Can you describe the good and bad of a yorkie puppy?

Good: Bad:
kind hard to potty train
loving unobedient
cute
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Yorkies are a popular breed, and there are alot of irresponsible breeders breeding for profit and no concern for health issues..

they are prone to problems like hypoglycemia, liver shunt, luxating patella, dental problems, heart murmur, PRA, epilepsy, etc.

Because of their small size, they are fragile.. I dont reccomend in a home with young children.. but a 12-13 year old is old enough to know how to properly handle and treat a dog.

Deciding whether or not to get a dog should be a decision made with the family.. if grandma has a hard time getting around, getting a small dog that she could easily trip over may not be a good idea.
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The Yorkie, barks a lot and has a high pitch, you have to keep it warm because it is very small and the good things about it is that they are nice to snuggle with. These dogs love to be played with and you have to give them your full attention.
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Good : Loving, Smart, good with older people, not that active

Bad : Lots of grooming, Barks Alot
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The good:
cute
beautiful coats (when properly maintained by a professional groomer)
energetic
smart
playful

The bad:
very difficult to housebreak
delicate, not good around small children
need LOTS of socialization starting young, or can be prone to being nippy
can be very yappy
MUST have professional grooming every 4-6 weeks, make sure you budget that in and can afford it

And how your grandmother gets along with dogs will be up to her, breed shouldn't matter.

And Nekkid Bootie is right, they are also a breed increasingly prone to many health problems due to their rising popularity with puppy mills as a quick buck. Find a VERY good breeder.

Good Luck
Vintage Collies
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I am probably one of the most biased people that you will ever get a response from, but I absolutely love Yorkshire Terriers. They are wonderful companies for 12-13 year old kids, as our daughter was in the 6th grade when we bought her Yorkie.
Tigger was the bounciest dog that I have ever seen, but very tiny. One needs to attach a bell or buy a cat collar with a bell on it when they are so young. They tend to get under people's feet, which could be a problem if your grandmother is older.
Mine did not have health issues until she was 12 years old. By the luck of the draw, she got bladder cancer, but that is not peculiar to this breed. Other than that, she was healthy as a horse. However, because of their size some have trouble with their trachea. Others can suddenly experience a dip in their blood sugar levels. Mine did not have either of these problems and she was only 5 lbs soaken wet. Check to make sure that the sire has been checked for liver shunt. I would not recommend buying one that is any smaller than 5 lbs, as that is when you seem to experience more health issues.
One of the interesting things about Yorkies is that they think they weigh about 500 pounds and usually are not afraid of bigger dogs. They were used as Mousers in the castles of Yorkshire many generations ago. Needless to say, they have a great deal of flexibility in their paws. For such small dogs they are very sturdy little guys.
Our Yorkie was extremely bright and was a copycat. She copied everything that I did. When I would go outside to clip our cabbage palms' branches, she would find a baby cabbage palm and chew off its branches.
She was housebroken totally within three days, but I am very dilligent when housebreaking an animal. I did not even have to use a kennel to crate train her. However, the next Yorkie I get will be trained to piddle pads. Then, one can leave them for the day, as they piddle on the pads in the bathroom.
They are very loyal and generally love everyone in their family, Any nippiness should be avoided. I always go to visit the puppies before I select one. All breeds can have nippers, but don't buy one that exhibits it as a puppy. It only gets worse. As small as they are, they make wonderful watch dogs.
Most Yorkies love to be held, so I hope your Grandmother doesn't mind that. They enjoy a lot of attention and give back a great deal of affection. A Yorkie will try to get your attention, but they also are quick learners, so if your grandmother does not respond, it will eventually give up on her.
The best thing about Yorkies is that they can go most places since they are so small. Most of them love to travel. They do not shed and are hypoallergenic, which is a big plus.
Right now we have a shelter dog, as I volunteer at a no kill shelter, but my next dog will be another Yorkie. They are my favorite. Everyone should have a Yorkie once in their life, but checkout the breeder before you buy.
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Yorkies are a very common and cute dog all together, but they can be rather hard to care for.

First of all they have long hair, so grooming is a must. Taking your dog for grooming every 2-3 weeks is normally right. You do have to brush the dog every day regardless, so you can get the knots out. You can groom your york at home, but it's a lot of work.

Second, Yorkies tend to stink a little more then any other dog breed. That means you'll have to pay special attention to teeth, the anus, and the especially the fur. If there is too much plague on the teeth, that may cause a strong foul smell, the food may cause it too. If you don't clean the anus, the dog will stink more too. Since the fur is so long, you'll have to shampoo requently, and go buy some doggy perfume that they sell and PetsMart or Target.

The whole thing about health problems, it depends on the dog. Some will some won't. Just pay really close attention to her health and make monthly vet visits just to make sure though.

When you say your grandma isn't used to dogs, do you mean she's scared of them, or she just isn't a dog kind of person. If she's scared of dog, I would look for a frienly dog. Most likely a puppy, so you know it will like her, even if she doesn't like it.

For a child your age, yes. It will be VERY tough! Especially with all the care the breed does need. Wishes go to you, good luck, and Happy Holidays!
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I have a yorkie poo who's almost 9 months and I love him to pieces!! He's the perfect dog and I'd highly recommend anyone getting one. Although he's not a purebred yorkie, everyone who sees him thinks he is, because of his markings and build. I have a friend who's from Russia and her mother breeds yorkies and have actually won Best in Siberia for her puppies mother, I believe. She of course has a pure bred with champion lines and they are super smart. Her yorkie is just 4 or 5 months and is VERY will trained. I had to get training tips from her, as they learn very quickly. I've been working with my dog on a new command each week and it's like he wants to learn more and more.

He also is a good little protector and as I've learned you have to praise them for doing that (within reason—like if a stranger/dog is approaching that he thinks is a threat, or if he senses danger) as that helps build confidence. Mine is not a barker or nippy at all, only if there's a stranger close to our home or in our cul-de-sac (he knows EVERYONE in our cul-de-sac, so he knows who doesn't belong) he'll bark. At the dog park he's NEVER the one to go up to another dog and start barking. In fact when there are dogs barking and carrying on he either goes the other way or will run up under me. In fact most people haven't heard him bark, my dog is just VERY mild mannered and is very well socialized with people and non-threatening dogs.

Now potty training them is difficult, but mine hits the paper (in our bedroom) 99% of the time now (I've had him since May). I realized that if the paper is not available and you don't take him to it when he gets up, before going to sleep and when you just come in then he won't know to use it. Training dogs is also a matter of training and changing the way YOU and your family think. The times he does pee on the carpet have been because I didn't put the paper down for him to go on, or I didn't take him out right away. Rewarding him after going to the bathroom (on the paper and outside) also works wonders, as well as restricting the area the dog roams in indoors.

They do have a lot of energy, which works for me, because I've lost weight and I tell people it's the "doggie diet". Two hours of rigorous play and a little walk in the evening, with play time in between tires him out!! So a nice hour long walk with play for another hour is enough for him. But I guess it may be different for each dog.

Some bad is that he chews on carpet, furniture and shoes, but what puppy doesn't?! That isn't yorkie specific. Sometimes he can be rather stubborn, but you have to let him know who's the dominate one. He follows me where ever I go and comes when I call him. As for with children, I have nieces that are 6 and 9 and he loves them to pieces. He's good with children, but it's just that play time has to be timed since he has been known to run and hide out under the couch when he needs a break from them. Small children can be a bit much for them at times.

Just do your research and know that you can have any kind of puppy/dog you want (meaning behavioral), it just depends on how you train/socialize it. As for health issues, my dog hasn't experience anything serious, but he does eat his poop. Which I was told he should outgrow by the time he turns one, and that it's breed (yorkie) specific.

As for grooming I get him groomed every 2-3 months, instead of 2-3 weeks, maybe because I have a yorkiepoo and I keep his hair cut short, as his hair has a little curl/wave to it. But he does get brushed about every day. He's never had an odor, (as that may be due to a dogs diet), and he keeps himself VERY clean. In fact mine smells rather sweet like applesauce. Weird I know!! They can be finiky eaters as I started giving mine Nutri-Cal (or Nutri-Stat, they're like $3 a tube) so his blood sugar wouldn't drop as they are hypo-glycemic.

I think you have to do a lot of research and talk to vets and groomers about yorkies to determine if you'd like to welcome one in your home.

Good luck!!
References :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_Terrier