So here we go ... our little Maggie is coming home today! My sister headed off yesterday to pick the sisters up and should be arriving late this afternoon.
Big breath ... much like our little Sadie who was adopted out because she never got over the death of my husband, I fell in love with Maggie the moment I saw her. Two sisters adopting two Yorkinese sisters. Here starts our adventure.
Recognizing that we had made errors with Sadie in her puppy time and paid for it with some bad behaviour, I set out to read as much about preventing the same bad behaviours.
These wonderful little Yorkinese are so adorable, it will be very difficult not to spoil her, coming back to what a dog trainer once said to me ... Do not accept behaviour when they are puppies that you would not accept in an adult dog.
I did come across an article that I would like to share. Unfortunately, I see no author name to credit.
People make the mistake of letting puppies get away with things that they'd rather not have the adult dog do. Yes, puppies are very cute, and it's hard to discipline them. But it's much easier to start as you mean to continue rather than to change the rules six months down the road. If you don't want your adult Yorkie occupying the furniture, don't put your puppy on the couch, and correct him if he manages to get there on his own. (Put him back on the floor and give him something to do down there, such as play with a toy.) Don't tolerate puppies chewing on your fingers or hair or pant leg. It's important for them to learn bite inhibition and keep their mouths off humans. Don't cuddle and pet your Yorkie every time he barks or whines or paws for your attention. Ignore it until it stops, and be sure you consistently give attention when your Yorkie is just lying quietly.
Biting
If your puppy mouths your hands or other body parts, respond by yelping in a high-pitched voice and removing your hand and your attention. This is how other puppies respond to too-rough play and it works with the majority of puppies. You want to convince your pup that humans are very fragile and must be treated tenderly.
Feeding
Also be firm about food. It's perfectly natural for small dogs to skip a meal occasionally, or not finish everything that's given to them. But don't rush to add delicacies to convince your Yorkie to eat - you may well create a finicky tyrant that demands smoked turkey one day and filet mignon the next.
Being Neglectful
You can't expect to just put down food a couple of times a day and ignore your Yorkie the rest of the time or pick her up only when you feel like cuddling. Yorkies may be a small-sized responsibility, but they're still a responsibility. Puppies require near-constant supervision to keep out of trouble and lean housetraining. Even older dogs need training, exercise, and companionship. If your time is already fully taken up, you probably souldn't have a dog.
Because Yorkshire terriers are so small, they are easy to stuff into a Sherpa bag or a crate and relegate to a corner, out of the way. This is abuse. A dog, however small, is a pack animal that needs to be with his family as much as possible. Dogs require time and attention - don't get a dog if you don't have these things to give. Puppies are cute and a novelty in the family, so their transgressions are usually forgiven. But when the dog reaches adolescence and isn't a puppy anymore, but still takes up considerable time, the dog is often shuffled out of the family to live a lonely, unloved life. You must understand that a dog is a commitment for life before you get one.
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While the last part is so true ... it is not my problem. It was out of love for Sadie that she was adopted into a wonderful home. My life is changing and the grieving is not taking up all of my attention, there is now room for a little responsibility and a whole lot of love!
