I am getting a yorkie puppy in a about 3 months from now and I am so excited! I can’t wait until I get to hold that soft little puppy in my arms, I want to make sure I do everything right and be the best mommy ever. But the problem is I’ve never had a dog before. The only time I’m around dogs is at my grandma’s house. She has a cockapoo. I just wanted to know things like
What should I feed it? Like, what is the best dog food to give your dog?
How often should I give it a hair cut?
How often do I walk it?
Which gender would you get? A boy? Or a girl? Which is better behaved?
And are they house dogs? Or are they more playful and enjoy being outside?
Is a yorkie a family dog?
Do then enjoy being around people and children?
Please feel free to add more details if you’d like!
Thanks!!
What should I feed it? Like, what is the best dog food to give your dog?
Dogs seem to like wet food more and it’s not much of a mystery why. Dry dog food still seems to be a better alternative though as it doesn’t make their poo smell as much. If you plan on training your dog to do it’s business outside though, it may not matter.
Personally I like the brand Royal Canin. It’s dry dog food. They also have a special mix specifically for Yorkies =)
How often should I give it a hair cut?
For a Yorkie, generally every 6 weeks is fine. They have hair and not fur so they don’t shed which is great, but they tangle easily so be sure to groom daily. If you don’t the hair will mat and that’s unhealthy for the dog. If it gets too long it will mat too. I know some pics of Yorkies have long hair but there is a special way of growing it that way (using hair ties and such).
I wouldn’t recommend you cut your own dog’s hair though unless you really know how. If you harm the dog by accident it will remember and might grow a fear of hair cuts. Also after a certain age if you haven’t brought your dog to a groomer and you want to, they won’t accept the dog because he/she isn’t used to being handled by a groomer and may hurt the groomer. It’s best to have them get used to it while they’re young.
How often do I walk it?
Yorkies are indoor dogs so generally you don’t even need to walk it. It can get enough exercise by being played with and running around the house. You can still walk it though when you want to and I’m sure they’d appreciate the air and scenery.
Which gender would you get? A boy? Or a girl? Which is better behaved?
Personally I like boys because they don’t get their periods. Of course you can spay a female and it won’t it’s period but the operation is a little more intricate than getting a male neutered as the uterus and whatnot is inside while the males balls are on the outside.
As for behaviour.. females tend to be more affectionate while males are a little more hyper. Either way, whether a dog is well behaved or not depends on how well they are trained. Yorkies have the capacity to be trained well as they are fairly intelligent so be sure to train it at a young age.
And are they house dogs? Or are they more playful and enjoy being outside?
Like I mentioned earlier they are indoor dogs. Just because they are indoor dogs doesn’t mean they aren’t playful though or enjoy being outside. Once the dog has all it’s booster shots take it outside and explore!
Is a Yorkie a family dog? Do then enjoy being around people and children?
They are good family dogs and don’t have the tendency to nip at kids like Pomeranians, Dalmatians or Chow Chows. Even within each breed there are exceptions though and it can end up depending on the dogs temperament. So be sure to do temperament testing before bringing one home.
There are tons of things to know and take into consideration before buying a puppy. I’d highly encourage you to read "Puppies for Dummies". It’s a great book for anyone thinking of buying a puppy.
Hope this helps,
Val
