Care for your Yorkshire Terrier Puppy

We've moved to Cape Town !

2011-11-03T06:57:00.000-07:00

Thats right ! We recently moved to Cape Town. This city and it's surrounding regions are stunning to say the least. It's situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa. This is definitely the best place to raise a yorkie - the air is fresh. The water is clean and the food is great !

Check out this site if you want to know more about Cape Town:

http://www.my-capetown.com

Viva Cape Town !

Come visit any time !

Stimulating your Yorkie

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Yorkies are very intelligent dogs. They need constant stimulation to be a happy dog.

NEVER EVER leave them alone in a locked house - they will develop behavioural problems.

You can do the following to stimulate your Yorkie:

Get them a few toys - balls (chewable), furry animals, ropes, chewees (bones made from animal hyde)
Make sure they have enough space to run
Plenty of grass - they like to run and dig
A stick or a ball for fetching - terriers naturally do fetching
Physical touch and praise from you
Never scream at the dog, they will fear you

Saying goodbye to your Yorkie...

2011-08-31T12:11:00.001-07:00

Saying goodbye to your Yorkie is one of the hardest things in life... We all had to do it in the past and it never gets easier.

A few things to consider:

If your dog is very sick and in pain, let them go - do not let them suffer
Yorkies are always playful and want to run - if they can't do so, their life is over

You don't need an expensive funeral company to bury your beloved dog. We bury all our dogs in a special corner of the garden where we have some comfortable chairs so we can sit there, read and reflect on our beloved companions of the past.

A beautiful rose garden in the same place is a nice idea.

Breeding with Yorkies

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Here are some questions and answers to help with the breeding process with Yorkies.

What types of Yorkies can breed well ?
I found that the medium sized Yorkies breeds the best. They normally have their litter by themselfs, and will let you know if there is something wrong.
The miniature and pocket sized ones, tend to have more difficulty when having their litter!

How do I know my bitch is in heat ?
The most common sign is, you will find little blood stains where she sits down or lie down.
The other sign to look out for is, all the dogs especially the males will follow her around, and smell her behind!

How will the males react ?
You will find their behaviour changed, the tend to become agressive towards one another , and their jaws will move up and down once they smell the bitch!

Can a Yorkie female copulate with more than one male?
If you have more than one male she will mate with whom ever mounts her first!

Feeding during pregnancy and after?
feeding is very important during pregnancy, she will eat more and need more supplimenst to feed her growing belly.
You will find that once she gives birth she does not want to eat immediatally, it might be a good idea to take the food to her at first!

How long is the Yorkie's pregnancy ?
The pregnancy tend to range between 58 days and 63 days, however it can vary from time to time.

What can I do to make it more comfortable for her ?
During pregnancy she will become more uncomfortable as she reach the last stages of the pregnancy, I tend to put down a soft pillow wich she can lay on and also rubbing her belly is soathing for her.
After pregnancy be careful not to pick the puppies up to much as this will make the mom uncomfortable and she might reject one or more of the pups!

How many babies can I expect ?
In my experience the normal litter is 4, but I have had a litter of six and seven!

What should I feed the puppies ?
The puppies will suckle their mom four four weeks before their teeth starts to come out, once they start chewing and playing with each other, you can start with puppy foor that you will get from your vet!
I normally feed my puppies from 5 weeks old, and I give them the same food I give all my dogs.
Do NOT- give them any dairy products, and NO fish bones or chicken bones!

How long before the puppies can find new homes ?
The recomended time is 6 weeks after birth, this is the time they build up all the neccesary enzimes to fight off sickness.
I find that if you leave the puppies for longer than 6 weeks, they learn more on behaviour and deal better with other pets!

How can I help during delivery ?
It is best to just stay calm and let nature take it`s course, pop around every now and then just to let her know you are there.
Don`t be alarmed if it is three hours after her water broke and still nothing, the first pup always takes long. There after the second and third one will come fairly quick, but may be delayed up to 6 hours.
Don`t try and help once the puppy is out, the mom will eat off the sack herself, this in turn gives her nutrience and energy for the next delivery!

Feeding and Water

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Feeding your Yorkie is a very special step and should be approached according to your and your dog's needs.

There's two kinds of Yorkies:

Normal house dogs
Show dogs

If all you want is a normal but happy house dog, you can be a bit more lenient on the diet of your Yorkie. Standard, good quality doig pellets for mid to smaller dogs should suffice, but I prefer to add to their diet.

Because Yorkies are so intelligent, they get bored with their normal diet - so try and change it as often as possible. We like to add fresh:

Rice
Meat
Chicken
Chicken liver
Cooked vegetables - carrots, potato (in small quantities)

We add the extra food in a 1:2 ratio. You can also add a little hot water and leave the pellets to soften slightly which will make them easier to eat for puppees.

Grooming your Yorkie

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Grooming - grooming - grooming !

Besides food and love, this is one of the most important aspect of owning aYorkie. You need to brush your dog on a daily basis with a soft fine comb to ensure their soft, long pelt stays soft and smooth.

Invest in a good quality Yorkie brush. In the end it's worth it !

Use a good quality dog shampoo, preferably with a conditioner. Experiment to get the brand that suits your dog best. We've used Head'n Shoulders with a lot of success - but thats not guranteed always !

Have your Yorkie's neals clipped at least once a month by a vet.

Remember: grooming your yorkie will provide pleasure for both you and your dog !

Buying your first Yorkshire Terrier

2011-08-31T12:08:00.001-07:00

Before buying your first Yorkie, you need to ask yourself: why a Yorkie ???

Well, if you are looking for:

An intelligent dog
Soft, natural humanlike hair
Loving dog
Cuteness galore
Style...

Then a Yorkie is your breed of dog !

Its not all strawberries and cream though... Caring for a Yorkie takes time and effort, but all of that is repaid with love and an neverending amount of joy. Your Yorkie will require a lot of attention initially, but after maturing, it will become an endless source of joy to you and your family - guaranteed !

So what do you have to look out for when buying your first Yorkie?

Find a reputable breeder or dealer
Insist on credentials and proof of bloodline - many a Yorkie lover was fooled into buying a Yorkie-x cross...
Decode on the sice you want - or can accomodate: Yorkies range from miniature, teacup to meduim(normal) sized.
Remember - don't keep an intelligent dog like a Yorkie in a small flat !
Will the registration papers be provided with the sale ?
Who is the mother and father - you don't need a show winning bloodline, but good blood counts !
Price - can you afford the dog that you want ?

A few things to consider after buying your first Yorkie:

He or she will be very new and freightened in the beginning - give them 24 hours to adjust.
Be anderstanding - they will mess inside the house initially - that will correct itself after the 8th week.
They will need a lot of attention - don't leave them home alone...
Good feeding and enough water is very important.
Make sure the environment is safe - no deep water, open cables to chew on, or anywhere they can get hurt.
If you are buying the dog for a child, make sure you supervise the child in the beginning.

Welcome to our Yorkie blog!

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Yorkshire Terriers are the most wonderful dogs in the whole world !

I've had a few breeds in my life, but yorkies are the ablosute best, loving and most intelligent breed out there - although Jack Russels come a close second !

You can never "own" a yorkie - they stay with you and it's your priviledge to care for them. Your relationship with a yorkie can be on the same level as that of a human being. They are extremely intelligent and can sense your mood in a heartbeat.

In this blog, we will convey all the knowledge and experience we've gathered after breeding and caring for yorkies for over 15 years. We will offer practical advice, tips and procedures to follow to ensure a healthy and happy dog.

We do welcome any feedback - if you leartn of a new method or tip - please let us know. In the end we want this wonderful breed to flourish and grow !

I'm ending this introduction by simply saying - yorkies are the best dogs out there and those that have them will know exactly what I mean !

Good luck and enjoy !