THE TRUTH ABOUT YORKSHIRE TERRIERS

THE ONE QUESTION I HEAR THE MOST, AND I HATE TO HEAR  IS:

                   IS THAT A TEACUP YORKIE???

There is no such thing as a "tea cup" yorkie, or poodle, or any other breed. Even if your best friend, or your mother owns one!! They simply do not exist. "Tea-cup" is just a cutesy name give by unethical breeders to drive up the price of their puppies. There is only one kind of "Yorkshire Terrier" that is recognized by the AKC, and that is the Yorkshire Terrier! Please see my menu on the left for a copy of the AKC breed standard. Some yorkies are under 3 pounds, and some are way over the 7 pound limit, but they are all still Yorkshire Terriers. The smaller or larger ones sometimes happen in a litter, but it is not something that good breeders try to produce. The very tiny ones are often frail, and do not have as long of a lifespan as their larger siblings. They often have a multitude of health problems. Who would want to pay more money for that? Other "rare" and EXPENSIVE yorkies are advertised as "red, chocolate, cutesy-faced, doll faced, or baby dolls". If you see these kinds of terms in any breeders ad's or website, be wary of that breeder, who is most likely trying to cheat you. Most good breeders never, ever, advertise their litters, there is no need to. They have a waiting list for their pups, and are well known in their communities.

           MYTH:  YORKIES ARE YAPPY LITTLE ANKLE BITERS:

I happen to own 4 yorkies, all live in my house, and sleep in our beds. They all have very different personalities. My K.C. will bark at squirrels or birds in the backyard, but that is about it. She loves to "hunt" through the window. Her daughter Bonnie is a bit of a barker, but only when she hears the doorbell, (real or on TV, hahaha) or when I run my vacuum cleaner. Her daughters are both on the quieter side. Not all yorkies are bad about barking, I think it is how they are raised. My dogs are raised in a very busy household, with people and children of all ages. They are quite used to the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and nothing bothers them. When my pups have had their second set of shots, I begin to take them out in public, to sporting events, to noisy crowded places, and I believe that this makes them better about not being "too barky" later in life. Of course I do very little breeding, do not have multiple litters, and I can devote a lot of time to properly socializing my puppies. I believe that this is directly related to the dogs temperament when they mature.

I think that if a dog (any dog) lives all alone with one or two people, and they are not accustomed to visitors or children, that they could be prone to barking, and protective behavior whenever they are exposed to them.

 MYTH:   YORKIES ARE  IMPOSSIBLE TO HOUSEBREAK!

This one could be true in many cases, and I hate to admit it, I really believe that yorkies are the hardest breed to housebreak, but it is not impossible, and it can be done. Toy dogs in general do not mature as fast as the larger breeds. The owners MUST BE PERSISTENT in their efforts to train their new little pets. They do take a little longer to become completely housebroken, and some yorkies never get completely housebroken. If you can not cope with this fact, the yorkie is probably not for you! This is one of the most important things to consider before you buy a yorkie.  I say this because I never want my yorkie pups to end up being left off in a shelter, a pound, or on the streets, because I was too interested in making a sale, rather than worrying about the future of the puppy that I chose to bring into the world.
I have heard that males might be a little easier to housetrain, but having never owned a male, I can not say for sure. Many people use "belly bands" on their males to help keep the boy from marking his territory all over the house.
Many people paper train or litter train their yorkies with great success. I start training my pups at about 5 to 6 weeks to ring little bells on a string, and that I then incorporate this into the housebreaking that I do. Most yorkies will go and sit by the door, wanting to go out, but not letting their owners know. My bells by the back door alert me to the fact that my dogs are there, then I go and let them outside. I also believe in the crate training method.
I strongly recommend that you buy a small portable steam cleaner before you bring your new "best friend" home.
You have to realize that your yorkie might not ever be 100% housebroken.
The most common reason that people give up their yorkies to rescue or shelters is the housebreaking issue.

For more information about housetraining, please see housebreaking page by clicking on the menu bar to your left.

PET SHOPS:

         EVERY  PUPPY BOUGHT IN A PET SHOP IS THE PRODUCT OF A “PUPPY MILL”. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS!!!   BY PURCHASING ANY PET FROM THEM, YOU  ARE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING THESE HORRIBLE PLACES IN BUSINESS. I WON'T EVEN BUY A DOGGIE TOY AT THESE PLACES, IT JUST HELPS TO KEEP THEM IN BUSINESS. THE PET SHOP OWNERS WILL LIE AND SAY,  “OF COURSE WE DON’T DO BUSINESS WITH THOSE FILTHY INHUMANE PUPPY MILLS. OUR DOGS COME FROM GOOD LOCAL BREEDERS”. NO RESPONSIBLE BREEDER WOULD EVER SELL TO A PET SHOP!  EVER!  PERIOD! 
     TRY TO RESIST THE IMPULSIVE PURCHASE OF THAT CUTE LITTLE DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW.
     HOPEFULLY, YOUR YORKIE WILL BE WITH YOU FOR A VERY LONG AND HAPPY LIFETIME, PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION ABOUT WHO YOU BUY IT FROM. FIND A BREEDER WHO WILL ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS, WHO WILL BE AVAILABLE TO TAKE YOUR CALLS ABOUT ANY THING AT ANY TIME. AN ETHICAL BREEDER WHO OFFERS A GOOD HEALTH GUARANTEE, WHO HAS A LIFETIME RETURN POLICY, AND INSISTS ON PETS BEING SPAYED/NEUTERED. THIS IS A BREEDER WHO TRULY CARES FOR THE PUP HE/SHE BROUGHT INTO THIS WORLD.
     THERE ARE LOTS OF ETHICAL BREEDERS OUT THERE, AND A GOOD PLACE TO FIND ONE IN YOUR AREA IS TO ATTEND A LOCAL DOG SHOW. MOST  SHOW PEOPLE ARE ETHICAL AND BELONG TO AT LEAST ONE BREED CLUB THAT CARRIES A "CODE OF ETHICS" THAT MEMBERS ARE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW. DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU BUY! IT IS UP TO YOU TO FIND THE BEST PUPPY AND A GOOD BREEDER.

The AKC Plays a Major Role in Keeping Puppy Mills Running

Please take another moment to e-mail the AKC and ask them to stop registering pet store puppies that are produced in puppy mills by clicking here:  http://www.akc.org/akc/contact_akc.cfm If puppy millers could not register their genetically defective, sick, neglected dogs, they would be instantly out of business. Who would pay thousands of dollars for a mutt in a pet store window?

The AKC will tell you that it is not their job to enforce the law and they are doing all they can. This is just a poor excuse - they are making thousands, if not millions of dollars every year from puppy mills, and they have the power to shut them down almost instantly. It's sad that an organization that is supposed to care so deeply about the quality of each breed of dog is making money off the suffering of so many. Their pockets may be lined, but they are definitely dirty. Let them know it is everyone's job to stop animal abuse and they can help by refusing to register puppy mill dogs.

Three other simple things you can do:

1.      Adopt a dog from a shelter, a rescue group, or get your puppy from a responsible breeder.

2.      Buy your pet supplies from a store that doesn't sell puppies or kittens.

3.      and spread the news!