All about Yorkies

All about yorkies

The Yorkshire Terrier, aka Yorkie, has a huge personality in a tiny little package. They are one of AKC's top 10 registered breeds year after year and for good reason. They are known to be a hypo-allergenic dog with a coat similar to human hair. Yorkies have minimal shedding, they require brushing several times a week depending on their length of hair. Their long silky locks can be kept long and luscious or trimmed up for less maintenance.

Yorkies are Intelligent, Bold, Independent, Confident and Courageous. They can be great lap dogs and cuddly but can also be tough stuff. They tend to get along with other animals within the home however are a bit more cautious with unfamiliar animals.

Yorkshire Terriers can come in many different colors. The most common colors are Blue & Tan, Black & Tan, Black & Gold and Blue & Gold. However with specialty breeding we are now able to breed for Chocolate, Sable, Blonde, Parti, Chocolate Parti, Blonde Parti, Brindle/Trindle, Black, Extreme White, Merle, Chocolate Merle and Parti Merle. Yorkies are known for their unique color changing. For example when a traditional puppy (black & tan) is born they look black with brown markings and as they grow older their coat will change to a silver and light tan color. Most Yorkies will experience a change in coloring, that is just another fun part of being a Yorkie owner!

Here is a great link to read more about Yorkshire Terriers:

https://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/yorkshireterriers.html 

Yorkie growth chart

Growth Predictions

While it is impossible to predict a puppy's exact adult weight, a general guideline is to triple a puppy's weight at 8 weeks,

double its weight at 12 weeks of age or use a growth chart. The growth chart is a good tool, but again your puppy’s

actual size can and probably will vary. Please remember a chart provides an estimate of the adult weight of a Yorkie puppy.

There are many factors such as nutrition and genetics that contribute to a dog's weight.

Health

To us, HEALTH matters!

​Our main goal is the health of our puppies. We do not intentionally breed for "Teacup", "Extreme Tiny", "Micro" or "Toy" Yorkies (under 4 lbs). Our goal is to breed for the average range of 4 to 7 lbs however we can have a smaller or larger pup.

The smaller under 4 lb pups do require more care, they will stay with us longer to ensure they are healthy enough to thrive in their new home.

Whether they end up large, small or somewhere in between we love them just the way they are!

We strive to produce stunning Yorkshire Terriers with great health, amazing temperaments, and striking good looks. We strive to produce Yorkies with compact body structure, beautiful wide sets, short legs, short muzzles with an amazing coat.

What is Hypoglycemia?

​Remember, your health guarantee does NOT cover hypoglycemia so it is imperative you read this information closely and stay on top of things.

Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar (sometimes called “sugar shock”) is a condition where the blood sugar level drops to an extremely low level due to lack of food, or by using up all stored energy without it being replenished. (Such as when your puppy plays for an extended period of time without eating.) The most common trigger is stress (such as going to a new home).Toy breeds can be prone to hypoglycemia because they have such tiny digestive systems. They can only store a small amount of food (energy) in their stomach at one time. Their liver and pancreas which are necessary for digestion and sugar balance are also small and usually underdeveloped as well. Most puppies tend to grow out of hypoglycemia as they get older. As they grow, so do their major organs. This makes them more able to utilize and to process the food that they eat so it can sustain them for longer periods of time. REMEMBER: to prevent hypoglycemia, puppies need to eat several small meals a day. It is much easier to prevent by always having a readily available food supply, than to have to treat it once it happens. It is very scary to see a puppy that you love so dearly in “sugar shock.” Symptoms and Treatment Symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia can occur without warning in a healthy puppy and can be a very scary thing! So it is best to know what to look for! Your puppy may exhibit one or more of these signs: The first sign that is usually seen is vomiting on an empty stomach. (clear liquid) If your puppy has not eaten in a while, and vomits without acting sick, give them food, Nutri-Cal or Karo syrup immediately! Some other signs are acting listless, weak, tired, sometimes walking with an unsteady gait and drunk, shakiness, falling over, stiffening up, laying on their side paddling with their feet and being unable to get up, and in very severe advanced cases, laying on their side and being totally unresponsive or comatose. If your puppy becomes hypoglycemic, it is very important that you react IMMEDIATELY!! If the puppy is not given some quick form of nutrition containing sugar (i.e. Nutri-Cal, honey, sugar, glucose, Karo syrup or sugar containing product) to raise the blood sugar immediately, coma and/or possibly death could result. If any of these symptoms occur, give the puppy a small dose of either Nutri-Cal, honey, sugar, glucose, Karo syrup, pancake syrup or any sugar containing product that is handy. Time is of the essence, so reach for whatever is the closest at the moment. If the puppy is unable to swallow do not force liquids down it’s throat as it can get into the lungs and cause asphyxiation. If the puppy is too weak to swallow and take the honey or Nutri-Cal on it’s own, put it on your finger and rub it on the roof of it’s mouth. If necessary, pry his/her mouth open. It may be necessary to give several doses. (I like to keep a product called Pet Nutri-Drops on hand. It allows nutrition to bypass digestion and be absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Very handy if a puppy is too unresponsive to swallow on his own.) After being given something sweet, your puppy should show some type of improvement and be more alert and responsive within 10-15 minutes. After your puppy feels a little better, remember to give him/her a protein filled meal (any good meat based dog food or meat baby food will do.) to level out it’s blood sugar. **IMPORTANT! If your puppy does not respond with any improvement after the sugar that you have fed him within 10-15 minutes, or appears comatose or unresponsive, take him immediately to the closest veterinarian! In severe cases, if their blood sugar has dropped too far, it is sometimes necessary for them to receive glucose (dextrose) given by a shot or IV. Make sure that you tell your vet that you suspect that your puppy is in hypoglycemic shock and specifically ask for a shot of Dextrose before he does anything else. Unfortunately many veterinarians are not familiar with treating tiny puppies and/or have never seen a case of hypoglycemia and many puppies have died needlessly while the vet wastes precious time performing routine tests and looking for other things. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO DO AS IT COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE OR DEATH FOR YOUR PUPPY!! REMEMBER: Every minute counts!! Before going out the door to the vet make sure and give some honey, Nutri-Cal or Karo syrup to your puppy. If he is comatose or unresponsive do not give liquids that he can choke on or won’t be able to swallow. Instead, rub a coating of honey or Nutri-Cal around in his tongue and mouth. Hypoglycemia After Care How to care for your puppy after a hypoglycemic incident. Every puppy responds differently after a sugar low. The sooner they are treated after the onset of symptoms the faster they will bounce back. Many pups are back to their old selves and running around and playing in a few minutes or a few hours after an attack. But if your puppy has had a very severe case or was comatose before treatment, it could take several hours and even as much as several days for your puppy to be back to normal.

Remember low blood sugar causes their tiny bodies to totally shut down, so many pups act very depressed or groggy and some will not eat on their own after a severe attack. To help your puppy recuperate: 1. It is very important to make sure that they get food in their stomach to prevent them from going into hypoglycemia again. If they are not eating on their own, you must hand feed them. We use a few teaspoons of Gerber strained beef, chicken or turkey all meat baby food, a few drops of honey and about a two inch strip of Nutri-Cal in a small cup; microwave for 10 seconds or so until the Nutri-Cal melts, stir and give 3 -6 cc’s by mouth with a syringe or eye dropper. If your puppy is not eating on his own you need to repeat every 2 to 4 hours until he will take food himself. There is also a terrific new product out called Rebound Liquid Diet it is a liquid diet that is totally nutritionally complete and is great as an added supplement for hypoglycemic pups that are not eating well! 2. Keep your puppy warm. When a puppy has low blood sugar, their body temperature drops very low. It is important to gradually warm your puppy. Wrap them in a towel or put them on a low temperature heating pad until they are well enough to keep their own temperature up. We recommend giving your new puppy a 1/4 to 1/2 of a teaspoon of live culture vanilla flavored yogurt once or twice a day for the first week or two. Not only does the yogurt taste good and give them extra nutrition, the good bacteria it contains can help prevent problems and sometimes even cure or prevent bacterial infections that can arise from the stress of going to a new home.

Coat Colors

Traditional

​ Traditional Yorkies have the traditional black and tan color or the blue and tan color, black and gold, or blue and gold coloring.

Parti

​Parti Yorkies have the recessive "parti" gene which display the beautiful white coloring

KB Black

A KB black Yorkie (or solid black Yorkie) is a rare Yorkshire Terrier that carries the dominant \(K^{B}\) gene. This gene suppresses the breed's standard tan and gold markings. Consequently, the dogs retain a deep, uniform black coat from puppyhood throughout their lives without fading. 

KB Chocolate

A "KB chocolate Yorkie" is a rare Yorkshire Terrier featuring a rich, solid brown coat and brown features instead of traditional colors. The coat color is determined by a recessive chocolate gene, while the KB (dominant black) gene enforces a solid, unchanging tone without tan points. 

Spay/Neutering

Spaying (ovario-hysterectomy) is the surgical removal of the reproductive organs (ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes) of the female animal. Neutering (orchectomy or castration) is the surgical removal of the reproductive glands (testes) of the male animal.

The outer skin (scrotum) is left, only the testes are removed. Appearance depends upon the dog’s age at the time of the surgery. Females and males should be spayed or neutered at 6 months or older. Currently some clinics are performing surgeries on animals as young as 8 weeks of age, but I would never recommend such a procedure so early. As this procedure becomes more common, it will be available in all areas. Older animals can be done as long as they are in good health. All sterilization surgery is performed under general anesthesia by a licensed veterinarian. It is recommended to ALWAYS have a blood panel done before all surgeries.

Female dogs and cats can be spayed when in heat or pregnant. This can usually be done up until a few days before delivery. These surgeries can take longer, and can therefore cost more. Spaying before having a first litter or heat cycle is usually a simpler procedure. The heat cycle for dogs is once or twice a year starting as early as 6 months of age. Duration is 3 weeks. Heat cycles in cats start as early as 6 months and occur every 3-4 weeks during spring through early fall. The gestation period for both dogs and cats is 63 days. Female cats can become pregnant again as soon as 10 days after giving birth (while still nursing the first litter).

Health Benefits of Spaying and Neutering

Spayed animals no longer feel the need to roam to look for a mate. The result is that they stay home and have less chance of being involved in traumatic accidents such as being hit by a car. They also have a much lower incidence of contracting contagious diseases, and get into fewer fights.

In males, neutering decreases the chances of developing prostatic disease and hernias, and eliminates the chances of developing testicular cancer. It also reduces problems with territorial and sexual aggression, inappropriate urination (spraying) and other undesirable male behaviors.

In females, spaying decreases the incidence of breast cancer (the rate goes down to almost zero if the spaying is done before the first heat cycle!). It eliminates the chance of developing a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus experienced by many mature unspayed animals (pyometra). Spay surgery also eliminates the heat cycle and associated mood swings and undesirable behaviors, messy spotting (in dogs) and the attraction of all available males to your yard.

The simple fact is that spaying and neutering greatly increases the lifespan of your pet and increases quality of life as well! 

Puppy-proof your home

Raising a puppy is a lot like raising small children — they get into everything! Some of what they get into can be hazardous to their health or to your possessions. You can make life safer for the puppy and your furniture by getting rid of hazards and temptations ahead of time.

To a puppy, the world is brand new and fascinating! He’s seeing it all for the very first time and absolutely everything must be thoroughly investigated. Puppies do most of their investigating with their mouths — “Look at this! What is it? Something to eat? Something to play with?” Murphy’s Law says that a puppy will be most attracted to the things he should least have — electrical cords, the fringe on your expensive oriental rug, your brand new running shoes, etc.

Preventing destructive and dangerous chewing is easier than trying to correct the puppy every second. Look around your home. What objects could be put up out of the way of a curious puppy? Bitter Apple spray can be applied to furniture legs, woodwork and other immovable items. Are there rooms your puppy should be restricted from entering until he’s better trained and more reliable? Install a baby gate or keep the doors to those rooms closed.

Take a walk around your yard looking for potential hazards. If your yard is fenced, check the boundaries and gates for openings that could be potential escape routes. Puppies can get through smaller places than an adult dog. If your yard’s not fenced, make a resolution right now that your puppy will never be allowed to run off lead without close supervision. He won’t ever know enough to look both ways before crossing the street to chase a squirrel. Keep him safe by keeping him on leash!