Puppy Care

YORKIES 

GIVE YOU YEARS OF ENJOYMENT!

Little Tips & Old Remedies (Some Told- Some Shared-Some Tried)

* A healthy Puppy is usually full of energy and always willing to get in trouble. Look for & what your puppy tells you. Sometimes the first thing that give you a sign something is wrong, is the eyes won't be bright and alert, and the ears may drop & be held back close to the head.

* After shots are given if they feel bad give your puppy 1/2 a baby aspirin.

* Sometimes Yorkie puppies play so hard they loose all of their energy and will require many of naps for about the first 3 to 4 months.  You may want to add to their diet a bit of peanut butter,  honey,  or Nutri-Cal for dogs. 

*You can use Vaseline to help hold hair in place around eyes when growing out. It will also make it easier to clean any tears away. I have heard of some using puppy styling gel.

*Olive Oil - 1 teaspoon once a week coated on dry dog food can make their hair shine.

*Rubbing tummy earns total trust.

*Rubbing toes and paws will get them comfortable for their grooming and nail trimming.

*Brush teeth daily if possible. They have finger toothbrushes that work nicely, however you can even use a wash cloth if necessary.

*Toenails trimmed approx every two weeks. (I like toenail scissors best, sold in most pet stores) You can use flour to pack & stop bleeding if you clip to close when trimming the toenails.

*Clean Ear inside & out with Peroxide is helps control any orders. Pull excess hair out of the inside ear canal.

* If your Yorkie puppy gets diarrhea give them Pepto-Bismol.  If they are still sick in a day or two call your vet.

*Some give Benydrl for allegories etc, that creates excessive water around eyes. Please check with your Vet for recommended dose amounts if this occurs.

*A Rolaid Daily can add calcium to your pet. Some has given this when Moms are nursing for extra calcium.

*Brewers Yeast for pets can help their hair coat as well as repel fleas or so they say.

*If your Yorkie gets an upset tummy, try saltine crackers. Just like us it helps settle their tummy.

*White Vinegar sprayed on a Potty accident can help neutralize.  After spraying with vinegar, then press firmly and absorb with paper towels or tissue paper until it lifts from your carpet. Do not rub it in, only press and absorb to remove.

*Most yorkies ears stand up. They do fall when teething, but will come back up with time. I have found the way to most help is to get the excess weight off the ear. So I trim the inside and outside hair off between 3 & 5 weeks old with a mustache trimmer. This usually is all that needs to be done, nature takes care of the rest.

*Some Tape Ears - Not all Yorkies ears stand upright, and there is nothing harmful to the dog if this occurs.  Show dogs must have upright ears. Each Yorkie is unique and therefore ears may vary in size and/or thickness, resulting in  the occasional puppy whose ears are "floppy". Although it is normal for the ears to droop during teething, a very common problem is that the ear needs to be trimmed.  Your babies ears should be trimmed on the edge about halfway down each side. The most important thing to encourage ears to stand upright is keeping the excess hair trimmed. If after 8 - 12 weeks the ears do not come up, you may want to tape them, that is up to your personal preferences.  But, if they are not up by 16 weeks of age they should be supported. This method will work even with older pups, it may just take a longer period of time.

Grooming

* Most Yorkies have long coats which require more time when grooming.  Some people keep theirs clipped short which cuts down on the amount of time spent on the grooming. Yorkies are wonderful  no matter what your grooming preferences are for your lifestyle.  Some brushes that we have found that are recommended to use when grooming is a pin brush and a slicker brush. Also a fine to medium comb.

*There's no reason you can not groom your Yorkie by yourself, as long as you have the time, and patience to learn. You will need, shampoo, conditioner,  pin brush nail clippers,  Clippers, Ear Powder, Scissors, finger toothbrush, toothpaste.

*Before Bathing - You need to go through the coat to check for tangles or mats. Then comb & use a pin type brush go though the coat before bathing. If the coat is very matted, you are not grooming often enough or the coat is a soft type. A soft coat is much more difficult to maintain than the proper silk coat. It will take daily care to keep hair from matting. You'll  need a slicker brush with this type of coat. Be careful with this type of brush, they can actually burn the skin. Place your fingers at the base of coat next to the skin as you are brushing. Start brushing at the ends of the hair and gradually work up toward your fingers. clip the hair under their tails and around the rectum. 

*Brushing the Teeth before bathing - Many Yorkies are prone to excessive tartar which causes premature tooth loss. They make a number of products now to help keep the teeth clean. If you do not brush the teeth, this will mean additional professional cleanings at the Vet's, and it can also lead to Bacterial Infections to develop causing additional expense to you, and pain to your baby.

*Ears - Check the Ear Channel first, if there is any offensive odors, redness, or a reddish brown discharge, have your Vet look at them. All could be signs of infection, and need to be treated if so. Clean them inside & out with ear cleaner or peroxide on a cotton ball & Q-tip. If there is hair in the channel, remove it by pulling it out with your fingers or tweezers.  Pull quickly, not slow. For the outer ear you will use the Pocket Pro Wahl Clippers or Small Mustache Clippers  Clip the excess hair on the inside of the ear about 1/3rd to 1/2 way down. Clip the same amount on the back side but trimming the hair off in the shape of a V. With clippers, it is even safe to go along the outer edge of the ear to finish it off neatly.

*Paw Pads - The small clippers will be used to trim the pads of the feet. Hair grows between them and it needs be trimmed, were the hair is level with the pads. You can go between the Pads if you are comfortable with this, if not, at least check between them.

*Nails - Trimming Nails should be done with almost each bath (At least every 7 to 14 days), if you are diligent about this, all you will need to do is remove the tips. Yes, they can bleed if too much is removed, so you should have Quick Stop on hand. The center of the nail changes color and texture as you clip, if the nail is dry and white you may want to take additional nail off. They also have Nail Files available for dogs. If you wish, file the end of each Nail for a smoother finish.

*Bathing - One of the biggest mistakes in shampooing is rubbing the coat in circles. The shampoo products today, lifts the dirt off. There is no reason to scrub back and forth. Make sure the coat is entirely wet, apply your shampoo, and distribute it by running your fingers though the coat.

*Rinse - It's important to rinse and rinse and rinse. Shampoo left in a coat can do more damage to the coat and skin than anything else. A good rule of thumb is after you rinse & rinse and when you think you have it all out rinse it one more time.

*Conditioner - Follow with a light Conditioner per instructions, or use a Mist Bottle with a light Conditioner during the drying process. A light conditioner because a very fine silky coat will get weighed down easily and appear dirty. Also if you are brushing the coat during the week, you'll want to Mist it lightly. Do not brush a dry coat, nor one that is getting dirty. You are much better off bathing again quickly if you are trying to grow coat.

*Drying - After the bathing is done, wrap the dog in a towel. Again, do not rub the coat. If you hold him for just a couple of minutes wrapped it will cut down on drying time.  If it is warm you can naturally dry (which is best), but if it cool you will want to use a dryer on low heat.

*If you are trying to grow coat, let him just stand in front of the dryer until the coat is damp before you start to brush. Otherwise you can begin to brush starting at the ends, not the base of the coat next to the skin. Brush it in sections as you go along, it's much easier than to skip around. Don't forget the belly area, under the legs, and behind the ears.

*Trimming- By now you are seeing the results of your work, and your dog has been patient with you. All you need to do now is trim around the feet and anal area.
The Anal area should be only slightly trimmed using scissors, do not use clippers for this area. Usually about 1/2 inch around is enough.

*The feet should be rounded following the outline of the foot itself. You'll first brush the coat down straight around the foot, stand your dog holding the leg hair up and out of the way. Then trim the excess coat off around the foot that hits the table you're grooming on. It isn't easy to obtain a neat rounded foot at first, but each time you groom you'll improve getting that rounded look. Just take your time.

*Finishing Touch - You can finish a with Top Knot & a Bow. Collect the hair starting at the outer corner of the eye, going back at an angle toward the center of head, then back down to the outer corner of other eye. Brush this hair up and place a Latex Band. Only latex bands so it doesn't break the hair. Last but not least is the Kisses & hugs! Tell them how pretty or handsome they are, brag on them... After all they deserves it!
 

Vaccinations

A puppy is born with a natural immunity from the Dam that lasts for a short period, 6-8 weeks average. Yorkie pups usually start their Vaccine series at about 6 weeks, and then puppy shots etc.repeated at 9 weeks then at 12 weeks. The Rabies Vaccination between the age of 4-6 months. Then re-vaccinate on a yearly schedule, or how your Veterinarian recommends. The type of vaccine your puppy receives may be determined by your life style and area/state you reside. 
 

Potty Training