Bringing Home A New Yorkshire Terrier Puppy

From the desk of Sharda Baker

Thanks for joining me.

Preparing For Your New Yorkshire Terrier Puppy

So you have finally found a gorgeous Yorkie.

Now what?

After looking at a number of adorable puppies, one in particular has caught your eye. You know this is your new baby, the one puppy that stands out above the rest.

Now is the fun and excitement of actually bringing your new little baby home.

However, before you bring your bundle of fur home to its new environment, you should first make sure you have your home prepared. Remember, puppies are just like little children. They love to snoop around, often getting into everything just to see what it is.

While you might not get it completely right the first time, do your best to make the puppy environment is safe and secure. In addition, when everything is in place, your puppy will adjust much quicker by eliminating stress.

As you will see in this article, the process of preparing your home is not a hard one but you do need to go through several steps, as listed below.

SUPPLIES

To start with, you will need to buy quality puppy food, water and food dishes, a harness and/or leash, color, identification tag, brush, comb, puppy shampoo and conditioner (although these will not be used right away), a soft blanket, kennel or cage, a doggie bed, and of course, lots of toys.

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PET PROOFING

Although there are more things than those listed here, these are some of the more common problems found in the home. Chances are your puppy will find something to get into eventually but things like this can make your puppy very ill or even be fatal.

* Chemicals - This would include things such as household cleaners, insecticide, pesticide, herbicide, and so on. Additionally, always make sure antifreeze is put in a safe place. Because of its sweet taste, puppies will drink it willingly but sadly, it will kill. Since only a small amount can be fatal, if you suspect your Yorkie has even licked antifreeze, get to your veterinarian immediately!

* Household Plants - Many people do not even think of plants being a problem for puppies but many are poisonous and for those that are not, if the puppy eats the leaves or dirt, it can become ill.

* Electrical Cords - Puppies love chewing on dangling electrical cords. While you can put some out of the way, putting them all up would be near impossible. Therefore, try to rearrange what you can and then keep a close eye on your puppy to discipline if it tries to bite the cord.

* Doors - Any doors leading down stairs, to the outdoors, to a laundry room, cupboards, and so on should be shut. For the kitchen cabinets, you might consider using a childproof lock until your Yorkie puppy learns to stay out.

* Miscellaneous Items - Because Yorkies are inquisitive, things like safety pins, medication bottles, small decorative pieces, needle and thread, etc become objects of interest.

RULES FOR THE FAMILY

The first thing people want to do when they see an adorable puppy is pick it up and hold it. While there is nothing wrong with this, too much holding can be a problem. Just like a newborn baby, puppies have young and sensitive bodies. Therefore, too much handling or passing around can cause them to be very sore.

Additionally, when a puppy is passed around from one person to another, this causes nervousness. Your puppy will not be sure what is happening and probably begin to shake. Therefore, when you first bring your Yorkie home, although everyone will want to touch and hold it, you need to have prepared them with some hard and fast rules.

Start by teaching everyone in the home the proper way to pick up, hold, and set down your puppy. This way, when they do pick the Yorkie up, it will be done correctly and safely. In addition, give the puppy a few hours to calm down and check out the house. Then, everyone can hold the puppy but just for a few minutes.

You will also need to let everyone know that when the puppy is eating, it should not be disturbed. This is especially important if you have small children. While a Yorkie biting while eating is rare, you just never know. By having a rule that the puppy gets to eat in peace will ensure no one gets bitten.

You might also want to have worked out any plans or schedules for who will be responsible for taking the puppy out, especially when being potty trained, who will feed and water, who will take the puppy for a walk, and so on.

INTRODUCING OTHER PETS

If you have other pets, obviously there will be a time of transition for both the existing pet and the new one. The key is to make the introduction slowly. In fact, when you first bring your new puppy home, have the existing pet put in a cage or kennel. Then in about 30 minutes, bring the current pet out and while holding the new puppy, allow your other pet to investigate.

During this time, you will need to pay attention to your current pet. More than likely, they will do just fine but you need to make sure. Additionally, most existing pets will have a period of jealously, which is normal. To make sure this does not lead to trouble, make sure that you pay extra attention to your existing pet until the adjustment has been done.

There is always the chance that your pets will not like each other. Sometimes, the existing pet will view the new puppy as a threat. For this reason, do not be surprised if there are a few scuffles as your Yorkie grows. As long as neither pet is being injured, let them work it out to determine the pecking order. Now, if the existing pet is large, then you would need to intervene. Other than that, they will figure things out on their own and things will be fine.

It is important that until the pets are getting along they be supervised. Until you are 100% certain, do not feel bad about keeping them in separate rooms, cages, kennels, and so on. This might only take a few hours or it could take months. Just be patient and reassure your existing pet while giving them both love and attention.

You also want to make sure both pets each have their own food and water dishes. This way, any possibility of there being a war over food would be eliminated. In fact, at first you should place the dishes on the other side of the room and as the pets become more comfortable together, you can bring them closer together.

IDENTIFICATION

As soon as possible, you want to get some type of identification for your Yorkie. Obviously when your pet has its first shots, then licensing tags will be issued by your veterinarian at that time. However, in the meantime you can order cute and lightweight tags through the internet, at pet stores, or at your veterinarian’s office that include the puppy’s name, your address, and phone number.

Other options that are somewhat controversial include tattooing and the microchip. With tattooing, when the puppy is being spayed or neutered, a small tattoo would be etched inside the ear. Since this is done under anesthesia, the puppy would not feel any pain. The benefit of a tattoo is that they are permanent and visible. However, if you plan to show your Yorkie, you should check first to make sure this would not create a disqualification.

The other option is the microchip. This chip is no larger than a small grain of rice and is injected just under the skin. The injection is no more painful than any other injection and happens quickly. Like the tattooing, this is a permanent way to tag your pet.

With a microchip, if your Yorkie should become lost, when found, your dog would be taken to a veterinarian that would run a special piece of equipment over the standard areas of injection to see if a chip existed. Finding the chip, the dog's name, your name, your address, and phone number could be pulled up in a scanner and you would be notified. Some people do not like the idea of a chip being implanted in a pet while other people do not mind. Therefore, the decision is one of personal choice.

I will be back with some more tips soon.

All the best.

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