New to this, a little nervous and very excited!
 

Hello Everyone! :)

So I am rather new at this. I am a 26-year-old Canadian girl who lives in my boyfriend's Mom's basement apartment (until we save up more money to move out!). His Mom does own a Jack Russel Terrier but the doggy never comes down to us (maybe once a month if anything).

Lately I have been thinking more and more about adopting a little puppy and have decided on a Yorkshire Terrier (mini one).
I was wondering if this was a good idea? I mean, I know I am responsible and took care of my kitty for 15 years, had a lab/german shephard dog when living at home and adopted and took care of a little Yorkie that I got for my Mom.

I am just a bit nervous...and super excited.
The only questions I have is am I being selfish? Because I do live in a basement apartment?
Is it okay if I leave him during the day - I do work Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 5pm.

Just looking for some insight. Some tips and advice.
Any help would be so greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much!

-Sandra.*

Hi Sandra and welcome to Yorkietalk. The biggest thing that comes to mind for me is the financial obligation that goes with a Yorkie. Out of all the dogs I have owned, my Yorkies ave cost me a lot more money. I call them "high maintenance" pups. Are you financially able to handle one?

Also, it seems that sometimes the tiny yorkies need a little more than the larger ones. And I can tell you even the bigger ones are still all yorkie!

Yorkies awe awesome pets! They can be a tad bit on the stubborn side. Ok ok they can be really stubborn!

A yorkie is a life long commitment. Make sure you spend some time and research the breed. Again, welcome to YT! :)

I think it's great that you are thinking this through. Do you have the opportunity to come home during lunchtime? 7:30 - 5:00 is a very long time for any dog, but especially a very small one. And puppies need so much attention for the first couple years. Have you thought about getting another cat instead? I think cats do much better being alone for long work days.

Hello and welcome to YT, my Canadian neighbour!

Mine stays home alone from around 9 to 6 everyday and does fine. But I will have to agree do your research and yes these little ones do cost more than other breeds I have owned but have the hugest personalities.

Getting Peanut was the best thing I've done- he has brought me so much love, happiness, comfort, and joy into my life!! I adore him more and more every day!

I would tell you to get one, Yorkies are great " small space" dogs.. as long as you do excersise them- Peanut is alone from 8/5 M-F. Weekends are our time, he is always ( if able) involved in DH's and I's plans.. if not he is walked when we get home!

Do your research, find a good breeder.. in the end I think you will be very happy!!

When my yorkie stay at home long hours by herself and she does fine she just turned 7 months yesterday and she has been staying at home by herself for 4 months. I am a college student and i seem to manage well with money for her. I see as yorkies are really like babies. WELCOME TO THE YORKIE FAMILY and good luck.

i agree.....your doing your research..they have huge personalities do not need huge space...but a routine and exercise and lots of attention when you are around! thankfully my dh is home all day but when we do leave them for periods of time they do very well. good luck in your search and rescues are always an option. if you go through one that ensures a healthy pup! either way im sure your making the right decision..i started with one and now have three!! yorkie addict i am.

Hi and Welcome to YT! I, too, think it is great that you are researching and asking questions first. As long as you do that and make a truly informed decision (practical and logical), you will do just fine.

Mandie is my first yorkie and at 7 months has already cost me more money in care than my 3 year old bigger dog. I gladly spend it on her but just know that if you are trying to save for a place to live, it will be hard to do that if you are having to spend it on care for your dog.

If that is worth it to you, you will never find a greater love (and yes, they are super stubborn..after all, they are terriers hehe)

Good luck on your search for the perfect companion! :)

P.S. I leave Mandie here from 8:30am to 6:30pm most weekdays. At first, I came home at lunch though. She does fine for that time now that she's a little older, though

Welcome to YT. Read, research and consider how your puppy will change your life. To me the Yorkie is the best of all breeds in that they have loads of personality, big attitude and are loyal and loving companions. Housebreaking these guys can be a problem for some. Medical costs for any dog can be huge! If you get a tiny one, they often cost multiple thousands to buy and yearly in vet bills with the injuries and many medical problems that can go along with a tiny size. I speak from personal knowledge. My current Yorkie is a normal 5.5 lbs., not one of the "tinies" and this year alone he's cost well over $3,000.00 in vet bills & I've got a dental cleaning to go. A night at the ER vet with just IV's and basic tests runs around $1200.00. Yorkies often have to be anesthetized yearly or more often for dental cleanings as they tend to terrible dental problems. With IV's and anesthesia, pre-op blood work, the cost for these cleanings can approach $400.00 - $600.00 yearly, on top of other usual, routine vet charges, vax's, etc. Not trying to be a downer but just wanting you to know up front what you can be facing with a tiny, high-maintenance breed. Like any breed though, I am sure there are perfectly healthy tiny Yorkies that never are ill, have beautiful dentition for life and never have size-related problems. As with anything in life, plan on the worst and hope for the best if you decide to get one and I know you will love this breed! Once I had my first Yorkie, I never had another breed. Good luck in your research!

There is no such thing a mini Yorkshire terrier and stay very far from breeders advertising that and teacups. Dogs can cost a lot of money and small dogs can cost more especially if there not gotten from a good breeder. There is regular stuff like good food, grooming, puppy shots and wellness visits, clothing, dishes, toys, bones, heart worm meds, leash, harness, flea and tick meds and so much more but then there is also emergency vet care which can be very expensive. Please think about whether you can afford a dog before getting one.

Welcome to YT!! I am thrilled you seem to be going about this entire thing, in the right way! Reasearch, read, and learn all you can about Yorkies, so you know what you are getting into! First thing I would suggest: Get good sources of information...."Yorkies For Dummies" is a super book and a must-have for your library! "Yorkshire Terriers: A Smart Owner's Guide" is the second book I recommend to all my new buyers. Read these two books cover to cover, and KNOW Yorkies! I personally think your living arrangement is not quite conducive to owning any dog.....if his mother decides the baby cries too much, or barks too much, or WHATEVER! she could come up with, it is going to cause added stress, to the stress of trying to integrate a new puppy into the situation. I would get completely knowledgable about all you nedd when you have one of these precious little puppies, and then when you can move into your own space, you and your BF can get a puppy. You need to find a responsible, ethical breeder that can guide you and be with you for the life of that baby....and you need at have a healthy baby, or this tiny bundle of joy will break your heart as well as your budget! Dont ever get a puppy from a breeder before that baby is 12-14 weeks old.....that is a very good indicator of what kind of breeder you are dealing with....an ethical breeder will not let her babies go before 12-14 weeks of age. You will get all kinds of things to look for in your breeder, from those books I listed above.....I think you will do fine with a Yorkie when you have your own place....I just would not recommend a new puppy in your current situation in the basement apartment, with a "mother in law" so to speak!

I am reading everybody's advice and I know it is all great advice but almost sounds like we are trying to talk you out of getting one... I studied the breed for a year before I got mine and thought I knew it all... I was wrong lol in fact the Yorkie for Dummies book was proof I was going to be tested with this guy because that was the first thing he ate was that book lol

I promise we are not trying to be mean just helpful, you say you are saving money for a new place so we really want you to know what you are walking into :) I wanted a "tiny" yorkie... I ended up with a 12lb hyper ball of energy that is healthily except for he has tummy acid problems so just yesterday was a $400 vet bill for a healthy puppy, as far as food that is another cost because I know pretty much everybody on here will steer you towards special brands that are not your average grocery store or Walmart type brand to help insure your little one stays healthy... These little get cold so you might be thinking Oh I will never be the type that dresses my dog... Yea trust me that will change lol you realize they are cold go buy a hoodie or coat next thing you know they are taking over your closet haha

But yes I can promise you if you decide to get one they will end up being your entire world.. They are smart, loving, sneaky, headstrong little bundles of fur!!

Hello and welcome to YT. Everyone above hit the major points. You should really all it over with your BF's mother and make sure it is ok with her and the family. Also with a pup he needs to eat during the day. Someone is going to have to feed him. If you can not come home during the day, you will need someone else to take responsibility for him. hypoglycemia can kill a pup. And the smaller they are the more you have to worry about it. We are not trying to scare you. We want you to be as educated as possible. Check out our archives. There is a lot of helpful info. And grab those two books, they are a wealth of info. Good luck in your search. Please keep us updated. And if you decide to wait for a pup, please stay and join in the discussions. This is a place for Yorkie lovers

Very well said! My average vet bill with the girls is about $300. I have had some less and I have had higher ones. You are right about the food. My Rosie has IBS and I home cook for her. Something I would have NEVER thought I would do. They have more clothes than I do! :D. I just had custom coats made for them! I buy hair bows by the dozens too! With that said, I totally agree with what you stated. My girls are my world! They are kids to me (empty nest fillers since my baby is 15). And I wouldn't trade them for a million dollars! My son asked me if someone offered me $2 million for Rosie would I take it. I didn't even have to thunk about it. I immediately said no! He said I was crazy!

Don't want to talk you out of a yorkie at all! Just want to be honest with you. I can tell you I have never spent so much money on a dog as I have my yorkies. After having a yorkie, I honestly don't think I will ever own another breed!

Amen to this.

Wow - thank you everyone for all the advice and tips.
I am a little scared about the entire money thing...but then again, I am always paranoid about money in general. I spent lots of money on my dogs in the past and my kitty so I understand the vet bills and everything. I am prepared for that.
To be honest, I really think it would be good for me. After losing my little fur baby best friend of 15 years I am ready now to adopt again. My boyfriend and I are very excited (his Mom has approved) and I think we are ready for this. Of course I will research some more...it is possible for me to go home at lunch for the first little while and I do have a week and a half off from work during Christmas which might help as well.
I am sure even the boyfriend's Mom might go down and check on him from time to time.

The puppy that I am looking at is estimated to grow to about 5lbs (I don't want a tiny/toy one, I hear there are more issues with these ones as well), he has had his shots (parvo, dhpp), has been dewormed, with a letter from the vet and a "1 year written health guarantee" which I am going to ask the lady about when I see her because I was hoping to visit the puppy sometime tomorrow. He is also fully weaned on dry food.

I do have a question, this little guy is 9 weeks old and someone said that you shouldn't adopt if they are under 12 weeks...the only thing is that if I get him neutered before then then my vet will do this for $100 cheaper as well as microchip (do you guys think it is a good idea to microchip)?

I love animals, and I just want to give them the best lives possible and I believe I will always have fun. I have gone through some tough times the past 2 years and a friend of mine said that this little guy will change my world.

When I read some of the responses I was a little sad (not in a bad way!!!) because of course these are all very good reasons to not jump into this...but I have been thinking about this for a very long time...and only recently am I financially able to purchase one.

Thanks so much to everyone who responded. This little community is honestly fantastic!
And I will be picking the book up this afternoon! :))

After re-reading all of this, I also wanted to emphasize that I'm not trying to talk you out of a yorkie. Yorkies are awesome and will enrich your life. And again, I think it's great that you are researching and asking. :)

it took me years to find the my swayzee baby but i wouldnt have it any other way. i reserched and readiing all the threads here and finding out new things and making sure i was prepared before she was brought home. i think if u and your boyfriend are prepared and u have done research I HOPE ALL GOES WELL FOR U! ive had many ups and downs and many heart breaks when searching. please if u get the furbaby post pics! cant wait!

These little guys are different trust me so you will end up with a little ball of fur that your world revolves around.. If you would have told me a year and a half ago I would be driving my dog to the bakery every week or taking him to the groomer every other month to get his Mohawk trimmed when I only get my own hair done twice a year I would have called you a liar lol yea we are on our way to the bakery now with him wearing a black hoodie... This breed turns you into a crazy dog lady haha

I agree you sound like you have done your home work. My Luci is 1 Year old as of the 13th of this month, But I am learning some thing new every day from her. She has been very healthy so far. My daughter has owned yorkies for year's, right now she has 3. She bought my Luci's brother I don't know if it just him but he is very stubborn And a holy terror, He is a good escape artist gets out of area every day while she is at work and just desroys anything he can get. she doesn't know how he gets on the counter because she has moved anything he could use to jump up there. He also gets in the drawer an gets pens and anything else he wants to destroy. she has said I wish I would of got another girl instead of him, But they love him and will keep him until he dies of old age. I was wondering if all males are like him? All of the girls are very laid back and not chewer's. Also check your breeder out very carefully if you want a healthy pup.Cannot wait for pictures of your new baby. By the welcome to Y T.
Anne/Luci:animal-pa

Did you say your vet wants to neuter before the puppy is 12 weeks old? I don't think I have ever heard of spaying or neutering that young. I know some shelters are spaying and neutering much younger than they once did but that is too young in my opinion. The puppy would not even have all it's shots at that age.

In this country most professional breeders and trainers feel that the puppy is more prepared physically and emotionally to face the transition to the outside world when they are at least 12 weeks. This is thought to be even more important for small breed pups as they tend to develop more slowly.

I have to admit I did not know a lot about Yorkies before I got one. The one thing I was amazed to find was how tenacious their personality can be. They are not a passive little wall flower. They are terriers and usually have quite an outgoing and stubborn personality. For some people, like myself, this is an added plus. It is a challenge to train such a dog and the extra added personality traits are endearing to me. Some people are not prepared to deal with training a stubborn dog and don't know how to deal with the situation.

If you do get this Yorkie you might want to look into finding others who have loved and trained such a dog for support. You also need a vet that is familiar with the genetic defects that have been bred into the breed by some careless breeders. If your vet is familiar with these issues they will be able to alert you before a problem evolves past your 1 year health guarantee. You also want to consider the personality of your pup's parents and ancestors. Careless breeding can also cause some difficult personality problems.

Certainly look into the proper age to neuter a dog. Neutering a puppy that young is thought to be very problematic by some.

You mentioned that your vet wants to neuter the dog before 12 weeks. I have heard they doing it on kittens but I have not heard about them doing it to toy dogs that young. I would do more research about that before I would allow that to happen to my pup. I am actually going to do some too

I guess she didn't technically say she wanted to neuter him that young. When I was on the phone with the receptionist she didn't necessarily ask me what breed I would be bringing in but that before 12 weeks it is cheaper to neuter. Thanks for the heads up and I will definitely do more research about that.

The dog that I initially wanted was adopted before I got there. My heart broke a little but there is another two dogs there that I can take a look at.
So I plan on doing that today still.

I also tried to get that book but can you believe it is not available in my area??? Wow!! So Amazon it is. Lol.

My Mom has a Yorkie and has never been more in love and I am so excited.

I will keep researching though.

The little guy I am looking at now is $680. I know this sounds silly but is that too cheap!? I only ask because I see so many people selling their dogs for $900-$200!!
I got my Moms dog for $600 and he is healthy and amazing - but was still just curious. Thank you all for the warm welcome!! :D

Sorry - one more question...why do some suggest not to get a puppy younger than 12 weeks? It seems like all the breeders in my area have puppies up for adoption around the 9-week mark.
Thanks for all the wonderful and helpful feedback.

There have been many behavioral studies that show that puppies reach a stage in their emotional development at around 12 weeks of age where they are more curious and stable, ready to venture out into the world. At 12 weeks they start to be less dependent on the mom and litter and become more self confident. They have learned many lessons from the other litter members and the mom that have taught them how to interact with other animals and humans. They are less likely to want to bite and chew on the nearest hand. If the breeder has been on top of things the pups should be at least partially potty pad trained.
If you have ever had a young puppy you know that a 6 to 8 week old puppy will cry and cry when not being held. They are infants and belong with the mother. There is no good reason to take a puppy away from it's mom that young EXCEPT that when the puppy starts eating food the mom stops cleaning up after the puppies. That means the breeder now has lots of work to do cleaning up after those babies. Up until the weaning takes place most of the work was the mom's. A puppy technically can survive away from the mom at 6 weeks of age but it is not ready to be away from the mom until at least 12 weeks. For many people breeding dogs is only about turning out puppies to sell and not necessarily what is best for the dogs themselves.

When you spay or neuter much of the price you pay is for anesthetic.The smaller the dog the less it will anesthetic used. You are getting a small breed dog that will not cost a ton to neuter. Doing it at 12 weeks of age could be setting you pup up for health issues later in life.

Remember no breeder can be certain of how much the pup will grow to when they are fully grown also all yorkies are in the toy group so they are all toy dogs. Only bad breeders give the dogs away before 12 weeks (sorry if that sounds harsh). Also if you get a pup before 12 weeks they are at a much higher risk of developing hypoglycemia and if that happens when you are at work then the pup wont get help and will die. Pups under 12 weeks need to be fed about every two hours as well as they can have some behavior issues. There mom is still teaching them important thing up to 12 weeks of age. Also neutering before at least 6 months is not something I would recommend it can cause growth problems.

The Yorkshire Terrier Club of America that wants to better the breed says 12 weeks is the age pups should go home because they are still learning so much from there moms. Most breeders you will find just do it for money and skip things that are very important to make sure you have a healthy pup that is getting the best start in life as possible. Sense you will be working it is a very very bad idea for you to even think about getting a pup under 12 weeks that will pretty much not need to be left alone for any more then an hour until they get older. Puppies taken from mom before 12 weeks have been known to have biting issues, potty training issues, hypoglycemia issues, separation issues and there are probably some I am forgetting. We see a lot of people come onto this website and have lots of problems with either there dog getting sick or other behavior problems and they got there pup before 12 weeks. A lot of breeders who don't keep there pups until 12 weeks also don't make sure there breeding dogs don't have genetic illnesses or will pass on genetic illnesses to there pups and there are some very bad genetic illnesses that not only make the poor pup suffer but make you go through massive heart break and massive money. Also most breeders who let there pups go before 12 weeks don't make sure not to breed dogs who have Luxatting Patella and my yorkie has LP and its terrible to see her knees hurt and then when she got surgery on one knee it cost $3,000 and seeing her hurting was so bad but she is going to have to have the same surgery on the other knee. I know you want your puppy very bad but finding a good breeder and then waiting for a pup is a lot better then getting a sick pup and supporting a bad breeder.

Great advice! Yorkies are definitely in the high maintenance category, it is very costly as well.

Personally I would advise my 26 year old daughter to wait until she was settled before getting a pup. Make sure you do plenty of research, also have Health Insurance and some money for back-up.

Also, this reminded me of my daughter who once yelled "you love that dog more than you do your own kids"....I simply replied "Thats not true I love you all the same" lolol....

:eek: Lynzy, you're a very, very naughty lady.....;) :sidesplt: Sally + Harry x