New here and needs LOTS of help! :) - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Volgirl65 · 03-25-2014, 01:04 PM

I am researching all about yorkies now. We are getting a baby boy in a few wks. He is a brand new baby, and we are getting him way too soon so I am a little worried about how to take care of him. The owner is a friend of my husbands who wants to "get rid" of the puppies at 6 wks....so I am considering our adopting him as more of a rescue on our part. We will love him though!!! With all that being said, I want to be prepared.
I have owned many dogs in my life, but not a yorkie. The parents are around 8 lbs each so I am not expecting ours to be too tiny. I have been reading about how careful to be with their diet and tender tummies. So I guess my first question is what should I have on hand to feed him. Again, the parents eat puppy chow...and that doesn't seem like the ideal choice for a yorkie so I will want to transition him off of that as soon as I can. So, what do y'all think is the best option for feeding him? I want to make sure his glucose stays normal and am hoping not to upset his tummy too much.
This new baby is going to be a labor of love, but I am sure he will be worth it. I am so glad we get to take one home because I know we will do all we can to take good care of him.
Thanks and any more tips on bringing a new young yorkie baby home will be appreciated!

Amy

pstinard · 03-25-2014, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volgirl65

I am researching all about yorkies now. We are getting a baby boy in a few wks. He is a brand new baby, and we are getting him way too soon so I am a little worried about how to take care of him. The owner is a friend of my husbands who wants to "get rid" of the puppies at 6 wks....so I am considering our adopting him as more of a rescue on our part. We will love him though!!! With all that being said, I want to be prepared.
I have owned many dogs in my life, but not a yorkie. The parents are around 8 lbs each so I am not expecting ours to be too tiny. I have been reading about how careful to be with their diet and tender tummies. So I guess my first question is what should I have on hand to feed him. Again, the parents eat puppy chow...and that doesn't seem like the ideal choice for a yorkie so I will want to transition him off of that as soon as I can. So, what do y'all think is the best option for feeding him? I want to make sure his glucose stays normal and am hoping not to upset his tummy too much.
This new baby is going to be a labor of love, but I am sure he will be worth it. I am so glad we get to take one home because I know we will do all we can to take good care of him.
Thanks and any more tips on bringing a new young yorkie baby home will be appreciated!

Amy

For food, I like Royal Canin for Yorkshire Terrier puppies due to its tiny kibble size, but there are plenty of other good choices. Avoid Purina products.

megansmomma · 03-25-2014, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pstinard

For food, I like Royal Canin for Yorkshire Terrier puppies due to its tiny kibble size, but there are plenty of other good choices. Avoid Purina products.

Royal Canine for Yorkies is a great choice and I've used this in the past.

As for getting your little guy so young that is another issue. Others will be along shortly to argue he should stay with his momma until much older but if you are given no other choice I guess you just need to run with it and deal the best you can. I do question the age of just 6 weeks and believe there might be laws in Florida regarding the age of a puppy sale. After a very quick look it seems Florida laws state a minimum of 8 weeks of age. Age to Sell Puppy Table

I've never dealt with such a young puppy since mine were all a form of rescue the youngest being about 10 weeks old about right at 2 lbs. Maybe you can get advice from Gemy or another member more experienced with the needs of a 6 weeks old puppy.

As for your husband's friend, might I suggest offering a spay & neuter for their pets as a thank you gift for the new puppy. It sounds as though this breeding might have been an accident and another will be right around the corner if they are left unaltered

Good luck with you new baby. Check back with questions and of course share pictures

ShowGirlLola · 03-25-2014, 02:04 PM

That's awful, maybe they'd let you take the mom and pups until they're 12 weeks.
It would be a good bit of work for you, but probably less than taking care of a 6 week old without the mom.

Lovetodream88 · 03-25-2014, 02:39 PM

You need to look at getting pet insurance because I'm sure the breeder didn't make sure the parents where very healthy or free from genetic illness so you will want something that would help you with genetic illness that could pop up. You also need to not leave this puppy alone for more then an hour or so and make sure he is eating. I also would not take him outside or places like the pet store until the pup has all of there puppy shots. It's useless for the pup to get any shots before 6 weeks. Be warned people have gotten pups that young before and yeah many make it but there are many that don't or do make it but end up suffering with genetic illness because the breeder didn't care about anything but money.

Volgirl65 · 03-25-2014, 03:21 PM

Thanks for the options so far. As far as my husbands friend, I can't tell her what to do with her yorkies, but it concerns me that she is using the momma to just birth puppies....now I don't know her well and that might not be the intent at all. My husband wanted to help his friend and wanted a yorkie....so like I said before, we will love this little man no matter what we actually end up with.
My company that I work for offers pet insurance so I will look at the options and get him covered just in case he isn't healthy. I am probably trying to find something to worry about. I work from home so I won't have to leave him alone once he is here other than a quick trip to the store and when I go to church.

megansmomma · 03-25-2014, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

You need to look at getting pet insurance because I'm sure the breeder didn't make sure the parents where very healthy or free from genetic illness so you will want something that would help you with genetic illness that could pop up. You also need to not leave this puppy alone for more then an hour or so and make sure he is eating. I also would not take him outside or places like the pet store until the pup has all of there puppy shots. It's useless for the pup to get any shots before 6 weeks. Be warned people have gotten pups that young before and yeah many make it but there are many that don't or do make it but end up suffering with genetic illness because the breeder didn't care about anything but money.

Excellent suggestion about pet insurance!

Yorkies are just expensive dogs and there could always be a medical issue.

BabyGirl Rosie · 03-27-2014, 10:13 AM

Congrats on getting your new baby. Your life will be filled with Yorkie love and Yorkie attitude. Haha. As far as diet, I really have enjoyed home cooking for my girls. At first I thought it would be too much work. But I ended up making 2 weeks at a time so it's not so bad. Petdiets.com is a great place for recipes. However I would make sure they are ok for such a small puppy. I have one with tummy issues so the home cooking works well for us.

My next advice is to find a great vet if you don't have one already. These little ones can go down fast when sick so having a vet that you trust is important.

Get a good camera because this baby is about to steal your heart and run away with it.

Last, get a good bed. Check out the Yorkie Haven Rescue Cloud 9 bed. I have three for my girls! I can honestly say they LOVE it!

Again, congrats on your new addition. And welcome to YT!

nanahas3 · 03-27-2014, 12:39 PM

This little boy will need food readily available. Also he will probably need soft food for a while. I helped my sister-in-law with getting hers to the age of 12 weeks a couple years ago when she couldn't and it was a lot of work but she does have a healthy 8lb girl now. Hers refused to eat at first so I ground her kibble in a coffee grinder and made a liquid that would go through the opening in a syringe and fed her that way until I could finally get her to start lapping it from a bowl. I made it a little thicker each day until she got to the point of eating it dry. Also make sure he gets lots of fluid and keep nuti-cal on hand for low blood sugar episodes.. Don't let him overplay he will still need lots of rest time. Best of luck with this little one and welcome to YT. Oh I forgot to add we also had to feed hers every 3 hours at first.

Twocute · 03-27-2014, 03:05 PM

Our first dog came to us when she was just barely six weeks old. She was with us 16 years. We still miss her!

Volgirl65 · 03-27-2014, 03:31 PM

Thanks everyone.

03-25-2014, 01:04 PM	#1
Volgirl65 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 33	New here and needs LOTS of help! :) I am researching all about yorkies now. We are getting a baby boy in a few wks. He is a brand new baby, and we are getting him way too soon so I am a little worried about how to take care of him. The owner is a friend of my husbands who wants to "get rid" of the puppies at 6 wks....so I am considering our adopting him as more of a rescue on our part. We will love him though!!! With all that being said, I want to be prepared. I have owned many dogs in my life, but not a yorkie. The parents are around 8 lbs each so I am not expecting ours to be too tiny. I have been reading about how careful to be with their diet and tender tummies. So I guess my first question is what should I have on hand to feed him. Again, the parents eat puppy chow...and that doesn't seem like the ideal choice for a yorkie so I will want to transition him off of that as soon as I can. So, what do y'all think is the best option for feeding him? I want to make sure his glucose stays normal and am hoping not to upset his tummy too much. This new baby is going to be a labor of love, but I am sure he will be worth it. I am so glad we get to take one home because I know we will do all we can to take good care of him. Thanks and any more tips on bringing a new young yorkie baby home will be appreciated! Amy

03-25-2014, 02:39 PM	#5
Lovetodream88 Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md Posts: 23,247	You need to look at getting pet insurance because I'm sure the breeder didn't make sure the parents where very healthy or free from genetic illness so you will want something that would help you with genetic illness that could pop up. You also need to not leave this puppy alone for more then an hour or so and make sure he is eating. I also would not take him outside or places like the pet store until the pup has all of there puppy shots. It's useless for the pup to get any shots before 6 weeks. Be warned people have gotten pups that young before and yeah many make it but there are many that don't or do make it but end up suffering with genetic illness because the breeder didn't care about anything but money. __________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart! Last edited by Lovetodream88; 03-25-2014 at 02:41 PM.

03-27-2014, 10:13 AM	#8
BabyGirl Rosie I ♥ my girls! Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: With My Yorkies Posts: 18,980	Congrats on getting your new baby. Your life will be filled with Yorkie love and Yorkie attitude. Haha. As far as diet, I really have enjoyed home cooking for my girls. At first I thought it would be too much work. But I ended up making 2 weeks at a time so it's not so bad. Petdiets.com is a great place for recipes. However I would make sure they are ok for such a small puppy. I have one with tummy issues so the home cooking works well for us. My next advice is to find a great vet if you don't have one already. These little ones can go down fast when sick so having a vet that you trust is important. Get a good camera because this baby is about to steal your heart and run away with it. Last, get a good bed. Check out the Yorkie Haven Rescue Cloud 9 bed. I have three for my girls! I can honestly say they LOVE it! Again, congrats on your new addition. And welcome to YT! __________________ Momma to three sweet Yorkie girls Rosie Marie, Mikki Leigh , and Lily Mae Grace!

03-27-2014, 12:39 PM	#9
nanahas3 ♥Love My Snuggle Bugs♥ Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 4,290	This little boy will need food readily available. Also he will probably need soft food for a while. I helped my sister-in-law with getting hers to the age of 12 weeks a couple years ago when she couldn't and it was a lot of work but she does have a healthy 8lb girl now. Hers refused to eat at first so I ground her kibble in a coffee grinder and made a liquid that would go through the opening in a syringe and fed her that way until I could finally get her to start lapping it from a bowl. I made it a little thicker each day until she got to the point of eating it dry. Also make sure he gets lots of fluid and keep nuti-cal on hand for low blood sugar episodes.. Don't let him overplay he will still need lots of rest time. Best of luck with this little one and welcome to YT. Oh I forgot to add we also had to feed hers every 3 hours at first. __________________ *CharleneMama to Laddy and Kyra and Always in our hearts Lolita*

03-27-2014, 03:05 PM	#10
Twocute Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: West Virginia Posts: 39	Our first dog came to us when she was just barely six weeks old. She was with us 16 years. We still miss her! __________________ Taz and DeeDee

03-25-2014, 02:04 PM	#4
ShowGirlLola YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: NJ Posts: 1,354	That's awful, maybe they'd let you take the mom and pups until they're 12 weeks. It would be a good bit of work for you, but probably less than taking care of a 6 week old without the mom.

03-25-2014, 03:21 PM	#6
Volgirl65 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 33	Thanks for the options so far. As far as my husbands friend, I can't tell her what to do with her yorkies, but it concerns me that she is using the momma to just birth puppies....now I don't know her well and that might not be the intent at all. My husband wanted to help his friend and wanted a yorkie....so like I said before, we will love this little man no matter what we actually end up with. My company that I work for offers pet insurance so I will look at the options and get him covered just in case he isn't healthy. I am probably trying to find something to worry about. I work from home so I won't have to leave him alone once he is here other than a quick trip to the store and when I go to church.

03-27-2014, 03:31 PM	#11
Volgirl65 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 33	Thanks everyone.