A Newbie Hello/wanting to adopt

[karen24]

REPLY TO ALL WHO HAVE COMMENTED:

Wow! Thank you all for the wonderful advice, cautions, references, and recommendations. This is just great! I am so glad I signed onto YT.

*While I am "retired" or no longer working, I am still a decade or so away from being an official senior. My husband is not retired. Didn't mean to mislead.

I have been watching YouTube videos on Yorkie care, bathing, grooming, etc. Also read: "Your Yorkshire Terrier Puppy Month by Month" by Palika, Eldredge, Groves, and "The Puppy Whisperer" by Owens & Cranendonk. Both very good and will make nice reference books.

We have appointments for next week to visit 2 breeders who have puppies available soon. While I favor one over the other from the telephone discussions, both passed my fussy test, enough to move to the next round. Things may change drastically in the visit stage, but I hope not. I have seen photos of all the pups and they are all just heavenly. I have to keep my wits about me when I see them in real life. Any one would be a treat to have. This is soooo exciting.

Question: Male or female?
I've asked many friends and family and everyone has a different opinion and reasoning. Perhaps will be the case here too, but you all know the breed, maybe that will make a difference.

Again, a heartfelt "thank you" to all of you for taking the time to share with me.

[gemy]

Male or female? Big question. Do you know what sex you prefer? I mean discounting breed. I am particularly fond of males, I usually refer to myself as a male momma.


For Yorkies there won't be a size differential that might be of concern as you would have with large breeds - eg: males are generally larger and stronger.


I think personality is more key than the gender. What kind of personality or temperament do you want your adult dog to have? Confident, intrepid, active, an explorer, inquisitive, high energy pup, or more laid back, snuggle bunny, shyer, more aloof, quiet, not into strangers or strange places....


Now understand that no dog is totally one thing or the other, but just like humans do have stronger tendencies on the scale of behaviour.


What if anything do you want to do with your dog? Get involved in performance sports? Go hiking, travelling flying everywhere with your dog?


Some folks don't like the idea of a male dog hiking their leg to pee; for me that is just a natural thing male dogs do. Some worry about marking behaviour in the house.


Some folks want a female, because they want to *dress their dog up in clothes*


Male or female yorkies can be equally loving IMO. Male or females can be equally active and energetic. Temperament here is not sex biased.

[Maximo]

Males vs Females: when it comes to Yorkies, I think they are equals. My Yorkies are my first male dogs and they are fantastic. We did not have any problems potty training, so don't let anyone tell you males are harder. My boys are pad and outdoor trained and they do not lift their legs indoors.

Some people say the male Yorkies tend to be more affectionate, but I know plenty of females who are also lovey.

My boys wear bows and clothes. We just miss out on dresses.

I don't think you can go wrong with either gender.

[MauiGirl]

How exciting to be talking to breeders that already have pups available. Good luck, and hope you find a wonderful one (breeder and pup).

I have only had girls, and have been looking for another for the past few months. Unfortunately they are very hard to come by in Hawaii and I can't bring one in from another state.

Kristin (Maximo) you have made me rethink my preference of girls.... your boys are so awesome, maybe I should consider a boy. My 3 girls would probably like a little man around the house.

[karen24]

Originally Posted by Maximo

My boys are pad and outdoor trained and they do not lift their legs indoors.

OK, males who do not lift their leg indoors? We had male dogs many years ago and they lifted their legs wherever they went. So please tell me more, have you trained them that way?

It would be ideal if our Yorkie could be pad AND outdoor trained. How did training that work out for you, did you get them pad trained first then introduce outdoor, or work on both simulaneously? I'd really like to hear about experiences with this as certainly outdoor trained is preferred, however, I do hope not to have to exit the house in the wee hours of the night, particularly at times when I am home alone. Therefore having the luxury of a pad trained dog would be very convenient as well. Don't I just want it all...LOL!!

[Ieprnt]

I have only had female Yorkies, due to a disaster with a male of another breed hating men. My girls were/are the loves of my life, along with the best 5 year old Chihuahua female on the planet. I usually only have one pup at a time, and currently have two only because my college age child just didn't have enough time for the Huahua (Molly)who is well-loved and the child knew enough to be "fair" to her and send her to Mom.

Nini (Hermione, Yorkie) is pee pad and outside trained. We do offer 3 pads in a very small house because I detest accidents. She gets herself up out of our bed in the night if she needs to potty. Molly, the Huahua is only 4 lbs and sleeps ALL night and is only outdoor trained. We live in an area of stickers, so I didn't want to fight them in Nini's fur all the time, but in "clean" areas or when traveling she goes outside

[KazzyK810]

Reputable breeders here in Michigan tend to be a close knit group. But not all run a breeding 'business' advertising the selling of puppies. When contacting breeders, if they don't have any puppies due soon, ask them if they know anyone that does, as they might be able to refer you.

As to sex. I personally think a spayed female is the perfect dog for me. It has the right composition of cuddliness and independence, and I've never experienced marking issues (although some females will also mark).

But when it comes to looks, as contradictory as it may seem, the prettiest yorkies I've seen have all been males. I don't know if it has to do with the male hairy hormone like in humans (i.e. My daughter has to put on tonnes of mascara to get long lush eyelashes, while my son's are naturally long & lush), but boy yorkies seem to often have the most beautiful coats.

[rescuemom51]

Try checking out "Adoptapet" website. I got my Annie on there. The rescues post there with lots of pictures and info. She was only 4 months old and is now the queen of the house!! There are a lot of small breed puppymills in Ohio so a rescue there may have just what you are looking for. The website allows you to pick a breed, sex, age, distance willing to travel, etc.
Good Luck!

[karen24]

Sorry for so many questions, but here comes another....
I spoke with a hobby breeder that was recommended by a reputable breeder of champion dogs as also being very reputable. I liked this "hobby" breeder and she seemed very good, very caring over the phone. She told me she had to be honest and let me know that the father of her puppies has a "loose knee." She owns both parents of these puppies. What do you all think? Do I run for the hills or be glad I know and chalk it up as a common issue with Yorkies? If I pursue buying a puppy from her further, what questions should I ask? On one hand I was originally willing to accept a rescue pet and God only knows what problems I would have no idea were in a rescues genetics. On the other hand, should I be looking for a puppy with a clean slate in reference to genetics.....is there really such a thing? I feel like I'd like to know there are no genetic problems at all, but I am also trying to be realistic. Any advice would be appreciated.

[KazzyK810]

Originally Posted by karen24

Sorry for so many questions, but here comes another....
I spoke with a hobby breeder that was recommended by a reputable breeder of champion dogs as also being very reputable. I liked this "hobby" breeder and she seemed very good, very caring over the phone. She told me she had to be honest and let me know that the father of her puppies has a "loose knee." She owns both parents of these puppies. What do you all think? Do I run for the hills or be glad I know and chalk it up as a common issue with Yorkies? If I pursue buying a puppy from her further, what questions should I ask? On one hand I was originally willing to accept a rescue pet and God only knows what problems I would have no idea were in a rescues genetics. On the other hand, should I be looking for a puppy with a clean slate in reference to genetics.....is there really such a thing? I feel like I'd like to know there are no genetic problems at all, but I am also trying to be realistic. Any advice would be appreciated.

I would walk away from this. She knowingly bred a dog with bad knees . You would be handing over money and financially supporting a bad breeder, to me, that's just like being against puppymills and buying a dog from a pet store.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by karen24

REPLY TO ALL WHO HAVE COMMENTED:

Wow! Thank you all for the wonderful advice, cautions, references, and recommendations. This is just great! I am so glad I signed onto YT.

*While I am "retired" or no longer working, I am still a decade or so away from being an official senior. My husband is not retired. Didn't mean to mislead.

I have been watching YouTube videos on Yorkie care, bathing, grooming, etc. Also read: "Your Yorkshire Terrier Puppy Month by Month" by Palika, Eldredge, Groves, and "The Puppy Whisperer" by Owens & Cranendonk. Both very good and will make nice reference books.

We have appointments for next week to visit 2 breeders who have puppies available soon. While I favor one over the other from the telephone discussions, both passed my fussy test, enough to move to the next round. Things may change drastically in the visit stage, but I hope not. I have seen photos of all the pups and they are all just heavenly. I have to keep my wits about me when I see them in real life. Any one would be a treat to have. This is soooo exciting.

Question: Male or female?
I've asked many friends and family and everyone has a different opinion and reasoning. Perhaps will be the case here too, but you all know the breed, maybe that will make a difference.

Again, a heartfelt "thank you" to all of you for taking the time to share with me.

Yorkies for dummies is actually really good to. I prefer girls mostly because every girl I have had all but one no yorkies have had an attitude not necessarily a bad attitude just one that gave the personality. I have a girl and she is very smart, and a cuddle bug.

[gemy]

Originally Posted by karen24

Sorry for so many questions, but here comes another....
I spoke with a hobby breeder that was recommended by a reputable breeder of champion dogs as also being very reputable. I liked this "hobby" breeder and she seemed very good, very caring over the phone. She told me she had to be honest and let me know that the father of her puppies has a "loose knee." She owns both parents of these puppies. What do you all think? Do I run for the hills or be glad I know and chalk it up as a common issue with Yorkies? If I pursue buying a puppy from her further, what questions should I ask? On one hand I was originally willing to accept a rescue pet and God only knows what problems I would have no idea were in a rescues genetics. On the other hand, should I be looking for a puppy with a clean slate in reference to genetics.....is there really such a thing? I feel like I'd like to know there are no genetic problems at all, but I am also trying to be realistic. Any advice would be appreciated.

Okay a loose knee can mean a few things - has the sire been graded by the vet in terms of LP? But more importantly are all her pups been cleared by a vet for LP? And just to be clear LP= Luxating Patella, very common in this breed and many many toy breeds.


I would want to know what health clearances have been done on the breeding pair? For example have they both been BATS tested, had Hips and elbows and knees certified and posted on www.offa.org Thyroid testing done and posted. Eyes certified by an opthamologist and posted again on www.offa.org. What are the health concerns in the line she is breeding?


Is this her first breeding of this pair? If not, how has the health been of the previous litter(s).


I would like to know how she is rearing these pups. Are they in her home or in a kennel environment? Does she have some sort of health warranty and will she sen d you a copy of it? Along with of course her sales contract.


What is the registry she uses? AKC, or UKC in the States. In Canada CKC - these are very reputable registries.


Is she a member of her local breed club? If not why not? What sorts of work does she do in support of the YT breed. ]


There are probably a few more things - ....

[yorkiemini]

Originally Posted by karen24

Sorry for so many questions, but here comes another....
I spoke with a hobby breeder that was recommended by a reputable breeder of champion dogs as also being very reputable. I liked this "hobby" breeder and she seemed very good, very caring over the phone. She told me she had to be honest and let me know that the father of her puppies has a "loose knee." She owns both parents of these puppies. What do you all think? Do I run for the hills or be glad I know and chalk it up as a common issue with Yorkies? If I pursue buying a puppy from her further, what questions should I ask? On one hand I was originally willing to accept a rescue pet and God only knows what problems I would have no idea were in a rescues genetics. On the other hand, should I be looking for a puppy with a clean slate in reference to genetics.....is there really such a thing? I feel like I'd like to know there are no genetic problems at all, but I am also trying to be realistic. Any advice would be appreciated.

As KazzyK advised I would pass on these puppies. You may very well be purchasing an expensive and painful issue for your puppy. Surgery for this problem is limiting for puppies who need to be having fun adjusting to their new home rather than having to recover. Beside that, a really concerned breeder would not continue to breed with this stud, although she get points for being honest about it. I just would not knowing ky run the risk of putting my dog through this.

Keep looking -- the right pup is out there!!!!!!

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by karen24

Sorry for so many questions, but here comes another....
I spoke with a hobby breeder that was recommended by a reputable breeder of champion dogs as also being very reputable. I liked this "hobby" breeder and she seemed very good, very caring over the phone. She told me she had to be honest and let me know that the father of her puppies has a "loose knee." She owns both parents of these puppies. What do you all think? Do I run for the hills or be glad I know and chalk it up as a common issue with Yorkies? If I pursue buying a puppy from her further, what questions should I ask? On one hand I was originally willing to accept a rescue pet and God only knows what problems I would have no idea were in a rescues genetics. On the other hand, should I be looking for a puppy with a clean slate in reference to genetics.....is there really such a thing? I feel like I'd like to know there are no genetic problems at all, but I am also trying to be realistic. Any advice would be appreciated.

A breeder is not reputable if they breed a dog with problems and LP is a problem a very big and expensive one. LP can lead to ACL tears a big problem. My girl had to have surgery on both knees first one was for LP and a partial ACL tear $3,100 plus $500 pin removal and I forgot how much physical therapy was and that was 8 weeks of crate rest. Second knee was just for LP and that was $2500 plus $500 for pin removal and 11 weeks crate rest. It ticks me off when people breed dogs with issues like LP it is a huge issue with yorkies and they are just making it worse.
You want a breeder who knows there lines far back to know there are no genetic illnesses in the lines, AKC is the only reputable registry in the US, a pup should not go home before 12 weeks, they do not breed females under 5 pounds, they don't use words like micro, teacup and miniature, reputable breeders also have spay and neuter contracts and you can't just get breeding rights by paying a little more money, they also do not do puppies shots before 8 weeks, reputable breeders don't breed a lot of different breeds or mixes.
Even with an amazing reputable breeder sometimes things come up and that is why you get pet insurance. It's tough to find a reputable breeder but worth it.

[gemy]

Luxating Patella, particularly in both knees is thought to be a genetic condition. How-ever there is no genetic test for this at this time, probably because it is a recessive polygenetic trait - which is quite difficult to findthe genes responsible.


it is very possible to breed two LP clear dogs and have a puppy with LP. It is possible to breed a dog with mild LP to a clear dog, and have a litter that is clear. Which is why I asked have the pups been evaluated for LP in particular.


I certainly liked the fact that the breeder disclosed to you that the sire had ONE loose knee, and she is doing what a reputable breeder does in disclosing the health status of the breeding pair.


I would ask the questions I posed, and if the breeding pair has not passed all or most of the health clearances, I would walk away.