I am so excited because I am getting my very first yorkie in a few weeks hopefully.I have always had dogs and am a great animal lover, but now its finally time for me to have a pet and it will be ALL MINE! What better breed could I have chosen other than a yorkie?! I am writing exams and going to be on a long holiday from the first week in december. I have been in contact with some breeders but would really like to have a good idea and wide variety to choose from, also it would have to be at the right time as well. I was wondering if anyone here are expecting to have puppies ready for new homes in december? or know of anyone? I live in Cape Town.

I really can't wait. Both breeders I have met are good but as I said, I would like to 'shop around' to see exactly how this is done right.
I have not been able to contain myself either, I have got a bed, chew toys and warm puppy bean bag already and both of these breeders havn't even had their pups yet! hehe.

I would love to hear from you if you have any advice or info for me

Thanks, Kirsten

Hi Kirsten! Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you are going to enjoy it here. If you have any technical issues (like posting a photo), please go to the Site Help and Suggestions section and locate the thread that answers your question. If there isn't one, let me know and I'll be glad to help.

As to your puppy question, I think you did an amazing thing to come onto the forum now, when you haven't made a decision yet. A lot of the members here (including me) learned the hard way with breeders when buying our first puppies. We have great discussions and information available around breeders and their practices, so you are sure to learn a lot!

Take your time when deciding to buy your first Yorkie. This is a decision that will be with you for the next 15 years (hopefully), so you want to be sure to make the best decision possible.

Anyway, you'll learn everything here Again, welcome to SAY!!

Thank you so much! I am having a good look at all there is to offer now.

looking forward to hearing more from you all. Looking at gumtree is nerve wracking because you dont know who is in it for the money and who is not. this is why i need your help.

Thanks
xx

Definitely. Gumtree is so full of scammers, puppy mills and backyard breeders, you are bound to end up with a sick puppy or worse, scammed out of your money. There are a lot of things that are important in a breeder, but the two most important things for me is that the breeder breeds to the breed standard (and shows her dogs to prove that they fit the standard) and that the breeder does health testing for genetic diseases.

The other important things are that the puppies only go to their new homes after 12 weeks, they have accurate and complete health histories, they are registered with KUSA (this alone doesn't prove anything) and the breeder asks you a hundred and one questions. The best breeders really care about their puppies and their future and they stay in touch with the new owners.

We have several breeders on the forum who breed Yorkies, so hopefully, you won't even have to find a breeder on gumtree. If you do see an advert that looks interesting, it's a good idea to start a thread with the link and ask the members' opinions.

great tips and ideas. thank you so much. :-)

Hi Kirsten, Welcome to the forum. I am sure you are going to love it here.

All advice I can give you is to agree with everybody here and to just add, please take your time and look very carefully at what you buy as there is nothing that breaks your heart more than to fall in love (Which happens in a couple of seconds..................LOL!!!!) and end up with an ill or Heaven Forbid a puppy that does not survive not to speak of the huge vet bills that goes with it. Please also stay away from those TINY little ones they are very cute but you will always be worried that they will jump off something and break a leg or worse fall on their head or somebody might step on them.

You want to have fun with you new best friend and not life in fear.

oh I have another question. When I have been shopping at the pet stores (YEs i know, I dont even have a puppy yet and I have a bunch of stuff waiting for it to arrive ) I have seen a lot of outfits and jerseys. I was wondering if the dogs need jerseys over winter - my dog (staffie x) hates them but she doesnt seem to get cold because we have heaters on etc - I gather they will because they are so small, but do they like the feeling? Is it something they need to get used to. If so, what are the things I should look out for when buying jerseys?
I saw the cutest springbok rugby jersey and its perfect because of the world cup next year! But looking at it, I wasnt sure the yorkie would go mad in the jersy?

Welcome! You are going to love this forum.

You are going to need a jersey & to start with the puppy will HATE it and might get used to it or be like Zoey who still hates it but she just has to deal with it or the puppy is going to love dressing up

Good Luck in finding the right puppy & enjoy this exciting time

Welcome Kirsten!!!!

I am sure you will love it here and get al the bst advice you need!!!

It takes time for them to get used to the jersey!!! You will also have to take special care of their coat as it mats quickly with a jersey. There is nothing much you can do about that, but to brush the coat when you take the jersey off!!!

I recently got my second yorkie!!! He will be 5 months on Thursday!!!! It is difficult looking for a good breeder and then also worrying are these people going to take my money!!! Marilize recomended a nice lady to me in the strand, Cape Town, but I dont think she is breeding anymore. I had bad lcuk on Gumtree with two breeders where the pups died (luckily I did not pay yet) and the other one the people sold the dog the day I was going to view him (also did not pay deposit yet)!! But just beware of Gumtree!!!

Where in Cape Town are you?? We are having a get together on November 13. Ask Marilize for details, It would be great for you to spend time with yorkies and their owners before you buy your baby!! I must add that Yorkies are not an easy breed and demands a lot of attention! but you will fine that out soon!!!

Yes, You will need jersey's for them. It is very important to keep them warm as they do not have an undercoat like other breeds and they get used to it.

I find the jackets that do up with velcro are so much easier to put on then the ones you have to pull over their heads

MUCH easier! and for Zoey who hates her jersey being put on it's a lot better for her too!

Hi Kirsten,,really great to have a new member who is putting so much effort into finding the best puppy available.

I was lucky with both my dogs because i was very inexperienced and ended up with 2 very happy and healthy dogs. But due to a breeder who was more concerned with getting rid of her puppies than anything else, I nearly lost Taylor the first night I had her. she was onyl 6 weeks...she needed another 4 to 6 weeks with her mom and didnt even have any teeth, I only found this out once I got her home.

As for Gumtree, there are a lot of reputable breeders who advertise on there but finding them and knowing the difference between them and scam artists is hard. I find that people trying to scam are the ones aiming at popular breeds (Yorkies, Chihauhaus etc) and often claim to only want the airfares.

If they give their email address, GOOGLE it! you will be surprised at what comes up if they are scamming. I googled an email address the other day off gumtree for a Chihauhau simply because the advert looked odd (Im certainly not buying!) andthey had the same ad in America, same puppies, same promises, same owner...

never part with any money until you have personally been to see the puppies and even then I suggest paying the deposit only and the balance when you pick the puppy up. there are sick people out there willing tosteal from people like us so be careful.

If you see an advert and post us a link, you will soon find out if it is one of the SA Yorkie members or not! Im not a breeder myself, but I would trust these ladies as they are honest and have only the best interests of their puppies at heart.

Im so excited for you! you will LOVE a yorkie!

and as for jerseys, I had a size zero for my puppy when i got him (didnt fit for long!) and he hated it...now he sees his jersey and comes running to have it put on! a yorkie doesnt have an undercoat like other dogs and battles with the cold so they need a jersey especially in winter. Mine like to sleep outside at night and have puppy cut hair-do's and even now when it's warmer they have jerseys on. of course they come off in the day and they wont wear them in mid-summer.

Good luck!

Thanks everyone for the warm welcomes and advice. I have two breeders on mind who has pups due to go to homes in early dec and am very impressed with both. I havnt met them in person yet so I will be able to check out then.

In terms of jerseys...how do they feel about sleaves? ive seen really great jerseys but most with little sleaves.

Also, a collar, and lead or harness? In my mind a harness would be better because they're so small - wanted to check this? I havnt bought any jerseys or harness (with great restraint i managed to stop myself) because I dont know the size of my baby yet.

Hehe i am really so excited!

It is exciting shopping for them. My two gets new toys everytime I stop by the Vet store!!! I cant help myself.

I also have the jerseys with the sleaves. It takes time for them to adapt. Mika my puppy too a while to adjust to his jersey!!!! When I put it on for him, he would first just sit still and not move!!!! Sometimes he would go straight to sleep with the jersey on. Then, he started walking around, but all stiff like a little robot!!!! It probably felt so weird for him, shame!!!! But now, he is quite comfortable and outgrew his puppy jersey already!!!!!





I attached some pics. Just look how he grew in a few weeks. That looks like a doll jersey now

hahaha TOOOOOOOO CUTE!

ok so either way they are gonna need some time to get used to it :-) thanks for the help ladies

Harness!!!! they are much safer and you dont want to put pressure on their necks and throats with a collar.

my dogs have 2 different harnesses but the one I personally prefer is the Rogz step in harness. Its just easier to put on and doesnt go over the head so it's much easier! I couldnt find one in red for my little boy which is what i wanted so i bought the normal Rogz harness and it also works just great!

Mine do wear a collar at all times for identification purposes only. I NEVER use the collar to walk them or restrain them in any way. I leave the collars loose, with at least a finger or 2 gap between the collar and the neck so they are not putting any pressure on the neck. I also use a Rogz collar because i find them lighter in weight.

In terms of jerseys sleeves or no sleeves, I would say it's entirely up to you. mine wear pull over jerseys with short sleeves. Depending i suppose on how cold it gets! I have never found one with long sleeves but I would be tempted in winter to buy one Cape Town can be cold! Here is Durban we dont battle too much with the cold!

ha ha Val! he looks like Trigger! same jersey too! my little boy is a real wet blanket for comfort and LOVES his jersey. In fact he will steal it and bring it to me sometimes to have it put on! lol! Taylor has learned to duck out the way when she sees it coming! but once she is in it she is more than happy!

Thanks, ill definitely get a collar and harness. collour for ID and harness wo walk. I was looking at them this morning (the rogs ones) they are so so cute. I wanna get matching collar harness and lead. really cute.

:-)

Definitely get a harness, KC. Yorkies have a genetic predisposition to tracheal collapse where their windpipe collapses inward. If this happens, the puppy can't breathe and need to be rushed to the vet. A collar can bring on this condition, so you want to take great care to protect their little throats from any pressure.

Maybe you can start a thread in the General section to ask members to help you get everything you need together before your new baby comes home... then you have reason to shop