Care Guide
Puppy Care Guide
I know from experience that it is easy to put instructions away with the best of intentions of reading them later. However, following some of these guidelines may make the difference between life and death for your puppy.
So please take the time to carefully read all the following instructions. Before you read any farther, make sure you realize that a Yorkie is a high maintenance dog!
They require a lot of time, attention, and human interaction! Even my biggest pups are small. The Tinies require extra attention and a close eye on them. I don’t recommend that you purchase a Yorkie, especially a tiny, if you are away from your home a lot, have small children, or if you don’t plan on making it part of your family. I beg you to do some research on the breed. This is just a condensed guide, not an entire manual.
Choking Hazards
They choke, they choke, they choke! When giving your puppy food, snacks, or maybe even a forbidden tidbit from the table, always remember how small their throats are. Unlike most dogs, they can get the smallest things caught in their throats.
Cut up everything you give them into very small pieces! Be especially careful when they are puppies and continue using caution throughout their lifetime. Not only are their throats small, adding to the problem is the fact that the smaller dogs also have trouble chewing something big.
Outside Dangers
Many Yorkies, (even 12 Lb. ones), have been known to meet their demise by outside dangers. Some of their common enemies are larger dogs, hawks, owls and coyotes. These have been known to carry them off. Therefore it is vital that you use extreme caution when your dog is outside. Also keep in mind that they can fall prey to human abduction. It has been reported that one new owner had her puppy stolen while paying for gas! Be on your guard at all times and take the proper precaution to keep your little one from such an undesirable fate.
Coat Management
Yorkies are capable of possessing that gorgeous, long hair look. It does take a lot of work to keep them beautiful. Even if you decide to keep their coats long, you need to make sure you keep their buttocks clipped short.
The hair tends to get in the way when they go potty, and a build-up may prevent them from being able to go potty. If the problem is not corrected immediately this can become serious. Even as your little one matures into an adult you need to make sure the buttock area is not becoming matted.
Dog Food
We use and highly recommend Life’s Abundance Dog Food. We have tried some of the highly recommended dog foods like Royal Canin and have had our disappointments. Some times it was old and moldy right off the shelf. Also they have had recalls which makes us very uneasy about these large companies.
After lots and lots of research, we are thrilled with Life’s Abundance.Their food is no older than 4-6 weeks when you purchase it and the results in your pets are amazing. ALL that goes in the dog food is human grade and fresh.
Because we are very concerned that our puppies receive only the very best out there, we will guarantee your puppy to be sound and healthy for the first year when you feed Life’s Abundance to your little one. You can purchase this online at www.LifesAbundance.com or you can call us at 352-220-0351.
We will be more than happy to help you get the right amount of food ordered for your little one. They will drop it right at your door. Make sure food is available to them at all times. They will eat small amounts throughout the day and night. We also recommend a halter leash instead of a collar due to their small trachea.
Low Blood Sugar
Yorkies have low blood sugar until they are about 12 weeks old and longer if they are tiny. Make sure they eat well before they play. If they seem sluggish, shake, act drunk, or even vomit, give them a dime-sized dose of Nutri-Cal or raw honey on their tongue and call me.
If they seem to be playing really hard, it will not hurt them to give them a dose. However an overdose is possible so do not exceed a maximum of two doses in one day.
Call me immediately if your puppy refuses to eat. (Especially the day your receive your puppy.) Low blood sugar can be deadly if not corrected!
Danger Being Stepped On
Be alert and aware of where you walk or sit at all times. You will soon learn to scoot your feet when you walk, and always watch where you step. They will run under your feet until they figure out it might be a dangerous practice.
The other thing I noticed with all my dogs is they will jump on the couch or chair and look up at me lovingly. When I move them over so I can sit next to them and as I turn to sit, they jump under me and may end up getting sat on.
The best thing to do is hold them as you are in the process of sitting down until they learn to get out of the way. Remember to use extra caution whenever you sit and never leave a puppy alone with children.
Baby Teeth Troubles
When your puppy is 6-8 months old you need to start checking them to make sure no adult teeth are growing beside a baby puppy tooth. It is very common for them to have difficulty losing their puppy teeth. A trip to the vet is warranted for some tooth pulling.
Females should be spayed before they are 9 months old, males neutered as young as your vet recommends. If this is not done they will mark territories when older.
Ears “Standing On End”
Your puppy’s ears will go up and down as they go through the teething process. But their ears should be up after they are a few months old. If they fold down in half some taping may become necessary.
Sensitive Puppy
Yorkies are very sensitive to your moods! They just melt if they think you are angry with them. If you are angry be sure to let them know that you still love them even if they did do something naughty. Never hit or kick them. A firm “No” is usually sufficient.
They will run to you if they are in trouble just to get some reassurance that you will help them. Chaos in the house will make them shiver with fear, a trip to the vet and any other unfamiliar circumstance will have the same effect. So be sure to let them know everything is fine when they are afraid. And remember, they will always need lots of love and attention.
Activity Levels
Yorkies are known to be very active. This is especially noticeable up to about 10 months of age. They are very athletic and love to run. They settle down to be quite the lap dog as adults. Yorkies also like to chew. I buy toddler teething toys, (without water), for them to chew even as adults. The size is perfect and they love that rattle sound most of them have.
A word of caution, keep all paper out of reach. Puppies are by far the worst, but even adults love to chew that magazine or phone book. You are free to contact me at any time in the event that you have questions or concerns you feel I may be able to resolve.