Important Information and Great Tips!


Hypoglycemia is a sudden fall in the concentration of glucose in the blood below normal levels.  The body uses glucose as its primary energy source.  It is most often seen in very small toy breeds and usually in puppies 5 to 16 weeks of age.  Stress, low body temperature, poor nutrition, sudden change in feed, water and schedule patterns, infections, and premature birth may precipitate the onset of hypoglycemia.   Hypoglycemia is one of the most important concerns which you should familiarize yourself with.  When a puppy gets nervous, scared, or upset his sugar level can drop drastically.  The puppy can go into shock or in extreme cases hypoglycemia can cause death.  An easy way to tell if a puppy's sugar level is low is by his gums.  Instead of nice and pink, the gums are white when the puppy's sugar level has dropped.  Nutri-Cal or Nutrastat is highly recommended for the small breed puppies as they are more susceptible to hypoglycemia. A little Nutri-Cal or Nutrastat on the tongue or wiped behind the front teeth will help elevate the blood sugar levels back to normal.  The tube Nutri-Cal or Nutrastat comes in somewhat resembles a tube of toothpaste.  You may also use Karo Syrup.  We do not recommend honey because of possible allergies which may exist.  Don't worry you can't hurt your puppy by giving it too much.  However, your puppy could get diarrhea from a sugar overload.  There is a lot of information regarding hypoglycemia on the internet as well.

Fresh Water is essential.  Your fur baby should have access to fresh daily water at all times, except at night.  Their digestive systems can be disrupted by food, location and water changes. All of which can cause stomach upset or diarrhea, especially if you have a high iron content.   We give our all of our dogs filtered water only because we found that their tummies just could not tolerate our local water as it comes from the tap (they began having very loose watery stools).  It is recommended that you keep you new puppy on bottled or filtered water for a few days and then gradually add your water to make the change. Be sure and make it slow and gradual. If you find they are experiencing upset tummies try switching them back to filtered or bottled water.

Premium Food is a must when raising Yorkie’s and should be available to them at all times.  We always start out with Iams Puppy food.  However, if a food change is made, it must be gradual and mixed with the food provided over a period of time for their digestive system to adjust.  It is extremely important to feed your new puppy a good quality puppy kibble for the first year of their life and then a high quality adult food for the rest of their life.  The small breed dogs need the hardness of their kibble for the health of their teeth and gums as they are more prone to dental problems.  Keeping treats and people food to a minimum will decrease your chances of having a “picky” eater.  With all this said, if your puppy does not eat within the first 8 hours of being in his new home,  try soaking a little of the food with a little warm filtered/bottled water to soften.  Again, it is very important to feed only high quality puppy food so that you’re new little one will have all the nutrients  they will need to have strong bones and a healthy body.

Heart Worm Preventative has already been started with your new puppy. if they are 12 weeks old.  Please review the Health Record you received in your new puppy kit.  Heartworms are transmitted by the bite of a mosquito; these dangerous parasites live in a dog’s heart or near it in major blood vessels. Heartworm disease can be fatal. It causes heart or lung damage, coughing, lethargy and fatigue. Heartworms can be detected by a blood test.  Heartworms are difficult to cure but easy to prevent with medication from your veterinarian. We use HeartGard Plus.  A blood test is taken to ensure that heartworms are not already present before administering a heartworm preventative. The medicine is usually administered in monthly doses during the mosquito season or, in most areas such as Texas, year-round. Never treat a dog for heartworms except under the supervision of your veterinarian.

Crates can be very useful items.  The crate may become your puppy’s safe place and its special place to go to sleep. The crate can be constructed of wire or plastic and should be large enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around in and lie down comfortably. The crate should have adequate ventilation, but openings should be small enough so the puppy cannot get its head or paw stuck. Also, be sure the door locks securely so that your puppy cannot push the door partially open and get its head or paw stuck.  You might place a washable blanket or cushion inside the crate. The sheepskin (or faux sheepskin) covered cushions are just great.  Give your puppy a safe chew toy while in the crate. Keep in mind if you will be gone for long periods of time, your puppy will relieve itself in the crate…it just can’t be avoided.  And for your puppy’s safety, be sure to remove its collar while in the crate. The location of the crate should be easy to clean and draft-free. Put it near or in the family hub of activity—such as the family room or the kitchen. You want your puppy to feel like part of the family. This is your puppy’s home and it should feel comfortable there. Once you choose a location, it should be the crate’s permanent location. To introduce your puppy to the crate, place a kibble of puppy food in the crate and gently place or encourage the puppy to go inside as you give the command “Kennel.” Close the door briefly. Once calm, praise him. Now let your puppy out of the crate. Repeat this for longer periods of time, always praising for going inside. Your puppy should nap in the crate and sleep there overnight from the beginning.  The key to successful use of the crate is to always use it in a positive manner—never as a punishment. When you are too busy to supervise your puppy, or when you have to be away, place your puppy in the crate with the proper chew toy. (Always be sure to give him an opportunity to eliminate before you crate him.)

Puppy Pads for those “little” accidents are necessary.  We begin training all of our puppies from the time they can crawl out of their beds.  The system we use for setting up their “new world” is such that it is training them to use puppy pads in their new permanent home.  Your puppy will be 90% trained by the time they go home with you to piddle on the puppy pad.  You will need at least 2 pads per room.  We have found the Deluxe Training Pads made by OUT! and sold at  Wal-Mart in the 30 count to be the best and most cost effective.

Toothbrush and natural toothpaste should be used to clean your Yorkie’s teeth.  Most pet stores carry toothpaste and toothbrushes specifically for dogs; however we have found that a young child’s toothbrush works great also. Brushing at least once a day is highly recommended.

Personalized tags with your puppies name, your name and phone number are recommended.  Even better are the tiny microchips such as the AVID FriendChip.  These are injected under the skin with a hypodermic needle by your Veterinarian.  Each chip has a one-of-a-kind identification number which can be scanned. Once scanned, a search will be performed of the PETtrac database…just that quick your loved one will be returned safe and sound.

Harnesses are the safest choice for taking your new puppy on walks. Please do not use the collar with your leash…always use the harness with the leash. A Yorkshire Terriers trachea is very fragile and jerking on a collar with a lead could cause permanent damage. When formally training your puppy you may want to use a lead wrapped around his neck but this should be done only during the training exercises and never some place where you puppy will be overly excited and possibly jerk on the lead. Once leash trained and the harness is being used for walks, you may want to purchase a retractable leash which is excellent for giving just the right about of extension when you are on walks or frequenting dog facilities where a leash is required. We love dressing our Yorkies and our favorite outfits have a d-ring sewn on the back which functions as a harness and can be used with a leash. 


6-8” Collar depending on the neck size of your new fur baby. Keep a close eye on the fit of your little puppy’s collar; you will need to get a larger collar as your puppy grows. The collar should be used ONLY for decorative and tag purposes. NEVER use a leash with a collar on a Yorkie.

Stainless steel bowls are more sanitary and easy to keep clean and to disinfect.  Ceramic or glass are very good choices also, especially the more weighty ones.  Your puppy may find that his bowls are great playthings...even when filled with food or water. 

Toys, Toys, Toys!  Have lots of soft toys and chew toys available for play and also to work teeth and gums during the teething time when you get your puppy.    Yorkies love anything that squeaks, crinkles, or rolls. Just keep in mind; they need to be small enough so they do not have to work so hard to carry around. There is a line of “Mini” toys by SmartPaw which are just wonderful and can be found at some of the mass merchandiser stores like Wal-Mart and Target. They love balls, especially the little cat balls with the bells inside. They also favor the soft foam or “Nerf” type balls. Once any toy starts to disintegrate, dispose of it immediately. We have found that most of the plush toys, even the ones with the squeakers, wash and dry very easily. This will need be done every so often (we perform the smell test…if it smells bad, wash it!) to keep bacteria down.

Chew bones for healthy gums and teeth. Be very careful with chew bones. When experimenting with new ones always, always stay in the presence of your little fur baby when it is chewing it. Some chew bones can cause them to get sick and vomit as well as break into pieces and get caught in their throat or digestive and bowel tract. We found out the hard way when one of our Yorkies almost lost her life after eating one of the popular rawhide chew bones which are shaped like a bone. She had been chewing on it for most of the day and somehow managed to get the gummy, messy end off which she swallowed…the whole end! We had to perform a doggie Heimlich maneuver. That day I threw every type of chewy or chew bone we had in the garbage. We were very fortunate that no permanent damage was done to our precious little girl. All that said, Yorkies have to have something to chew on. We began experimenting with one thing at a time. We have found our Yorkies love the small rawhide chews with the strip of dried chicken wrapped around it (again chew treats should be given ONLY in your presence and if you see a large piece coming loose…throw it away!). The key is that they are small or I should say skinny…about a half inch or less in diameter. So far we have found these only at Target and Wal-Mart. Again, NEVER leave your baby unattended with these treats. Pig ears or anything with dye in them is chemically unsafe for the puppies or adults…besides possibly discoloring whatever they touch. NO CHICKEN BONES!

Vaccinations and routine health care entailing cleaning around and under the eyes, cleaning and pulling hair out of the ears, brushing their teeth and bathing are yours for their lifetime. Different areas of the country require different vaccination ingredients, heartworm medicine, fleas, ticks, etc. You will need to find out what is required for your area from your veterinarian. A good veterinarian and one you can trust is of the utmost of value to you as a pet owner.  You will receive a copy of your puppy’s Health Record along with the information of the veterinarian we used for your puppy’s health care and/or medical needs.

Grooming:
      It may be convenient, desirable or time effective for you to take your Yorkie to a groomer. Look for one that will care for and handle your Yorkie the way you would if you were grooming him/her. We DO NOT recommend a groomer who uses a drying cage to dry your fur baby. If you are considering learning to groom, it can be a wonderfully rewarding time for you and your best friend to bond (it will take patience in the beginning). There are a lot of great resources including the internet on how to groom your Yorkie.
      In between grooming visits you will need to brush and/or comb your Yorkie daily. NEVER brush the hair dry…we use a spritz bottle with water mixed with a little conditioner to squirt the hair with before brushing or combing. After trying many, many different brushes and combs, my personal choice is a metal comb and a small, slicker brush (the softest one you can find). Be very careful with the slicker brush or you could “burn” your puppies skin. Always start at the ends of the hair and work your way toward the skin.
      A good ear wash is essential for cleaning the ears, ear powder to put in he ears to aid in pulling the ear hair which can be done with your fingers or hemostat. You want to take great care in working in the ear canal as they can move quickly and you don’t want to jab them inside the canal.
      Doggie nail clippers can be used to keep the nails trimmed. If you clip a nail to short, having Kwic Stop Powder (a styptic pencil which can be found in the men's shaving department will do in a pinch) on hand is necessary to stop the bleeding quicker.
      We DO NOT recommend that you use a cheap shampoo, as these can be harsh and dry out their coat. We use Mane and Tail Shampoo and Conditioner. We use Magic Coat TEAR FREE Shampoo on their faces.

Some Advice...

     Bringing a new puppy into your family and home is a commitment that you are making to this puppy for the rest of its life.  When purchasing a puppy from us, you are agreeing to take full responsibility for its welfare, feeding, health care, training, etc. and all that having a puppy entails. Some of which can be less than pleasant such as the chewing/teething period (having things readily available to them), being a bit rambunctious at times (re-directing their energies), underfoot, wanting attention (giving it to them), potty accidents/training (decide how you want to train…to go outside, on a puppy pad, or maybe even a litter box). Yorkies tend to be more difficult to house-train than some other breeds, so EXPECT this…be patient and consistent.  The training is up to YOU!  Puppy classes are highly recommended and effective.  Treats are an excellent training tool as we all like rewards and so do they…just don’t over do. Clicker training has been very effective for many.  The rewards of training are greater for you as you see the time, love and effort that you put into them coming back to you.  All of these “not so pleasantries” are normal and can be handled constructively if you plan ahead.  However, don’t be too surprised if you need a backup plan or two in some situations.   Remember, each puppy is their own individual, just as we are.  They are special and unique in their own way.
     Yorkies are people in hairy dog bodies that have an amazing intelligence level, thus making them a real joy. They love to be with you doing whatever you are doing, whether its work, rest or play.  Most are cute little lap dogs, but don’t be surprised if yours wants to be very near you at all times, but just not on you.
     Last but very important…be wary of small things in your home that would drop on the floor, “they WILL find them and just like a small child, put them in their mouth.  If you have a wood-stove, watch your wood pieces, they will grab those, chew on them and can get them caught in their throat.  Don’ let you Yorkie play with frogs,,,the frog puts off some sort of chemical which can be toxic to small dogs such as Yorkies.


Please contact  Laurie with any and all questions you may have. You may also contact us at 214-235-7200.  Please leave a message if we do not answer.