1. Puppy Proof Your Home

Yorkies are curious by nature and they will run around your home (and they are FAST!) and chew on everything within their reach so it is important that you remove the potential hazards from the areas of your home where your puppy will spend most of his/her time in the first few months.

Tape loose electrical cords to baseboards
Store household chemicals and other hazardous items out of your puppy’s reach
Remove plants and rugs
Remove or repair ‘wobbly’ furniture
Block puppy’s access to the back of television cabinets, computer desks, wall units and other furniture
Install gates
Set up the playpen

When you think you have completely puppy-proofed your home, lie on the floor and look around once more from a puppy’s-eye-view to be sure. You should also look for items that could fall off of a table or counter top and injure your puppy and items they can reach if they climb onto a sofa or chair. And don’t forget the things you have stashed under the bed!

2. Puppy Supplies

• Food Bowls – small / shallow – metal or ceramic only (no porous materials)
• Toys – lots!
• Puppy Pads
• Small washable bed
• Play pen – I recommend the IRIS
• Enzyme Cleaner
• Shampoo and Conditioner
• Nutri-Cal Puppy – this nutritional supplement will help prevent hypoglycemia
• Harness and Leash (NOT retractable)
• Treats for training
• Brush and Comb
• Lots of Love and Kisses!

DO NOT GET A COLLAR!!! Ask me why!!!

TIP – Don’t give your puppy all of their toys all of the time; rotate them instead to prevent boredom.

3. Have a Family Meeting

Teaching children how to handle your new puppy safely, reminding them not to feed the puppy anything but the recommended food, and explaining the 15 minute play time rule etc. before bringing your puppy home will ensure a smooth transition and keep your puppy safe.

4. Create a ‘Puppy Vocabulary’

If mom says “down” when the puppy climbs on the couch, dad says “down” when he wants him to lie down, and the kids say “sit down” when they want the pup to sit, the result will be one confused puppy! Coming up with a vocabulary list will make training easier.

TIP – Get the kids involved! Have them make the vocabulary list into a sign and hang it up to help everyone remember the commands.

5. Friends and Family

I know you want to show off your new puppy to everyone you know (and who wouldn’t?) a Let’s Talk Yorkie puppy is worth showing off!!!) but it really is best if you keep the visits to a minimum during the first few days to give your puppy a chance to bond with you and get comfortable in their new home.

If you tell your friends and family you will be doing this before your bundle of joy arrives you will avoid awkward situations. Explain to them that stress is probably the number one factor contributing to Yorkie health problems in the first few weeks at home. Since some stress is inevitable (after all your puppy has just left the only home he/she has ever known), it is important to keep the stress you can control to a minimum.