I have this dog. He is an adorable, pure-bred Yorkshire Terrier named Dinky. When I purchased him, I was looking to replace a much-loved dog that had recently passed away. My dog had passed away while I was on vacation, so my main goal as I sought a new pup was to make sure I found the tiniest one I possibly could so I could take him with me wherever I went. I wanted a little companion that I could fit in a shoulder bag. I searched and searched for the adorable "tea cup" Yorkies that are sometimes seen in little bags accompanying their owners everywhere they go. I was adamantly against purhcasing a pet from a store, but after meeting with many breeders, I was not having much luck. They were only willing to sell me a dog that was six months old. The purpose of this was to make certain that they could guarantee the size and temperment of the animal. Also, they informed me that it was critical to the long-term mental health of the dog for it to have subtantial time with its' parents and siblings. Well, I wouldn't hear of it. I wanted a little one that had not made any attachments to other owners or pets. I wanted to shape my little companion from the beginning. I wanted my new buddy to fit in my hand when I took him home and grow from there. I did not listen to the wise advice of those knowledgeable breeders. What a mistake I made.
I finally found what I was looking for, and yes, he was at a store. I noticed him in the back of the store as I scanned the cages. He had just been brought in the night before. He was so tiny that he could almost fit through the bars in his cage. This was the one! I was so excited. My search was finally over! I promptly requested a visit with this adorable little brown and black whipper snapper. We bonded right away. It was love at first cuddle. Dinky was less than a pound when I met him that day. He fit in the palm of my hand with a little room to spare. I could not leave without him. Of course, I also could not afford him. He was quite expensive. I put him on layaway, and promised to be back each day to visit until I could pay him off.
As promised, I showed up every day to visit with my new friend. They were short visits, and it was difficult to part with him, but I had to work, and the sadness I felt when I left only fueled my desire to pay him off faster. I wanted to bring him home. The following week was my birthday, and as a gift, my mother paid him off early. As I arrived that next day for my normal routine of visitation, he was donned with a bow and a collar with his name on it. The owner of the store excitedly informed me that I would be taking little Dinky home that day. She told me that I would be receiving his papers in a week or two, wished me happy birthday, and sent me on my way. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I finally had my little buddy that I had been hoping for. He was coming home!
If it all ended there, this would be a nice story, but it doesn't. After reading a great deal about Yorkie temperments, I began to learn more about my dog. As adorable as he was, he had issues. These ranged from basic training, to separation anxiety, to anxiety in general about pretty much everything. When separated from me, he would wail as if someone was brutally torturing him. I tried to take him with me as I had originally intended, but he could not function in the car. He was terrified of everything. I began to work with a trainer who explained that my dog was too young to have been separated from his litter. As we found out, he was shipped out to the pet store the day that he turned six weeks old, only to arrive and be placed on display for sale. He did not have an opportunity to bond with his litter. He was deprived of the chance to learn from his siblings and his mother. I learned that there are critical things that puppies get from this early experience with their canine families. My little Dinky had not gotten any of this. I still thought that he would improve as he got older. I figured that once he reached certain developmental stages, he would grow out of these things. I reasoned that the proper training, positive reinforcement and modeling would help him to achieve his potential. He improved marginally over time, but he still has many of the same issues today, and he is now three years old.
To help him with his separation anxiety, I purchased another puppy, Mini. Of course, I wised up and purchased this one from a breeder. I spent a great deal of time studying the litter, questioning the breeder, and watching her adult dogs interact. I wanted to make certain that I was doing the right thing. I needed to know that Mini would come from the right environment. I hoped that maybe if I was lucky, her presence would counterbalance some of Dinky's shortcomings. It was not until I brought Mini home that the scope of Dinky's inadequecies really hit home. As I watched Mini, I realized that she had been given all the things that Dinky missed out on. Training her was simple. Her anxiety issues were minimal. Yes, she was hyperactive, but most Yorkies are.
Initially, Dinky despised Mini. He wanted nothing to do with her, or with me for bringing her home. Much later, and I do mean much later, he finally warmed up to her and a friendship of sorts began to form. As their bond grew, Dinky began to improve a bit. His anxiety lessened, his fears subsided, he began to follow her lead in behaviors that he noticed were positively reinforced. Of course, he will always be the dominant canine of the two, but his temperment has mellowed greatly as a result of her presence. Is he normal now? Well, no, but better. I feel compelled to make his life as good as possible considering the traumatic beginnings that he had. Had Dinky experienced a normal puppyhood, maybe he would have had an easier life. Had he been with his family for a longer time, just maybe he might not have the issues he does today. I have seen many other dogs since then who have suffered the same fate as Dinky in the name of turning over puppies for profit. Unfortunately, many of these puppies end up in shelters or in rescue situations because their owners do not have the patience to handle these issues.
Puppies need a foundation of love. They need to have their families for a period of time to gain the skills and behavior sets necessary to be the pets their owners hope they will be. Just like human babies need their mothers for a period of time, puppies need theirs. So were those breeders right who told me in the beginning that I should buy the puppy that had spent six months with its' litter? They most certainly were.