Mijoy Yorkies and Mijoy Biewers

 You do not mention where you intend holidaying, or if pets are allowed, or if you are going where no pets are allowed. I must presume it is somewhere where you can not take your yorkie. Ask your vet if he has any suggestions. The normal kennelling where the dog has a run and enclosure where her bedding would be etc, is not ideal, for such a special little dog or for any small sized yorkie. There are home from home type kennels, but you need to have someone who has used the facilities on offer and that can give you feedback, as to how their pet was handled, cared for etc. I would just not go to anyone.  Will your Breeder not assist?  I used to do it for the very odd client of mine. I will now only do it for one person, as I have had her dogs here with mine, many times without a problem. From my own point of view as a breeder, I keep a closed kennel which your breeder may very well do as well. This way we always know our animals are healthy and free from any problems.  If we take in dogs for boarding we are immediately putting ourselves and our dogs at risk of picking up problems.

There are hotels etc that allow dogs, so if that is an option, check those places out.  Quite a number of years back I showed Afghans and we travelled, to Durban, East London, Bloemfontein etc, and we always were at hotels that allowed dogs. Best of luck and happy holidays.

The dog more than likely has a yeast infection in the ear.  Your vet can assist you here he will give you a tube of ointment that you put into the ear daily.

Dogs can also get earmite. This is contagious, in the inner base of the ear you will notice a brown mucky discharge.  Your vet will give you ointment for this condition as well. Treat your dog at the same time with Frontline or whatever you use, that helps prevents ticks and fleas, as those mites can come out of the ear onto the fur. If the dog has a severe case of earmite, they are put under anaesthetic and the ear flushed out.

Not an easy call.  We have and have bred dogs as adults the same size as the Yorkie holding the Guiness Record…..  The teacup dog is a RARE dog…

I would not have the faintest idea who to recommend anyone to.  I hear enough sad stories coming from the public who have had a lot of problems with the smaller yorkie pups.  As always be aware of pups where the breeder has used glucose to aid the dogs rearing.  CAN be major dicey……

 You do not mention where you intend holidaying, or if pets are allowed, or if you are going where no pets are allowed. I must presume it is somewhere where you can not take your yorkie. Ask your vet if he has any suggestions. The normal kennelling where the dog has a run and enclosure where her bedding would be etc, is not ideal, for such a special little dog or for any small sized yorkie. There are home from home type kennels, but you need to have someone who has used the facilities on offer and that can give you feedback, as to how their pet was handled, cared for etc. I would just not go to anyone.  Will your Breeder not assist?  I used to do it for the very odd client of mine. I will now only do it for one person, as I have had her dogs here with mine, many times without a problem. From my own point of view as a breeder, I keep a closed kennel which your breeder may very well do as well. This way we always know our animals are healthy and free from any problems.  If we take in dogs for boarding we are immediately putting ourselves and our dogs at risk of picking up problems.

There are hotels etc that allow dogs, so if that is an option, check those places out.  Quite a number of years back I showed Afghans and we travelled, to Durban, East London, Bloemfontein etc, and we always were at hotels that allowed dogs. Best of luck and happy holidays.

Difficult question. We monitor our pups from birth. If the pup is born very tiny, it may indicate it will be a very small dog as adult, it may not.  I have explained in a lot of different articles on this website regarding sizing etc. Please read the articles and your question will be answered.

THE YORKIE – is prone to tooth decay.  Firstly change the diet. Water at all times, and dog kibble only.  Dry at that. The best food to use, which is designed specifically for the yorkie breed is Royal Canin Yorkie  and for dogs under a year and pups, Yorkie Junior.  The kibble (dogs cubes/biscuits) is designed in such a way to improve dogs dental hygiene. Please remove all soft food from your dogs diet. This alone encourages tartar build up. Some of the yorkies are predisposed to tooth decay, and others are not. The tinier the dog, the more teeth problems it “MAY” have, not necessarily will have. The smaller yorkies are also inclined to retain their canine teeth and some even have two sets of front teeth. These must be removed failing which your dogs permanent teeth could be damaged.

It is important that your dogs teeth be checked by your vet at least once a year, for any signs of tartar build up, exposed roots etc.  Teeth left unseen to, can cause ill health to your dog in later years.

The correct time to have any additional baby teeth removed is around 6 months of age, when the pup is spayed or neutered.

 It could cause a problem. My advice to you would be to sterilise/spay her. I am not sure exactly how small she is.  I have only ever once had a vet tell me not to spay a female of mine, when she had to be sedated once for an x-ray and she passed out. The vet at that stage said NEVER let her be put under anaesthetic it will kill her.  HOWEVER, that particular little girl weighed 700gms had been bred by a breeder who only fed her salad to keep her small. Totally ridiculous. I purchased her as a 10 month old dog. The damage was done to her already by the totally incorrect diet.  I purchased that little girl 20 years ago.

I have spayed and neutered a number of very small dogs. Check with your vet, if he is used to working with the tinier dogs, if not find a vet in your area who is.  If you can not find a suitable vet, contact us and we will endeavour to find someone in your area who can refer you to an experienced veterinarian.

The problem if you do not spay your girl and she should develop a pyametra, meaning, an infection of the uterus,(womb)  she could die as a result. She would need immediate treatment for this, and in most cases would result in sterilisation. If your dog is quite elderly at this stage, her age alone could compromise her survival of the operation.

The best thing to do is sterilise her now, before she reaches old age. ALL dogs should be sterilised. The feeling is if the dog has had pups before, the likelihood of her developing a pyametra is greatly reduced. A dog that has never been bred is more susceptible to developing a pyametra. Having said that I do not believe everyone should rush out and let their dog get pregnant. Rather opt for sterilisation. 

Anyone reading this who can not afford to go to a private vet, contact your nearest SPCA or Animal Anti Cruelty league, they will help you to sterilise your animal.

The correct time for a pup to be inoculated is 6, 10 and 14 weeks.

If the breeder wants to inoculate at 8 weeks for the first time, that is fine, but then the pup should stay with the breeder till it is at least 9 weeks of age, that the inoculation has had time to take effect.

The follow up inoculation would be fine if done four weeks later, and the rabies at the same time.

I personally try to do my pups at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age.  It is the safest way to inoculate. The reason inoculations are done like this, is that should it happen that for some or other reason, one of those inoculations did not take effect, that the dog will be guaranteed immunity from the others.

It is an unwise practice to hand over pups that are not inoculated.  Do not put your pup down on public streets, or grass, until all inoculations have been given to the pup.  A pup is only considered fully protected when all inoculations have been given.

I would take the pup to the vet as soon as possible for its first inoculation.

Good luck with your new pup.

 Hello Clarissa

The gentleman to contact is BEN 082 635 5817. He can supply all your chinchilla requirements. He delivers to me and travels. I doubt if he goes as far as CapeTown, but I am sure he can post you your order. I have given him your email address as well.

If you do not find a chin baby, contact me again early next year.

Thanks

Regards

Joyce

You do not say how young your children are. However I believe children growing up with dogs as companions is an excellent way of teaching your children, to love animals, to interact with animals and above all else to respect animals.

I would say a yorkie is a fine dog, as would quite a few other breeds be suitable, but the responsibility lies with you as the parent, to train your children how to react, respect and love the dog. Children being introduced to dogs from a young age, guards against, grown up children and adults having a terrible fear for animals.

 There are a few things that spring to mind. Do you work? Is your yorkie home alone in the day?  Does your neighbour work? OR Is she home all day?  I think what has happened here, the dog has received a lot more attention, (sorry) than what she is used to from you.  Your neighbour has obviously pampered her and given her loads of affection, and the dog now prefers her – if I can be so blunt.  I have worked with animals in rescue etc for more years than I care to remember, and it is so easy to win over an animal if you go about it in the right way. The most distant, unpredictable animal can be GOT to if you can put it like that, with love, patience, kindness, FOOD and constant attention. So it is very easy for a little loved yorkie, who has none of these hang-ups to all of a sudden become attached to a third party.  All I can suggest, is pamper, love her more than ever, Give her loads of toys and special treats. Things you know she loves. See to it that she is by your side all the time, when you are home, and if you are in the habit of taking her out, do so, more than usual. If she is very busy with you and at your side all the time, she will not be able to go to the wall and yowl.  I think you have to pay your dog a lot more attention than you have been doing. Most dogs mope even with a third party they know well, are off their food, and the minute the owner returns, the dog is once more content, and so excited to see its owner.  You do not mention if she was over the moon to see you home.  IF the problem persists arrange for an animal Behavioural specialist to pay you and Lady a visit.  Good luck.

 Hi Michelle

The silky smooth coats have to be the best, but if only all yorkies had these coats. The silky coat, always looks good, always looks groomed and very easy to manage. The most difficult if the woolly coat, it needs a lot of work to keep looking good. This coat type needs more frequent brushing and bathing. Use conditioner to attempt to avoid matting, but if this coat type gets wet from rain, etc, you need to dry it and groom it out, otherwise you could sit with mats at the next grooming session. It is not a coat you can just leave, needs daily attention.  The wiry coat, is not ideal but they do come along. They are often coats that do not grow very well, and the dog is inclined to keep a short coat, rather than a long flowing one.  I personally try and avoid these coat types.  

You do not say how young your children are. However I believe children growing up with dogs as companions is an excellent way of teaching your children, to love animals, to interact with animals and above all else to respect animals.

I would say a yorkie is a fine dog, as would quite a few other breeds be suitable, but the responsibility lies with you as the parent, to train your children how to react, respect and love the dog. Children being introduced to dogs from a young age, guards against, grown up children and adults having a terrible fear for animals.

Hi Anne

I do not get involved with breeders or their dogs or pups etc. So what follows is my own personal experience. Many a time at 6 weeks, we thought the dogs were teacup and they have turned out to be teacup. However, it is not a cut and dried situation. I find it is far safer to wait a good few weeks around 9 or 10 weeks and then you will have a far better idea if the dog is indeed a teacup or pocket size. Some of the public insist that the dog be 6 weeks or thereabouts on collection, - I did this a couple of times, but it is not a good idea. I now keep them back. It gives me a far better chance of knowing what is for what. Sometimes you just get a pup and you know this is a definite teacup, that does happen, but as for the 800gms, I am not at all sure how your Breeder estimates that.  Best of luck, I hope the baby is exactly what you have dreamt of. 

Hi Beryl. Thanks for your mail. You have no idea how many people I talk out of wanting a Teacup Yorkie.  You are by no means the only one, that contacts me, being offered a tiny and then having second thoughts.  I have so many orders for them as well, and I definitely do not have to force any dog of mine onto anyone.

The teacup is a wonderful little companion, but you definitely need to have the right lifestyle to cope.

I hope your daughter finds her dream baby for her birthday. Good luck and thanks once again.

I am sorry to hear of your plight. The dog Sam has of mine is a real little stunner. She sent me a pic not that long ago, I believe they are leaving for overseas sometime soon and the dog is going as well. I do not get involved with other breeders. I always say sign a contract with the Breeder concerned, that way you know your rights, and they are obliged to do something if the animal has a problem. 

Firstly I can not tell you whether it will all work out fine or not. There are a few things you can do to make the transition easier for all concerned. Do you want to breed your two dogs further? If not sterilise both of them. If you do, well that could cause a bit of a problem, but not necessarily.  Your niece’s male is still pretty young although I am sure quite capable of mating. The girl she owns is very small. So suggest she have both her dogs sterilised and a while before you take them over.

In the past I have always been hesitant to agree to something like you are going to do, unless of course you are more than happy, that once the dogs have been part of your life for two years, you will be fine handing them back to her. My concern is always for the dogs. They will grow to love you, get used to the way you do things, rear them, treat them, and they may not want to go back to your niece.

The ball is very much in your court. How you feel you will cope and manage the situation. If you will gladly hand them back, no hard feelings and no emotional upsets for both you and the dogs – FINE otherwise I think you need to take the situation a step further, and ask her what IF??? What if the dogs are not pleased to see her on her return, will she then be happy to just leave them with you – OR – will she insist irrespective of taking them back. I think you need to get everything out on the table and know exactly what is for what, before you get involved.

Hello Beth

I am sorry to hear of your losses in such a short period of time. I can understand your not wanting to be alone, and I can also understand your families concerns. However, do not despair.  IF you are fit and healthy you may very well outlive another yorkie, who can say. So I would go ahead and get my new pup. Make a will in which you instruct both your Attorney and Vet that in the event of your passing or becoming unable to care for your dog, that the dog is put to sleep. Sounds very inhumane and cruel, but at least that way you do not have to worry, you will have peace of mind, and the dog will not have to cope with life with a new owner.  Especially if the dog is taken on because its owner passed. So often animals and not just dogs, all animals, get passed on and it ends up that it was not the right thing for the animal concerned or the people that took them on.

You may find down the road someone offers your dog a home if you pass, but only agree to this if you are totally happy and feel your dog would adjust favourably  to the person concerned.

I wish you everything of the very best for the future and getting your new pup.

The dog is obviously jealous, you were his, as was your Hubby and now there is an intruder taking up much of your time. You have to pay as much attention if not more to your dog than before. It is hard, but the only way you will win. Buy him toys, chews, show him plenty of affection. Maybe you can give him chews and put him outside or in another area for a while away from your child.  You obviously have not been paying attention and he is feeling this and is reacting now.

You can also try using a rolled up newspaper and hide where he can not see you and wait for him to rush out and as he is about to snap or nip your child, hit the newspaper off the wall a chair and shout NO in a very disapproving tone. Your dogs behaviour is all about attention seeking. If you find neither of the above are working – call in an expert.

Dog trainer or animal behavioural specialist.  So many people like yourselves encounter a problem with their dogs when they have their children, and so many just give up on the animal. I am glad to see you are prepared to work on your problems for the benefit of all.

In time when your dog realises he is still very much a part of your family, he will learn to love and play with your child. He just needs the right coaxing and teaching. Best of Luck 

 I am so sorry to hear your news. I think you need to sit down with your Mom or maybe go to a Coffee Bar or the likes, where you can both relax and talk rationally about the subject of BB.  I have no idea why your Mom would want to keep BB especially if she goes everywhere and does everything with you, it would not be good for the dog to be left behind, without you. Your Mom more than likely feels the dog is going to be home alone – you will be working etc, you may be involved with a boyfriend if not now, in the future and the dog will be more than ever on her own.  

Try making an arrangement that will be of benefit to you, your Mom and BB.  Can you not take her with you, drop her off at your Moms during the day and collect her on your way home. The weekends you will have her with you, obviously, you will visit your Mom and BB will go to.  I can see your point of view, and I think your Moms concern is not from her point of view, but that of the dogs.  If the dog is used to you being at home – studying etc, and your Mom being at home all day, she may very well end up being a very unhappy, bored dog. I do think you need to think this situation over, and discuss it with your Mom. This dog is your dog, relates to you, lives for you, but you also need to think of BB and how she will take, all of a sudden being on her own for most of the day.

Speak to your Mom and hopefully she can baby-sit in the day while you are at work and BB can go home with you at night.  Good luck I hope it works out for the best.

Yes, I do indeed remember you only to well, the lady with such a passion for her pooches.  I am so sorry to hear your news. Please consider going for counselling – and medical assistance.

Oprah on her show recently interviewed Montel Williams, the talk show host, he was diagnosed with MS quite a number of years ago – 10 if I remember correctly. He was told within 4 years he would be in a chair, and at the time of that show of Oprahs being recorded, he was still very much on his feet. Please for yours – your Hubby’s and your much loved yorkies sake, please seek help. Montel does suffer he will tell you that, but looks brilliant healthwise and does everything possible to keep him out of that chair. IF you can go that route, you will not have to concern yourself with your Yorkies future – you will be there for them.

Thanks for your mail. Anything we can do to assist – just let us know. Keep strong.

What one must understand, that there is a huge difference between a lightweight dog and a solid built dog. Our teacups and small yorkies are all solid build small little dogs. I have had many a member of the public bring their TEACUP to us to buy another or a pocket size and they are very disappointed in the difference between our teacups and their teacup. A lightweight 1kg dog, can be considerably bigger than a 1kg solid built little dog.  Like humans dogs weight can fluctuate, sometimes a 1kg teacup picks up weight and hits 1.1kg – no trainsmash. 

NONE.  We do not breed our teacup dogs at all. Totally impossible and even our male of 600gms is not a stud dog.

Actually, I do not encourage the public visiting my property. The reason being, a lot of the time they have visited other kennels and that can be a problem in my eyes. They could have handled other pups at that kennel – we are very fussy with our dogs. The public are welcome to view them, when they arrive to see pups they are interested in purchasing, but a lot want to see TEACUPS in real life, and that I find unacceptable, just for the sake of saying they have seen real live teacup dogs. I have my website for that very reason, they can spend hours going through pics etc on my site.

The teacups are rare. If you phone around the country, if the breeder is honest, most will say they do not or never have had a teacup or bred one. The odd teacup that is available – are more the weight of our pocket pups.   We do however get the Teacup, and pretty often.  So you will not be waiting for years. Months -  yes.  We do NOT breed our tiny dogs, eg teacup to teacup and the babies are teacups, the genes for the smaller sized yorkies is in our lines. So we are never sure when a teacup or two will appear, but they do appear and reasonably often.

Hi Olivia

I believe at a year of age. People have different opinions on this, but being the smaller breed dog, a year. 

 If the dog is going to go into the sea, or come into contact with water, the flea powder is not going to be of much help.  Use Frontline or something similar (Ask your VET) these products are absorbed by the skin, and if treated for two days or so before going near the water, will be totally affective.  If your dog is allergic to fleas, it would be a good idea to keep your choice of treatment for prevention of fleas on her permanently. Fleas depending on product  eg Frontline need only be done every three months. I would possibly do it every two months, for Ticks it has to be done monthly.

It is far better to sterilise both animals, than just the one.  The male will lift or could lift his leg if left unneutered, and if the girl is left unspayed, that can cause problems later in her life. Not to mention that you have the problem of "other" dogs should you take her out, or have neighbours dogs in close proximity.

It is always best to sterilise ALL your pets, unless of course you are a breeder. Sterilised pets make for much happier animals, and more stable - nature wise.

You will obviously have to purchase the smaller sized dog. Any yorkie that reaches up to about 1.4kg will be suitable. Provided it is a solid little dog. If it is a lightweight dog, at that weight it could be bigger than would be suitable.  The dog around 1kg or 1.2kg will be ideal.

The way to do this and I have done it with many dogs over the years. The minute you get the pup, it goes everywhere with you. Obviously in a suitable carrier with food and water. Some shops will not allow a dog irrespective of how small, so you must invest in one of those bags. I used to take a dog of mine everywhere with me, years ago, and she went into my normal handbag, (not doggy bag) when necessary. She even went to Cinemas at the time. 

I was in real estate and she went to all the meetings, attorney’s offices the works. It can be done. This particular little yorkie weighed 700gms. You just have to train them not to be vocal, and to behave. My dogs at present that are born to shop, are also very well behaved. I take a few out with me periodically. The minute that basket hits the floor, they pile in. All on their best behaviour.

If you find you have a problem, contact me again, and I will help you with the training.

It is difficult to answer this question, as I have no inside information as such. The yorkie you have at present, if she is the baby in the family and taken all over with you, it may not be a good idea to purchase a new baby, till she has passed on.  It could upset her badly, and she may feel very threatened. 

If however, it is a normal dog in the house, that hopefully is spoilt,  but not overly fussed with, I guess it can not cause too much of a problem. Just remember, do not let a pup, bully her in her old age, and if it is the smaller pup, do not let her snap at it.  Furthermore, continue to pay her the attention she is used to and if possible slightly more, that she does not feel pushed aside, or have reason to become jealous of the new addition.

Bad idea. UNLESS you are going to be the babysitter, from the start.  I get loads of students wanting this tiny baby, for the very same reason. The tinier the yorkie, the more hands on the owner should be.  I always hesitate when students are involved.  Firstly they can party, big-time, what happens to the baby???    They go to lectures etc, - what happens to the baby???

They have or start getting involved with guys, and dates and so forth - what happens to the baby???

I only advise people to take a teacup if they are looking for a 24/7 hands on baby.   A student has loads of commitments, and what happens to the baby???

If you are going to be there all the time, and will take over, which will become more and more - fine - but think long and hard. These little dogs, can not be left on their own for long periods of time, and your daughters social life is going to become more and more involved. They also attach themselves usually to one person, they are fine with a family as such, but they have their own owner.

If you do not see your way clear to be there as much as your daughter for the dog, don't buy the tiny yorkie. You will get frustrated, and your daughter will not be able to be there all the time, and the pup/dog in the end will have to cope with the consequences.  You will end up with an unhappy little dog. 

Decide on a bigger yorkie, can be a larger pocket size etc.

Your Mom obviously does not realise just how badly behaved her kidz are.  

I would suggest you ask her to please invest in a playpen or you could possibly invest in one on her behalf. It will end up a lot cheaper than replacing or repairing after each visit.

The dogs could then be restrained in the pen.

Be honest - tell your Mom, that the children are rather destructive, and causing you hassles in your home. It is your home after all. We all love our dogs. I have taken mine out on many an occasion visiting etc, but they are contained, never allowed to run all over. 

If their toilet habits are not that great either, tell your Mom you just can not have this happening.  I am sure with time she will understand, or chances are she just needs to be told they are being painful, and will understand your situation.

Firstly, why did you take the dog, if you do not believe in treating or rearing it the same way as your sister did. 

There are plenty of people out there, who would give their all to own a precious little yorkie.  If she is a problem in your life, do the necessary and rehome her, to a suitable home, that understands, her needs, her behaviour etc.

If you believe a dog is a dog, and should be outside in its kennel, and your sister believes her yorkie, is like a child, on the couch, in the bed, with her at all times, then you are going to have a problem. The dog is used to one thing and you are changing everything it has ever known.

So often animals are taken over because we feel we HAVE to and then it just does not work out. Rather contact your sister, tell her it is not working out and that you plan to rehome her. PLEASE do your homework, not to just anybody.  IF you have a vet or better still the vet that knew your sister and her dog, contact him and ask him if he could suggest a suitable client of his who would give this dog, the life she is used to.  Very often the vet will know of someone who has lost a dearly loved pet, and would give the dog a superb home.

Don't feel guilty, some people are animal mad, and others not.  

You and only you will know the temperament of your dogs. Some will be fine with a new baby, others will not.  

You will have to work that out for yourself. If you do decide to get a baby, smaller sized yorkie, invest in a playpen, and not the material type. The baby can be kept safely in the playpen, when you are not around. Only allow them access to the pup when you are around.  I am not sure how small a dog you want to get, but beware that the teacup, will not be able to interact with your large yorkies for months and months, if ever.  

Unfortunately it all comes down to your yorkies temperament. If they are well behaved and gentle fine, but remember the tinier the dog, the less chance of them being able to interact with it. To sit on the carpet or grass and sniff and so on is fine, Rough and tumble ?????

You should possibly consult with your vet and ask his opinion.  If your dogs were younger yorkies, it may be more favourable, but being that bit older, they may decide a baby is not the "IN" thing. Whatever, you do, be careful.

NEVER allow any tiny yorkie to be left alone with the bigger yorkies, especially if they are not used to the small folk.

Many years back a friend of mine, worked for an animal shelter, and took home the tiniest little pup.  She had other dogs of all sizes, and she introduced that pup to the others. No problem. Sometime later she returned to find, that poor baby being thrown around like a stuffed toy - dead. Don't let any baby become a statistic or fall victim to abuse by bigger dogs.  

You more than likely can have the smaller sized yorkie and have no problems, but just be very cautious of what can happen....

 Some yorkies at fourteen years are not that old, physically or mentally. It is a tricky question.

How attached is that dog to your mother, or does it interact favourably to visitors or friends and family.?

If it is very attached to your Mom and has been for the last 14 years, I would ask the vet that has been the dogs vet for all these years, his opinion. The poor animal at that age could very well go into a major decline, and suffer anxiety and stop eating and fret for her owner. A pining dog, is not a happy dog.  The vet may very well suggest to put her to sleep. 

Alternatively, if the dog is a happy go lucky type that goes to all and is very outgoing, by all means, let a family member or friend take her.  PROVIDED she gets the same treatment and is allowed to do the same things your mother allowed her to do. NO use passing her on, if she was allowed to sleep on the couch and on your Moms bed, and all of a sudden she is locked up in the outside laundry to sleep.......

Always take the dogs feelings into account. IF it is not going to offered the same or similar situation it enjoyed with your mother, then I would opt to let her go to Doggy Heaven.

A barking dog is normally a bored dog, either that or you have taught it to talk. Some people encourage behaviour like that, and then get totally irritated at a later stage.

If your dog is just barking because it can, different things can be done. Introduce a friend - another dog. Bring home toys and chews available from your vet or upmarket pet shop. Keep the dog in a different area. 

Find out why the dog barks.  Cat on a wall? Birds in the trees? Other dogs in the neighbourhood?

Pay more attention to the dog.  In the past we have had dogs in for rehoming for that very reason - never stop barking or whining.

You can also try a bit of discipline. Roll up a piece of newspaper and smack it off the wall, don't petrify the dog, just to make a noise, and say NO in a very assertive tone. Don't scream and shout at your dog. You can try this repeatedly. 

If all the above fail, call in an animal behavioural specialist. Ask your vet, he should be able to refer you.

The small yorkies ears are always upright. Right from the start. The bigger yorkies are more prone to  FLOP ears. 

Trim the fur around the ear to half way down the ear, if you need info on how, please mail me and I will send it to you with pleasure. The weight of the fur on the ear can sometimes have an effect on the ear and encourage it to hang down. If weighty fur has caused this problem, very unlikely to sort it if the dog is older.

Sometimes the ears are just down, a bad fault. Dogs with this problem, should not be bred from. Very often if the parent dog has this problem, it will be passed onto the offspring.

Definitely not.  No child irrespective of how mature, or well behaved they are, know the responsibility involved in owning a very tiny dog.  

The teacup is only for adults, and then not all adults. I usually sell them to people who want a baby, their own children have left home, or they can not have their own children, or they do not want their own children.  

The teacup is an adorable little dog, but hands on 24/7.  

 If it is a good price, possibly you should take the risk if there is a risk and take it from there. Surely the Breeder is going to have the pup checked out by her vet, if not arrange with her to have the pup checked out by your vet. You could possibly both go together to her vet or your vet, and here what they have to say. There is a good chance the pup is just a small one in the litter and there is nothing wrong with it.   I can understand her reduced price if she does not usually produce the tinier dog in her litters. She is just covering herself. Ultimately it is your decision. If it were me in your shoes with a limited experience, I would have the dog checked out by a vet, I do not think that is an unreasonable request. IF??? She is against that, you decide whether the risk is worth it or not. Some people will consider a risk too much in the hundred rands others will not worry about the possibility of the risk running into thousands.  It is ultimately your decision.  Go and check out the conditions, the dogs condition, the pups overall condition. You will get a good or bad vibe. You are very welcome to contact me should you decide to take the baby, and we can take one step at a time.  All you need is a healthy baby and some ground rules and you will do just fine.

I trust you have read all the information on my site regarding these tiny dogs. They are a handful but the effort is well worth it in the long run. 

It is not correct, however, it is not going to cause your dog a problem, from eating point of view or its health.  We see it periodically,  obviously dogs with this problem should not be bred from, but a baby with an undershot bite, which is what this is called, will have no ill effects of having a jaw like this. There is a reasonable chance that at the time of purchase the jaw was not like this, but as the pup has grown, the jaw has changed.

No not necessarily at all. Only certain ticks carry the illness, but it will be in your interests, to use preventative treatment rather than put your dog at risk. Billary, can be fatal if undetected, and it can also costly to be treated. Prevention is far better than cure. There is talk of a possible vaccine coming out to prevent Billary. 

Firstly these babies can not have any problems or you are going to have problems.  Deworm, regularly and change the make of dewormer. Dogs can become immune to a dewormer if you use the same one all the time.  You do not mention whether this is your only dog or not.  Put the dog onto (if not already) a proper puppy dog diet, preferably one from your vet. No tinned food no milk, only water. No spoils at all. Plain simple puppy kibble.  If the pup battles to eat this, moisten the kibble. The pup ultimately must learn to eat the dry kibble. Yorkies are prone to tooth decay, they need the hard kibble to help keep the teeth and gums in a healthy condition. Once your pup is dewormed properly on a balanced puppy food, all you have to do is monitor that it eats at least four meals a day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and before you retire at night. 9 or 10 o’clock. IF you are worried about this baby during the night, set your alarm clock and check up on it three to four hours after the last feed. IF you are concerned offer it some more food.  IF the pup refuses to eat, rub some honey on its gums. Shortly (10 minutes) thereafter it should perk up and want to eat.  To stabilise your pup you need it dewormed, eating four meals a day, no runny tummy and no vomiting. You must also keep your dog protected from ticks and fleas – we use Frontline (from the vet)  If you can not get the dog sorted, please contact me and we can see what we can do to help. As for the Breeder not answering your calls etc, that is why I advise people to SIGN a contract.  You then know what goes for what, both parties are protected with a signed agreement, and if you had to go and complain to KUSA (Kennel Union of South Africa) the very first thing they are going to ask you – Did you sign a contract?

I must be honest, I have never had a yorkie prone to any form of digestive problems in all these years. I know it can and does happen, so I am not saying it is not the case, but to tar every yorkie with the same brush???  There is a dog food on the market, suitable for dogs with sensitive stomachs, or digestive systems.  Feed the dog that food, I believe it is nice, as one person was telling me she had her dog on that food, and when it was time to go onto the original food, the dog would only eat the sensitive diet. This dog food is available from your vet. IF you continue to have a problem, please consider consulting with Dr Garry Eckersley on this subject. 

 Tail docking was stopped in June 2008.  I have not docked my pups tails since that time. I do not believe any vet will dock pups tails unless for a medical reason. There are breeders who do still dock their pups tails, but I am pretty sure they do that themselves. My pups always visited the vet for tail docking. I as a breeder have got quite used to the “tail” now although I too hated the thought in the beginning. It grows on you – I guess.

I think your situation and that of your friends is not the ideal one I want for my dogs. Sorry to be so blunt. It would appear you are using these dogs as a fashion statement, and not for the genuine love of the animal. Under such circumstances, my pups will not be available. I do not mean to be insulting, but my pups welfare is of utmost importance to me at all times. I just fear, that in time, the novelty is going to wear off, and then what happens to these little dogs????

Be thankful for those rules. I know it is the last thing you want to hear, but be thankful they are so sticky about the rules. So often, you get Complexes overrun with unsterilised cats, fighting and mating and kittens all over. I am pretty sure that does not happen in your complex. You also get the tenants that just up and leave, and kitty remains there, going from unit to unit for a bit of food.  

The only thing you could possibly try - is get a letter from your vet stating, that the dog in question is now homeless, as a result of your daughters divorce. Mention that it is her intention (which I am sure it is) to take back her dog when she has found her feet and has suitable accommodation.  Ask your vet to also mention that your own yorkie is 12 years of age, and can not be expected to live that much longer. If it does, well so be it. If all your dogs are well behaved, and do not irritate and bark all the time and be a nuisance, ask your Body corporate when they meet to give your situation - serious consideration.  Explain to them that Yorkies are pricey dogs and your daughter is very attached to her dog and would hate to have to part with it.  I am sure under these circumstances and if you promise them, not to broadcast that you have an additional dog to the complex, they may very well agree to you taking on the other baby.

Rules are in place to keep the living conditions of the folks in your complex acceptable and with as little problems from animals as is possible. However, I am sure if you appeal to them, the right way - you more than likely will win at the end of the day. Best of luck.

 Put the pill in a small amount of mincemeat, cheese, chicken, liverpaste, or fishpaste. If the dog still is reluctant to eat it in front of you, place the dog in a carrier or bathroom, leave the med in a dish. Make sure no other animal can gain access.  He should eat it.

IF he refuses. Dilute the tablet in a small amount of water, and syringe it slowly into the back of the mouth. Be careful not to choke the dog.

No, it is definitely not acceptable.  Only dogs with two normal distended testicles should be considered as studs, and it goes without saying the quality of the stud is of the utmost importance.

If you bought the pup and the breeder advised you the dog was not for breeding and needed to be sterilised and you agreed, and bought the pup under those conditions, it is a binding agreement irrespective of the fact that it is not in writing. A verbal contract is binding. I would stick to the agreement if I were you, and do the right thing. I know there are people out there that sign contracts, in writing and do not adhere to them, but the Breeder is in his or her full right to take action against the purchaser for non-compliance of the contract entered into between both parties.

I am not sure what you want me to say, or how I can help. Discuss the situation with the Breeder concerned, it is always in the purchasers interests to enter into a contract with the breeder, so both parties know their rights. Sadly a lot of ill pups are passed on knowingly, and the purchaser sits with all the problems. Best of luck.

The silky smooth coats have to be the best, but if only all yorkies had these coats. The silky coat, always looks good, always looks groomed and very easy to manage. The most difficult if the woolly coat, it needs a lot of work to keep looking good. This coat type needs more frequent brushing and bathing. Use conditioner to attempt to avoid matting, but if this coat type gets wet from rain, etc, you need to dry it and groom it out, otherwise you could sit with mats at the next grooming session. It is not a coat you can just leave, needs daily attention.  The wiry coat, is not ideal but they do come along. They are often coats that do not grow very well, and the dog is inclined to keep a short coat, rather than a long flowing one.  I personally try and avoid these coat types.  

 I would not be prepared to lock my dog away either.  Depending on the age of these children, the dog may feel threatened. They have possibly pulled her coat, or been rough with her before, without you noticing. The dog just may be biting as a defence mode. If she is tiny, she maybe thinks they are going to hurt her.  I would keep her with me at all times, when they visit. Make the children keep their distance and if they want to interact with you, put the dog down in a safe place.  Chances are, if she is not used to children being around, she is snapping or biting to warn them off, or to protect herself. Tell your sister, that your dog is your child, and she must teach her children to respect that and above all else respect animals.

Tail docking was banned in June 2008.  NO vet will perform this surgery on any dog unless it is for a medical reason.  I have never docked a tail since this time, and some people do continue to dock their dogs tail. This is obviously not done by a vet.  My dogs tails and dew claws have only ever been done by my vet.  All our babies now have their tails.

That type of dog I am always suspect of. I had one many many years ago and at the same time a yorkie and chihuahua. My bull mastiff just picked up the chihuahua and that was that. I would be very careful if I were you. Try and introduce the dogs to each other. Is your yorkie a male or female? are the bullmastiffs male and female - sterilised or not? If you have concerns consult your vet or contact an expert on animal behaviour. It is very difficult to try and advise you without being involved one's self. I myself would definitely not have that breed of dog on my property with a yorkie. It is not to say it will not work out, but those are powerful animals, and unless well disciplined etc could cause you a problem.

I have to agree with your husband about killing your dog. Not a good idea to feed any canine this sort of diet.  

Proper fully balanced quality dog food is all that you need to feed your dog and a bowl of fresh water available at all times.

Buy the Royal Canine Yorkie food - start adding it to your dogs diet. If he/she is not tempted at first you will have to become inventive and add it to all sorts of things. The idea is for the dog to eat some to start off with, then you decrease the junk food - increasing the dog kibble until that is all the dog will eat.  I do not think you can just withhold all the junk food and offer him kibble with the idea eat or starve, it is going to take time, and patience. He will ultimately eat only dog food, don't give up I hear time and time again, but I have tried, and tried and he will only eat CHICKEN...... you have not tried hard enough.  All the junkfood and chicken is not balanced. Dogs need a balanced diet if they are going to live till a ripe old age and be healthy and fit all their lives.  

Decide that it is time your dog is going to be a dog, he is not a human and buy the food and feed it to him. Nothing wrong with adding a bit of chicken to encourage him, but then you decrease the chicken till there is NO chicken. Feeding your dog as you are doing is NOT spoiling - it is actually a very bad practice that in time could cost your dog years of his life.

Tail docking was banned in June 2008.  NO vet will perform this surgery on any dog unless it is for a medical reason.  I have never docked a tail since this time, and some people do continue to dock their dogs tail. This is obviously not done by a vet.  My dogs tails and dew claws have only ever been done by my vet.  All our babies now have their tails.

I do not believe in this at all. I hear it all the time as well. So and so said if there is to be harmony it has to be a female, not another male - what ?

I would sterilise my dogs irrespective of their sex, firstly. Girls can fight but then so can boys. It is not to say, if there is a male and female harmony will prevail, not at all. Two neutered males are equally fine, as are two spayed females. Remember, if your dogs do fight when you are around, it could very well be a jealousy thing. Never make more of one than the other. If one is jealous, watch carefully and then distract the dog from behaving in a jealous manner, by throwing toys or taking his mind off the other dog.

I would keep treating my dogs if you have had a problem within say the last year or so. If it has not been for years, then I would not take any precautions. If however, your animals leave your property eg. Your cats roam onto vacant land nearby, you walk your dogs – then I would continue. Ticks can give your dogs billary and fleas, if injested by your pets when grooming themselves, can result in tape worm infestation.  I have not seen fleas on my animals for years, but I continue to take precautionary measures. We are on a smallholding, so we do see our fair share of ticks. My motto - Rather safe than sorry.     

No it will not. Would a woman’s nature change if she had a hysterectomy.  Sterilisation of your pet is the best thing you could do. Sterilised pets are not prone to hormone changes in their bodies and therefore they have a much more stable disposition.

No it will not. Would a woman’s nature change if she had a hysterectomy.  Sterilisation of your pet is the best thing you could do. Sterilised pets are not prone to hormone changes in their bodies and therefore they have a much more stable disposition.

Crime unfortunately is everywhere, and most of us on properties have large dogs for security reasons.

I would be cautious about introducing certain breeds, Boerbuls, mastiffs, rottweiler, etc. Not to say they would not be fine with your yorkies, but I myself do not trust those breeds, lovely dogs, but the yorkie can be cheeky, and I have worked with dogs, trained etc and done many years of rescue of my own and volunteered at an animal shelter a good few years ago. The breeds mentioned are breeds you should be cautious of.

I myself, have a good few German Shepherds on my property. Some of them we have trained ourselves, right up to attack work. If your husband does go that route and bring in dogs for security purposes - I would suggest they go for training.  

Let your dogs know each other, the yorkies do not have to stay with the bigger breed dog, but let them meet each other. The minute you keep dogs apart, that causes complications. One of the major problems being, the day the gate is left open, the little dog is attacked and often it is fatal. Your dogs must learn to interact with each other, if you find this difficult to do yourselves, ask a professional to come into your home and assist you.  We have a number of yorkies and German Shepherds, and the shepherds that are attack trained will never harm one of our yorkies. We can trust them totally. Good luck.

Hi Belinda.

I was in the cat world for many years a good few years back, and I can fully understand the Cat Breeders concerns. I do not want to go into any detail about that, but you made a very wise choice obviously in buying from that breeder.

As far as Yorkie breeders are concerned. I would look in magazines. Visit Breeders once again. Also time is on your side – 6 months, view these magazines monthly, and see whose ads appear repeatedly, what I am saying is it is not just a once off ad. It costs quite a bit to place those ads. Not to say those breeders are all top notch.  You are the only one that can decide for yourself if you are satisfied with the Breeders, breeding dogs, conditions etc. Every breeder operates differently.

Just remember if you go from Breeder to Breeder in the same day, rather go home and bath and change clothes before going on to the second breeder. I know it sounds crazy, but I also know of Yorkie breeders who spray their clients.  I have not resorted to this, but am considering doing their hands in the future – if they handle my pups. The public can view my dogs in my garden, close up, but the public are not allowed into my dogs private garden, etc. Reason being, we do not want to chance our dogs picking up anything. The reason I say do not go from Breeder to Breeder.  Some Breeders are not fussy, and we can not risk any infection etc, being transferred to our dogs. If we are suspicious of anybody, we will not let them handle our pups at all.  Most people coming to our home have one particular pup in mind, that we have mailed about and sent pics to them etc, it is not that we ever have loads of pups and they can choose from 10 or so, that NEVER happens. The majority of our babies we have, have been ordered, and the client concerned is merely coming to view the pup to confirm they are happy and will purchase that particular pup.  Breeders be it cat or dog, that have certain rules and regulations, in place and offer the sale of their animals with conditions are to be valued, as so many can not wait for the pup/kitten to get out the door. Do your homework, it will be worth the effort in the end.

Good luck with your pets. 

I am so sorry. Sometimes parents get caught up in their own lives and the problems that each day brings, without realising who is getting hurt in the process.

Here is your letter – I hope it sorts out your problems.  Good kids can be hard to find….

Hi Melanie

I myself have never had the disease in my own animals, but my animals have always been inoculated against it. My explanation below is what I have been told over the years, I am no vet, so please remember that.  I have no hands on experience with the disease at all.  The problem has arisen from the pup not being inoculated possibly at 6 weeks of age. We never know exactly at what stage the puppy loses its immunity that was inherited from its Mom when it was developing in the womb.  It is believed to be somewhere between the age of five or six weeks.

The pup was inoculated and your vet would have checked that he inoculated a perfectly healthy pup, because no vet will inoculate a sickly pup or one with a temperature or showing signs of ill health.

I can only imagine that the pup at some stage or other has come into contact with the virus. This could have happened while waiting in the consulting rooms at the vet.  It could have come into contact with the virus while still at the breeders, it is airborne and a dog in close proximity to the Breeders home may have been suffering with the disease.    

This is the very reason that some breeders do not take their six week old pups to the vet to be inoculated, they get the vet to come to their home, or they do the inoculation themselves, provided of course they know what they are doing, and that the inoculation the injection itself is kept under the right conditions.  The pup must either visit the vet prior to turning six weeks of age, or after the six weekly inoculation has taken effect, which is around a week to ten days after the shot. The pup must be checked by a vet to ascertain its overall health before being sold. 

I have been at my vet before when the receptionist has rushed out to ask me if I had any puppies with me for inoculation, as they had just had a parvo case in the clinic, and if I did have a pup with me to rather return the following day.  If the pup has been in contact or has contracted Parvo and it is then inoculated the disease will present itself, and in a puppy yorkie will in 99% of cases be fatal.

I learnt about this about 10 years ago when I bought a yorkie from a breeder who also happened to breed rottweilers. She had had the experience you have just gone through. 

Immunisation is very important for all dogs and puppies. A puppy is not considered to be fully protected until it has had its last shot at four months of age. It is not wise to allow your puppy anywhere near the ground or street in public places, until it has been fully inoculated. It is not wise to purchase an uninoculated pup either.

The implications your vet is referring to – if you want to replace the yorkie and want to go out and buy another young pup, you have to take a couple of things into consideration. The parvo virus is on your property will remain on your property for a period of time. If you introduce a 6 week old pup to your home, it could very well go down with the virus. Your best plan of action would be to ask the breeder to inoculate the puppy at 6 weeks of age, keep it for you and inoculate it again at 10 weeks of age, and wait for that second inoculation to take effect, before bringing the pup home – by doing this you are protecting the pup concerned and the pup should not pick up any problem.

I am really sorry about your loss. Best of luck for the future.

 Hi D

Take this little dog asap to be neutered. I am more than surprised your vet did not recommend this. I am very pleased to hear you are not one of those people that bans the dog from the home or rubs his nose in the urine. Bad practice.  Neutering will definitely help.  Ask your vet at the same time to jab him with a shot of hormones.  This will reduce the hormone levels in his body quicker than normal and hopefully will discourage lifting of the leg. The dog is trying to mark his territory. If there are no animals in your home, other than the yorkie, it is strange he does this. He possibly was in competition with other dogs before and it is a habit now.

Everywhere he has sprayed before or lifted his leg, wash with vinegar solution. I would imagine it would not be on furniture, but possibly against the leg of tables or chairs.  Tell your step-daughter that as much as you would like to accommodate her yorkie, you have to keep your home immaculate for her fathers Company’s guests, and you would appreciate her co-operation. You do not mention her age. Possibly she should let the dog follow her but on a lead, for a few days. This way she can monitor if he intends lifting his leg, and if he tries she can yank that lead, to stop him before he does the deed. A few days doing this, should give him a good idea that lifting the leg is not on.

You will get this right. I took on a yorkie a good few years back, he was unneutered at the time, and one of the main reasons, he was rehomed was because he lifted his leg. The owners of course had other male dogs unneutered, so it was the norm for this dog to behave like this in the first place. 

We neutered him and have never had him lift his leg in our home. We have a number of animals, so it definitely works. He was pretty ill recently and even at that time, (his story is on my blog  - his name Noogie) he would stagger outside to do his business.  It is not that male dogs are dirty – it is the owners who do not sterilise them. Take a week or two of keeping to the above and your problem will be in the past.  Good luck.

 Hi T.

What do you feed Minnie? You could try the dog food available from your vet that is specifically made for dogs with delicate constitutions. This may be a problem seeing your vet is so far away.  You could also try giving her, some of the natural remedies, also available from your vet for travelling or motion sickness. Have you ever taken Minnie to the small animal vet? If not, perhaps that should be your next move. You can then purchase the goods I have advised, maybe you should phone ahead of your appointment a week or so, to ensure they have the goods you require in stock. 

It is not the norm for yorkies to have trouble with their tummies, but I must say I have heard of people complaining about it in the past. One lady springs to mind, that has her dog injected regularly for her stomach, otherwise the dog gets the runs etc. Her dog is about 10 years old and has seemingly had this problem most of its life. She calls it a nervous stomach. To answer your question about it being normal in smaller dogs – NO, I have never had a dog with this problem in all these years.

Another thing you could consider, is taking her or bringing her to Gauteng, where you could visit a top notch specialist. Who may very well be able to diagnose your dogs problem. I had a lady before ask me, about her dog with a very similar situation as your own. I referred her to the Specialist and she mailed me shortly thereafter and said there had been an amazing change in her dog. I have not heard from her again, so presume it has worked.  IF you can not make the trip with the dog, perhaps you can send her to family or friends that in turn could take her to the specialist.  It is well worth the effort getting to the bottom of her problem. It will make both your lives a lot easier.

Let me know what happens in the future and best of luck with Minnie.

Hello

Firstly Bengie could have been very nervous at the time you got him. New faces, new owner, different home, loads of things can impact on a pup. This may very well have been the reason he did not eat. Three weeks is a long time.  I would suggest you ask the breeder to supply you with a fair amount of the food he makes up in a container, that you can divide up into feeds and freeze. Tell him you will gladly pay him for his time and the food.  The food will then be exactly what the baby is used to. The exact quantities and the exact contents, he puts into his food for his dogs, more than likely will differ from how you make it up, therefore it may not taste the same, the result the dog will not eat it, or may not eat it. The next pup may very well woolf your food down.  Nevertheless, you do not want a dog on soft food the rest of its life, or your dogs teeth will become a problem.

Some vets recommend a home cooked diet that is perfectly balanced etc to feed to your dog, but do you have the time and can you make the effort to prepare this food everyday, for how many years?  Far simpler, easier, to go out and buy a fully balanced, quality dog food. Don’t complicate your life unnecessarily..

Get the food from him, and start the pup off first meal, exactly the same, the food supplied by the breeder. You then purchase your dog food of choice, Royal Canin, Yorkie junior, Eukanuba, Hills Science diet, whatever your vet recommends, and you gradually introduce this to the pups diet, small amount to start, increasing all the time until, the cooked food is a very small amount and most of the food is kibble.  The pup should then accept the dog food with no problem.  Fresh water at all times.

Best of luck. Any further concerns – please contact me. 

 Hello to you at Mijoy.  I have a rather sad story. We have a precious yorkie girl small, but not tiny, I guess maybe 1.8kg. A real little fatty. She has been part of our lives for a good few years. I recently have gone back to work. My husband has taken a job overseas, he was retrenched here, and the only work he could find at the time was overseas. He is here for two weeks and there for two months. Not nice way to live.  I just had too much time on my hands and felt very down, so work was the solution.  My daughter of 16 is home a lot after school and does have the odd friend around. Two months back, I got a phone call from my daughter saying the yorkie had been hurt. She would say no more, but that the neighbour would take her to the vet with Miss York as we call her.

I left work and went to the vet, knowing it had to be pretty serious for my daughter to ask the neighbour for assistance.  I found my yorkie unconscious in a kennel in the vets hospital. My daughter’s friend had picked her up and stupidly thrown her up into the air, and failed to catch her. Seemingly she often did this to Miss York. I asked my daughter why she had never stopped her and she said no one tells Debbie what to do…..  well I could have murdered Debbie.  My yorkie was unconscious for most of the following day and then gradually came out of the coma. Very obviously brain damaged. 

I cried for days, my happy go lucky, bundle of life, was a dead pan face, the light had gone out, no one was home. She does not respond to her name, you have to hand feed her. She sits around, and walks minimally around, lying down and looking into space most of the day. 

I can not bare to see that girl anywhere near my home. What on earth possessed her to be so irresponsible?  My life I feel is beyond repair right now. Husband overseas, daughter alienated from her best friend because of me and Miss York, a brain damaged little dog. I am really at a loss to know what to do. I have considered giving up work, but then I will be more unhappy than before, because I will have to nurse a little dog, that I barely know anymore, and who most certainly does not know me. My Husband has suggested to let her go and get another baby.  I can’t not now, and if I put her to sleep. I doubt whether I will ever get another puppy. If you were my friend and knew me personally,  what would you advise me to do? Each day the pain gets worse instead of better. Thanks for your help.

Edna.

Hi Susanne

No problem with the calls and mails. I am not sure where to start, you know I have always been very honest with you and told you everything possible regarding the small dogs.  I would not go by what I say as gospel.  IT is the way I see it and not necessarily how others see it. We are all different thank goodness. You may very well find one of these babies is indeed the tiny you have been waiting for.

Some breeders will insist on a deposit the day the pup is born, and I have no problem with that, and find it acceptable provided, you are buying a pup and are not fussy about that pup. Eg, you just want a yorkie baby, size is immaterial etc, then by all means put your deposit down and be happy. IF however, the Breeder is aware you only want the smallest pup available, that can not be determined at birth or close thereafter. Irrespective of how small the parents and previous litter pup is.  Ask the Breeder, if you take her word for it and pay a deposit on one of those babies, the smallest, and for whatever reason it does not turn out that small or to be what you wanted, what happens then? So the bottom line is it is a gamble especially if you are asked to purchase a dog at a day old.  It is totally your choice. If you had not pre-ordered a dog from me a tiny, and I did not have orders for the tinies, and three were born, and you wanted a tiny, I would reserve the smallest for you, and then down the line you would have to make the decision.  If I got a buyer in the interim who was not concerned about the size of the dogs – and wanted to buy the pup, I would sell it to that person, however I would contact you before making the sale and advise you about the buyer and it would be your choice, but if the dog was still pretty young, it would not be in your interests to rush in and pay your deposit.  I feel any dog purchased as a dog of a particular size or a breeding dog be it stud or bitch, the prospective buyer should be given the opportunity of the dog being observed for a period of time prior to a deposit being insisted on, however, as I said before, if a buyer pops up chances are you will not get that opportunity.  Breeders are also taken for a ride, people insist they will take the pup and then come crunch time, they have changed their mind. The very reason, that they will sell to people that fit their requirements as dog owners, and people that are happy with the pup available without all the have to’s attached.  It is a chance you take, but what if you put down the deposit, and come 8 or 10 weeks and the pup is big, what happens to your deposit? Do you wait for another pup or lose your deposit. Maybe you take the pup irrespective. NO breeder and I mean this in all honesty can predict the exact size of any pup at 6 weeks or under.  We are not GOD and we can but try, sometimes we get it right and sometimes we get it wrong. The times we get it wrong, we make good.  A lot of people only want the small dog and one, and will not consider taking a chance of the pup becoming bigger. Those people have to wait until you can hold onto a hopeful and keep it for a number of weeks. Most buyers want their pups at a young age, and therefore it is always a gamble. If a person wants a teacup and only a teacup from me, and the pup should get bigger, and they have paid for a teacup we will make a plan with them. HOWEVER, we do get people who see a pup and that is that, it is their pup and they want it as young as possible and take it at maybe 6 to 8 weeks of age.  If the dog grows into a pocket size – well??? They were warned.  I as the Breeder am not going to take responsibility of selling a pup to someone who insisted on purchasing a particular pup when they were told to hang on a while. If it was their decision at the time, and they were advised against it, irrespective of stories, it is their problem – not mine.

This is really your call. You need to discuss this with the Breeder draw up a contract, and mention all the requirements you have, and what will happen in the event of you purchasing a pup at two days old, that at 6 weeks is not what you intended it to be. Remember to clarify what you term small, you may get the smallest of the three, which may not be what you consider small.  It may very well turn out to be your dream puppy.  Best of luck.

Hello

Unfortunately, the yorkie has become a pricey dog. I remember paying R2 500-00 for a yorkie in 1988. 

You will get cheaper yorkies, but then they are not the quality or the size of the smaller yorkies. It all depends what size you are actually looking for.  Some very good pups are available from R3 000-00. I can put you in touch with a Breeder friend of mine, with pleasure, if you are happy to pay R3 000-00 or possibly R4 000-00 for a pup. I myself, have nothing available right now, they all have been sold.  Let me know if you would like the info on the Breeder I can recommend.

Thanks

Joyce 

Hi D

Thank you for your compliments regarding my site, we do try our very best, and having been involved with the Breed for 30 years, we have been very blessed and greatly rewarded with having these little darlings in our lives.

I am very glad to hear you are a Yorkie fanatic like most of us, and that you are also very clued up on how to care for these very precious tiny tots.

Please enter Minki in our Christmas Competition, information appears in my December Newsletter I have forwarded to you.

We have big plans for our babies for 2010. Keep in touch.

Thanks again for your mail.

Best wishes to both you and Minki

Joyce

 Dear SJV

Thank you for your mail.  Dogs are wonderful companions and are therapeutic for their owners.  Does your Mom want a dog?  You do not say, or is it your intention to surprise her.  If you are sure this is the right thing to do – then great. I would not buy a tiny dog, nor would I buy a big dog.  Possibly something around 2kg, as an adult.  Would your Mom want to take it to the shops for eg. In her bag? If so, you need smaller than 2kg but those smaller versions are pretty hands on to rear.  I personally would look at something around 2 – 2.5kg as an adult weight. They are not finicky, a fair size as a young pup. I would not think the tinies would be suitable. I think your Mom would find that too much to cope with.  The tinies can not jump up onto beds etc, whereas the miniature size (2.5kg) will manage with ease. The tinies – you have to be careful not to stand on or trip over them.

Something we all hate thinking about, if your Mother passes on, what happens to the dog?  Your Mom may very well outlive the Yorkie. Please take into account, veterinary costs these days are pretty high. The pup will need all the inoculations, 3 in total, plus sterilisation. The dog may need to see a vet for dental cleaning etc. Inoculations annually.

If you decide to go with a yorkie, you could not get a better companion, loving little dog possible. Just remember the grooming side of things, if you would find this a problem,  maybe your Mom would enjoy grooming the dog. If not the dog will have to frequent a Doggie Parlour. There are the odd Travelling parlours these days, which quite a few people use.

Best of luck with your decision.

Take care

Joyce

 I think you have answered your own question – she would need to go out during the night - if she needs to. I have recently sold a pup to a Lady and she trained it in a few days. It is now at the ripe old age of 10 weeks, sleeps right through the night, no puddles, and the minute he stirs first thing in the morning, she rushes him out to the grass. How successful your dog is at toilet training, is how consistent you are, doing the training. Some dogs take time to be able to control their bladders, and there is no time limit for training. Obviously if they have access to outside themselves, things will go quicker.  The really small babies, should be trained to use newspaper inside if at all possible, unless you yourself, can watch them all the time.

If you do not want to do the outside at night story, then put down paper, in a certain place and train her that that is the place. They learn very quickly.

Best of luck.

Hi Rowena

Kennel dogs, unfortunately often remain Kennel dogs. Their security blanket is being locked up in a cage.  I do not breed like that, and I am not saying it is wrong to breed like that, but it depends on the Breeder to a large extent.  If caged the dogs should get a lot of attention, and this sometimes does not happen.  All I can suggest is spend as much time as you possibly can with them.  You will have to make a huge effort trying to get them to calm down and socialise with you.  A good thing would be to get some treats for dogs, and every time you possibly can call them and if they come, give them a treat. If they do not come go up to them, fuss and pat them and give them a treat anyway. They are soon going to associate you with love and kindness. I am not saying they have not been shown love and kindness, they are obviously just stressing over their new found freedom.  If you really want them to become housedogs eventually. You should build an enclosure where they are perfectly safe, a run of sorts, with kennels, toys, shelter etc. If you do that, there is no chance of them digging and getting out, they will once more feel secure. If you pay them loads of attention, in time they will get to trust you, and you will be able to introduce them into the house. It could take a good while, especially dogs of seven years of age, that only know a kennel existence. 

I am not sure which of the dogs is seven years of age – but girls at that age, should be sterilised or you will start having birthing problems.  Feel free to contact me at anytime for any further information.

Best of luck.

Hi there.

Yours is now the second letter today, regarding yorkies sold with injuries. I do not think there is much you can do about it at all. It was not as if the Breeder did not tell you, there was a problem, and you did see it for yourself. You were advised of the jaw problem, you just underestimated the severity of it. It is understandable an injury like that, the dog will battle to eat. I do think the dog should have been sorted out at the time of the injury, but then possibly the Breeder did have the problem investigated and decided against doing the necessary. You should have enquired why the jaw was left like that. Possibly her age had a lot to do with her not being able to undergo surgery or an anaesthetic at that stage.  Any ops on the jaw are tricky and major pricey.  We had a yorkie rescue brought to us with a badly broken jaw. We had her operated on twice to attempt to repair the jaw at a major cost.  The jaw was not strong and had some play – meaning it moved from side to side. Absolutely nothing could be done to stabilize it.  She was fine like that, for about two and a half  years until one day, she fought with one of my bigger yorkie girls. She got badly bitten in the jaw, rushed to the vets, had an op to attempt to stabilize the jaw, and then the second op she underwent, to do further repairs, she died on the table. It cost us a lot of money at the time as well.  Surgery like that runs into the thousands. A lot of people are just not prepared to pay that sort of money out.  It is not for me to say what the Breeder did or should have done, it is not my business. I personally would never pass on any pup with a problem, I would sort the problem out myself.  Unfortunately your Mom bought the baby knowing full well it had a jaw problem. The size well, you can talk to the breeder about that, but there again, if the dog could not eat, and was fed minimally it is also understandable that she could be undersized as a result, and that given time she will catch up if she can eat properly in the future. 

The best thing you can do, is put it down to experience. We all have to live with certain things that happen in our lives, and we will be better equipped to deal with a similar situation in the future.

 Hi Maureen

Really sorry to hear about that. Your vet is quite right in saying, that in most cases they are caught up in the moment, they go into a state, where they do not really know what they are doing, it is like a big game, but the consequences to the animal they are targeting is usually serious or fatal.  I have learnt my lesson over the years, and even if I leave home for 5 minutes, I do not trust them to behave. I even pen them when my staff  are here and I go out. Should a fight start and my staff are not in close proximity, a lot of damage could be done before they stop the fight.

I remember many years ago a breeder by the name of Sharon, telling me, keep two yorkies together, never three, two can gang up on the third.  I am inclined to pen the one’s that are friends together, and I know the troublemakers, and those two are always locked in the bathroom.  The main troublemaker, is now about 12 years old, and her children have all inherited that cheeky trait. The worst being her now 10 year old daughter. Those two get locked up in the bathroom.  I don’t even have to call them, they head straight to the bathroom, when they see I am going out.  They are obviously sterilised for many years now, but that has not stopped their behaviour.

I have had the nasty experience of having one dog kill her litter sister. These dogs came as rescues to me from a Kennel, and I could see they hated each other, although the Breeder denied that. I used to keep them apart most of the time, unless I was around, but one day, I went out and the one had been at the vets, she had had an infection and I felt sorry for her, and put her in an area, where there were a couple of yorkies, forgetting her sister was in that area. I came home to find the sister lying in the kitchen. and in quite a state. On our way to the vet she died. The dogs go into shock, it was not that she was seriously injured, but the shock killed her. I now never trust my yorkies to behave. I pen them – rather safe than sorry.

Seasons greetings to you to and your family and of course your stunning yorkie bunch.

 Hi Gina

We do not see that many dogs around as a lot of places do not allow dogs. I think at the moment it is just too hot for dressing up the dogs. I do not dress my dogs. I get loads of enquiries for the clothing, so people out there are dressing their dogs.  You more than likely have a lot of time on your hands, and that is the reason your dogs are all dollied up – if that is the right term.

Your vet is more than likely right, the dog may be very hot, and the skin is not breathing under the clothing.  Don’t dress them up for a while and see if the problem persists. You can still use all the fancy bows available and the odd bling collar to make them pretty.  I only use jackets in winter and then on the odd dog.

Have a great day and thanks for your mail. Enjoy being in SA and let me know if the lack of clothing helps the baby.  

 Hi there.

 Hi Alicia

Sorry to hear about this. It does happen unfortunately. I can not understand why, but you are most certainly not the first person that this has happened to.

I have referred you to someone, who may or may not be able to assist, however, they will know of other Breeders, that they in turn can recommend. You are very wise not buying from just anyone.  I trust you will find the perfect pup for your daughters birthday celebration.  Congratulations to you all, have a wonderful Party and lets hope and pray one special little YORKIE is in attendance.

Best of luck

Joyce

Hi Yvonne.

What can I say other than sorry, for what some people do to the public. You are not the first and most certainly will not be the last one it happens to either.  

Unfortunately, the public are often after a bargain, and if you are not familiar with the breed, you can and sometimes do get taken for a ride. 

I hope you get the pup sorted out and possibly a specialist or surgeon can see that leg and repair it. It would be a pity if she has to limp the rest of her life.  I know you will do your best for her. Good luck and love her, I am sure she is a super little dog.

 Hi D

Hi L

You have no concerns where information you or anyone else writes to us about will be disclosed, as to who the breeders etc are. We do not make mention of surnames, contact details or email addresses, or Kennel names.  It is unprofessional and totally unethical. I have no problem with people mailing me about problems they have and how to overcome them etc, but it is not for me to comment on the other party.  It is between you and that party.

Glad that all is coming together now. You have two lovely yorkie babies.

 Enjoy them and everything of the best to you for the coming festivities.

Kind regards

Joyce

Hi Cheryl

Sorry to hear your story.  I am not going to be on anyone’s side. Your parents are your parents, and you live in their home, and I guess it is about what they say. However, you could sit down and tell them how you feel. You could also invest in a couple of easier to handle doggy items. You could buy a portable totally collapsible dog pen. Puppy pen. You could also buy a small carrier. You also get the carriers that will double as a play pen for a dog, also fully washable and totally collapsible. So there will be no need for puppy to be running all over, in and out of doors etc.  I am pretty sure this is what concerns your parents. The overall safety for the dog.  Holiday homes, are very different from our everyday home, people get lazy, the door stands open, this one goes off, that one follows, you know how it is. Your baby could get lost.  You may have the very best intentions and I am sure you are a very responsible dog owner, but there is always a chance of the dog running off, if not contained suitably. You can also put a harness or collar and lead on your baby, but that can only safe guard the pup for part of the day, it can not be kept under control by a lead etc, on a permanent basis.

Explain to your parents, you are very attached to your pup and would not enjoy the holiday, worrying about her.  Tell them you will take full responsibility of her and do your regular shifts in looking after your Gran.  The pup can easily be trained to stay in her portable playpen, with her food, water and toys.  If you go this route, start the training asap, as a pup changing environment and being penned and not used to that could become a yelping pup. They learn major fast however.  If you do take her to the beach and sea, make sure she is treated well in advance against ticks and fleas. Sand fleas can be most irritating for a dog. 

Lastly you do not mention just how small she is, but it is not a good idea to leave the smaller yorkies on their own, especially as a pup, anything could happen to her. As I have said many times before, the maid is not a suitable dog minder and does not have the training or knowledge to pick up a problem in its early stages, should one present itself. Speak nicely to your parents, show them the respect they deserve, and I am sure it will all work out for the best.  Enjoy your holiday and the Festive Season.

I If I were you, I would remove all this from her diet – one time.  Go and buy a puppy food, the one I would advise you to purchase the ROYAL CANINE Yorkshire Junior. Available from your vet. Give her that dry kibble (biscuits) and a bowl of fresh water at all times.  IF you find she is reluctant to eat this food, you can add a very small amount of her usual food, not a porridge or milk, chicken or cooked mince, something like that, a small amount, mix it well into the biscuits. If you find she will not eat this, then make her meal comprising of mostly the cooked meat and veg or chicken and veg to which you add some kibble. You feed her this way – three times a day, gradually reducing the amount of normal house food, and increasing the amount of kibble. You should get her eating kibble and only kibble, at which time I am sure your dogs stomach will be normal.  IF however it is not, you can put her onto a diet for dogs with sensitive stomachs also available from your vet. I doubt whether this stomach problem is long term.  The diet she was on and especially the milk and porridges have been too rich for her at this stage of her life.

The scooting on the floor, I do believe is not worms, but the constant upset stomach making her anus feel itchy and sore. If you had a sticky bum and could do nothing about it you may also try and scoot along the floor. Scooting along the floor can also be a sign of the anal glands being blocked, the scooting then relieves the pressure. Something you should have checked up on by your vet.  If you are concerned about worms, get more worming from your vet.

You as the owner of your dogs should have them at a vet at least once a year, for their annual inoculation, deworming, and check up. IF you have small children in your home and they interact with your dogs to a large degree, more frequent worming would be advised. Possibly every three months or so.  It depends if your dogs have worms or not. Ask your vet to do a faecal flotation and check up on what worms if any your dogs may have.  I would deworm them irrespective whether they have worms or not. Especially when small children are involved. If your dogs have fleas or get the occasional flea they will have tapeworm. You can see tapeworm quite easily, if you look at your dogs anus. Around the anus you will see segments that look like rice. If you see this that is tapeworm, and you must deworm religiously and often. A small child could ingest that and in turn could end up with tapeworm.  If you have ticks and fleas on your property, treat your dogs monthly with a preventative treatment, also available from your vet. Teach your children not to kiss the dog, and if the dog kisses the child, which is bound to happen, encourage the child to turn its head away to the side. Encourage your children to wash their hands after playing with the dogs, especially before eating and drinking.  I do not believe that healthy well cared for dogs are any threat to the health of healthy well cared for children.  Animals especially dogs can only enrich your children’s lives, so do not be overly concerned, if you follow the above advice, you will not go wrong. Enjoy your children and your dogs. 

Hi Susanne

No problem with the calls and mails. I am not sure where to start, you know I have always been very honest with you and told you everything possible regarding the small dogs.  I would not go by what I say as gospel.  IT is the way I see it and not necessarily how others see it. We are all different thank goodness. You may very well find one of these babies is indeed the tiny you have been waiting for.

Some breeders will insist on a deposit the day the pup is born, and I have no problem with that, and find it acceptable provided, you are buying a pup and are not fussy about that pup. Eg, you just want a yorkie baby, size is immaterial etc, then by all means put your deposit down and be happy. IF however, the Breeder is aware you only want a really tiny yorkie that sizing can not be determined at birth or close thereafter. Irrespective of how small the parents and previous litter pup is. Just make sure the Breeder understands what you are wanting. They may think you want the smallest of those three pups, and then that will be understandable why they are asking for a deposit now. 

This is really your call. You need to discuss this with the Breeder draw up a contract, and mention all the requirements you have, and what will happen in the event of you purchasing a pup at two days old, that at 6 weeks is not what you intended it to be. Remember to clarify what you term small, you may get the smallest of the three, which may not be what you consider small. 

It may very well turn out to be your dream puppy.  Best of luck.

Hi Angela

Thanks for your mail. Best wishes for the festive season to you and all your Ladies at the Book Club. 

I have been involved with yorkies for over 30 years and they are most certainly my passion.

I do not comment on other breeders opinions, attitudes etc. As you say there is no smoke without fire. 

You are most welcome to contact me when you would like another baby. 

Kind regards

Joyce

Hi E 

Thanks for your mail. I would not breed anything if it were to be continually ill.  I am very happy to say that healthwise, we do not have a problem with our very small babies, or any of our dogs irrespective of their size. I will never compromise my dogs health, in an attempt to breed pups or to breed tiny dogs. I know some Breeders interbreed to reduce size, but that is where the weak strain begins. A member of the public forwarded me a copy of her dogs pedigree, she was astounded and I had to agree with her. I am surprised the dog is not a freak, the entire pedigree consisted of interbreeding.

I have no recipe. My smallest dogs come from the normal miniature Yorkshire terrier bitches – I still have Bubbles who is now 13 years of age, she has been retired for many years now, she is a proper miniature yorkie (quite cuddly I would guess about 2.8kg – she produced me so many tiny dogs, of 1kg and under it was unbelievable.  I have her two sons from her last litter before she was sterilised. The one is 1.6kg and the other 602gms. I have never used the 602gm male for stud, and my teacup girls, are never allowed litters of pups.

Strangely enough I met a Lady who came to our home in the last couple of weeks, not yorkie related business, but when she noticed my dogs, she said her neighbour also bred them. Really small.  Her words – SHE interbreeds to get them small.  I have never intentionally tried to breed small dogs, they just started arriving. We aim to breed dogs that are healthy and yes, loads of people want the tinies, the smaller the better, but at the end of the day, the dogs health is overall- of the utmost importance.  I would rather have a healthy, dog, than one that costs me thousands in vet bills, or dies. We do not interbreed at all 

You are most welcome to contact me again.

Regards

Joyce.  

Hi E 

Thanks for your mail. I would not breed anything if it were to be continually ill.  I am very happy to say that healthwise, we do not have a problem with our very small babies, or any of our dogs irrespective of their size. I will never compromise my dogs health, in an attempt to breed pups or to breed tiny dogs. I know some Breeders interbreed to reduce size, but that is where the weak strain begins. A member of the public forwarded me a copy of her dogs pedigree, she was astounded and I had to agree with her. I am surprised the dog is not a freak, the entire pedigree consisted of interbreeding.

I have no recipe. My smallest dogs come from the normal miniature Yorkshire terrier bitches – I still have Bubbles who is now 13 years of age, she has been retired for many years now, she is a proper miniature yorkie (quite cuddly I would guess about 2.8kg – she produced me so many tiny dogs, of 1kg and under it was unbelievable.  I have her two sons from her last litter before she was sterilised. The one is 1.6kg and the other 602gms. I have never used the 602gm male for stud, and my teacup girls, are never allowed litters of pups.

Strangely enough I met a Lady who came to our home in the last couple of weeks, not yorkie related business, but when she noticed my dogs, she said her neighbour also bred them. Really small.  Her words – SHE interbreeds to get them small.  I have never intentionally tried to breed small dogs, they just started arriving. We aim to breed dogs that are healthy and yes, loads of people want the tinies, the smaller the better, but at the end of the day, the dogs health is overall- of the utmost importance.  I would rather have a healthy, dog, than one that costs me thousands in vet bills, or dies. We do not interbreed at all 

You are most welcome to contact me again.

Regards

Joyce.  

Frontline.  Ask your vet, if there is no single dosage available - spray your pup from the back of his head, along the spine to the base of the tail. Make sure it is pretty wet. I do not saturate my entire dog or pup.  If he has fleas, he more than likely has tapeworm. Ask your vet for deworming that includes tapeworm and follow up in two weeks time and again in two weeks time after that, to eradicate any possibility of your pup developing tapeworm.

Frontline.  Ask your vet, if there is no single dosage available - spray your pup from the back of his head, along the spine to the base of the tail. Make sure it is pretty wet. I do not saturate my entire dog or pup.  If he has fleas, he more than likely has tapeworm. Ask your vet for deworming that includes tapeworm and follow up in two weeks time and again in two weeks time after that, to eradicate any possibility of your pup developing tapeworm.

 Hi Elaine 

So sorry to hear of your loss.  What has happened to your pup, whatever the cause - it has obviously not eaten properly, and drunk sufficiently, it more than likely was dehydrated (lack of fluid in the body). In a case like this the dogs sugar level in the blood drops and this is called hypoglycaemia. 

If it is left and not treated at the onset it very often will result in the pup’s death.  The way to ensure that this does not happen in the future, always make sure your pup or small dog eats and eats properly.  If it is off colour and refuses food, try again an hour later. Give the pup a little honey on its tongue and if possible rub on the gums. Try and warm up the pup, using a warm water bottle, an electric mat or a Snugglessafe. DO NOT overheat the pup that alone will kill a pup. 

Once you have given the honey on the tongue or rubbed on the gums you should see an improvement. If you find your pup unconscious. Rub honey on the gums only – do not try to administer the honey into the mouth. Keep the pup warm and get it to a vet as quickly as possible.  

If the pup responds to the honey offer it food, which it should eat. IF it is ill for some reason, runny tummy or vomiting it may very well not eat, give it small amounts of honey rubbed on the gums every hour or so, till you get it to a vet. You can not delay seeing a vet when this problem presents – in most cases the animal will die. 

This can be totally avoided, by making sure, your pup is dewormed, fed regularly, kept parasite free. If ever you find your pup does not eat, use a small amount of honey, warm the pup if cool, offer the pup food half an hour later if no luck, try again in half an hour, no luck, get it to the vet.

 Hi Louanne

Thanks for your mail.  I have a pretty good idea who you are referring to with the two dogs. I could not wish for a better owner. Strangely enough they were not sold to her as teacups or small pockets, but the one is a teacup and the other a small pocket. She was not concerned about size – she wanted small but did not go overboard about the size.  

I am most certainly not the only person breeding the smaller dogs, but it is a difficult situation to refer you to someone else, as I do not know of anyone else, to be honest. I have heard of people buying from this breeder or that breeder, but that has been negative comments. We do not go out of our way to produce the small sized dogs, it is something that started happening in our litters many years ago and has just continued happening. A Lady came to our home a couple of weeks back, for something else, nothing to do with yorkies at all. She did not see my dogs, but one yorkie rescue walked past. She mentioned her neighbour breeds yorkies, the small one’s and I said so do I  and in the next breath said, she interbreeds to get them small.   I have heard from a couple of sources that that is how most of these tinies are  bred. INTERBREEDING.  We do not interbreed. I think it is fine to line breed if you are trying to improve the breed, but then you must know what you are doing and it is not something that is repeatedly done.  I believe – be it right or wrong that constant interbreeding to get dogs smaller is wrong and unethical, and results in sickly, weak dogs and this is why a lot of the reputable Breeders, frown on the tiny yorkie. We at Mijoy are not taking two dogs and mating them with the purpose of breeding dogs the smaller the better.  We breed from girls that are not tiny and our boys the smallest I have used to date is 1.1kg. My 602gm male I have never used for stud.  My normal sized studs I use are around 1.6 up to 2kg. The 2kg male of 13years has just been neutered and he sired many tinies – a good few weighing 800gms as adults. The smallest yorkies we have ever bred, the one male was 500gms as adult, his mother was 2.8kg, the other 602gm yorkie his mother is an old girl now, retired from breeding for many years, she is at least 2.5kg.  Their father was Razz a 2kg dog.

 A good thing about buying from us, your dog will not die. So many people contact me so distressed over the loss of a pup, and it is very unfair, when you pay out good money for a dog, and it dies.  We also sell our pups with guarantees, why? Because we do believe we are breeding healthy babies,  and if life threatening health problems should arise eg, liver shunt or heart problems, yes we would do something about it. 

  I have advertised the tiny tots as I refer to them and have done so for many, many years. I used to get calls, regularly from people who had bought a tiny and it was either gravely ill or had passed away. The reason I possibly go overboard with advising people of the pitfalls involved with buying, or owning the tinies. I would far rather have someone read my site and know all about the tinies and not go out and buy a tiny, than go out and purchase one and find out that they are not equipped to deal with such a small dog, do not have the lifestyle for a tiny dog or worse still buy an incorrectly bred tiny that suffers with ill health from day one, and becomes a monthly expense at the vet for the rest of its life.  This sadly happens. Two people who have been in contact with me over the last two months or so, both had this experience, and both dogs have died and both dogs had problem hearts. Both dogs were constantly at the vets.

  You get the other type of person looking for a dog, and it has to be the smallest possible, I would far rather have a healthy pup that is small, than do weird things to breed some scrawny, pup suffering with poor health (future burden for its owner)  I find some people so star struck by the word TEACUP, that anything goes, and that is totally wrong. Yes the tinies are pricey. The smaller the pup the more hands on to rear, and where one could leave the normal sized pup to get on with its own life, we have to watch those tinies like hawks. They could get squashed by mother or hurt by a litter mate. We watch those babies 24/7 that includes getting up during the night to ensure all is well and if necessary that could be anything up to every two hours.  (It is not uncommon for a teacup, which happened not that long ago,) to be moved from litter to litter as the litter mates grow too big for us to be comfortable with leaving the teacup in that batch. We believe that mother is best, and it is in the pups interests to interact with litter mates or other pups. Our pups are all home raised and we definitely breed dogs with fantastic temperaments and personalities out of this world. 

So I have tried to explain to you what we are all about, and the problems experienced by people with the tinies.  You are welcome to wait for a baby from us. Alternatively, contact breeders of your choice.  Do not be in a rush to grab a 6 weeks old pup. Mistakes are made like this. You are welcome to contact me, and send pics and weights etc, plenty people do, it is not that easy I must tell you. IF that pup has at any stage from birth experienced ill health or not been fed from three weeks of age, which is the norm for the tinies to start eating, then the size may not be a true reflection - you could end up with a pup that grows bigger than expected.

  What you must realise I as a Breeder am not GOD, I can only do my best when it comes to ascertaining future body mass of any pup. Sometimes, they are smaller than expected, sometimes bigger, sometimes spot on. There is no recipe or science. The story of doubling weight at certain ages is not correct, neither is the fact that Dad weighs X and Mom weighs Y therefore the pup has to be in that bracket. NOT so. Sometimes a pup born in a litter weighs considerably less than the litter mates, this does not necessarily mean that will be a tiny adult dog.

  If a pup is properly reared and bred, and has been healthy from day one, then at about 16 weeks you can guarantee it will be a small dog. However, this is not ideal either. The dog will tend to bond with either the breeder or other dogs. So that can be tricky.  It is not ideal for me as a breeder to keep a dog for that period of time.  We get too attached to the pup, the pup being a really small one needs loads more attention and hands on treatment, far more than a larger pup.  So I am not in favour of holding on to pups for that length of time.  Most buyers want the pup as young as possible, and in the past I have been pushed into letting them go at a young age, although we advised against it at the time. I do not do that anymore. The pup will stay with me for as long as I think necessary and until we are pretty sure in which direction it is going.

  All our pups are solid, built little bricks.  I was shown two teacups at 1kg a week or two ago. They are so thin, that the word malnourished was not far from my mind. Definitely not what we would want to produce and sell to the public. We never withhold food from our babies in an attempt to keep them tiny, that is cruel and inhumane. They can eat as much and as often as they wish.  What one needs to remember is a dog is genetically as big as it is meant to be. So irrespective how much or how little it is fed, it is going to be what it is meant to be size wise. The difference will be healthy dog against unhealthy dog, solid weight dog against, paper-thin dog.  We will choose the health of a pup long before we worry about the size of a pup. 

  Hopefully the Breeder you choose is honest and reputable as I mentioned Breeders are not GOD, they can only do their best. If the Breeder claims to breed the tinies, then they should have tinies available for you to see. No good in saying we breed them if they can not show you them. Your own dogs are your adverts, ask to see them and if none are on hand to view, don’t buy from that breeder.  It would be in your interests to purchase from someone who has been breeding a considerable length of time, they would be in a better position, experience wise.  ALSO insist on a contract of sale.  It is fine when all is going well but the minute there is a problem, then some people change their tune. It is in your interests as well as the Breeders to sign a Contract of Sale, that way you both know your rights.

  Best of luck.

 Hello,

There is not much I can say to help you, unfortunately. I myself would not handle the situation you find yourself in particularly well either.  Your dog is a good age, and I feel for her to readjust to a new life – is  not impossible, however if she is devoted to you, this may cause her a problem.  Although she is 9 years of age now, she could easily reach 16 years of age or thereabouts, so one would not necessarily want to cut her life short when she is in her prime enjoying life.  Is there no one she trusts or who possibly visits you that she knows, that would be prepared to offer her a home.  It would have to be someone who is home all the time, and can treat her as she has been treated by you. If you do know someone who would take her on, it would be a good idea for this person to start visiting on a regular basis, bring her treats, and feed her, and pay her loads of attention. She hopefully will start bonding with this person, and eventually when you have to leave her behind, she will not be at a loss. IF you can find someone like this possibly you could take her visiting to their home, and let her run around and get used to the place. The person concerned would have to go to a lot of trouble and work on the dog, and really go the extra mile, but if your little yorkie can learn to love and trust that person, it will be much more easier for her to make the adjustment when you are no longer around. If no one comes to mind. Visit your vet, and ask his opinion. He may know of someone who would be a perfect NEW mother for your yorkie.  If you think this would not work, then discuss your options with your vet. He/She has known you for a good few years, knows your yorkie, and will be able to give you some advice.

If I were in your shoes, I would do my best to try and find someone to take my place in her life. I would not put her to sleep, I could not put her to sleep. However, it would have to be something considered if no suitable person were found.

I sincerely hope you make the right choice for both you and your little yorkie. It is not an easy situation to face. If I can be of any further assistance to you, please feel free to contact me.

All the best.

HI Claire

Thanks for your mail and good wishes.  It will be a pleasure, let me know exactly what you are looking for and we can take it from there.

Regards

Joyce

Hi Sam, I presume short for Samantha.

It is very difficult when two people do not share the same passion for animals.  It is often a huge problem.  I can understand where your husband is coming from.  Some people suffer at the loss of an animal, and I must imagine you let your two pets go with no concern for their future. I could have said you more than likely were suffering with post delivery depression. HOWEVER, reading between the lines, you are not an animal lover. 

Most people are aware that the SPCA can not afford to keep dogs and cats for too long, they just do not have the necessary space and funds, and if the animals are not homed in a relatively short period of time, there is a risk of them being put to sleep. The yorkie I would imagine would definitely have got a home, but the cat???? 

I do not think you should try and make yourself into an animal lover if you are not one. You are what you are, if dogs are not your scene, well that is that. You should not feel bad about that. 

I would want to know more. Why do you claim you are not crazy about animals? Do you object to them, in the house? In the garden? If you think dog, do you imagine, big, small, family pet, outside garden guard dog. Why are you irritated with them, what irritates you about them?  You have to sit down and analyse your feelings on pets as such.  I would not rush out and buy a pup that grows up and a year or so down the line, you get fed up and the dog is once again off to the SPCA. If you feel there is a risk of this happening again, I would not look at buying another dog.  

You buy a dog, you should be looking at long-term – for life and depending on the breed, this could be, large breed 8 to 10 years, medium breed 12 years small breed up to 16 years and sometimes older.  The ages here are purely estimates, they can vary considerably. I am not saying that everyone who has a dog can not rehome it, circumstances change, and I have no problem with dogs being rehomed. “BUT” in your case if you think there is the slightest chance you will rehome another dog, don’t go down that path again. It will be most unfair on your husband, children and the animal concerned 

Just take into account certain breeds require different handling etc.  The yorkie, is a very vibrant, active dog, family, household pet, good with kids, but may be too excitable for you. Inclined to be quite demanding, very lovable and attention seeking.  It is a house dog, and should definitely sleep inside.  

I would sit down and think long and hard about my feelings, you do not want to do anything because of somebody else. If your husband would love a dog or two, and you are doing this just to please him, and when the novelty wears off, and you get irritated by the dog/s, what then???? You need to be very sure in your mind, you will take on a pup and love and care for it as it deserves.  I can not handle – and I am sorry for saying this, but you must be aware, that some people buy this very cute bundle of fluff and joy and it is the most wonderful thing, until it starts growing up, and then it is banished to outside, and left to do its own thing. The digging then starts, the destruction and the yowling, and once again the dog will be ditched, because now it is a nuisance deluxe. 

You really need to think long and hard about getting another dog. I do believe a dog or two in a family with children, makes a huge difference to the children. They can have so much fun with dogs, and learn so much, with their care and handling.  

As I said think long and hard, I would far rather see you with no dogs, than see you with dogs, that you get rid of down the line. Your children will then take that as the norm and not realise that a dog is for life, and not till the owner decides it is not wanted. Your children should be taught to grow up being responsible pet owners, and that buying a pet means the pet is for life.  I am sorry if this comes across as being rather harsh, but being involved for many years with rescue, there is nothing I have not seen.   

Sam I hope this makes sense to you, and my advice think long and hard, consider all aspects. If you feel you want to go ahead, sit down and discuss your decision with your Husband and get his feelings on the subject. Do not make promises you can not keep. Honesty is always the best policy. No one will know you better at this stage than your Husband.  Talk to him.

Good luck.

 Hi Sarah.

Gee you do have a bit of a problem. I would love to come to your aid, but unfortunately past experience has put me against helping anyone. I have in the past, but due to a very unfortunate situation last year, I decided it was not in my or my dogs or families interests to help out people by looking after their pets. So sorry about that. You live quite a distance from me, as I could give you someone’s number. I have been meaning to go and check out her facilities but have not got round to it. Does your vet not know of someone, otherwise, if you do have a good relationship with your vet, he/she may keep her for you.  A week is a long time, but time flies so in no time you will be back.

Best of luck…..

Hi Lilly

I must agree with your vet, not about being stupid mind you, but about not having them spayed.  The problem is unspayed dogs can and often do develop pyametra of the uterus. It can develop quite easily shortly after the time the bitch has been on heat.  There are two different types of pyametra, the one where your dog has an obvious bad discharge from the vulva and the closed type. The closed type – you are not aware of, your dog shows no outward signs of there being a problem, and by the time you realise something is up , in most cases your dog is dead.  Supposing your bitch does develop pyametra, your dog now has a serious infection in her body, which if left untreated is going to kill her.  She must now undergo surgery and obviously an anaesthetic to sort the problem. It will be far more dangerous for her to undergo being spayed with a major infection in her body, than if she were a healthy dog and spayed.

It can be frightening reading what happened to Caren and her dog.  I do feel that was more the exception than the rule. I owned my first yorkie in 1978 – he was a kg in weight. HE was neutered, no problem.  Since then I cannot tell you how many Yorkies I have owned, rescued, and bred, it amounts to a substantial amount.  I ensure all rescue dogs are sterilised if they pass through me, My own breeding dogs both male and female will be spayed or neutered at some stage in their life. The pups I sell are all to be spayed/neutered at an early age.  The problems I have seen or heard of over all these years, does not even show on the scale as a percentage.  So although anaesthetic is risky and it is risky to everyone be it human, canine, feline, the chances of it causing death is extremely rare.

As I said in that response to that mail, ensure your vet has the experience of working with the small dogs, DO NOT starve your small yorkie  for any length of time prior to being given an anaesthetic.  My own bitches eat during labour, they are not at all concerned, most dogs go off their food for up to 24 hours before delivery of their litter, My girls as I have said eat and drink during labour. IF a problem develops and they need to have a Caesar they go to the vet, and the Caesar is done immediately, no time to wait so many hours after eating. I have had a few cases like this over the years, and I am there when my dogs go under, I am there while they are having that Caesar and I am there when they wake up.  Once and only once, did I ever see a girl threaten to be sick when she was coming out of anaesthetic. If this were to happen the vet would hold the dog in a position that anything she brought up would come out the mouth and not be allowed to go back down possibly onto the lungs.

The anaesthetic used today is very safe. You may ask then why did this happen to Caren’s dog? He is a pretty small dog. A small dog needs to eat frequently, if they do not, the blood sugar level will drop and that alone has consequences, if it goes unnoticed or not treated, the consequences resulting from lack of food and water are often fatal.  The dog becomes HYPOGLYCAEMIC as we know it.  Fatal if not sorted in good time.  In all probability Carens dog was partially hypoglycemic when it underwent surgery, and this and the fact that the dog was initially sedated, all will play a role in the dog dying. 

So my answer to you is have your girls spayed.  Take a tranquilizer yourself if necessary that day. Go to a trusted vet, someone you know has the experience with the small dogs. Make sure they are done pretty soon after being admitted, ask if you can phone and when you can phone, once they have been spayed. This will put your mind at rest. We all get nervous when our precious pets are put under anesthetic. You need to put this into perspective. You have to ask yourself, anesthetic also carries risks to us – people, If you were to want to have a child, and the only way to deliver that child would be by C-section and you would need an anesthetic, would that stop you having a child???  If you look at it this way, you walk down the road and could be hit by a passing vehicle and killed; does that stop you walking down the road????

Millions and millions of animals worldwide have anesthetics, how many times do you hear of it affecting them……..

Go and have your girls spayed and have peace of mind that they will not develop a uterus infection that is life threatening in itself…..

The reason that article appeared on my site and still does is to make people aware and to take that extra precaution and to find out all the ins and outs, about their particular pets, the vet concerned and the anaesthetic. 

I recently had a Caesar with one of my Yorkies girls; I wanted her spayed at the same time. The vet however refused to do it. Said I must bring her back in a month’s time for spaying. The vet was not my usual vet.  NOW that I will not do.  Maybe three months or so down the line, she will be spayed – but I will not allow her to have anaesthetic again, so close to the last one.

A few months ago, I neutered two males here, the one is 14 years of age, he was a rescue and the other one, one of my studs that I have had since a pup. I no longer wanted to use him as a stud, but he runs with my girls, so I needed to be sure, he did not mate when I was not looking. The vet will carry out certain tests to ensure the elderly dog can handle an anaesthetic prior to administering it to the dog.

 BE BLESSED,,,,, go and spay your girls.

Hi there.

I am sorry you suffered with your last two, one is bad enough but both. 

I am quite sure you will find a healthy baby, do your homework first.  There are certain ways you can go about this. Sign a contract with the breeder, that the pup you are purchasing has seen a vet, been checked over and is completely healthy.

You can also take a pup from a Breeder on the understanding, you will have it to a vet of your choice, and if he is not totally happy with it, you will return it for a full refund. I know this can be difficult, because the minute you get your hands on that baby, it is the end, nothing would make you return it. So best plan of action, have the Breeder have it checked out completely by more than likely their vet, but you want it in writing that the pup is a healthy one, and you want that in writing from the vet concerned. No vet is going to do that unless he is completely happy with the puppy concerned.  Seeing both of your previous Yorkies had liver problems, you can have the pup checked for liver shunt,  so ask the breeder concerned to have this done for you, and you will fit the bill. It is not that expensive. So possibly first thing is to find a Breeder who is happy to have the dog checked out and that you are happy dealing with. Secondly it would be better to have the pup tested and then you are perfectly safe, so proceed with that. You also want a written guarantee & contract from the Breeder concerned and you also want a letter from their vet stating the pup is perfectly healthy and past his health check.  If you are still not 100% happy have your own vet check out the pup on receipt of it. 

I am sure third time is going to be lucky, best of luck, send me a pic.

Hi Janice

Thank you for your mail. We do try and assist where possible, and anyone is welcome to contact us, that thinks we can be of assistance to them in any way possible. My site may appear tiny yorkie orientated, it is however for Yorkies in general irrespective of their size.

The reason I go possibly overboard with the TINIES, is purely because I do not believe most people have the slightest inkling what it takes to own, rear and care for that really small dog. I would rather never sell a tiny than sell it to the wrong person.  I do not want it on my conscience, that someone purchases a tiny, pays good money and loses the pup down the road, because of ignorance. 

In general, people see this really small dog, and think no further. They imagine, they buy it, feed the right food and see the vet for the injections deworming etc, and then the sterilsing and that is that. Home and dry. Well to a degree that is the case, but in between there is a lot of caring and nurturing of that precious little pup. The smaller the pup – the more dedication required.  I had people here this weekend and the young lady had been brought up with Yorkies and at present her family have three, and are looking to add another to their family. They came here to view one pup in particular and then asked if they could just see a teacup pup,  She went crazy for the teacup, but had to admit, that she would be petrified owning it. I just want to make 100% sure that the prospective owner out there is fully aware of the implications involved with owning the smaller sized yorkie. There is of course small and small. A good few of those dogs out there that are classed as small are small but not tiny…..

Your own situation, is dependent on you and your children. How your children are reared and raised, how they handle the pets in the home etc. A reputable breeder will enquire about your circumstances, if they have those really small dogs. But remember the really tiny dog is not available across the board, it is pretty rare. 

I consider my own situation over the years. I have always had pets in my home, I have had the really tiny yorkie for as long as I have had my own children.  I have had my own grandchildren, who appear on my site regularly. They have been with me since babies, during work hours. They have been reared to know what is right and wrong regarding pets, I still however, will monitor any child that interacts with any of my dogs especially my really small ones. You can never take a chance. Accidents happen and I have witnessed an adult, professional gentleman drop one of my puppies, fortunately not a tiny. SO yes there is always an element of danger.

 
Depending who that smaller dog is for, makes the decision, as to whether the smaller dog has a place in your home.  I would not want to deprive anyone of owning a small yorkie, if they know the ins and outs, but have children.  As I said my own children who are all married now and the two little granddaughters have all been raised with really tiny Yorkies. There are children and children. If you have taught your child the meaning of respect for animals, how to behave around them, fine, but always remember you are the one responsible for that dog.  If you say to me the dog is for me, that is one thing, but if the dog is for your children, the answer to a tiny suited to you is a definite NO.

You will have to consider a playpen, whether you have children or not, no tiny, can run carte blanche all over your home.  The colder months bring a lot more concerns for the smaller pup. Additional warmth etc, and the really tiny babies are not suited to jerseys and jackets either. We sell those really tiny clothes, and in most cases they are too big for a genuine teacup baby and to put that item of clothing on and take it off is too stressful for any genuine tiny teacup as a baby up to a good few weeks of age. 

You do not mention the age of your children. I presume pretty young, as you say, when they are older. As I said there are children and children. I see it here for example, my granddaughters will walk around in my bird area as an example. They will never pick up a stick or stone or try to stress the waterfowl we own. HOWEVER, the odd member of the public arrives to see me and their children are not that well informed when it comes to waterfowl, and the behavior is somewhat questionable around these birds.  So it all comes down to the behaviour of your children.  It will not be the first time I have met with people for the smaller dog, and the behaviour of the child, immediately makes us decline the purchase of that pup.  I will never compromise a pups well being just for a sale. A lot of people get upset, but then that is their problem not mine. I have told many a prospective yorkie owner, they are not suited to the smaller sized dog.

I have met families where the children are very well mannered, and very well behaved and the parents have them well in hand. 

I do not believe the really tiny little Yorkie would be suited to you, possibly a pocket. You as a mother with small children, your responsibilities lies with them first and foremost, let alone being a hands on mother to the genuine teacup. So in all probability a pocket is more your dog. How small a pocket? The small pocket is also a very hands on baby, the medium or larger pocket is possibly more suited to you. They also need a lot of effort but they are also just that bit bigger to cope. IF you are looking at a dog to interact with your children, and play with them and run after them, well then the larger pocket and even the miniature will be more suitable. You mention you want as small as possible.  You must decide what you consider would be suitable in your home, children, lifestyle. If you feel you really want that tiny but have concerns about your children and their behavior then you should possibly wait a good few years before purchasing that really small dog.  I get loads of calls from Ladies wanting that really small dog, that have waited till their children are grown up or much older, or that have left home – these are usually the people we are happy to let our babies go to.  At the end of the day the smaller the dog the more effort from your side will be needed.

Hope this gives you more insight to what is suited to you, should you need any more info, just drop me a line, have a great day.

 Geeeeeee.  To be honest with you I am no chin expert. VERY few people are in South Africa. I can refer you to one person who has years of experience – I will forward you his details. 

I would ask my friend if I could take them to a vet for a check up and take it from there. Most vets have no experience with chinchilla’s. your best bet would be Onderstepoort. I know the gentleman I am referring to,  takes his to Onderstepoort.

I have not had problems with my own chins. I do however keep them on the correct diet, follow strict hygienic conditions with them etc. and take no chances at all.  I really would not know where to start advising you.  If you do get the okay and buy them, read up as much as you possibly can on the internet. Feed and house them correctly. Do not allow them to overbreed. Possibly the female was too young when she had her babies??? Only a guess.

Best of luck – let me know.

HI Sandra

All I can say I am glad I am not in your shoes.  However, I would more than likely part with the dog sooner than later.  Easy for me to talk, I have never had to do this sort of thing, and hopefully never will have to.   If you are an owner that is very over your dog, and you feel downhearted and despondent at the thought of having to let her go, she may very well pick that up. Dogs are not stupid.  I know if it were me every time I looked at her, it would tear me apart. I cannot make that decision for you.  Long term if you make the break now, it will be easier but definitely not without pain. Renting as well is not always the answer. Landlords are sometimes not that keen on pets.

A dog that is very involved with you and your family will handle moving around pretty easily, and seeing that she is used to going all over – more so. You obviously feel it is not an option to take her to England and do all the necessary for you to get her there. 

IF someone has approached you for the dog and you find them to be an unsuitable owner, the best way is to be totally honest and say it like it is. “Sorry although I am sure you would do what you think is in Snookums best interests, I feel differently….. “   You can mention what makes you feel this way, you have not elaborated, but if you feel she works all day, say so. If you feel she does not shower her dogs she has, with the attention Snookums is used to, say so…… No point in beating around the bush as they say. If you are honest, you cannot be caught out making up stories…..  I am often not popular when I make the decision that a pup of mine is not suited to a particular person or situation, but it is my pup, as Snookums is your dog, and if you feel the home on offer is not suitable, that is that, NOT suitable end of story. You should not have to explain any further.

I wish you everything of the best in your future adventures, and sincerely hope that for all concerned you make the right decision at the time and Snookums can look forward to a future new home, full of love and care….

Hi there.

I cannot offer an answer I am sorry to say.  We gave up annual holidays years ago, when our yorkie bunch grew and grew, we stay home. I also have numerous other pets and to expect anyone else to take on the responsibility of caring for this bunch is just tooooooo much to ask. I must also be quite honest I would not rest wondering about what was going on here.

You have a couple of choices, ask your vet if he can offer any suggestions.  I have seen pet sitters advertise periodically at my own vet’s clinic. Your vet may very well know of a reliable one, one that he knows can be trusted. He may even be able to suggest a client who would be able to help out. I know only too well how you feel, but Hubby is number 1, so best you make that booking and find a reputable baby sitter. I really do not think that is impossible with eight dogs. You could also advertise in your local paper, for a suitable pet sitter, possibly even house sitter. You would require references etc. You must have a family member or friend who could check up every other day, on the sitter.

I would make the booking and go all out to find a reliable, reputable person to either pet sit or house sit.

Best of luck………

It happens periodically that something goes wrong, and in an attempt to sort the problem, it spirals totally out of control. Depending on the personalities of the people concerned – to what extent it develops. NO ONE likes to be taken for a ride, lied about, the truth twisted or manipulated, which often does happen when someone want s to come across as being the injured party. In 99.999% of cases when this type of thing happens it is the person in the wrong who makes the waves. Who tells the stories, whose imagination runs totally wild. 

I would ignore the situation. If you react, it will add fuel to the fire, a fire already burning out of control.  I cannot imagine why any breeder never mind a longstanding breeder has to make a huge issue out of you – it shows their insecurity. People, who continually add innuendos to their points of view, regarding someone else, very often are the guilty party and they boost their own morale by attacking someone else.

Live and let live. There is plenty of place for all of us on this earth, and as long as we have our hearts in the right place, and the welfare of our animals uppermost in our minds, we are all on the right track.

Forgive and forget. Turn the page…..   

Jojo more than likely is marking his territory.  This may have resulted from a new pup or a dog in your area. Possibly a dog on heat, or an entire male in close proximity to your home, possibly next door. The fact that he wants to run out of the gate gives me the impression a bitch is on heat close by. I always recommend sterilization as this type of thing would not happen if he was sterilised.  Consult with your vet, he may suggest neutering him at this stage.

 I agree 100% with your vet. Having her bred was not the terms and conditions of the original sale. It is your decision as to whether you proceed and allow her a litter.  The three pups story is also over the top. I think you need to think this through carefully.  If you breed her and she develops problems and needs a c section – who fits the bill to that? Who pays for the pre-pups check up and post-pups check up? Who pays for all the food and deworming etc?  I would have this all in black and white if I were you prior to going ahead. Best of luck.

Thanks for your mail. Susan please read through my site, mention of the really small dogs is made on numerous occasions.  I do not want to continually repeat myself, I have no objection, but it will be boring to the regular visitors to my site.  We have a long waiting list, but the tinies are arriving.  We sell with a contract – although very few or no others offer this to buyers, although it was something suggested to me in the late 1970’s by KUSA. I have been involved with Yorkies for many years. Our pups irrespective of their size carry health guarantees.

I have continued this mail directly to Susan.

So sorry to hear of this. Yes the lady who writes those articles is a dear friend of mine. The yorkie is not a Mijoy yorkie.  We are in the minority or the only breeders – not quite sure about that, who guarantee their pups against any life threatening condition. So if this had to have been one of ours your pup would have been replaced. Once again, sorry for your loss.

 Thanks Yolanda

We are always pleased to receive mails regarding our much loved children. The reason we breed yorkies to enrich their owners lives.  We don't want dog owners to buy our babies but DOG LOVERS.

The correct age for spaying and neutering is around 6 months of age, and the teeth can be removed at the same time. You could wait a couple more months, but consult with a professional on the subject, and take their advice.

I have answered your mail directly to you.

Please do not get concerned about the mails from readers that have had problems with anaesthetics etc. anaesthetic affects very few dogs.  In thirty something years, I have had it only affect three dogs.  I have done loads of rescue work so when you take all that into account, the dogs I have worked with who have had anaesthetic runs into the hundreds.  

Thanks again for your mail.  It is people like yourself that makes what we do - so worthwhile.

Hi Donna

Lovely life for a  yorkie – tiny  NO.  Not with your lifestyle.  The tinies are 24/7 that is the really small one’s.  Your Hubby is right, if you live with those small dogs, you learn to shuffle your feet, you do not lift your feet when you walk for fear of standing on those tiny feet.  Stick to the size you had, or even fractionally bigger. The smaller size to your size, is what we class the large pocket, that pup will reach around 1.8kg as adult, possibly fractionally more of less.   The 2kg size yorkie is ideal for the lifestyle you have, smaller means a lot more babying.

Best of luck.

Hi Janine.

Thanks for your mail.  My waiting list is quite long unfortunately for the really small yorkies. I cannot tell you about the Biewers at all, I would contact the club directly, they would be able to inform you what Biewer Babies are available,  I have nothing at this stage. info@bytcsa.co.za

Best of luck.

Hi Mijoy

I have my name down for a yorkie from a breeder. I have seen the pup and it looks too cute for words, the only concern I have, the breeder cooks for her dogs, and that worries me. Do I have to continue cooking or will I be able to change to a dog food that is in kibble form.

Thanks for a super site

Colleen.

Hi Girls

Sorry, not much I can say. Sounds as if your yorkie is living in paradise with so many people craving his attention.  It is really up to your parents how many yorkies you have in your family.  Possibly you could twist their arms, by doing extremely well in your exams,  on the off chance that they just may spoil you with a yorkie pup…..

Whatever happens, enjoy the yorkie you own, and if you get a pup in the future best of luck. Yorkies are very special little dogs. Thanks for your mail.

 Hi Margaret

Thank you for your mail.  Firstly those pups you are talking about the pups as adult weight 550gms and 600gms are EXTREMELY RARE……… We do get them, but not very often.

• ·        You would have to be a stay at home parent – as anyone who works is not suitable to own this baby – irrespective if the pup goes to work or not.
• ·          It would be preferable that the new owner had experience with the yorkie breed and having experience with a small yorkie would be an added benefit.
• ·        It would be beneficial if it were the ONLY pup in the home, although this is not necessary, as long as other pets are controlled.
• ·        Your vet must be happy to handle such a tiny baby – if he/she has no experience or is not familiar with the really small dog – that could be a problem for the new owner and a concern to ourselves.
• ·        You would have to invest in a playpen, a sturdy secure one especially if you have other pets. The really tiny teacup needs to be contained. You would also have to invest in additional heating as even in the warmer months a very tiny pup could feel the cold.
• ·        You must be prepared to get up regularly during the night, as this tiny pup is going to need to be fed during the night.  The really small babies eat up to 7 and 8 times a day.
• ·        Ideally the prospective new owner should have no children,  if one does have children, make sure your children understand that the baby is a NO ZONE for them, unless you the owner are physically in their presence when handling that baby. The best place for anyone wanting to pick up and handle such a tiny is on the floor. Obviously not the owner, but any visitor or family member  etc. NEVER let that baby out of your sight when you have guests around, it would even be far more beneficial to you and the pup if it is kept away from visitors and is penned in a locked room.
• ·        Remember that the tinier the pup the more hands on that pup will be.  We will NEVER pass on a pup that is not 100% capable of going to a new home – BUT that tiny pup is going to be dependent on its new owner 100%. We will never consider selling such a tiny to anyone who we believe is not the right owner for such a tiny.
• ·        The ideal owner, is a Lady or Gent who are at home 99.9% of the time.  The beginning and end of everything revolves around that tiny pup/dog.  Those babies prior to leaving us will have been thoroughly checked by our vet. Anything we are or may be concerned about will have been investigated. We will NEVER pass on pups with any agenda we are aware of.  Our pups will all carry health guarantees, against anything life threatening e.g. heart or liver, that is diagnosed in the first year of their life.
• ·        Ultimately it is our decision if we are prepared to sell that tiny puppy to a prospective owner. We will not be motivated by HOW good a home it will have, as we would not deal with any future buyer that we did not believe would give our babies the very best home.
• ·        Anyone interested in purchasing or owning that very tiny pup/dog, has to realise that it is a huge commitment, no holidaying away without the pup/dog in tow.  No leaving it with a baby sitter. We are also not interested in how many babysitters are available - that TINY  should be almost glued to its owner.

I have done this with a particular dog of my own for years. If you are that special someone and are prepared to take on the huge responsibility such a BABY requires, you may just get one  from us – ONE DAY.

THANKS.

 Hi Jackie

If you have read all the info on my site I am sure you will have a pretty good idea how we come by those VERY small dogs.  I am not prepared to get involved with other breeders or what they consider to be TINY.  We all have our own opinions. I can only tell you how we breed those very small dogs and it is not by breeding those very small dogs to each other. It is in our lines and something that started happening with our dogs a considerably long time ago.  If the tiny is bred properly, and by this I mean not interbred (and repeatedly interbred) the pup should be a healthy little dog. WE do not release any pup we feel is too tiny to cope without the aid of its dog mother - a good few of these really tiny dogs stay with their mother and have access to MOMMY all the time and in some cases the mother will baby that particular tiny pup till it is 3 and 4 months of age. We do not interfere with that happening, we feel the mother dog will know intuitively when the baby can cope quite happily on its own.  The tiniest dogs I have ever bred which were 550 and 602gms as adults, have had access to their mothers till they were a good few months old. We still have the 602gm dog and he is now six and a half years old. 

If we hold onto a baby for a good few months because it is really tiny, we will more than likely keep that pup as it will be difficult for both the pup and us to part ways. Once a bond has developed between a pup and ourselves, it will be VERY difficult for that pup to go onto another home. We are not the run of the mill BREEDER, who has pups and sees them as a product. So if we bond with a particular pup we would not part with it.  I have kept a pup before for people till it was four months of age, but that was decided from day one, it would go at four months of age, because it was leaving the country. We had no alternative, but it is not the normal way we operate.  With MIJOY it is always about what is best for the pup concerned.

Sizing of a pup can be difficult, even for us who have been involved with the breed for more than 30 years.  I have sold pups where I thought the pup would reach 1.8kg – 2kg and the pup reached 1kg.  We do not guarantee our pups size – we do our best, and if the client at the time of purchase is happy with the pup and its size, we consider that a done deal.  Obviously we do not expect a pup sold as a small sized dog to reach a standard yorkie size. It is always a gamble and we are not God.  We guarantee our dogs for the first year of their life against anything life threatening, e.g. liver, heart etc.  We are the only breeders to our knowledge who do this. Over the years I have lost the odd pup that I have bought and the breeders do not replace those pups. I would if it happened to one of my clients, but that is ME. 

IT does happen rarely that a pup does not grow that much at all and stays tiny. This is possibly the case with the one you have in hand.

We hold onto our tinies till we feel they are able to go to a new home. We do not however, hold onto them for months on end and then pass them on.

Thanks for your mail.

 Hi Sonia

I think it is very important that any dog with an upset stomach especially a bad one,  be seen by a vet immediately.  You are very lucky your dog survived.  The dog will dehydrate and that could lead to its death if not sorted in the short term. Do not mess around with home remedies. You have to know what the cause of the problem is. Often the dog eats something, a plant, and the upset stomach is a way for the body,  to attempt to rid itself of the toxins.  Change of diet of course often leads to tummy upset, but DIARRHEA in any animal is not something to play with – seek professional help immediately.

Consider boarding your yorkie at a reputable boarding facility when you next go away.  Your pet should not become the responsibility of family when you are not around. 

Hi

Sorry to hear of your loss. You cannot do much unfortunately, it is up to the breeder and most sell their pups with NO guarantee. It is hard but I too have had the bad experience of buying from breeders and losing the pup and NOTHING is done about it. I too have had the proof in black and white.  All I can say is be careful who you buy from. Reputable - ethical breeders are what you are looking for. Some breeders have genuine concern for the pups they breed and sell while others only see Dollar signs. Once again I am sorry for your loss.

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NO pup should be sold at 6 weeks of age.  IT should be at least 8 weeks of age, having been inoculated at 6 weeks of age, checked over by your vet / or breeders vet, given time to develop some immunity from that initial inoculation which is normally up to ten days after that jab. All pups should be dewormed and if it is a pedigreed dog it should be micro chipped. NO PUP of ours has ever or will ever leave our property uninoculated. It is quite a number of years that we have been micro chipping all our pups.

If it is a real small pup, it should remain with the breeder till it is ten weeks old if not longer. Depending on the pup itself and the experience the new owner has or does not have.  DO not buy or sell a very small pup to someone who has NO knowledge of owning a tiny and who sees it as a fashion statement. You will live to regret ever having met the person concerned. The reason our requirements for owning our very small teacups and pockets has become rather strict in recent years.

Pups that remain with us till ten weeks of age, are given their second inoculation, free of charge.

ALL OUR PUPS IRRESEPCTIVE OF THEIR SIZE CARRY HEALTH GUARANTEES, are REGISTERED, INOCULATED, DEWORMED, MICRO CHIPPED, SOLD WITH A CONTRACT OF SALE. STRICTLY AS PETS TO FOREVER HOMES.............................

This question arrived via my website.  The Yorkie is notoriously known for teeth problems, not every single yorkie but a lot of yorkies. The smaller the yorkie the more likely of this happening but if one looks after your dogs teeth, you should not hit this problem.

How do you look after your dogs teeth?  DO NOT FEED SOFT FOOD – major cause of tooth decay and gum disease.

Give your dog dry kibble to eat. So often dogs are put onto a soft diet if they lose teeth, what for????? Feed that dry kibble and they will eat with no problem at all.  Initially once teeth are extracted you could offer a meal or two of soft food, but once the first day or two have passed post surgery, back onto the kibble.

So many people out there feel BAD that their dog has lost teeth and then they feel the need to spoil their dog.  As we have said before, spoiling your dog???? Your idea of spoiling but actually you are causing your dogs problems by doing this, spoiling in this case CAN start a roller coaster ride of problems.

Dogs must chew to keep healthy gums and teeth offer, rawhide chews, bones, NOT CHICKEN OR CHOP BONES. Shin bones which have had most of the meet removed and most of the marrow removed.

Supply chewy toys. You can brush your dog’s teeth. Use products available on the market to keep plaque at bay and promote healthy gums. ASK YOUR VET.

Have regular dentals done on your dog by your vet. AGAIN ask your vet.

This question arrived via my website.  The Yorkie is notoriously known for teeth problems, not every single yorkie but a lot of yorkies. The smaller the yorkie the more likely of this happening but if one looks after your dogs teeth, you should not hit this problem.

How do you look after your dogs teeth?  DO NOT FEED SOFT FOOD – major cause of tooth decay and gum disease.

Give your dog dry kibble to eat. So often dogs are put onto a soft diet if they lose teeth, what for????? Feed that dry kibble and they will eat with no problem at all.  Initially once teeth are extracted you could offer a meal or two of soft food, but once the first day or two have passed post surgery, back onto the kibble.

So many people out there feel BAD that their dog has lost teeth and then they feel the need to spoil their dog.  As we have said before, spoiling your dog???? Your idea of spoiling but actually you are causing your dogs problems by doing this, spoiling in this case CAN start a roller coaster ride of problems.

Dogs must chew to keep healthy gums and teeth offer, rawhide chews, bones, NOT CHICKEN OR CHOP BONES. Shin bones which have had most of the meet removed and most of the marrow removed.

Supply chewy toys. You can brush your dog’s teeth. Use products available on the market to keep plaque at bay and promote healthy gums. ASK YOUR VET.

Have regular dentals done on your dog by your vet. AGAIN ask your vet.