Immediately After Puppy Arrives:
-As soon as possible after receiving your puppy you need to take your puppy to the Vet for a check-up. We recommend taking your puppy to the Vet between 3-10 days after receiving your puppy. This gives the puppy time to adjust to his/her new surroundings.
-Stress is probably the single most contributing factor in Puppy health problems, so keeping stress at a minimum is always best. If the puppy isn’t eating or just doesn’t look or act right then take him/her immediately to the Vet.
-By taking your puppy to the Vet shortly after you receive the puppy benefits your puppy, you and the breeder. Your puppy benefits because if he/she is sick, treatment can begin immediately and if he/she is healthy the Vet has a baseline to compare with any future visits. You the owner benefits because you now know that you have received a healthy puppy and if the puppy isn’t healthy you have fulfilled your obligation for the health guarantee.
-The breeder benefits by having a satisfied customer knowing that he/she has a healthy puppy and if for some reason the puppy isn’t healthy the breeder can immediately resolve the problem. We would never knowingly sell an unhealthy puppy, but there are times when congenital defects that aren’t obvious when they are puppies show up when they are for example 6 months old. If the customer didn’t take the puppy to the Vet when they first received the puppy, the customer might think the breeder knowingly sold them an unhealthy puppy. If the customer takes the puppy to the Vet when they first receive the puppy and the Vet gives the puppy a clean bill of health and 6 months later the puppy develops a congenital health defect hopefully the customer will realize that the breeder wasn’t trying to sell a sick puppy.
What daily routine is my puppy used to?
-This section focuses on your puppy’s daily routine that he or she has grown accustomed to starting at about 6 weeks of age until he or she is in your care. Knowing what your puppy is familiar with will help make for a smoother transition to his or her new home, and will help you be more aware of your puppy’s needs at this stage in their development. Though some days are different than others, this is a typical day in the life of your puppy. At this age, they are growing so fast that they should eat three times a day to supply their fuel needs. Just remember that YOUNG 8 TO 12 WEEK OLD PUPPIES STILL REQUIRE PLENTY OF SLEEP, PROBABLY 18 HOURS PER DAY PLUS OR MINUS, AND IF THEY DON’T GET SUFFICIENT SLEEP IT CAN CERTAINLY IMPACT THEIR OVERALL HEALTH. Even when your puppy reaches adulthood, you can still expect him/her to sleep over half of the day in a series of short, medium, and long naps.
-7:00 am – 7:30 am: They are ready to get up when they hear us up and around (which is usually around 7am). At this time we feed them their breakfast, fill their water bowl with fresh water, make sure their bedding is clean, and clean their playpen/kennel as necessary.
-7:30 am – 9:30 am: They usually have a bowel movement 20 or so minutes after they eat. Once they have gone potty, we let them have playtime. They are free to run around our large family room, which works well for us because this is where we spend most of our time while we are home. The floor is all tiled and there is a door to the entrance of the room so they are not able to freely roam carpeted areas of the house that are off-limits to them at this age. We socialize them and let them run around and play until they are all tuckered out (generally for an hour or so). If they need to go potty during this playtime, we find they are pretty good to go on their pee pads, although they are still very young and plenty of accidents are going to happen at this age.
-9:30 am – 12:00 pm: By now they have exerted all of their energy and they are pooped (no pun intended)! They usually take at least a two-hour nap in their playpen/kennel. Note: your puppy most likely came from a litter with several siblings. When they sleep, they love to snuggle with each other. It can be a big adjustment when they go to their new home and don’t have anyone to snuggle with and to keep them warm. We recommend getting a stuffed animal for him/her to sleep with and to snuggle with. One of our customers told us she found a warm water bottle (found it at Target behind the Pharmacy counter) and the warmth of the water bottle (following instructions on use) kept her baby comforted all night. Another option may be a warm rice bag. Of course, it doesn’t take them long to adjust; if you have a crybaby just know it will soon get better and in a few days they should be fine.
-12:00 pm -12:30 pm: This is around the time they wake up and we feed them lunch. We make sure they have plenty of water and that their playpen is clean.
-12:30 pm – 2:30 pm: Once they have gone potty after lunch we let them run around our family room again to burn up their excess energy. We have various soft toys, chew toys, squeaky toys, etc. for them to play with. We (and this includes my 2-year-old and my other kids on the weekends or when school is out) snuggle with them on the couch and give them human contact and affection. They are very socialized from all of the attention.
-2:30 pm – 5:30 pm: They are still babies and require a lot of sleep throughout the day. After we put them back in their playpen/kennel they are usually fast asleep for at least another two or three hours. If they don’t sleep as long, we let them run around again to stretch their legs before dinner.
-5:30 pm – 6:00 pm: We usually feed them dinner at this time (we try not to feed any later than 7pm) so that it decreases the need to go potty in the middle of the night. We make sure they still have plenty of fresh water in their bowl.
-6:00 pm – 8:00 pm: After they have gone potty we let them get out their last bit of energy for the day and we give them lots of love, attention, and affection.
-8:00 pm – 9:00 pm/10:00 pm: We usually all snuggle with a pup while watching T.V. before we put them to bed for the night.
-9:00 pm – 10:00 pm: BEDTIME!!! We turn off the lights (leaving a night light burning), give them a kiss goodnight, and they go right to sleep.
-Around 2:00 am: We do a quick check on them when we get up to take care of other business. We change their pee pad if it is soiled and let them continue to sleep. They have slept through the night since they were about 4 weeks old.
-Of course, this is just a sample schedule of what we do. You will have to find what works for you and your family’s schedule. As they get older their needs will change and you will have to adjust their schedule accordingly. Just don’t get alarmed if they seem to want to sleep a lot. Even adult bulldogs, as well as other breeds, sleep over half of the day (generally 12 to 14 hours daily), and your puppy will need more sleep than this (probably approaching or exceeding 18 hours per day. It is normal and is necessary for good health. Fortunately, you can snuggle with them during part of this sleeping time, and it is a great bonding activity for you and your companion.
Playtime:
-Puppies love to play and tend to run after moving feet, or even lie down at your feet when you standing. it’s so easy to accidentally step on the puppy. Please be careful to supervise small children. If a puppy gets hurt too many times he will either become very timid, or aggressive. It’s also important to resist the urge to wake up the puppy to play with him. Like his human counterparts, he will play to exhaustion and could become so tired he will forget to even eat. Do not play aggressively with your puppy. If you want a well-behaved, calm puppy don’t play games like tug of war or wrestling with your puppy. Instead, teach him to fetch or sit or come when you ask him. Puppies love training and learning new tricks easily.
How often and how much do I feed my puppy?
-When you receive your new puppy, he/she will be accustomed to eating 3 times a day (morning, noon, and evening). Because we feed more than one puppy at the same time (the rest of their littermates), we put a large bowl full of their puppy food in their kennel and let them eat until they are satisfied. Once all of them walk away from the bowl we know they are done, and we take it away.
-Puppies are changing and growing rapidly, and they need to eat more frequently (at least 3 times a day) to provide all the proper nourishment and nutrition for their rapidly growing bodies. Make sure your puppy always has access to fresh water throughout the day.
-Once your puppy is older, you can put your puppy on a twice-a-day, or even a once-a-day schedule. Your vet can help you determine the frequency and amount you should be feeding your puppy based on the needs of your puppy, size (over/underweight), activity level, etc. You can either feed him/her on a set schedule (which will help you know when he needs to poop) or you can have food available at all times and let them eat what and when they want, as long as they do not put on excessive weight. If they do put on excessive weight, you will have to monitor what they eat daily.
-There should be a guide on the food bag that tells you how much to feed the puppy at each weight. This is only a rough guide depending on activity level, metabolism, etc., and you may need to decrease or increase the quantity based on how quickly your pup is gaining weight and whether he/she finishes all the food at one time. It’s hard to say exactly how much your puppy will need, but the amounts on the bag will give you an idea of where to start.
-We now feed all of our new puppies Medium Starter from Royal Canin (available from PetSmart and other reputable pet stores, as well as directly from the company. If you can’t find Medium Starter, Mini Starter or even Maxi Starter will substitute fine, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. We strongly encourage each of our valued clients to use this wonderful puppy chow for at least the first month after you receive your puppy. Puppies are stressed when they are taken from their mothers and litter mates and sent to their new home, so anything that can be done to reduce further stress is important, and this means not abruptly changing their diet.
Do you require me to have my puppy spayed or neutered?
-We do require that every puppy that leaves our home be spayed or neutered by one year of age and proof be sent to us by 13 months of age. Our puppies are intended to be family pets and not every breeder has their breeding dogs as part of their family too. Spaying and neutering also cut down on the risk of many cancers. We do not believe in early spay and neutering, therefore we do not fix our puppies before they go to their forever homes. Large breed dogs need the hormones to grow their bones and joints correctly. We are very strict about our spay/neuter policy. You will need to let us know if you will breed our dogs later on so we can help with a full registration.
If I can no longer keep my dog, can it be returned to you or will you help me re-home him/her?
-Absolutely! A dog that came from us can be returned at any point in its life. We are realistic and know that sometimes life throws us curveballs and a dog may no longer be able to stay in your home. We do want to know if you are unable to keep your puppy so that we can assist you in the re-homing of that dog. We want to be a part of this process so that we know that the dog is going to a loving home again.
What does the one-year health guarantee consist of?
-Our puppies are guaranteed to be in good health to the best of our knowledge when sold. It is your responsibility to take your puppy to your vet within 4-10 days of receipt. If at this time your vet finds a life-threatening condition, and we are notified within that 4-10 days, you, the buyer, can return the puppy for a full refund at your expense. For the extended congenital guarantee, the contract reads that if your dog develops a life-threatening congenital deformity or congenital disease severe enough to necessitate euthanasia within the first 1 yrs it will be replaced with an equal-value pup as soon as one becomes available. We must be contacted about this before any action is taken. This is another reason that we request the 6-month updates. One photo with an update every 6 months is required or this guarantee will be null and void.
Do you allow visitors to see your puppies?
-After a long discussion between us and our vet, we have unfortunately come to the decision that we cannot allow visitors who are not choosing a puppy or picking up their puppy to come see the puppies. Parvo has been out of control this year and we have to do everything we can to protect our puppies. Many times when people come to see the puppies without having already reserved one, they have gone to see other litters as well. If one of those other litters carried this devastating disease, it could be brought to my home and kill my puppies. Pet stores and dog parks are also a place to pick up diseases.
-This would be terrible for not only the mother dog who is losing her babies but also for the families who are already in love with their babies as all of our litters are spoken for before they are born. It could also cause us to postpone having any more litter for more than a year. Parvo is almost always fatal in puppies but it can also affect adult dogs making them sick and even causing the dog to abort. We have not even taken our dogs or puppies to the vet clinic for the past two years because sick dogs go to the vet. Our vet is wonderful and she either comes to our home or we go to hers for all vaccinations and exams.
-We hate that we have to do this, but we have to do everything in our power to protect our babies and the families who decide to adopt a puppy from us. We are more than happy to send pictures and videos of where our puppies are kept. Thank you for understanding and hopefully, over the next year or two, if instances of parvo go down, we can again open our home to visitors as that has always been one of the best parts of raising puppies.
What kind of Temperaments do our puppies Have?
-Sweet, Kind, and Gentle!
-Our puppies are loving members of our family!
-They are adaptive to many lifestyles and adventures.
-They are easygoing, never in too much of a hurry to get anywhere or do anything! (unless you have a treat of course!)
-They are wonderful with kids and blended families.
-They are our shadows when we get up to check the mail or use the restroom, they are right there with us!
Are Yorkies good with Cats, other Dogs, and kids?
-Yorkies seem to be drawn to children. They are real babysitter for kids! Generations of children have taken their first toddling steps holding on to this fantastic family dog. Yorkies are super friendly and people-oriented. They are fantastic with Cats, Dogs, and children! They don’t have the prey drive other breeds do and there has never been a case of a Yorkie attacking a cat as far as I know, however they will play. They love kids, when our puppies hear or see kids they get so excited and are dead set on running up to them to play! Yorkies all around are amazing family dogs and I am convinced they are the best breed ever! Just remember, socialization is key.
-Absolutely! We selectively breed for well-rounded temperaments for our Yorkies. This results in a friendly, trustworthy puppy that is a gentle, child-safe dog. We have many adoptive families enjoying their puppies with their children, whose ages range from infancy to teenagers.
Which is better for just a pet – a male or a female?
-In general, there is no significant difference in temperament between male and female dogs. If you are getting a dog for a pet, you will want to have your dog spayed or neutered, which will eliminate most minor differences anyway. Females tend to be smaller than males. Females can damage the grass, males can damage your trees. Males say « I love you, I love you, I love you ». Females tend to say « Love me, Love me, Love me ». Other than that males and females can be either submissive or dominant, active or quiet. It is the individual dog’s temperament and proper training that will determine whether he or she will make a suitable pet for your home. Sex is more of a personal preference usually based on looks. Think ahead to what you want your dog to look like 2 years down the road, do you want a strong masculine look or soft feminine features? In the past have you always had a certain sex? Do you feel comfortable with that or do you want a change? If your family companion recently passed away do you want a puppy who when grown is similar in looks or completely different? Spaying in females tends to be a bit more expensive as it is a major operation. Neutering costs less as it is a simple procedure.
What about vaccinations?
-All our pups receive age-appropriate basic puppy vaccines. You’ll be given a health record listing the vaccines and dates of worming for you to give to your vet.
It’s very important to understand that puppies are not fully immunized until all the shots have been completed in the series through 16 weeks of age. You shouldn’t socialize your pup around strange dogs until then. Be careful when walking them to avoid other dog waste during this time. Please do not take your pup to dog parks or pet stores until it is safe to do so!
Why do you screen for genetic conditions or health-related issues?
-Responsible breeders have an inherent responsibility to breed healthy dogs.
DNA markers for canine genetic diseases are being found at a rapid rate.
To improve the genetic health of our breed through better breeding practices.
To try and provide the healthiest puppies with their new families.
What is the difference between limited AKC registration and full AKC registration?
-Puppies, with parents of the same AKC-recognized breed, both having full AKC registration, are eligible for AKC registration, either full or limited.
Full AKC registration simply means that one of our puppies (or dogs) is being sold with full breeding rights and that any puppies produced, when he/she is mated to another full AKC-registered Yorkie, are eligible for AKC registration, either full or limited, depending on the agreement between the breeder and the new owner.
-Limited AKC-registered puppies are sold without any breeding rights. The AKC recognizes these puppies as purebred Yorkies and they can be entered into many AKC events (virtually all competitions except conformation since these events are specifically intended to evaluate breeding stock). All of the puppies that we sell with limited AKC registration are intended as pets only, with the understanding that the new owner will be neutering or spaying the young adult Yorkie at about 6 months of age, which will make them a better pet with reduced risks for any health issues. If they are not neutered at the appropriate time, it is a violation of our contract and our agreement and any puppies which would be produced from a mating of this dog with any other dog would be ineligible for AKC registration.
-We give our puppies as a pet with limited AKC registration so that we are confident they will be going to a good home which is looking for a pet to be loved, pampered, and given individual attention.
Is there any way to control or keep the tear stains to a minimum on a pet Yorkie?
-The answer is yes. First, you need to have your dog’s eyes checked to make sure there are no medical problems creating the tear stain. If there are no problems a simple daily maintenance of washing your dog’s face with a warm washcloth should do the trick. Diligence and consistency are the key as long as there are no medical problems.
What do I do when my puppy is biting me?
-Young puppies, regardless of breed, play with each other using their mouths. While it may seem “cute and harmless” when they’re small, their bites will become more painful and damaging as they get older. If your puppy starts to bite your hands during play, this behaviour needs to be discouraged, and other acceptable behaviour encouraged. Here’s what we recommend: If your puppy starts to bite, keep your hands, fingers, arms, etc. out of their mouths. Stop playing with them immediately. Instead, give them an appropriate toy (you can even place it directly in their mouth) and walk away. Never allowing them to bite you will help ward off this unwanted and unacceptable behaviour.