Advice needed Re: purchasing four pound Yorkie
 

I apologize if this has been discussed before, but my search didn't bring this topic up. Ok, here's my slight worry. I am contemplating buying a Yorkie but I have spoken to the breeder and the pup will probably top out at four pounds. I prefer small dogs, have researched extensively the Yorkie and have experience with Maltese dogs. My Maltese was 6.5 pounds but they tend to be a little heartier. I have read some comments on other sites warning against a tiny Yorkie because of health reasons and frailty. The person stated you cannot play with a four pounder. I have no children and do not intend to roughhouse with the puppy but I want to know is a four pounder sturdier than I've been led to believe and is there a huge difference between my 6.5 Maltese and a 4 pound Yorkie in strength/sturdiness. Sorry so long!!!!! Thank you for any advice.

My Cali is 3 pound 14 ounces, and loves to play Rottweiler !
Yes they have small bones a need to be protected from falls etc, but I can't think of any dog that does not need protection.

She chases her ball for more hours than I can throw it and loves to shake and play with her squeaky toys and is super healthy.

They key is the quality of the breeder from whom you are purchasing the Yorkie. It is true that the tiny, fragile Yorkies are prone to more health issues. The quality of testing and knowledge of the breeder is what gives you a small healthy dog - not how cute it looks, because all the tiniest are cute :D

I do not let my little one jump off the bed, or play with small children who are not aware of her needs. Of course, you are not breeding the small ones- too dangerous

Totally agree! Rasta is barely 2 lbs and prob won't get any bigger than 3 lbs. Its all depending on the breeder. They are more prone to physical injuries because of their small size and have to be watched a bit more especially with hypoglycemia. But if you have a pup with a good appetite from a good breeder that did health/genetic testing you will have the same worries as a "normal sized" yorkie parent.

Thank you for your response! I was referred to the breeder from a reputable vet. Yes. I am nervous about jumping off the bed as well. I am planning on buying stairs and concocting something so the pup doesn't jump off my bed. Worried about their little knees.

Dooney is 4 pounds but acts like he's 100 pounds....runs around like crazy...I have 3 other dogs...6 to 15 pounds and he can hold his own with them...( he's always supervised when playing with them). Just make sure he doesn't jump off from high places...dooney has stairs to get up on our bed since it's high....as long as you train them to not jump off places that can hurt them...they will be fine....I also don't allow other kids to hold him since he's squirmy. He's ok with my 8 and 10 year old holding him. Good luck.

I have 2 yorkies that are under 4 lbs. Yes, you need to be careful of falls, but so do you you with bigger yorkies! I play with both of mine and they love to rough house and play tug of war!

Small yorkies do need to be treated a little more delicate then bigger ones like simply jumping of the couch can break a leg (although if any dog land wrong that to can happen). It think whats most important is making sure that its coming from a reputable breeder that is making sure there yorkies are gonna be as healthy as possible. Some of the things that set a good breeder out and make them good is they do not use the word teacup or micro, they do not breed females under 5 pounds, they do any available health testing and genetic testing, they know there lines back many generations, they don't let the puppies leave mom until 12 weeks, and they don't just give breeding rights to anyone.

Keeping the little one safe in the beginning weeks & months are important, as it will take almost up to a year to "top out" at the 4 lb. mark. In the meantime, you will teach your Maltese how to be gentle, and they will do just fine.

Other types of injuries, such as falling, being stepped on or dropped, etc. are probably a bigger worry than the new pup being injured by another pup.

Have fun.

Love to dream. Where did you find a good Breeder? I'm in Md too.

It really depends of the build of the dog. I have a 7 month old girl that is 3.65lbs that has nice bone and body to her. She is a pretty sturdy Yorkie, not delicate. She is small and of course you have to make sure they aren't jumping or falling from higher places or being played overly rough with, etc....but she is a tough puppy. She runs, plays, jumps and plays hard with my 5-7lb yorkies.
Now, if it is a finer boned puppy, you are going to have to be very careful...broken legs can occur a lot easier with finer boned dog.

I didn't that's why I speak out about bad breeding lot. I knew nothing really about the extent of puppy mills when I got my girl and it turned out I got her from a broker who got there pups from a puppy mill. I would never change having my baby for the world but she has had many health problems because of her bad breeding. Have you checked out ytca.org? What breeder are you looking at?

I have a 2 y.o 4 lb guy....adopted him from a rescue. He is taller than my 8.5 lb yorkie and he has a very fine bone structure...oh yes, and he thinks he's indestructible. I have to be careful with him, but I am just as careful with my yorkie that weighs twice as much because he's older and stiffer and doesn't get around nearly as well as my little guy.

Unfortunately, health problems can come in any size of yorkie. You can have a 10 lb yorkie with horrible lines that are riddled with genetic problems and you can have a 4 lb dog that is healthy. The problem is this though...a smaller dog may not be able to cope with the health problems as well as a bigger dog could. Their little bodies don't handle stress as well and things that should be little mole hills can turn into mountains because of their size. Finding a GOOD breeder with quality lines who is producing healthy dogs is your best shot in trying to ensure you get a healthy puppy, of any weight.

Sugar shock is also definitely a bigger risk. It can happen to a bigger yorkie, but smaller ones are more prone to it. Missing a meal for a bigger dog, may not be that big of a deal, but it can be dangerous for the little ones!!

If you are worried about the jumping, we bought a ramp that is at the foot of the bed. My Jasper is barely 4 lbs and loves to run and chase anything you throw and fetch and on and on..lol But, he picked up on how to use the ramp the first day. These dogs are exceptionally smart. We bought our ramp on Amazon.

I hope this helps and that you will get that 4 lb baby. As anyone on here would tell you, you will have a very loving companion for many years to come. :) Is it a male or female? Have you even thought about names yet?

And, Welcome to YorkieTalk!! :)