Appearance of a healthy puppy - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Annuta · 01-01-2007, 06:22 PM

Hi, everyone. What does a healthy Yorkie puppy look like? What are some of the things I have to look out for when choosing a puppy?

I went to the local pet shop recently to take a look at their puppies. I am still set on finding a good breeder and buying one directly, but after seeing the puppies at the store I think I should educate myself more on the topic of what's normal for a Yorkie puppy. For example, the puppy they had at the pet store didn't have much hair on top of his head and on his back. His coat there was very sparse. Is that normal for a young dog? When I purchased my kitten, she had uniform coat all throughout at 2 months, so I assume that puppies should as well?

Thank you very much, everyone. I am learning quite a bit from you guys!

ChestersMom · 01-01-2007, 06:35 PM

IMO, their coat should be full and shiny. Their eyes should be bright and they should hold their head upright, not drooped like they're sad or ill. I'd do my homework and buy direct from the breeder, not a pet store.

scrapindee · 01-01-2007, 06:55 PM

There are some really long threads on YT about some of the worst horror stories from buying pets from pet stores. No matter how tempting or cute these dogs look, please don't buy from a pet store. No matter how much you might want to "rescue" one of these pups, don't.

You'll find a good breeder. Ask lots of questions. And do your homework.

TootiesMom · 01-01-2007, 06:56 PM

I beleive finding a breeder you can trust is the key! I knew my baby was for me before I even knew she COULD be mine...
Good Luck in finding your baby! There are many good breeders here on YT and everyone is HELPFUL with information!
d

SweetCuteness · 01-01-2007, 06:58 PM

I'm glad to hear you're set on not purchasing your new puppy from a pet store - you're headed in the right direction!

I don't think a thin/sparse coat would be a healthy attribute of a pup. Mine had a full, shiny coat when we got him from our breeder.

Welcome to YT, and best of luck in finding your new furbaby!

JeanieK · 01-01-2007, 06:59 PM

There are a lot of problems that you cannot tell by simply looking at them.

not a good idea to buy from a pet shop, and it's usually cheaper to buy from a breeder.

yorkieaddict · 01-01-2007, 07:20 PM

You are off to a great start. Ask lots of questions and educate yourself from many different sources. Books, forums, vet that knows Yorkies and an ethical breeder. Find out everything you can about Yorkies the good and the bad before you buy. They are expensive and sometimes problems do not show up until months down the road. Make sure you have the time to invest in them. They are a wonderful breed but not for everyone. I love this breed and have vowed to always have a Yorkie in my life. I am going on my 3rd, 4th and 5th Yorkie right now.
Good Luck to you and I hope you find the perfect companion.

Annuta · 01-01-2007, 07:55 PM

Thanks, guys. Like I said, I am set on buying from a breeder, but wanted to know what a healthy Yorkie puppy looks like. Aside from looking cute, I am sure there are things like coat color, textrue, etc. to consider.

I have been talking with various breeders and have gotten conflicting infromation about certain things. For example, when should the puppy's ears be standing on their own? One of the breeders I spoke to told me that it's unpredictable, and they fall down a lot of times - it all depends on the individual puppy. Another source stated that having puppy's ears stand up is a breeder's responsibility and by 12 weeks, puppies should be able to have them standing with no problem.

From this Yorkie experience thus far, I realized how incredibly lucky I was with my kitten's breeder. I simply lucked-out, since I've never purchased an animal before and was very trusting.

chattiesmom · 01-01-2007, 09:01 PM

Welcome to YorkieTalk

A healthy pups will be loaded with energy, will have bright shining eyes and a nice shiny coat, and will be alert and curious. Like has been stated, it is vital that feel comfortable that the breeder is reputable ....AND be sure to take your pup to the vet immediately for a "well pup" checkup

SweetCuteness · 01-02-2007, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annuta

Thanks, guys. Like I said, I am set on buying from a breeder, but wanted to know what a healthy Yorkie puppy looks like. Aside from looking cute, I am sure there are things like coat color, textrue, etc. to consider.

I have been talking with various breeders and have gotten conflicting infromation about certain things. For example, when should the puppy's ears be standing on their own? One of the breeders I spoke to told me that it's unpredictable, and they fall down a lot of times - it all depends on the individual puppy. Another source stated that having puppy's ears stand up is a breeder's responsibility and by 12 weeks, puppies should be able to have them standing with no problem.

From this Yorkie experience thus far, I realized how incredibly lucky I was with my kitten's breeder. I simply lucked-out, since I've never purchased an animal before and was very trusting.

Regarding the ears - I think most pups have standing ears by 12 weeks or so. I got my pup at 8 weeks and one ear was standing, and only the tip of the other ear was a little droopy (you can kind of see that in my avatar). By about a week later, both were standing. Some people do have to tape the ears up for a couple days to get them to stand on their own.

Annuta · 01-02-2007, 12:14 PM

Speaking of ears, do they stand up by themselves when the puppy is ready? Or must something be done to make sure he keeps them up? I'm still unable to find a definitive answer to this. Basically, when I buy a puppy, do I need to make sure that ears are already standing?

FlDebra · 01-02-2007, 01:47 PM

Puppies' ears stand at different times and they can be helped by taping or using Breathe Right strips. Sometimes just shaving the hair off them will get them to stand. That was the case with my Sadie.

A sparse coat on a Yorkie pup can be a good sign, actually maybe better than if the coat is very thick. There is a great sticky on here that you should read -- it helped me a great deal. Here is the link: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16045

01-01-2007, 06:22 PM	#1
Annuta Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 57	Appearance of a healthy puppy Hi, everyone. What does a healthy Yorkie puppy look like? What are some of the things I have to look out for when choosing a puppy? I went to the local pet shop recently to take a look at their puppies. I am still set on finding a good breeder and buying one directly, but after seeing the puppies at the store I think I should educate myself more on the topic of what's normal for a Yorkie puppy. For example, the puppy they had at the pet store didn't have much hair on top of his head and on his back. His coat there was very sparse. Is that normal for a young dog? When I purchased my kitten, she had uniform coat all throughout at 2 months, so I assume that puppies should as well? Thank you very much, everyone. I am learning quite a bit from you guys!

01-01-2007, 06:55 PM	#3
scrapindee Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Redlands Posts: 4,842 Blog Entries: 2	There are some really long threads on YT about some of the worst horror stories from buying pets from pet stores. No matter how tempting or cute these dogs look, please don't buy from a pet store. No matter how much you might want to "rescue" one of these pups, don't. You'll find a good breeder. Ask lots of questions. And do your homework. __________________ Scrapindee--Team Furry & the Biewers www.houseofwags.com

01-01-2007, 06:56 PM	#4
TootiesMom and Hopeys Mom Too Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Louisiana Posts: 4,109	I beleive finding a breeder you can trust is the key! I knew my baby was for me before I even knew she COULD be mine... Good Luck in finding your baby! There are many good breeders here on YT and everyone is HELPFUL with information! d __________________ Donna's little herd.... Tooties Dogster http://www.dogster.com/?271687 Hopeys Dogster http://www.dogster.com/?448723 and Tinker, TBone(RIP) Laci .. OH, and Me-Kitty(RIP)

01-01-2007, 06:58 PM	#5
SweetCuteness I <3 Ferdinand Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,444	I'm glad to hear you're set on not purchasing your new puppy from a pet store - you're headed in the right direction! I don't think a thin/sparse coat would be a healthy attribute of a pup. Mine had a full, shiny coat when we got him from our breeder. Welcome to YT, and best of luck in finding your new furbaby! __________________ Britta ...and Ferdinand too

01-01-2007, 07:20 PM	#7
yorkieaddict Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Southern Calif Posts: 877	You are off to a great start. Ask lots of questions and educate yourself from many different sources. Books, forums, vet that knows Yorkies and an ethical breeder. Find out everything you can about Yorkies the good and the bad before you buy. They are expensive and sometimes problems do not show up until months down the road. Make sure you have the time to invest in them. They are a wonderful breed but not for everyone. I love this breed and have vowed to always have a Yorkie in my life. I am going on my 3rd, 4th and 5th Yorkie right now. Good Luck to you and I hope you find the perfect companion. __________________ My belongs to Molly, Princeton and Pinky http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p...edium=text_url

01-01-2007, 06:35 PM	#2
ChestersMom YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bacliff, TX Posts: 947	IMO, their coat should be full and shiny. Their eyes should be bright and they should hold their head upright, not drooped like they're sad or ill. I'd do my homework and buy direct from the breeder, not a pet store.

01-01-2007, 06:59 PM	#6
JeanieK Donating YT 12K Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Council Bluffs Iowa Posts: 12,552	There are a lot of problems that you cannot tell by simply looking at them. not a good idea to buy from a pet shop, and it's usually cheaper to buy from a breeder.

01-01-2007, 07:55 PM	#8
Annuta Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 57	Thanks, guys. Like I said, I am set on buying from a breeder, but wanted to know what a healthy Yorkie puppy looks like. Aside from looking cute, I am sure there are things like coat color, textrue, etc. to consider. I have been talking with various breeders and have gotten conflicting infromation about certain things. For example, when should the puppy's ears be standing on their own? One of the breeders I spoke to told me that it's unpredictable, and they fall down a lot of times - it all depends on the individual puppy. Another source stated that having puppy's ears stand up is a breeder's responsibility and by 12 weeks, puppies should be able to have them standing with no problem. From this Yorkie experience thus far, I realized how incredibly lucky I was with my kitten's breeder. I simply lucked-out, since I've never purchased an animal before and was very trusting.

01-01-2007, 09:01 PM	#9
chattiesmom Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 17,674	Welcome to YorkieTalk A healthy pups will be loaded with energy, will have bright shining eyes and a nice shiny coat, and will be alert and curious. Like has been stated, it is vital that feel comfortable that the breeder is reputable ....AND be sure to take your pup to the vet immediately for a "well pup" checkup __________________ Silk Step-In Harnesses www.foxypups.etsy.com

01-02-2007, 12:14 PM	#11
Annuta Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 57	Speaking of ears, do they stand up by themselves when the puppy is ready? Or must something be done to make sure he keeps them up? I'm still unable to find a definitive answer to this. Basically, when I buy a puppy, do I need to make sure that ears are already standing?

01-02-2007, 01:47 PM	#12
FlDebra Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: FL Posts: 7,651	Puppies' ears stand at different times and they can be helped by taping or using Breathe Right strips. Sometimes just shaving the hair off them will get them to stand. That was the case with my Sadie. A sparse coat on a Yorkie pup can be a good sign, actually maybe better than if the coat is very thick. There is a great sticky on here that you should read -- it helped me a great deal. Here is the link: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16045 __________________ FlDebra and her ABCs Annie, Ben, Candy Promoting Healthy Breeding to the AKC Yorkshire Terrier Standard