Stimulating your Yorkie

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...

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.

Feeding and Water

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

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

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.