If you have a Yorkshire Terrier, or plan on getting one in the near future, you know how special these energetic little dogs are. However, not all Yorkshire Terriers meet the breed standards that have been set by the American Kennel Clubs (AKC). This, however, does not make them any less purebred than those that do meet the breed standards. Meeting the breed standard for his breed means that your dog is essentially ?perfect.’ He doesn’t have any flaws. You might compare it to having the perfect human body as compared to being out of shape, or having a nose that is too big, or eyes that are set too far apart.

Although not all owners allow the Yorkshire Terriers hair to grow long, if he will be competing in shows, this is a requirement, as it is part of the breed standard. The coat must be blue and tan. The hair on the face must be parted, and the hair should also be parted in the middle, from the end of the tail all the way up to the base of his skull. His body must be small, and well proportioned.

continue reading "Breed Standards for the Yorkshire Terrier"

Yorkshire Terriers are special and adorable. These fascinating dogs do, however, require a high degree of care. For this reason, it is important to learn as much about the breed as you possibly can, including experiences that others have had with their Yorkies. This means that you need to make it a point to connect with other Yorkshire Terrier owners.

Start finding other Yorkshire Terrier owners first through your breeder. Your breeder will know other Yorkshire Terrier owners in your local area, and even if they won’t give you those owners contact information, they will happily pass yours along if you ask them to.

continue reading "Connecting With Other Yorkshire Terrier Owners"

Taking care of the newborn puppy if you are midwifing the Mom can be quite exciting. Watching a new life come into the world is a miracle in itself. Observe the birth in awe, but be ready to help Mom if she is having trouble.

You will need several items when whelping (birth) starts. Have these ready beforehand so you don’t have to leave Mom during the birth. You will need plenty of towels, a heating lamp, scissors, betadine, alcohol, dental floss, paper and pencil, and lots of patience until the big event happens.

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You will want to be able to take your puppy for walks and for rides. You need to get him used to meeting people and other animals. There are many ways to acclimate him to the new surroundings. You must take your time and not push the pup into a situation where he is uncomfortable. Puppies don’t come into the world knowing all the right things to do, so be patient and have fun with him.

The first few months of the puppy’s life is the best time to introduce him to all the wonders in the world. Expose the pups to everyday chores in the household. The mother will also teach them some social skills.
As soon as you bring the new pup home, introduce him to the family in a quiet setting. This gives him time to get to know the person without the noise of many people in the background. That can cause undue stress on the new puppy.

continue reading "Socilization of Your Puppy"

Giving a dog a bath can be fun or it can be a terror. Puppies either love or hate the water. There is no middle ground. When giving a puppy a bath, consider two things. Do you know how and how many times a month should it be done? Bathing the animal too much will strip away essential oils needed to keep the coat shiny.

Gather all your supplies before starting. You don’t want a wet dog running behind you through the house. You will need tearless shampoo, towels, and possibly a comb if your pup is a long hair breed.

Begin bathing when the dog is young and has time to acclimate to the water. Place puppy in sink or a tub and reward him with praise for staying still. Give him a treat or scratch to reinforce good behavior.

continue reading "The Dreaded Bath"

Many people who are not knowledgeable about the breed simply cannot tell one Yorkshire Terrier apart from another Yorkshire Terrier of the same age and size, with the same haircut. Although Yorkshire Terrier lovers around the world can easily tell the difference between two seemingly identical dogs, owners do enjoy dressing their Yorkshire Terriers up a bit.

Most Yorkshire Terrier owners do a topknot on top of the Yorkies head, and put a bow on it. This is acceptable for male and female Yorkshire Terriers, and it helps to hold their long hair up out of their face, and out of their food. Therefore, it has a utility purpose other than just looking cute. You should have a variety of hair bows for your Yorkie, and put a fresh bow on his topknot, or just above both of his ears, each day.

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You wouldn’t think that such small dogs had such special dietary needs, but Yorkshire Terriers really do have special nutritional needs, and they are indeed very picky eaters.

Most Yorkshire Terrier owners do not purchase commercial dog food for their beloved pets. Instead, these special dogs are fed the same foods that people eat. Favorite foods include chicken and beef, as well as a variety of green vegetables, milk, and bread. All foods should be free of preservatives, organic if possible, and all meats should be thoroughly cooked.

You should ask your veterinarian how much your Yorkshire Terrier should eat, and how often. If a Yorkshire puppy goes too long without eating, he has a very high chance of suffering from Hypoglycemia. Ideally, your Yorkshire Terrier will be fed three times a day, with a snack in the evening.

continue reading "Feeding Your Yorkshire Terrier"

When you bring the new puppy home, the first thing you will want to do is feed him. What kind of food do you use? What are his nutritional requirements? Will he like what you give him? Make sure your vet is involved in his diet planning.

Make sure the dog’s food is healthy and tasty. Try to find something for the stage of life he is in. For example, if he is a puppy, buy him puppy food. Decide on what you are going to feed him before you bring him home. This prevents last minute decisions that might not be healthy for your pet.
Dry food is quite popular. It is easy to store and usually tastes great. It is also good for helping keep the teeth clean.

Soft and moist food are great for your dog to eat because he will eat most of the food and get the added nutrition.

Canned food have the highest water content. These also contain less nutrition, so you may need to feed your dog more than usual to equal out the nutrition they may need.

Look at the levels of vitamins and crude materials on the label. Is there enough fat, protein, calories and other nutrients? Is the food tasty and is the price too expensive? These are things to consider when buying puppy food.

If your dog becomes finicky and will only eat certain things, this is sometimes due to change in diet. Allow the dog time to adjust. If he still won’t eat, try a new food. If he still doesn’t cooperate, you may need to take him to the vet for a checkup to make sure nothing is wrong.

Some people feed their dogs from the table. This is like in between meal snacking and kills th dog’s appetite for when it is time for him to eat his food. Avoid feeding the dog off the table.

While Yorkshire Terriers are incredibly intelligent dogs that will easily learn tricks and such, it is believed that the Yorkshire Terrier is the hardest to housebreak. Housebreaking is probably the first thing that you want to teach your Yorkshire Terrier, and there is a right way and a wrong way to do this.

The first step is to confine your Yorkshire Terrier to a small space or small room, and to establish a place where it is acceptable for him to relieve himself. It is important that you teach your dog this immediately, and keep him confined until he is consistently using the appropriate area for relieving himself. From there, you can start taking him outdoors to relieve himself. Note that Yorkshire Terriers can be litter box trained as well, but it is important to clean out the litter box each day.

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Among the various breeds of dogs, many people are surprised to find that Yorkshire Terriers are more than pampered pets who ride around in cars and stick their heads up out of their owner’s handbags. In fact, Yorkshire Terriers are not only loyal little dogs, they are incredibly intelligent. They are considered to be one of the most intelligent breeds.Dr. Stanley Coren, an animal intelligence expert, determined that Yorkshire Terriers are above average in terms of intelligence. Out of 132 breeds tested, the Yorkshire Terrier ranked 27th. Yorkshire Terriers are so intelligent that they can do better than obeying one simple command at a time, like most breeds. The Yorkie can follow a series of long and complicated commands.

Has it ever felt like your Yorkshire Terrier understands what you are saying? This is because he probably does understand what you are saying. Yorkshire Terriers are perfectly capable of learning to understand our language, but they use word/item association.

For example, when you hug and kiss your Yorkie, and tell him, verbally, that you love him, he will come to understand that those words mean something good, even if he doesn’t understand fully what they mean. However, when you tell your Yorkshire Terrier to get his ball, he will understand exactly what you mean, and he will be able to pick that ball out of a toy box full of other toys and bring it to you. When you ask your Yorkie if he wants to eat, he associates the word - eat’ with food, and he will respond in his way.

continue reading "The Yorkshire Terrier"