about how much Id have to spend on the dog itself by different breeders in my state, and figuring out how much I would have to spend on everything else she would need, going by prices in my area!

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...ur-baby-2.html
Simply making excuses isn't the answer neither is a new thread furthering your efforts...just say that you don't care for any of the advice given and that you are doing to treat your dogs like last season's styles, as soon as it's not brand new it's OUT!

I really think the OP needs a reality check, so does her parents, furthermore she needs to do some time in rescue...there may be so much more to the state of the dog's care and well being here...

OP what was your vet costs for last year alone?...Did you ever take your dog to the vet or did you just buy the new harness?

Just wanted to chime in and say - good for you OP in continuing to post, your commitment to Ozzy and to being the best Yorkie mom you can be.

Hope you understand, people are just concerned. I hope you also understand that not everyone thinks a young adult should be judged by their parents' actions.

I'd personally follow the suggestions and dress up Ozzy anyway you want, hold off on a new pup until you are sure you can pay for yourself and Ozzy on your own.

I hope you also know - we understand. Yorkies are so wonderful it's hard not to want another. I do too, but I know my family's limitations and need to stick with just one.

:thumbup: