Yorkie Info

[mulroony]

As we get closer to possibly getting our new rescue (we should have a home visit soon), we have been doing tons of research on the breed. (Well Jill has done tons of info a while ago I am getting caught up, I was research Weims ) I was wondering if any of the yorkie owners here had any more info they could share The one thing we do know is that these will not be small yorkies, they should be between 12-15lbs.

--We have read up on most of the common health ailments. (teeth issues, back issues, coat care, fragility due to size, etc)
--We are aware that they are a terrier and come with a lot of the terrier traits.
--They can be difficult to house break. (not looking foreword to this one, but I know how to lessen the chances)
--Need to be watchful when they are outside due to birds of prey and their inner terrier getting them in trouble with wildlife.

Any other info would be greatly appreciated, thanks

pat

[calgal]

From the size your talking about they must be a mix. Never seen Yorkies that big unless they are a mix. Could have some silky in there too. If the ears don't stand up straight, and they are larger than 8 to 10 pounds, then they generally have either maltese, Shih Tzu, Coton, Lhasa Apso or the like. Well as for temperment, I have found they all have a different way about them. Some are shy, laid back, while others are real outgoing. I did months and months of reading and asking a million questions about them from breeders, but mine just ended up like any dog I suppose. I did not have any trouble house training, they love everyone and all animals, are not one for running up to the big dogs like they own the block, and are not barkers, so just take your baby and give her love and training just like you did with Shelby, Jackson and Max. Don't read too much into "traits".
By the way, are you getting one or two? One thing is true about them ya know, is, their like potato chips, you can't have just one.

[mulroony]

calgal - thanks for the info. They said the mother was around 12lbs so they expect them to be around the same size. We are only getting one, and there are a couple other breeds we would like to bring into our home before doubling up on one. We are going to socialize the heck out of her with large breeds especially, since most of our dog friends are larger, we have a large dog, and will have them throughout her life.

[TinyAlbinoDancer]

The first thing you gotta know is they are a toy breed. Hehe! I had an argument with a lady selling books once because her brand of books listed Yorkies under the Terrier classification instead of toy. She kept saying, "well they're Terriers aren't they?" That was a funny conversation.

Other health ailments you should know of are luxating patellas, liver shunt (the vet may want to test for this), hypoglycemia (Missie had this as a puppy, they outgrow it), collapsing trachea (Yorkies should wear harnesses for any exercise activities) and a condition called open fontanel that they may have as babies. The open fontanel is a temporary thing, and you just have to be careful nothing bonks them on the head and they don't fall on it type thing. Some Yorkies may also have heart problems, but that's usually the "teacup" size ones. When I got Missie, the main things to watch for were luxating patellas and the liver shunt. The vet did a test for the liver shunt and said she had some kind of slight one that wouldn't affect anything.

The Yorkie standard says not to be over 7 lbs., so a 12-15 pound Yorkie is rather odd. Missie weighs a little over 8, but she gained weight during the Winter because we weren't able to walk nearly as much, and hasn't lost it yet. They may be mixed as Calgal said, or perhaps very poorly bred. Do you know how the female ended up pregnant? Missie is a poorly bred Yorkie, so her weighing a little over standard would be normal. She's also "sturdy" though, which is nice. Don't have to worry about breaking her.

What Calgal said about personality is very true. Most every other Yorkie I've heard of is laid back and very companionable. Missie is a "terrorer" and always has been very active! She also shows all the Terrier traits, chasing/barking at small animals, playing with toys and food like she's killing them, and being vocal. None of those traits are hard to live with if you train and socialize properly, so don't worry if your Yorkie turns out more like mine. lol

I've found Missie to be very smart and quick to learn, too. She learned most of her commands at home, and then learned other commands in obedience school before the rest of the class (I'm not proud or anything though ). We have had a problem housebreaking, but that's my fault entirely. If you're consistent, you shouldn't have any problems housebreaking. I think it'll be easier for you raising your baby with other dogs, too. Missie LOVES people, and she does get along with other animals fairly well. I keep her away from my rodents (don't ever expect him/her to be safe around rodent sized creatures), and she had to learn not to chase cats. She does challenge big dogs behind fences, but is very submissive to any dogs not behind fences. lol Socialize as you plan to and you shouldn't have any problems.

Another thing is they really do require a bit of grooming. I keep Missie's hair short because I can't do extensive grooming every day, but her hair grows REALLY fast! I used to get her cut twice a year, but now it's more like 3 times a year and sucking it up in between! That's to keep it really short, though, where minimal brushing is requires to keep her clean and untangled. And the teeth are a big issue. I feed her all kinds of dental treats, and get her teeth professionally done once a year. The vet always recommends brushing her teeth whenever I go in, so that's something you might want to consider.

So that's the other side of the fence from Calgal's experience. I love Missie because she balances being snuggly and spoilable with being rough and tumble, and it's a perfect combination for me. Oh, another thing with housetraining is you may have a hard time convincing the pup to go potty outside in inclement weather. Missie will not go poop if it's cold outside! lol I've never discovered how to get around that, but do invest in a sweater, and consider having an area less exposed to the weather outside for him/her to potty in.

[calgal]

My Zada is the very sweet submissive one who is quick to show her belly to any dog. Azrael is the tom boy. She isn't showing her tummy to any dog, and will run with the big guys while Zada is happy just to watch. Azrael keeps the birds out of the yard, Zada just sits and watches them. Zada never barks at the sound of a knock or the door bell, but Azrael lets you know someone is out there, and she does it loudly till you open the door, then she quits. Point a camera at Zada and her ears go flat back and she looks whipped. Azrael has never droped her ears.
Zada is the one that just had both knees operated on because of luxating patella. (grade 3) Someone said it was from poor breeding, however her mom, dad and grandparents are all champions and never had that problem or have any of the litter mates. Azrael has a grade 2 patella but may never need surgery as long as the knee cap moves back in position whenever it moves off to the side once in awhile, which it does so far. Her parents and grandparents are also all champions. Don't know what to think about this but I'm not pointing a finger at someone who is so careful about their breeding practices. The pups were bile acid tested before I got them. Liver shunt can be a problem otherwise, so this is a great test to have done before you adopt. Also have the knees checked. Those two operations are VERY expensive!! I know a lady right now who is fostering a male and female Yorkie and the male limps once in awhile, but they aren't going to have him operated on, so whoever adopts him may be putting a bundle down some day for surgery.
Y T Mommy is so right about the knees, shunt and also the trachea. Don't lead them around by a collar. My girls only wear a collar for their name tags. They have harnesses otherwise.
The coat on Yorkies also vary quite a bit. Zada's is so silky and doesn't matt when it's long like Azrael's will. Zada's coat is like a single coat and just a once daily brushing keeps it beautiful. She has the perfect show coat, color and all. (I cut it short awhile back but am letting it grow long again because it looks best on her) Azrael's coat is VERY thick and boy does it matt easy. I keep it all cut very short except for the legs and tail and around the face. I have to brush her out daily too, and it takes longer on her hair. They say you should bath a Yorkie every week useing a very gentle doggie shampoo. I switch around from #1 All Systems to a liquid castile that I add peppermint and rosemary oil in, (keeps fleas and ticks off) and then I also have hand made soaps that are also flea and tick deterrents. Zada never has any dog odor what-so-ever even if she goes three weeks or longer without a bath. Azrael however isn't stinky, but has that "need a bath" smell if she isn't bathed once a week.
I quess you could say they are a little high matainance, but I'm so used to everything now, it just doesn't bother me. I do the hair cuts myself. I only take them to the groomer for nail cuts.
Find out how sensitive to foods your girl is. Yorkies have a very sensitive intestinal track. Mine will actually get bloody diarreah if they have any raw meat, and they can't eat poultry raw OR cooked. I've fostered many Yorkies, and have found every one to be sinsitive to certain foods. It's called tried and true. You end up with what works!
As for the teeth, I brush their teeth after their evening meal and make sure they have a fresh supply of chewys. They have never needed a teeth cleaning as yet and they are 20 months and 19 months old. Sorry to have made this so long, but I hope it helps you to ask the right questions before adopting. I can't wait to see your little girl.

[mulroony]

Thank you so much for all the info. They have the mother at the rescue as well and she weighs around 14lbs. It is not the best picture, but her coat looks mangy, and it is hard to tell just how much yorkie she is.

As we get further along in the process we will see about health conditions, but truthfully even if she was going to need surgery we would take her in.

Thanks for all the info

[sky265]

Hello. My name is Sandy. I have 3 dogs. Thunder is a full black lab, Neko is half lab and Akita and I just got a yorkie puppy. Shadow is 13 weeks old. So cute!

My question is....how often do I bathe him? I'm sure this question has been asked b4 and I'm sorry but I just joined this and I'm not real sure how often to bathe him.

Thank you! Nice to meet everyone

[briarlow]

They sound like a cross to me too!!! And as someone else said they are a toy breed and not terriers, and I've never really seen one with much terrier in them although they are a strong dog for their size and don't like to be messed about. I think that they are great characters.

[briarlow]

Hi Sky625

You will rarely have to bath your dog. I know many people with Lab's who have never bathed them, they swim them in clean water etc and that's about it.

I'd only bath yours if it's a bit smelly, or has been somehwere where it needs to be bathed afterwards, ie. when they've enjoyed a wallow in mud!!

[calgal]

If you mean how often do you bathe the Yorkie, well it's suggested to bath once a week with a very mild doggie shampoo. You can even dilute the shampoo down with water. You don't really need all those suds to get clean. I bath my Yorkies each week. Also make sure the Yorkie is totally rinsed, rinsed, rinsed. I can't stress this enough. Then use a doggie conditioner. In the winter months when skin tends to dry out anyway, I give them a hot oil treatment before their bath.

[flyndog]

I bath my Yorkie at least weekly because she is active and sleeps with me. Wash your dog when she is dirty.

[traciestevens]

Hi, I am the proud mum of Rodney who is a 16mth cross mini yorkie and cairn terrier. His last weigh in at the vets was 5.2kgs, he is about a foot and a half high and full of energy. We bathe Rodny weekly and he also visits the doggie parlour every 6 weeks for a trim and manicure. His body fur is like his mums (cairn terrier) but his head fur is like his dads (mini yorkie), it can grow really quickly, hence the 6 wkly salon visit.
The problem we face with Rodney is that he is aggressive to other doggies, the bigger the better. He is also slightly adverse to little people under 7 yrs of age. Any advice? T

[stop_puppymills]

Yes, the Yorkie standard set by AKC is 4-7 lbs, but just because a yorkie weighs 12-14 lbs doesn't mean it's not purebred. I've known of Yorkies that weigh far more than that.

My Abby's mother weighed 10 lbs and her father weighed 3. Abby weighs about 3.5-4 lbs.

Daisy is a pure bred Yorkie and weighs 9 lbs. She has long legs. Yorkies come in all shapes, colors and sizes. There are standards, but due to breeding practices, not all yorkies fit the standard.

If you are getting puppies, make sure to have nutracal on hand. You can buy it at any pet store. We've never had problems with low blood sugar, but I still gave Abby the nutrical every few hours, just to be sure we didn't.

for more info on yorkies, here's a great site.
YorkieTalk.com - Yorkshire Terrier Community
anything and everything you ever wanted to know about yorkies, you can find here.

Enjoy your new babies

[dogownsemeline]

I agree with the above, so to me there isn't a point for me to say much.
Just make sure you don't bath them too much or else they'll get dry skin (I've gone through that before and still am - with the same dog)!