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Yorkie Puppy Care
Grooming & Bathing
You should accustom your Yorkie to being groomed and bathed at an early age. Grooming is a good opportunity to spend quality time together. Yorkie puppies can be low maintenance if you choose to keep their coats trimmed short, commonly called a “puppy cut”. If you choose to let the coat grow out, it will require daily grooming to keep the coat free from tangles. You should bathe your Yorkie as needed, don’t “over bathe” them because this can dry out the coat.
Teeth
You can clean the teeth with a wet cloth or a dog toothbrush. Most puppies won’t like this at first so you will want to introduce this early on. We recommend having the teeth professionally cleaned by your Veterinarian at least once a year. We also recommend dental chew toys to help remove tartar build-up on the teeth. It is common for Yorkie puppies to retain their baby teeth. If this happens, have your Veterinarian extract the extra teeth so that the permanent teeth will grow in naturally and not crooked.
Nails
Occasionally you will have to trim the nails. The nails are black so it’s sometimes hard to determine where to cut. We find that the best guide is to cut where the nails begin to curve. If you accidentally cut a nail to short, apply some styptic powder to the nail to stop the bleeding. If you don’t feel comfortable trimming the nails yourself, you can have your Groomer or Veterinarian trim them for you.
Ears
Most Yorkie puppies will have their ears standing up by the time they are 3 months old, although some may take longer than others. The bigger the ears are, the harder it is to get them up. I know of two techniques that will usually get them to stand.
First: The hair on the ears will weigh the ears down and keep them from standing. You can shave all of the hair off the outer side of the ears to take the extra weight off.
Second: You can tape the ears up in the standing position using either masking or scotch tape. Most puppies don’t like this at first and will manage to get the tape off. Remove the tape after 3 days. If you see the ears starting to fall again, repeat the process, only leaving the tape on for 24 hours at a time. Some puppies will only need the 3 days while others may need 3 weeks.
Vaccinations
Puppies should be given 4 “Puppy Shots” in 3-week intervals, at 6, 9, 12, and 15 weeks of age. All puppies will have their first and second shots (and sometimes their third depending on age) before going to their new homes. The Rabies vaccination will be needed when the puppy is 3 to 5 months old. Your Veterinarian may suggest additional vaccinations depending on the area you live. Puppies will also be de-wormed before leaving our home.
Please do not allow any LEPTO in your puppy's Vaccinations!!!!!!
Feeding
We “free feed” all of our Yorkies, both adults and puppies. This means that they can eat whenever they want. After you get your new puppy you can change the feeding schedule to 4 times a day. You may want to wait about a week so that the puppy can adjust to its new environment. You don’t want the puppy to become stressed because of to many changes at one time. Feeding your Yorkie a quality brand dog/puppy food will help them grow into a strong, healthy adult. We feed the puppies a combination of canned puppy food as well as dry with these brands- EAGLE PACK-Small & Medium Breed puppy, ROYAL CANIN Baby Dog 30 and Puppy Dog 33 small breed & WELLNESS Puppy. Each litter is different from the next and we have to figure out what food BRAND each will eat best. We have done extensive research into each of these brands. We know that the better quality foods provide the nutrition that a growing puppy requires to thrive. If you choose, you can gradually change the puppy food by slowly adding the new food to the old food over a 10-day period; this will prevent any digestive upsets. Whatever brand you decide on, we suggest the hard kibbles because it helps prevent tartar build-up on the teeth. Make sure that water is available to your Yorkie at all times.
Housebreaking
Housebreaking will probably be your first training concern once you bring your puppy home. We believe that consistency is the best housebreaking tool. Praise your puppy when he goes where you want him to go. Never punish your puppy for accidents. Puppies sometimes learn from going outside with other pets. Don’t let the puppy have the run of the house at first. We suggest confining the puppy to a small area when left alone, such as a bathroom or Playpen or a LARGE CRATE. We prefer the crates because they provide a safe, quiet place for the puppy. They are well ventilated and the puppy doesn't’ feel as secluded from the family. Puppies don’t like to mess where they sleep but they will if they are not let out regularly. Don’t be discouraged if your puppy takes a while to catch on, every puppy is different. Be persistent and most of all be patient with your puppy.
Children and Yorkies
Yorkies can make great playmates for children of all ages, provided they are taught to respect each other. Adults will need to supervise small children around Yorkies at all times. Because of the Yorkies small size, accidents will happen!!! It’s very easy for them to get underfoot.
Toys
We give our adults and puppies Nylabones because they don’t splinter, chip or break off in pieces. The bones create a toothbrush-like surface that cleans the teeth. These are great chew toys for teething puppies. We recommend the rope toys and the stuffed toys with squeakers in them.Our puppies really like the smallest stuffed toys you can find. They are very fond of small toys with long limbs that they can pull around or play tug with. We don’t give our Yorkies any rawhide products or the cheap thin vinyl toys because we’ve found that they will chew off pieces and try to swallow them, creating a choking hazard. Instead of rawhide, you can give your adult Yorkie the edible beef sticks. Toys will keep your puppy entertained and they will help prevent any destructive behavior that can develop because of boredom. Give your puppy a variety of safe toys and he will pick out the ones that he likes best. We also recommend leaving a radio or television on when your away from home. Your puppy has been raised in our very busy home so it will adjust to his new home better if it hears a constant soothing sound.
CARING FOR YOUR YORKIE PUPPY
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