Yorkie Care

Here you will find some valuable information for bringing your new puppy home.

Before picking up your new puppy, take time to puppy proof your home. Start with making sure that there are not any electrical cords laying around that the puppy could chew on. It could could suffer a severe shock, burn to the mouth or even death. Be VERY careful about small objects on the floor that the puppy could get choked on. Move all house plants out of reach as some are very poisonous to pets. Keep all chemicals put up and be careful of dropping pills on the floor. Keep your puppy in a safe area, either a playpen, crate, kennel or large box when unsupervised.

Sleeping/Bedding:

Decide where your new puppy will sleep. It is best to confine him to one area, preferably with tile or linoleum. Use newspapers or "pee pads" for using the bathroom until you get the puppy house trained. You can buy a bed for him and keep him in the designated puppy safe area at night. Your new puppy will whine some during the first few nights in their new home. This can be expected due to being in a new environment away from it's mom, litter mates and familiar environment. This period should not last long.

Toys:

You may want to purchase a couple of toys and a Nylabone for your new puppy to chew on. Puppies really like a small cuddly soft toy to play with and to sleep with. Remember, the puppy is still teething and will need something to chew on.

Feeding:

It is best to find out ahead of time, what brand of food your puppy is currently eating so that you can have a bag on hand. I always send home some of the food that the puppies are currently eating. If you must change your puppy's food, do it gradually by mixing the regular food with the new food to avoid an abrupt change. By abruptly changing your puppy's food, can cause the puppy to have an upset stomach or diarrhea.

You will need a shallow food & water dish for your new puppy.

Holding:

When carrying your Yorkie, always keep a finger around one of his front legs. The curious, wiggly little fellow can leap and fall in the blink of an eye. Your puppy can decide that he's had enough and bail out at any moment. ALWAYS insist that children sit on the floor to hold your Yorkie. If something should happen, he won't have far to fall. No matter who is holding the puppy, insist that the puppy is held securely!

Stress:

Remember, your new puppy is in a whole new environment and will need to be kept stress-free as much as possible with lots of rest. Take time to hold and groom your puppy daily so that he/she will become use to you and will know that you love and care about him/her. Your new puppy is still a baby and needs plenty of rest, supervised eating patterns, kept warm and lots of attention.

Stress can also cause Hypoglycemia, so be careful and prepared. Be sure to read over my page concerning Hypogycemia!

Grooming:

Begin to groom your puppy as soon as you bring him/her home. Get your puppy use to being brushed daily. Keep the hair on the dog's ears trimmed, especially in puppies about every 2 weeks to keep the weight of the hair from pulling the ears down. Trim the hair around the feet for neatness. Keeping the nails short will keep the dog from scratching out his coat and will make a prettier foot. Have some styptic powder available in case you cut the quick (a blood vessel that runs through the dog's nail), because it will bleed. Keeping the nails short helps to recede the quick and you will have less chance of cutting it.

In order to have a beautiful healthy coat, I would recommend weekly bathing. The Yorkshire Terrier's coat is very much like human hair, so clean hair and skin promote a healthy coat. Because of the unique nature of the Yorkie's coat, some human hair products work great. Be sure to select a dog shampoo carefully with mildness in mind. Always use a conditioner following the shampoo.

Housetraining:

Housetraining a puppy can be compared to toilet-training a child. It is not fun or easy, but it is necessary for the happiness and cleanliness of all involved. This takes time and patience as a puppy, is like a child and has little control at first. A puppy needs to go potty after eating, sleeping, playing or drinking, in addition to every 1-2 hours. A puppy does not have bladder and bowel control until they are around 6-9 months old.

During housetraining, a puppy should never have free roam of the house and should be kept in their designated area while not being supervised.

It is advisable to NOT take young puppies outside to potty until they have received all of their vaccinations. Use paper training until that time and it will continue to be handy during trips or bad weather.

Teeth:

At about 4 months of age, most puppies begin shedding their baby teeth. It is very common for puppies to retain their puppy teeth and to even reach adulthood with 2 complete sets of teeth. Nubby Nylon chew toys can help your puppy's baby teeth to come out. If the baby teeth fail to come out on their own, you will need to have your vet to pull them. By retaining 2 sets of teeth, this can cause your Yorkie to experience gum disease. You can help keep your Yorkies teeth and gums clean by buying the doggy toothpaste and toothbrush. There are also some small brushes that fit on tips of your finger that can be used for brushing their teeth. You can also take your Yorkie to the vet for periodic teeth cleanings.

NO COLLARS:

The Trachea on a yorkie is very delicate and can collapse easily under pressure or stress. You should NEVER use a collar and leash on a Yorkie. Instead, use a harness with a leash to avoid any undue pressure on the Trachea.

Vet Check-Ups:

Once you get your new puppy home, be sure to schedule an appointment with your Vet to get a well puppy check-up. At the time of the visit you can also discuss the schedule of getting the remainder of your puppy's vaccinations. It is very important to keep your puppy away from other animals or strangers until your puppy has completed their set of vaccinations and to prevent your puppy from coming in contact with any diseases from other animals. You can also discuss when to get your puppy Spayed or Neutered.

And Remember, I am always available to answer any questions that you may have after getting your new puppy home!

This page was last updated: February 18, 2010