I picked out my Little Boy, but now I need some help...

[COyorkieLover]

Hi All!

So, I finally picked out a little boy puppy! I am so excited and can't wait to bring him home!!! However, we aren't going to pick him up until the 16th because we are moving into a new apartment and I don't want to confuse him with too much chaos. This gives me about a week and a half to prepare for my little guy's arrival. I want to make sure that I have everything he needs before we pick him up, if I am missing anything from this list please let me know. Also, I have a few questions about what i have to get so any help would be great!

What he comes with...
-leash & collar
-toys
-health record & health gaurentee
-potty pads
-treats
-some food

What I have already bought.
-Harness & leash
-food & water bowls (non-plastic ones)
-doggie bed
-small tennis balls
-some other toys

My list of things to get (with some questions)...
-toothbrush--is a finger toothbrush or a kid's toothbrush better?
-toothpaste--what brand/flavor of toothpaste is best?
-nail trimmers
-brush--is a wire brush or a bristle brush better?
-Pet silk (aka liquid silk) conditioner and leave-in conditioner spray--does anyone know of a good place to get this brand?
-doggy shampoo
-puppy food--I really want to feed him what is best. I think we are going to go with a dry kibble, but I need some input on what the best brand is. the other day I saw that Eukanuba (I may have spelt that wrong) makes a yorkie specific food. Is it a good brand? If not, what do you all recomment?
-extra potty pads
-anything else i should add to my list?

Thanks in advance for your help!!! And, here is a pic of my little boy. We are going to name him Rusty

[Julz]

He is ADORABLE!!!!!! First, definetly go with a DRY kibble. Ask what the breeder is feeding him. You can do a search on here about the kibble brands people like best. Remember, it is going to be VERY tempting to show off your new little baby, however, take him straight home...not stopping at a store or family or friends to show him off. Keep him to yourself for the first 3 days. This will give him time to bond with you and to settle in. Don't ever lead him by the collar....only the harness. I can't recall if you mentioned you having Nutri-Cal or not...make sure to get a tube of that (or Nutri-Stat). This will go with you every time you take your pup anywhere. Oh, maybe I'm running on and on too much as I tend to do. If I can ever help in any way, just PM me . CONGRTULATIONS !

[Yorkieluv]

Rusty looks adorable!! Congratulations
I find that a baby finger toothbrush works best for my furbabies. I like to use Petzlife oral gel which you can buy online. I think there are a couple of members who carry it on their websites.
As far as brushes go, a good pin brush WITHOUT the little balls on the end. The little balls on the end break the hair. We use Chris Christensen's gold series pin brush. Look on Petedge...There are other brands on there too. or a Boar bristle brush I have heard is good also. Mason-Pierson is the one that I hear recommended most of the time, but it is very, very expensive.
Eukanuba is not a good food in my opinion...Check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com and look at the 4 and 5 star foods. Canidae is a good one (www.canidae.com), Innova, Solid Gold, etc.

[Julz]

...also, make sure the toys you choose don't have eyes or noses that can be chewed off (only material type). I also cut tags off. Check your floor.....you will find that a Yorkie pup will find and tasted ANYTHING that is on your floor. You will need to child-proof your home as though you are bringing an 8 month old infant into your home and letting them roam freely. I also recommend a baby gate to confine a pup to 1-2 rooms (depending on how your home is layed out).

[Akina]

Congratulation!! Rusty is soooo cute!!!
Well, you will need a lots of pee pad for the first few weeks.
Puppy tend to pee a lot when they are young and also you probably want to spread out in your room so you can protect your carpet!! (they will have lots of accidents, you know!!)
Dry food is better, IMO.
I used small toothbrush and it isn't working well so I am considering to switch to finger brush.
I would recommend to have few different treat.
My Momiji is pretty picky eater and I had gone through about 10 different treat and found maybe 3 out of those 10 that she likes!!!
It goes to the food as well.
I gone through 8 different dog food (thank goodness for samples!!) and she only likes Royal Canin.... (or wet food or boiled chicken...)
Just spend lots of time with him but I strongly recommend to start train him to stay home alone.
I started too late and now she cries every time I leave home....
And yes I recommend baby gate as well. (Buy tall one since yorkies are good jumper!!)
Good luck and can't wait to hear more about Rusty when you pick him up!!!!

[TobyIIsMom]

Your little guy is so adorable. Not sure if you are doing this, but If you are going to crate train him, you will need a crate too. My little guy loves his crate...its like his own little cubby hole.

[LoveMyJake]

Congratulations! Rusty is adorable!

Something else you might want to get is a travel crate. Expens are good to have too. A child gate is good if you plan on gating him in a certain area.

I use a fingertip toothbrush, and it works really great for Jake. I tried a regular dog toothbrush, and he hated it. He doesn't fight me at all when I brush his teeth with the fingertip brush because he doesn't mind my finger in his mouth. That allows me to really give his teeth a good brushing.

I found that baby receiving blankets are great to use for bedding, and Jake has his favorites. He loves blankets! The little security blankets that they make for babies with the stuffed animal attached are great. Jake has one, and he sleeps with it all the time. If you can, take it to the breeder's house and have her rub it on his mom or let his mom sleep with it so it has her scent.

I bought a doll playpen made by Graco for my new pup that I haven't brought home yet. It's perfect for when they're little. I was thinking that it would be a good way to keep him safe when I have to run to the basement to throw clothes in the washer or when I'm showering. It makes a nice bed, and it's sturdy and safe.

Some nutritious treats are Cheerios and some of the toddler finger foods. Bully sticks and flossies are great for them to chew on when they're teething. A shampoo that I highly recommend is Minksheen. I love it! Here's a link for it.

http://www.touchofmink.com/prod_details.asp?id=15

[COyorkieLover]

Rusty's breeder had reccommended PetSilk products, that is what she uses on her dogs... What is the differences in that compared to MinkSheen?

[Yorkiekids]

Congratulations on your new puppy. Looks like you have everything covered.

[LoveMyJake]

Originally Posted by COyorkieLover

Rusty's breeder had reccommended PetSilk products, that is what she uses on her dogs... What is the differences in that compared to MinkSheen?

I've never used the PetSilk products, but I've heard good things about them so I'm sure they will be fine. I just really like the MinkSheen because it also has a flea repellant in it and has improved my little's guy's coat alot. It makes it very shiny and soft and smells good! I didn't like the smell at first, it reminds me of Avon Skin-So-Soft. But, if you shake it up good before using it, it smells much better.

[Txgurl06]

Also try to keep all wires off the floor i know it may be difficult but try. They can get electricuted so fast!

[fufufashions]

Just saw this! Rusty is adorable!! You are going to have so much fun with your little boy!!
I would suggest a small soft sided crate to put him in for sleeping. It will contain him until he can graduate to a larger crate for sleeping. They have tiny little bladders so confining him for a little while will help him learn to hold it. The crate will soon become his safe place where he can go to nap or get away from the world and rest. We leave the little sherpas around the house open and my girls go in to nap during the day.
Good luck...post more pictures when you get him!!
Welcome Rusty to your new extended YT family!! XOXOXO

[judyeve]

Congratulations. He's just precious.

I would either get a crate or an ex-pen. I'm getting my little girl on Tuesday and have set up her ex-pen so my big boy, Max, can get used to it. I also have Nutrical and Karo syrup, lots of pee pads, Nature's Miracle which I spray after the dog pees in the wrong place. I blot it up with the pee pad and then spray with Nature's Miracle, so the smell doesn't set in. I also use Bitter Apple spray on anything I don't want them chewing on, like wires, pillows, etc. They don't like the taste and it usually works after a couple of times spraying something.

I bought a lot of toys because I have to watch for jealousy and also because I love to spoil them. Rusty will enjoy a cuddly toy or two in the beginning. Training treats are good (organic). Carrots, pieces of apple without skin or seeds are good treats. So are cheerios.

I'm feeding Back to Basics because it's for both puppies and adult dogs so I don't have to switch.

Picture 1 is the ex-pen with her water dispenser and food bowl that attach.
The green flooring is a cheap, flannel backed plastic tablecloth so that when she has an accident, it won't go on the rug.

Pictures 2 and 3 are Max, who jumped in as soon as he saw me taking pix. He's very confused about what that silly Mommy is up to now!

Picture 4 is their crate, and her little traveling crate is in picture 1 in the background.

Good luck and keep us posted. Make your vet appointment so that you're set.
I don't know if you have a contract, but if you do, be sure to get him to the vet within the allotted time. Bring a list of his shots, his health records, etc. with you.

[COyorkieLover]

That exercise pen looks great, i might just have to pick one of those up

But, last night i did get a few more things for the little guy..
-a few samples of kibble
-a traveling crate
-brush


I feel like I'm still missing something important tho

[Julz]

Originally Posted by COyorkieLover

That exercise pen looks great, i might just have to pick one of those up

But, last night i did get a few more things for the little guy..
-a few samples of kibble
-a traveling crate
-brush


I feel like I'm still missing something important tho

YOUR PUPPY!!!!

That'll make everything complete....then you just take it day by day