The Yorkshire Terrier, or "Yorkie" breed, originated for hunting and ratting purposes. They were perfect for the job because they are small enough to work themselves into fox holes and badger burrows. Later on, the Yorkie puppy became extremely popular as a companion animal and pet due to its small size, attractive features, and easy going demeanor. Despite their small size, the Yorkie is an excellent as a guardian for a home and family. Yorkie puppies are so much fun to own, many families keep tend to keep getting more of them.

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Once you have decided to bring home your own Yorkie puppy there are some considerations and preparations that need to be made to ensure that your home is ready to care for this new puppy. First of all, you need to plan ahead to have a veterinarian for your Yorkie puppy and this should be someone that you can trust and feel completely comfortable with. It may be a good idea for you to consult other local Yorkie owners in your area to find out which veterinarians have experience treating the breed.

The next consideration that you need to make involves preparing for the Yorkie puppy’s homecoming. Your home needs to be puppy proofed, which means that anything your Yorkie puppy can get into needs to be put away or removed from the home. The consequences can be detrimental if your puppy should happen to get into something bad for it. There are numerous things in your home that are deadly to your Yorkie puppy including household plants, Tylenol, mothballs, chocolate, mouthwash, and bleach.

Once you are sure that your home is safe for your puppy, you need to work on educating yourself about Yorkie puppy health problems and other issues that can affect your Yorkshire Terrier. When you are properly informed about health problems and other ailments, you can catch them more quickly should they arise. The sooner you properly diagnose and treat such a health problem, the sooner your Yorkie will be able to recover.

As soon as you bring your Yorkie puppy home you should contact your veterinarian to set up a basic checkup appointment. Within the first week that you have your Yorkie puppy is the most ideal time to visit a veterinarian for a basic exam. This will give your puppy a few days to acclimate to his or her new surroundings. Yorkie puppies can be affected by stress easily, so it is vital that you work to keep the stress level in your home to a minimum to keep any health problems from cropping up unexpectedly.

Your Yorkie puppy should acclimate to its new surroundings within a couple of days. If your puppy seems disinterested in eating or drinking water, is listless or seems nervous and unfriendly after a few days, it would be wise to schedule a veterinary appointment to make sure that nothing is wrong. Continue to feed your Yorkie puppy the same food that was fed by previous owners for at least two weeks before beginning to mix in your own food if you are keen on changing the brand.

Your Yorkie puppy will probably like to eat between three and four times a day, so make sure that food is always provided for him or her. It would also be wise to create a regular grooming schedule because Yorkie puppies do best when they are properly groomed and have clipped nails and cleaned ears. Keeping your Yorkie puppy healthy and happy will not be difficult with the right information, and your Yorkie will grow up to give you many happy, healthy years of love and devotion.

For more information on this breed, and to shop for Yorkie clothes, visit YorkieDogClothes.net.