my first yorkie
 

hello! i just signed up here while researching more about my little 8 week old yorkie that I will be picking up this wednesday. hes just over 7 weeks old and will be 8 weeks wednesday. Im sure most of you have had your first little guy at one point so i was wondering if anyone like to give me some advice based on their first experience with these dogs. I have never even owned a dog before so this will be exciting! another thing is he has not had his extra claw thing removed..lol i forgot what it was called i just learned about it yesterday :).. i guess they usually get them removed a few days after birth but for some reason the lady didnt do it. i heard its gonna hurt the poor little guy if he gets it done now and if it didnt get removed it would give him problems in the future. any advice on that or any comments would also be appreciated. well feel free to comment to me! thank you!

I know this is a very exciting time for you, getting your first puppy and all, but to me I see a red flag here on that breeder. Any reputable breeder would never let a Yorkie puppy go till 12 to 16 weeks, sometimes even longer. They also have the dew claws removed and the tail docked in the USA anyway. If you haven't paid her yet, I wouldn't. I'd look for a reputable breeder. I also would not buy one without a health certificate and a bile acid test done on it. Make sure you get a contract stating they will give your money back if the puppy developes any serious health problems in the first year, and that the breeder will refund all money in the event it does. Take the puppy to a Vet. the day you get it. Make the appointment a couple of weeks before you get the puppy.
You know, I really do wish you the very best and would love to see you happily in love with your new fur-kid, but I'm afraid you may be in for high Vet. bills and a not so healthy puppy by buying from that breeder.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do. Just keep us all posted on progress.

I agree, I have a litter of 3 that are 7 weeks old that their dew claws removed and tails docked at 3 days. I will not even consider letting any of them leave until they are at least 12 weeks. They have been to the vet 3 times and will be going another 3 before they leave. I would keep searching for a reputiable breeder. Good luck.

I got my Yorkies at 8 weeks and have never had a problem. Where I live, they leave the dew claws and I just clip them when I do the others. When my Delilah has a litter, I'll have their dew claws removed soon after birth.

The YT Forum will help you. You might also want to get a book about Yorkies to learn all you can quickly. Lost of good stuff on Google, too. Best of luck.

Gus has his dewclaws, just remember to cut them. If you don't they can start to grow into their skin or can be more likely to get caught on something and tear which can be very painful.

One of the most important things is that your puppy is eating well. It is good to have some Nutrical on hand. If they aren't eating it can stimulate their appetite and it is good to have if their blood sugar drops too low.

Welcome to YT and congratulations on your new puppy!!!

Welcome to YT. You've gotten some good "immediate" advice. Please let us all know how it goes. If you do bring this pup home, you'll have lots of support through this forum.

very well said i say you take is person advise or it might harm you in the end:(

I agree with part of the advise....namely make sure you get those certificates and the day you pick up your new baby go straight to the vet for a check up. I think 12 weeks is a far better age for Yorkies to be picked up that extra month makes a huge difference. Also, hopefully your yorkie has been hand raised in the Breeder's home not in a kennel or dog run. Yorkies are extremely social creatures and they need to be socialized from day one.

Make sure you discuss proper feeding for your baby, remember he is tiny and can't eat much at any one time but will need more feeding than other puppy breeds. Finally, remember, your little guy is little but he thinks he is an 80 pound labrador so make sure you are there to ensure his safety and that he doesn't over do it!

Where I don't agree is the dew claws and tail docking. I obtained my latest yorkies from breeders in England where docking tails is banned and considered inhumane and while I've had yorkies that have had tails docked and got used to that breed standard when I was in the US, I have to say I will never have a yorkie again that has had it's tail docked. The tails on a yorkie are just so amazingly cute and they love to wag them and when the fur grows out they are like giant fans. As to the dew claws both of mine have those and again I just keep them trimmed and they are just fine.

I hope your little guy and you have a wonderful life together

congratulations on your new baby. Tho he is young to leave his mother, I'm sure with proper care he will be alright. Please do not have the dewclaws surgically removed at this age. We have accidently missed one or two on our litters and just keep the nailss cut very short. It won't bother him at all.

I've learned from this site that depending on the region, it is common practice to let even tiny yorkies go at 8 weeks of age. If his dew claws were not removed, please don't do it now. As long as you keep the nails trimmed, there shouldn't be any problem. My Sissy still has one of her dew claws (I think it may have gotten missed).

Please make sure you have Nutrical on hand. Your pup should eat every 2 hours (usually soft food when they are this young and you might have to hand feed it) at least a couple bites and drink regularly too. Nutrical can be used if he isn't eating/drinking well to keep him from becoming hypoglycemic (rub a dollup on his gums).

As long as you are vigilant with him and he isn't left alone for long periods till he is a little older, you will be okay.

Most importantly, make sure you get a health guarantee from your breeder. Most guarantees cover any life threatening genetic disorders during the first year (liver shunt at least).

Good luck to you and your new baby and welcome to YT. You will find tons of great information here.

I wouldn't have the declaws removed now, but remember to have them trimmed when you trim the other nails. You could ask the breeder to do it if they look long when you go to get you pup. Welcome to YT.

dew claws
 

why shouldnt i get the dew claws removed now?? oh yeah thanks everyone for all the input and advice!

Don't declaw now because you will cause your new lil one needless pain and suffering. That doen't happen when they are newborns.

Our breeder tells us if the dew claws are not removed before 3 days old, her vet would not do it---too painful, horrible for the puppy to go through. At 0-3 days they don't have all of the nerve endings yet and it doesn't hurt so much:smile:

Congratulations on your new puppy and welcome to YT!!