Hi, we're new!
 

Hello!
We just "adopted" Benji last weekend and are enjoying the heck out of him! We did find him by not the most preferred means (good ol' Craigslist), but his previous owner was being kicked out of her rental with 1 weeks notice and had to move into a no-pet apartment. She seemed genuine in trying to find him a good home (she said she got over 100 replies to her ad in the first hour), and as leery as I was about Craigslist, I just explained we were looking for a little furry family member (my 6 year old twins have been wanting a dog for a long, long time) and that we planned to take good care of him and spend lots of time letting him adjust. He came with "verbal" shot records, and he's not fixed (yet! we will be taking care of that!), and he looked a little raggedy. After the first week, he is solidly attached to my boyfriend and I, and is about 95% attached to the kids (their squealing still spooks him a bit, I think!). We got him to the groomer this weekend and we're going to the vet this coming weekend to get him up to date on shots and get the neutering scheduled. He's marking little squirts here and there in the house, even his bed, but we just try to keep an eye on him and take him out often (although after reading posts on here, I'm going to be sure to ask the vet about a UTI just to be sure). He is a sweet boy, and even though we got him through not the best venue, I already know he's going to be a very special part of our little family! Below are some pics (you can tell which are before the groomer, he's 10X cuter now that we can see his little eyes!)

Hi welcome to YT. Benji looks like a sweetheart. What age s he? I am glad he found you.

Oops, that's the one thing I forgot. He's about 11-12 months and right around 6 lbs. Have to watch around my feet constantly now, I'm afraid I'll step on him!

Oops, that's what I forgot. His previous owner said he's 11-12 months. He's about 6 lbs, so constantly having to watch at my feet now! I'm afraid I'll step on him!

The moderator will review your first few posts so that is why you may not see them right away. Just in case you are wondering why the are not showing.

Benji is around the same age as my Alfie, he just turned one the first week of August. He is about 6.5 lbs

Congrats!! Benji is adorable! And I see he has a new best friend :)

Welcome to YT. It is always good to ask the vet of course but I know until Laddy was fixed he would mark like you said in little squirts (not inside thank goodness). Benji is adorable. Glad he found you.

I am hoping the neutering will fix, or at least help the marking. We also wondered if it may have been part of his adjustment to the new home.

I am sure it will. Laddy was 3 years old when we had his done and he never marks anymore.

Awww. Welcome to YT. Your baby is adorable. There are a lot of great information on this forum.

I think of Craigslist as a kind of "rescue", & I commend you for taking this sweet pup into your home. The original owners wanted a cute little puppy & didn't give thought to the commitment it'd take. (They often believe that they'll stop growing at 4 or 5 months!) Then the dog gets "too big", his hair becomes a nuisance, they didn't have time for housebreaking, they move to a place where part of their family (Benji) isn't allowed, etc. & they put him on CL & get as much money back as possible. (Had Benji been a mix or a bigger dog they might've sent him straight to the rescue.) Now that these people have gotten rid of Benji they're able to buy another cute puppy some day...& the cycle continues.
Geez, aren't I in a b****y mood today?
But I am happy you have your darling new baby & it sounds like he's found a great home. Enjoy!

One thought: As to the "verbal" shot records, can you find out which vet was used & find the records that way?

We're honestly a little torn about the true intentions. She did not ask for a large rehoming fee like others--I had contacted one person who had a year old Yorkie and wanted $600 and was completely "flat" (best way I can describe her phone demeanor) that left me thinking she was just looking for money, and a couple other people with pups that gave only age and price, no other info. We did not have $600 to invest in a dog, especially when additional funds would be necessary to fix her, which is why I was watching the rescues so closely.

Benji's owner requested $100, and we exchanged several very detailed emails about him and the situation, whereas other people seemed to give one line answers and tell you a price. So I went into the situation believing she sincerely wanted a good home for him. When we got him, he seemed to cower from us when we went to bend down or pet him, and the raggedy coat left us wondering if he wasn't taken care of as well as we had thought. Some of the cowering could simply be adjustment, and he has warmed up to us tremendously in the past week.

I will contact her and see if I can get the name of his prior vet--great suggestion. She said when she got him at about 3 mos they promised to mail papers and shot records and it never happened (definitely a shady deal there), and she told me she got him his shots when she got him, but the vet had recommended waiting til he was a year old for rabies just in case he had already had it.

In any case, we will take good care of him! :) I had tried to "ban" myself from even looking at CL anymore, but I'm sure glad I peeked that Friday night and we had him home with us the next day. :)

Welcome to YT, Benji is adorable:)

:welcome4:

Welcome to YorkieTalk!
Benji is adorable, it's great that you found him and gave him a loving home!:)

It's great he found a home with you and your kids! Congrats!

I believe you said your kids were 6? Please be sure to train your kids as well on how to handle him properly. There were some posts on puppies "attacking" young kids for different reasons. Of course, you might never have that issue but I think good education for both canine and human is always good. :)

His before photos look a lot like my Niko when his topknot is down. I think he's adorable either way.

Welcome to Yorkie Talk, and congratulations on your adorable new pup.

I'll bet that neutering him will stop the marking, and hope you can get that done soon. Some pups have "excite pee" episodes when they get excited or nervous, so that may be part of the problem. My Tiki girl did that for the first year then grew out of it.

Cowering does not always indicate previous abuse. There was a discussion about it recently, and many of us have a pup that occasionally cowers, just as a part of their personality & shyness.

Good luck with the little guy, and make sure the kids are very very gentle.

New Yorkie :)
 

Wecome! He is a cutie :) Hope he is adjusting well. How are your twins enjoying him?

Hi & welcome! Benji is adorable & I'm so glad you found one another! He looks a lot like my Milo. We adopted him Mar 20. He ws a 3 year old rescue & hd just bn neutered. When I visited him @ the rescue he ws still marking but since we got home w/him he has never marked & is a little angel.

welcome !!!!!!!! what a great looking puppy ! have fun

What a cutie patuti!! Benji looks like he's found a real "forever" home! Welcome to YT, glad you decided to join us!! Have fun and please post lots of picts of your new baby!!

Congratulations! What a cutie!

Welcome from one newbie to another! What a sweetheart he is and how wonderful that he has found a forever home with you and your family!

Welcome to YT.Your little yorkie is just a doll and bless you for giving him a wonderful home. Enjoy and give him lots of love . Susan

Welcome to YT, Benji is just precious. :)

Welcome to YorkieTalk, Benji is a fabulous little boy.

I noticed how much happier he seemed in the last picture, it looks like it was taken after you had him groomed. It sounds like you are the owner Benji deserved all along, taking him to the vet is right thing and getting him a good health routine (shots, neuter, grooming).

Regarding the cowering, when I got my SophieKate she would cower and to this day is not fond of loud noises (she was a rehome also at 3 months of age). Sophie Kate will still cower sometimes when someone tries to pick her up including me and I am her "person".

Good luck with Benji, keep coming back to YorkieTalk this community is full of very experienced Yorkie owners who can help you through almost everything.

Hi and thanks everyone. Definitely working with the kids...he is much more used to them after a few weeks, and now he plays with them a lot more. My daughter constantly wants to hold him and carry him around and he's growled at her a couple times, and I just keep telling her that's his way of telling her he need his space because he can't talk, and that he doesn't always want to be "held." He got his shots this weekend and the pre-op bloodwork for his neuter in a couple weeks!

Welcome! I'm new myself... just joined last week:) Sure seems like the other people are genuine and caring dog lovers:)

congrats on your little guy, he sure is cute. You might look into getting a soft cone collar or a onesie prior to the neutering. Some dogs like mine are a basket case having to wear the hard cone the vet gives you. Also your kids really need to understand that he will need even more space and quite time for a week after the surgery. Also try to get them to play at his level with tossing toys and so forth. And don't' run around stamping there feet a lot. Kids running and stamping feet was something that always got my dogs riled up and afraid.