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Yorkie Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Yorkshire Terrier FAQ
Q.At what age should I buy my Yorkie puppy?
A.No toy Yorkie puppy should go to a new home before the age of 12 weeks at the earliest. They are not emotionally or physically ready to be away from their secure enviroment.
Q.Should I get Toy Yorkies or Teacup Yorkies?
A.The Yorkie is in the Toy Group for showing purposes and all are considered Toy Yorkies. There is no such thing as a teacup Yorkie other than when one is printed on the side of your coffee cup. Teacup Yorkies are terms used by disreputable people to mislead another and is nothing more than a marketing tool.
Q.How many series of vaccines do puppies need?
A.They need to receive their vaccines every 3-4 weeks up until the last one is between 16-18 weeks of age. Rabies generally is given around 4-6 months. Then yearly boosters, except for Rabies based on your areas requirements.
Q.How often do you need to brush the puppy and what products do you use?
A.At the very least you should brush your puppy atleast weekly, clear down to the skin. The Yorkie will do better if you take the time to brush atleast bi-weekly. There are many quality shampoos out there. To name just a couple, Coat Handler and Pet Silk or even a good quality human shampoo. Always be sure to use conditioner on the Yorkie. There is a grooming article here that you can read more on grooming Yorkies.
Yorkie Haircuts and Styling Book
Q.My dog fights me horribly during it's bath and being brushed, what can I do?
A.You have to be firm with the puppy, so that it knows you are boss. When it fights you, don't show your frustration by screaming at it. A firm no or stay and force hold the dog in the sink for it's bath or on the table to be brushed. One of the reasons so many dogs learn to hate grooming is that the coat is allowed to go too long and than they are hurt to get the mats out. Don't allow the dog to get that bad. Once it has than it has to be won over by showing it how careful you are and that you are not going to hurt them.
Q.Can I have my dog clipped down instead of having all that coat?
A.Certainly. There are people that don't want to keep the dogs in coat. This is a matter of individual choice. Don't be afraid to try and keep a Yorkie in coat though as they are easier to take care of than you may think.
Q.How come my Yorkie doesn't have the silky, shiny coat that I've seen on show dogs?
A.Well the dog just may not have a proper coat texture. There are a lot out there that are what we call soft coats. If that is what your dog has you will find that it mats very easily. The soft coat is much more difficult to keep in coat. There are some that also have a very wirey coat, that no matter what you do, it will not grow great length, but is generally not real difficult to take care of. If the dog has a proper silky coat, than be sure to use a good quality shampoo and conditioner and to feed a good quality diet.
Q.I've done everything you say and my dog still has a really skimpy coat. It's extremely thin over the thigh area and around the tail, why is that?
A.Possibly your dog has a problem with it's thyroid. Have your vet do a thyroid test to check the dogs levels. A simple medication for thyroid deficiency will correct the problem.
Q.My Yorkie doesn't hardly have any coat at all, how can I make more coat grow?
A.Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot you can do to make coat grow other than making sure the dog has a proper diet and is getting good vet care. The bottom line is that it still has to genetically be from good lines of good coat growers.
Q.Should I spay/neuter my dog?
A.If you are not going to breed the dog, than most definitely have the dog altered. It has been proven for many years that spaying/neutering eliminates many health problems in future years. If breeding is your intent, than the 1st thing I tell every prospective breeder is that if you're not prepared for the possibility of losing your beloved pet than don't breed her. Every breeder at one time loses one of their dogs from breeding them. With your male, once he starts a stud career, he will start marking your territory at home. The most important thing in breeding is that you should only do it to truly improve the breed, so make sure this is the reason you are doing that. Working with show quality animals will give you a chance of improving on the breed. Please be sure to do a lot of research on this aspect. A lot of these indiscriminate breedings are what end up in puppymills or shelters later.
Q.Can I breed my 4 lb Yorkie, she is so cute?
A.It is not safe to breed such a small dog. We all hear about the occasional one that has no problems, which is why we hear about it, but if you care about your dog, don't chance her life for some puppies. Every show breeder in the country has placed gorgeous breathtaking girls in pet homes because they were only 4-4 1/2 lbs. No way would we chance that dogs life.
Q.At what age should I get my dog spayed/neutered?
A.I rpersonally spay and neuter all puppies before they leave my home at around 3 months of age as long as they are up to 2 lbs by then. These are both very simple procedures and by having it done so early rules out most health issues.
Q.My puppy has some extra teeth in it's mouth, should I have the vet pull them?
A.Yes have the extra teeth pulled. If left there, they are crowding the mouth and tartar will form much worse on the dogs teeth. Most vets will give the puppy up to around a year of age to see if they are going to fall out on their own.
Q.My dog was looking very funny and fell over and seemed to be seizuring, what can I do?
A.Take the dog to the vet immediately. A seizure is serious and can be life threatening. Hopefully your vet does a complete workup to determine exactly what the dogs condition is. Seizures can be caused by many things and you really need to determine what the cause is and treat the actual condition. Further testing definitely needs to be done to try and determine the cause of the seizures in your Yorkie.
Q.My dog keeps blinking it's eye rapidly, is this a problem?
A.Yes this can be most serious and warrants a trip to the vet immediately. Many a dog has had to have an eye removed because of not getting proper vet care for it ASAP.
Q.My Yorkie pup has dry eye. Is this common? Also we have noted a dry skin condition.
A.No dry eye is not common in Yorkies. This is considered a problem in some lines in all breeds though. Have your vet look at it to determine the best course of action.
Dry skin should not be seen on any dog. Have your vet check it also to make sure he doesn't have mites or mange. If not than you need to make sure he is eating quality food so that he is healthy from the inside out. Start working on proper shampoos and conditioners on his coat also to try to get that coat and skin back in good condition. A lot of times a good quality oatmeal shampoo will straighten the problem out. Once corrected make sure you are always using good shampoos and conditioners.
Q.My dog keeps getting ear infections, is there anything else the Vet can do?
A.I would have the Vet culture the ear which will determine exactly which bacteria is growing there and which antibiotic to treat it with to eliminate the problem.
Q.My puppy is way to rough playing and biting us, should I be concerned?
A.Yes you need to get the puppy to play more gently. A firm no when the puppy is too rough a few times and giving it something else to chew on, such as a toy should do the trick. If not than you need to get the dog started in an obedience class as soon as possible. It may be cute now but as adults that is usually the problem dog that someone can't control and it ends up in not the best homes.
Q.My Yorkie is drinking large amounts of water all of a sudden, is this a problem?
A.Yes see your vet immediately. Sudden consumption of large amounts of water, could be anything from a kidney infection, to kidney failure to protein losing enteropathy. No matter the condition this is serious.
Q.My dog honks all the time. Do you think that I should take it to the vet?
A.Yes it needs to see a vet immediately. If a mild honking, really more a cough, it could just be tonsillitis, but if a serious loud honk, it could be something as serious as a collapsing trachea. This requires immediate vet care.
Q.How do you potty train a dog?
A.That is a whole different issue. Please go here for more information on potty training.
Q.How do I get my Yorkies ears to stand?
A.Not all ears will stand. There is further information here on taping ears.
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