Before you Buy Your Puppy PDF Print E-mail
Written by walt   

yorkies-in-Denver6Anyone looking for a pet has to make a number of decisions first. The most important may be whether or not your household even needs a pet! A living creature, from gold fish to Golden Retriever, needs attention and care from its owner and that owner must have time to devote to those needs. This article is intended to help you understand the needs and requirements for the potential Yorkshire Terrier owner. It will also suggest questions that the Yorkie breeder/seller should be asking you and the questions you need to ask of the seller to insure a good fit between puppy and human.

 Why do I want this puppy? A yorkie puppy is not a status symbol, it is not an educational tool to teach children the facts of life, it is not a stuffed animal that can be tossed aside on those days the family is too busy.

How much time do I have for this puppy? Puppies need lots of training to yorkies-in-Denver3make them responsible household members. Compare them to the two year old child who does not know good manners, needs potty training, cannot prepare his own food and water and may not always sleep through the night. Puppies should not be left alone for long hours and then be expected to learn all these things in a timely fashion. If you work all day, look for that gold fish – and then be sure you remember to feed him.

How old are my children? If you have a child younger than four, you already have your hands full! It is difficult to potty train a puppy and a child at the same time.Besides, little kids adore stuffed animals and the puppy looks the same to them. So if they poke his eyes and pull his tail, they cannot perceive his pain. However he WILL feel pain and may retaliate by biting. This is not aggressive behavior, it is his defense mechanism to say "I did not like what you did".

Is my yard fenced? A Yorkie Puppy can be incredibly fast when he sees a ball in the street, another animal to play with or when he is being chased by a child. It is heartbreaking for a family to lose a pet to a speeding car. An electric fence is not the answer for small breeds. The electric fence cannot keep larger animals out because it only works for the dog wearing the collar. Larger dogs that roam free often attack smaller dogs. There are also "dognappers" that capture cute dogs for resale and other purposes. A yard does not have to be completely fenced. A small area nearest the exit that will serve to take the puppy outside to do his business works well. If you have a secure deck (meaning with a gate and no large escape holes), this may work well for you. This is essential to successful housetraining. It must be close and the puppy must be promptly carried to the area as soon as he awakens and/or as soon as you return home from running errands. Having an area nearby is definitely a human need on those rainy days when you prefer to put the pup outside while you remain inside and dry! Tying a dog out with a stake is inhumane, unsafe and may create an aggressive dog!

Before you buy a pet, and especially a yorkie puppy, ask yourself:

Am I committed to lifelong care? Having a pet is a commitment to his care for his entire life. For a Bichon, this can mean as long as 16-18 years! This means through sickness, old age and any infirmities that may come with age. A living creature cannot just be tossed aside when it is inconvenient to provide the care. Veterinary treatment can be quite expensive and the annual exam, shots and teeth cleaning has cost to it. If you are looking for a pet for your child, who will provide pet care when your child grows up and leaves for college? Who will maintain the coat and feed him? Who will soothe aches and take him to the vet on a regular schedule? These have to be considered.

Questions the breeder/seller should ask you before you buy a puppy:

A responsible breeder wants information from you before selling you a puppy, and this is a little more in depth with Queen Yorkies Palace as our Queen Yorkshire Terriers require a little more attention than other breeds of dogs. Those questions will reflect the questions you should have already asked yourself about your reasons for wanting a puppy. Other questions will concern the members of your household, ages of children, who will be responsible for training and care, who is home during the day. This breeder has put time, effort and money into this breeding and will be unlikely to place a puppy in a home that is not prepared to provide adequate time and attention to raising it. A breeder who asks NO questions and only is interested in selling has probably not spent a lot of time in planning for a genetically healthy litter, has no concern as to how the puppy will be cared for and may not even know much about the breed except that a Puppy is cute and desirable and can bring in a large sale price. By the way, price is never the best indicator of quality. A good breeder is concerned with the home that will be provided and prices pups only according to the investment in raising the litter. This means keeping the pups until they are old enough to be separated from the litter and never immediately after weaning at six weeks.

In addition to the topics mentioned, the breeder will ask?

  1. Why do you want a puppy?
  2. Have you owned pets before? What happened to those pets? Were they healthy; did they live long lives?
  3. Is your yard fenced? Are you in a house or an apartment?
  4. How many other pets do you have? Are other dogs neutered/spayed? Their ages, sex, health and temperaments?
  5. If a local sale, the breeder may ask which veterinarian you plan to use.
  6. Have you obedience trained a dog before?

Questions the buyer should ask the seller:

How old is the puppy you are selling? Never buy a puppy younger than 8 weeks and it is better for the puppy to remain with the litter until about 10-12 weeks. Some show breeders will keep a puppy several months before selling it because this is considered a good show prospect. This may be a particularly desirable puppy so do not reject it because of age! However do ask why it is being sold later than others in the litter.


  1. What shots has the puppy had and who gave them?
  2. Will I be given a record of these shots?
  3. How many times has the puppy been checked by a veterinarian?
  4. Name of the veterinarian who examined him?

A good breeder has a lifelong commitment to the welfare of pups being sold. This means the breeder will always be available to answer questions, to give advice on diet and training and to help place a dog that you can no longer keep (because of a move, change in the health of the owner or whatever). The breeder’s responsibility does not lessen your obligations to lifelong care!

It is worth noting that you should NEVER buy a pup from someone who "will meet you at the mall" or some location other than his home/kennel! And be alert to "brokers" who buy pups from other breeders to sell.

Now that you have the answers to questions asked and have given answers that the seller has asked, do you still want to purchase a puppy at this time?

yorkies-in-Denver8You may have concluded that this is not the right time for your family to have a puppy. If you feel comfortable with the breeder who has discussed selling you a puppy, indicate that you may want to come back later when the children are older and you have more time. Let the breeder know you have made this decision. Do not be offended if the breeder indicates that your household is not ready for a puppy. Breeders interview many prospective buyers and have an instinct for which households need a puppy and which do not. Unfortunately the "for profit" sellers only look for financial return and will not give such advice. That is why there are so many dogs in pounds and roaming the countryside. If you are attracted to the Bichon Frise, remember that you may be making a contribution to the future of the breed when you opt not to take a puppy home with you! You can always make a purchase when circumstances have changed and your lifestyle is more suited to pet ownership. And if you do buy a puppy, regardless of the breed, please be a responsible owner!

 
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