Soon to be yorkie owner, opinions please!
 

Hello everybody! So after a ton of breeder researching I recently picked out a little girl. I saw my little girl on Friday and she was 5 days old weighing a little under 4 oz. I loved her parents looks and dispositions and felt very comfortable with the breeder. She was the runt of the litter by 2 oz . I just fell in love with her when I held her, and she even stopped crying when I would pet her. :love: I put my deposit on her and was satisfied. I know a family that has 5 generations of her dogs and her lines have been tested and do not carry any genetic issues. However, all I keep hearing from people is that she is much too small and will be sickly. Now I have seen on here that the runt can often outgrow her littermates and is often healthy but I wanted to ask anyone what they thought an average size of a 5 day yorkie was. I know it varies a lot but if i could just get a guesstimate it would be much appreciated, and no i am not trying to get a little tiny dog, I know that the designer terms are marketing ploys only. I would much rather her be healthy then tiny, but I would like to carry her around with me. I just really adore this little girl and her little white chest patch. :rolleyes: I am so excited. She's only 8 days today and I have almost everything for her already. Any opinions or tips would be greatly appreciated.

I think at 5 days, Yorkies can way various ounces. Maybe yours didn't have the room she needed in the womb, but will make up for it now that she's out! :)

Don't let anyone dampen your spirits. As long as the breeder, whom you trust, says the pup in on course and is honest with you in all future happenings - just enjoy the ride and wait to bring your baby home!

Welcome to YT! :D

My yorkie Jewels was the runt and the breeder said she would most likely be 3 to 4 lbs but she showed everyone by growing to 7 1/2 lbs. Just because they are thr runt doesnt mean they will be small or unhealthy

Congrats on your new fur baby and welcome to yt. Lots of good information here, especially for the new yorkie owner. I didn't realize there was such a difference in a big dogs and toy breeds until I got on this forum. Many very knowledgeable people to answer your questions and the rest of us just like to hear about your pup and see photos! :D

My experience was just the opposite. My Lexi was the biggest one in the litter. I was wanting a smaller yorkie. (Before I came to Yorkie Talk and learned that isn't necessarily the best). Both her litter mates were smaller. Lexi was about 3 lbs. at 2 months. Well she didn't end up being the big ole gal. She ended up at 5 lbs. and she is a year and a half, so I think she's done. The breeder predicted her to be around 6 pounds. I am perfectly happy with her size, even if she would have been a bit bigger. Yorkies have just adorable personalities, that they are irresistible no matter what size they are

Welcome to you and your baby girl. Any names yet? I don't think it's true about the runts being sickly. Being sickly comes with poor breeding/genetics & diet. Just make sure she stays with her mom & little mates till she's at least 12 weeks old.

The size at birth just indicates how much nourishment the received in the uterus, it has no indication on future size predictions. So many breeders have said that the runt of the litter turned out to be the biggest. You can get a better estimate of adult weight by using the 8 week weight and tripling it, or the 12 week weight and doubling it, but this again is just an estimate, but the birth weight is totally useless at predicting adult weight. By the way, some dogs are naturally tiny and there is nothing wrong with them, however, some dogs are tiny, because they have an illness like liver shunt that keeps them small, so it’s not true that all tinies are sickly. It is true that they have more teeth problems just because their jaws are so small. They are also more accident prone, jumping off a couch could hurt them seriously. Also, at the first sign of any illness, they should be taken to the vet or emergency room pronto because they can go downhill more rapidly than a larger dog. As long as you are aware of the special challenges that a smaller than average dog requires and you think you have the means to meet these challenges there’s nothing wrong with getting a tiny. I do think a tiny should stay with a breeder until it’s at least 2 pounds. Best of luck.

Our Kyra is tiny and extremely healthy. Only one incident since we have had her with loose stools. She is 16 months old. Yes they are fragile so you cannot let them jump and such. You or maybe, should say I, worry a lot more about her because of her size. I like you at first was terrified because I had read so much about them not being healthy. Welcome to YT and congratulations.

They can grow a lot by the time they reach adulthood.
My Hailey was a premie and weighed 3.5 lbs. now at 1 year she weighs 8 lbs. You'd never know she had a rough beginning!
I would think it would be the same way with a runt.

Hi and welcome to YT! You definitely came to the right place.

I have to agree with previous posters. You can't tell what a pup will be when it's first born. Too many factors at play. You can take a look at both parents but then that's no guarantee your pup will be their size. Like I said...too many factors!

Our pup was just under 3 lbs. at three months and at 4 months, is only 3 lbs. 2 oz. Parents were 5 and 5.5 lbs. They all grow at their own pace and will reach the size they are supposed to be. Don't be worried about your puppy's weight just be sure to free feed and your puppy will eat what's needed and that's all. No such thing as an overweight puppy!

Good luck and we are glad you decided to join us. Congrats on your new baby and again...welcome!!

Thank you all so much! I do trust my breeder, I am welcome in her home for visits at any time. She absolutely adores her dogs and spends 24/7 with them. She is putting on weight slowly. I was just getting so anxious when everyone just had terrible things to say! My parents currently have 2 Maltese's that i have grown up with so I am used to small dogs. I have chosen the name Lyra (leera) Our dogs all have names following constellations. Lyra is in Vega and it is the greek root word for Lyrics and I have always been very very into music. :D Thank you all for the warm welcome. Currently the breeder said she will be ready between 10-12 weeks but she will keep her longer if I wished. I am going to be very careful if my girl turns out small (she wont be able to sleep with me, my bed is very high off the ground). I already have my vet chosen and a back-up vet for emergencies. I plan on having her microchipped, I don't plan on her being out of my sight but i just couldn't imagine her running or getting stolen and knowing there was more I could have done. Is there a certain age when they should be chipped, or can it just be at earliest convenience?

With Hailey I had her microchipped when she was spayed and had a couple baby teeth pulled. All at once while she was under!

Congrats and I love the name. I had Chloe microchipped when she was spayed also. Welcome to YT and we can't wait to see pics of Lyra.

I love the name Lyra!! So pretty :)

Yeah, most get the microchip done during spay/neuter. You can also get any retained baby teeth pulled at that time. Just keep in mind that not all baby teeth are done falling out on their own until about 8 to 9 months. So, it's best to wait until that age to do the spay/neuter and microchip. The least amounts of time you have to put Lyra under anesthesia, the better.

As for the bed, you could do what many of us have done (yes, our Yorkies rule our world) - take the bed off the frame and set it on the floor :D

LOL....yep so true our Yorkies do rule our world. Right before we brought Hailey home we took our bed off the frame and that's the way it's stayed.

On Hailey's teeth, most of them had fallen out but she had a problem area - the canines where her adult teeth we're pushing their way in but her baby teeth refused to leave. Those baby teeth were the only ones that our vet removed. He won't touch the others unless they're creating a problem.