Dog Rescue North Yorkshire

So, you want to adopt a Yorkshire Terrier, huh? Great idea! Want to hear an even better idea? Rescue an adult Yorkshire Terrier. No pooch is too old for puppy love and puppies are only puppies for a few months after all, right? Oh, you have your heart set on a cute little Yorkshire Terrier puppy? Have you been looking at Yorkshire Terrier puppies for sale, checking out Yorkshire Terrier puppy breeders? OK, here's some food for thought if you have your heart set on a puppy, and a few reasons why adopting an adult might be your better option:

What It Takes to Housebreak a Puppy

Before you adopt a Yorkshire Terrier, consider how much time your new family member will spend alone. Remember, a puppy requires constant attention. The key to successful housebreaking is consistency; preventing "accidents" is key. Once a puppy soils the carpeting, it becomes much more difficult to train them out of that behavior. Here's a good rule of thumb to consider: a puppy can hold his bladder just one hour for every month they've been alive. For instance, a 3-month-old puppy will need to empty his bladder every three hours! Before you adopt a Yorkshire Terrier puppy, ask yourself if you are available to walk your dog several times throughout the day, and if you have the patience and commitment to wake up and take him out first thing every morning at the same time, and stick to a strict schedule. Of course, before you can walk him at all, you will need to train him to walk on a leash, which is a project in itself.

On the other hand, an adult dog's bladder is already fully developed. Shelter dogs are often already housetrained and Yorkshire Terrier rescue groups can tell you if their adult dogs for adoption are housebroken before they go into your home. You also have the advantage of knowing that your dog is physically able to "hold it" for several hours at a stretch. In most cases, adult dogs are by far easier to housebreak than puppies. You can teach an old dog new tricks!

Puppy Behavior Sometimes Isn’t Pleasant

Sure, Yorkshire Terrier puppies are super-cute, but simply put, puppies can be adorable, relentless machines of destruction. Even the most well-behaved puppy will destroy shoes, clothing, paper, remote controls, telephones, leashes, dog beds, carpeting…anything and everything. More rambunctious pups have been known to obliterate sofas, car seats, Venetian blinds, electrical cords, door frames…you name it, they can eat it or shred it. And when they're teething, look out! Cute puppies have very sharp teeth, and they are happy to use your hands, feet, nose, hair, etc, as a chew toy. Ouch! Needless to say, a teething Yorkshire Terrier puppy and a small child do NOT make good companions! To keep the puppy from hurting himself, and to prevent the destructive behavior from becoming a bad habit, you will need to spend every waking moment supervising his every move. Do you have that kind of time?

Many Yorkshire Terrier dogs in shelters or with rescue groups are already trained and ready to go! Adults have a much longer attention span than puppies, too, which means they're easier and faster to teach. Adult dogs already have recognizable personality traits, so you'll be able to select one who is great with children. Many Yorkshire Terrier rescue groups use foster homes to make sure each Yorkshire Terriers for adoption is trained to be well-behaved indoors. Although all dogs need attention and playtime, an adult dog's needs are far less demanding than a puppy's.

You Won’t Know a Puppy’s Personality for Sometime

With an adult Yorkshire Terrier, what you see is what you get. Their personality is already developed, and you'll be able to spot the characteristics you're looking for much more easily than with a puppy Yorkshire Terrier. Shelters and rescue groups are able to assess the personality of each Yorkshire Terrier for adoption, and carefully match you up with the right dog for your lifestyle. When you adopt a puppy, there is a lot more guesswork involved.