Basic Care for your Yorkie

Yorkshire Terriers are some of the most adorable dogs you will have the opportunity to own. playful, inquisitive manner and their small size. They make excellent companions.  Once you have your new Yorkie, you'll want to be sure you're keeping him/her as healthy as possible. To learn how to recognize and treat some of the most common dog health issues click here.

The Yorkshire Terrier, known as the "Yorkie", has a wonderful spirit. If you want energy and excitement in a pet, you will love these animals. Many people compare them to children, which is a good comparison.

Basic Yorkie Grooming

You can expect to spend a lot of time grooming your Yorkshire Terrier. These small dogs have lovely, long coats of hair which require constant grooming both at the pet and dog grooming salon and at home.
You will need to brush your dog on a daily basis to make sure that the fur does not mat. Baths should happen about once a week. If you have a male dog, you might want to wipe him down daily in the area around his leg where you will notice slight urine stains from the way that the boy dogs relieve themselves.

You will have to get haircuts for a Yorkshire Terrier. You need to ensure that the hair around their earflaps is trimmed properly, as well. Otherwise, this hair will weigh down the animal's ears before they are set as an adult Yorkie's ears should be. Their ears will not be set until the puppies are six months old so you will want to pay special attention to this while your dog is young.

Caring for yorkies Eyes and Ears

The eyes and ears are areas you will want to watch carefully. Let's start with the eyes. First, you will want to make sure that their hair is not so long that it covers their eyes. Mucus is a big problem for many dogs. You will notice that it collects in the corner of the dog's eyes. If you leave mucus there, it can harm your pet. To remove the mucus, all you need is to take a cloth that has been warmed with water and wash it from their eyes. Your Yorkie's ears should be checked on a regular basis for excessive wax buildup or mites. You should pluck the hair from inside of your dog's ears, also. If you are not comfortable with this process just ask your vet and they will do it for you.

Teeth

The Yorkshire Terrier is a toy breed. Most toy breeds have issues concerning tartar buildup on their teeth. The Yorkie is no different then other toy breeds where this is concerned. If you have never brushed a dog's teeth, you will want to contact your vet and see what they recommend you use and a method that will work well for you and your toy Yorkshire Terriers.

Climate Issues

If you are interested in having a dog that you can dress up, the Yorkshire breed is perfect for you. These dogs get extremely cold in the winter months because they have no undercoat to keep them warm like other dogs.

It is almost necessary that you buy your dog a little coat to keep them warm when they go out in the cold weather. If you do not get them a coat, they will get terribly cold when they go outside for anything, and this can lead to multiple problems including illnesses.

Dietary Needs

Most Yorkshire Terriers do not eat a great deal of food. They are very small dogs so they need little amounts of food to sustain their small bodies. However, this means that you need to make sure they are receiving a healthy diet. Due to the fact that they eat a lot less, it is necessary to make every bite count!

Housebreaking

You and your family have made the decision to adopt an older dog from ta rescue rather than a young puppy. The big day has finally arrived: You are bringing your new companion home with you. Everyone is happy and excited, including your new yorkie!

It's important for you to remember that your new yorkie finds these new experiences very stressful. You and your home are unfamiliar to him.her. He/She doesn't know where he is or even where the doors are that lead outside. The food and water are different. He/she doesn't know where he/she is going to sleep. Most rescues  may have just started trainging at thier foster homes.

It would be wise to assume that he/she has not and start with him/her as you would with a young puppy.

One of the most important things you should do upon arriving home is introduce the dog to his/her yard or exercise area and let him/her eliminate before entering the house. He/she may or may not have been exercised on a leash. He/she will be curious and want to explore. Be patient and wait for him to eliminate. Be certain to praise him/her and let him/her know this was the right thing for him/her to do.

Changes in food and water, plus the stress of a new situation, can result in episodes of diarrhea. It would be a good thing to make certain he/she has frequent access to his outdoor elimination area the first few days. Don't expect him/her to tell you when he needs to go out. Go outside with him/her and praise him/her each and every time he/she eliminates.

Housetraining should be based on the prevention of accidents rather than discipline after the fact. If your dog makes a mistake because you didn't get him/her out when you should have - it's not his/her fault!

Since your dog is no longer a young puppy he will have better bowel and bladder control. Place the dog on a regular elimination schedule and take him/her outside at certain times, whether he/she needs to eliminate or not - first thing in the morning, after meals and play and the last thing at night. It is essential to accompany him/her to make certain he/she is, indeed, eliminating. Dogs are creatures of habit. The more quickly you turn a good behavior into a habit, the faster your training will go.

If you haven't already decided on a crate for your yorkie, you may want to investigate purchasing one for him/her. The most effective way to teach him to eliminate outdoors is to prevent him/her from using the house in the first place.

Dogs are den animals and have an instinct not to soil their den. The crate will become your yorkie's den.

Confinement to the crate overnight or for a three-to-four-hour period during the day when he is unsupervised will help speed the housetraining process.

Despite your best efforts and diligence an accident may occur. If it should happen, treat the incident in a matter-of-fact manner. It is critical that you not scare or confuse your yorkie by physical punishment or yelling. The yorkie won't understand why you're upset, and you are only creating more stress for your yorkie. Put the yorkie outdoors or in another room while you clean. If the accident should occur on carpeting use lots of paper towel and blot with fresh paper until you have lifted as much liquid as possible. Neutralize the odor with plain white vinegar and water or a commercial pet-odor eliminator. A diarrhea stain on carpeting or upholstery can be lifted with a solution of lukewarm water, dishwashing soap and white vinegar.

Housetraining your older yorkie requires patience, humor, understanding, compassion and time. He/she wants to please you by doing the right thing. Help him/her make the adjustment to his new home a successful one.