Advice on bringing a new yorkie puppy home
 

Hello all :)
My baby, Ryder, will be 4 in about 2 weeks. I've had her since she was about 6 months old and she's my only dog (and I have no kids). I have been wanting to get another yorkie and I now have the opportunity. But I've never had more than 1 dog at a time so I need some advice on this. I am concerned on how Ryder would be if I were to bring another pup home. I don't know if she would get along with it or not. Is there a wrong and a right way to introduce her to a new pup? It may sound silly but in a way I feel bad for wanting another yorkie. I don't want Ryder to feel replaced or sad that she won't be the only dog of the house anymore. She is always on my lap and sleeps with me in bed. So am I overthinking this or are there some things I can do to help her adjust? Also, does the sex of the future yorkie matter? Ryder is spayed and the next dog I get would also get spayed or neutered. Any tips/advice is appreciated!! Also, I am not 100% whether or not I will be getting another yorkie at this time but definitely sometime in the future I would like to.

I was worried too when we just had Wylie, but started thinking about getting another. We got Marcel when Wylie was around 2 yrs old. Wylie definitely was nervous...he became extra needy and clingy, which was just fine - we reassured him and made sure we treated him like the alpha dog (and we still do). Being a puppy, Marcel was clueless to all of this - so he just dug right in and had no hesitation...which I think was great for Wylie in the long run. I'd say it took about 3-4 weeks for Wylie's clingy-ness to go away.

A few years later, we got Pfeiffer (a girl) and both the boys were just all "okay, cool, no biggie" and just accepted her immediately like it was no fur off their backs. She is now one of the boys :).

So, even if your kiddo acts a bit funny at first - don't worry TOO much (I won't say don't worry at all, bc I know you will)...it'll be fine, just takes time. Let us know when you get your second one! Oh, and your THIRD one too :p.

Welcome to YT:) Your worry about her feeling replaced doesn't sound silly at all. I actually have the same worry. We aren't ready for another fur butt after losing our Boxer a couples of months ago, but I do wonder if we ever did how Georgie would react.

I agree with WyliesMom it takes time but I think everyone would settle in fine:)

Your concern is very common. Most of us wonder and worry about what will happen when we bring a new dog home. Every situation is different. Be patient and give a lot of attention to the older dog. Best Wishes

If possible weather permitting I like to introduce the new dog to the current ones on more neutral ground. On leads even if it is just outside the front door on the sidewalk. Then take both for a wee walk. Five or ten minutes or so.

Then still on lead we enter the house, the current dogs first, and I will crate the current dogs. The puppy is then let off lead to "investigate" this new house - its smells and rooms. Well at least the two rooms it will be in until housebroken. Their xpen with bed and the Blankie from the breeder is set up and then the pup goes in the xpen. Although usually after the excitement of exploring, they need to wee again, so out we go to the backyard - on lead to where I'd like the pup to eliminate. My dogs are crated in the same room, and that is where I set up the temporary Xpen.
Then in comes pup and into Xpen with a treat and a toy. Other dogs are released from their crate, and we all settle in the same room, watch TV or I read.

You may find housebreaking a snap cause you already have a dog that can show the other the "way".

Once all the dogs have slept and ate together, walked and been groomed, etc you will probably find that everyone gets along quite well. You are building your pack!

Now if your current dog is not well socialized to other dogs, that is something you can work on now. Invite a friend over to go for a walk with their dog and yours. Have a cup of tea afterwards with the dogs in your home. See how your boy behaves himself.

Note on Toys: I don't leave out toys. Toys are special rewards that they get for doing some obedience/training work. Toys come out when we play the game of "find the toy". Then the toys go away. Each crate has a "stuffless toy" in it that they can chew on, and be undisturbed by their brother or sister.

Very High Value Treats: Here I am very cautious. I do feed once a week real bones. I never leave the dogs unattended when they are contentedly knawing away. I had one gal that always lost interest early in hers, and would like to go over and sniff/smell the other dogs bones. This I discouraged and she was crated until the other dogs finished theirs. I always pick up the bones once they are done and put them immediately into a secure garbage bin.

Feeding: Separate bowls in separate areas of the kitchen. I always stay right in the kitchen until the pups are done eating. They know not to go over to the others bowl until everyone is done; but still I supervise. It is a real hoot to watch the three or four dogs, go over to check out each others' empty bowls:) I also put down fresh water for everyone, but an interesting tidbit in our home, is that all the other dogs want to drink out of our Alpha male's bowl. They ignore their water, wait until he is done, then each one goes over to lap up on his water.:D Maybe it is shades of in the wild the Alpha's eat and water first, then the rest of the pack.

I think you will get to enjoy a Little Pack. Life changes a lot for everyone.

Good luck in your search

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions. We have decided to move forward with getting a "sibling" for Ryder. I'm sure your advice will be VERY helpful and I will try to update once we find our newest addition. On that note, does anyone know of reputable yorkie breeders in Michigan?

how Ryder gets along with other dogs will be a good indication of how she will do with a sibling, we have a MI meetup group and you are welcome to come to one of our get togethers LOL you will see in a hurry if she plays well with other. What size dog is she we try to stay with dogs around 12 lbs and less, makes playtime much safer.