If you don’t have the time to give your pet all the attention it needs to be happy and well-adjusted, wait until you’re ready to bring a dog into your family.
They are a “Toy” breed, meaning they are small lap dogs that won’t hog the couch or be able to overpower you when they get excited. They’re highly adaptable, and do well in large homes and apartments alike. Though each dog will have its own personality, in general, Yorkies are cat-friendly. Yorkies are a highly intelligent breed, and take well to training. They’re incredibly affectionate companions who love to be around their families.
These are territorial dogs who bark a lot. While this makes for a good watchdog, early training to curb excessive barking is important for a happy household. Though they love to relax and cuddle, Yorkies are very high energy and love to dash about the house. Their long coats mean owners must make a commitment to regular grooming and be willing to deal with shedding fur. They may be affectionate, but Yorkies can also be a bit snappy at times. This, combined with their small size, might make them a bad fit for families with small children in the house. All purebred breeds have health concerns. The Yorkie’s include knee problems, collapsing trachea, dental issues, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease.
Note that breeding for the “teacup” size is often done at the expense of the dogs’ health. You may have to deal with higher medical expenses with the smaller dogs.
Breeders: a breeder can provide the dog’s lineage if a strong pedigree is important to you. However, breeders can be expensive, and unethical breeders might not provide the best care for your puppy in its earliest days. A bad breeder may also breed unhealthy dogs. Breed rescues: look for Yorkie-specific rescue centers in your area. These animals need good homes, so if you want to save an animal, a breed rescue is a good option. However, you will not have access to the dog’s pedigree, and many dogs might be mixed-breed. You may also find more adults than puppies. General animal shelter: it will be hard to find a purebred Yorkie in a general animal shelter, and you’ll likely find more adults than puppies. However, if the shelter’s a kill shelter, you might save your dog’s life. Furthermore, shelters are usually far cheaper than breeders or breed rescues.
If you don’t see a suitable puppy on the websites, call the rescues and shelters to see if you can be put on a notification list. They may be willing to call you if a Yorkie puppy comes into their care.
Ask the breeders how long they’ve been breeding Yorkies, and whether they’ve seen any health issues in the dogs they’ve bred. Don’t limit your questions you have for the breeder. You want to make sure your puppy comes from a responsible place. Do their dogs have a good pedigree, and will the breeder provide pedigree papers to ensure the puppy doesn’t come from an inbred line? Do they dock, or cut off, their puppies’ tails? Docking is an unnecessary cosmetic procedure that’s illegal in some countries. This is a form of mutilation, and that breeder should not be encouraged in any way. If you want to raise Yorkies yourself, ask if the breeder requires you to spay/neuter their puppies. Do they have a return policy, in case your situation changes or you discover a health issue in your dog? Have they already begun the litter’s vaccination program? What shots have they had, and what will you have to get them?
Make sure the facilities are clean, and that each dog has comfortable living quarters with its own food and water bowl. You should not see more than 1 or 2 Yorkies crowded into a single kennel. Check that the dog areas are tidy and free of feces or urine. A good breeder will clean their kennels daily. If the operation seems unprofessional or questionable, cross that breeder off your list.
Puppy mills are inhumane. Do not, under any circumstances, support a breeder who treats his or her animals improperly.
Watch the puppies play with each other. Normal puppies are curious, friendly, and like to play. Look for warning signs: is the puppy anxious? Fearful? Aggressive?
Inspect the puppy’s fur, eyes, rear end and ears. A healthy Yorkshire Terrier puppy will have clear eyes, a clear nose, a shiny coat, and clean ears. An ill puppy may have a matted or shabby coat, discharge, a cough, a potbelly, and dirty ears. Test the puppies’ hearing. Make a loud noise and see if the puppy reacts. A puppy with good hearing will react right away and then become curious about what caused the sound.
Do not choose a puppy that has any behavioral or health concerns.
