Friday, December 26, 2008

My Pure Paws Experience!

I couldn't wait any longer and I really had to get em and try em on my yorkies. Glad I did! Thanks Ms Ness for bringing Pure Paws in the Philippines! I just finished giving Twix a quick bath time... and here are her photos...




i'm surprised that all Pure Paws products smell good and I love it.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Yorkies and Coat


Twix without any coat product


The silky texture of the Yorkshire Terrier coat depends on three factors:
+genes
+diet (the pdf link is not really to promote but somehow gives us understanding about how diet affects the coat)
+care

Although the breed standard call for a silky coat texture, not all yorkies have silky coats. It actually got me quite a long time to understand this as most materials available on the books and online only talks about different textures. To give you a clear picture of the other coat textures, see the photos here...

woolly-cottony



wooly


soft coated/heavy dull coat
on adult yorkie

When a yorkie's coat is not genetically silky textured, it would really be impossible for the coat to be altered through other means to be silky. The only thing can be done, which requires more grooming effort, is to improve the texture for manageability and to keep it free from tangling and mats. Most owners with incorrect coat texture yorkies keep their dogs in cut down coat. Keeping your dog's coat short makes grooming easier and yorkies are still cute without the long coat.

Diet and supplements are also important in keeping the coat healthy. A healthy coat means your dog's coat gives off a sheen (not necessarily a silky shine for other textures) from your dog's natural oil glands plus a healthy skin condition. Sometimes a poor coat condition signifies a health condition or allergy. Make sure that you note the nutritional value of your dog's food before giving him or her coat supplements. Usually, premium dog foods are already equipt with the right amount of nutients for your furball. When you give additional oil-soluble vitamins (which are usually present in coat supplements) you might put your dog's health in danger as they become toxic when administered in more-than-normal amounts. Yorkies only have small livers and gets easily affected by toxins. You may also add a small amount of healthy, all natural ingredients in their kibbles to function as coat supplement. Kelp, seaweeds (japanese nori), flax seed oil, olive oil and peanut butter are just a few examples. Coat improvements with diet maybe seen after 4 weeks.

Care through grooming is really important if you want to keep the coat in its optimum condition. A show exhibitor usually makes alot of hard work to keep his or her yorkie really beautiful. For a pet owner, it is important to always keep the coat clean as dirt and dust are the main culprits in damaging the coat. Daily brushing is needed to stimulate the skin for hair growth and oil production. A good brush without the ball tip is recommended for the yorkie coat to prevent the brush from tugging the hair and breaking it. Spritz a bit of coat protector on your brush before brushing the yorkie coat as dry coats are prone to break than a protected coat.




Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Go Pacquiao!



Reeses congratulates Manny Pacquiao for his win against Oscar de la Hoya! Reeses wears his doggy tank with a Manny Pacquiao logo. :)

Monday, December 8, 2008

Yorkie Ratter

It is really amazing how traits that are now rarely evident can emerge by triggering a memory from their ancestors. Yorkies were the dogs of the working class and helped their owners eradicate rodents and other vermins. Instead of entering the show ring, they were entered in a ratting contest! Though much of its terrier qualities have been dominated by elegant toy qualities, still, their hearts never forget their origins...

A funny video of Reeses with the pet mini-kangaroo rats (AKA GERBILS)...

*No Gerbil was ever harmed by their yorky roomies

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Yorky LOLZ

Yorkies have vibrant personalities and it's unusual if you don't experience the hilarious LOLz moments. Luckily, I was able to capture some of these moments! Here are some photos of my very own yorkids...


Twix was only 3 months on this photo and just finished
wrestling with Reeses


"Dibs?" --Twix at 4 months


A wrapping disaster! (Twix at 6months)



This is how they USUALLY sleep after a long day of playtime!


This is my big puppy, Goober!
He slept on top of Reeses...


Goober just literal sleeps where-ever!
This time sleeping on his back with the laundry!


Goober even sleeps like this in his dog pen!
Look at those big teeth with tongue hanging out...
...still, he finds comfort like this

These are just a few photos I was able to capture. I would certainly try to capture more hilarious moments with my dogs so watch out for more updated Yorky LOLZ!

Thanks for visiting.



Yorky Top Knot

Yorkies with different colored bows on their heads are irresistibly cute! Some owners even keep the hair on the yorky's head longer just to be able to keep the top knot even when the coat from the neck down is cut short or shaved. Yorkies would even look better wearing a top knot with a little bit of "poof." What I used to do with my dogs was to just gather up some hair on top of the head and tie it with elastics then pull the band to loosen the knot a bit for a poofy look. When I put the bow, the bow will look like it's floating and would face all directions. What I did was definitely not the way to do the poofy top knot. LOL...
There are various techniques in making the top knot. A show top knot requires teasing the hair for more volume (if they want the dog to have an illusion of a shorter muzzle and the eyes less prominently looking). This entry will teach you how to do a simple poofy yorky top knot.

What you'll need:
A Rat Tail Comb(comb with a thin, stick-like handle for parting the hair)
Grooming bands
Yorky Bow (5/8 for 5 pound yorkies, 7/8 for more than 5 pounds)
**If you don't have a rat-tail comb you may use a comb with fine teeth and a stick for parting the hair (make sure the stick has no sharp and harmful tip to hurt your dog)

Follow the image below:



1. Prepare your dog's coat. Make sure it's free of tangles and mats. You can add a bit of dog friendly mousse to pump some volume into the hair.

2. Gather the hair on top of the head and with your rat tail comb or parting stick, define the sectioning of the top knot by the following partings:
a. horizontal line between the eyes
b. on both sides--a line from the outer corner of the eye to the base of the ears. (do not include the ear roots)
c. a line created by joining the end points at the base of each ear.

3. Secure the sectioned hair with a band.

4. Create a poof with the parting stick by loosening a thin outer portion of the knot.

5. Create a fold to create a mini-fan of hair and secure it with another band.

6. Attach the bow. (You may use dog friendly hair gel for a smooth finish)

Voila!



Twix with a simple top knot

Note:
*Yorkies under 1 year of age do not need the 5th step. You may attach the bow right after creating the poof.

*If the band at the back of the bow is too loose to be attached without twisting, you may do this:

After doing step 2, divide the section into 2 parts (front and back). Attach the bow right away on the front section. Then secure the front and back sections together with a band so the bow won't slip off. Continue step 4-step 5.



Yorky Structure

It's very common to find ads saying "Quality" pups/dogs for sale. However, quality can be excellent and quality can be poor.
What really determines quality?
Sometimes, you have to do your very own assignment to help you judge if you are really getting an excellent bred puppy/dog. Redmarks, or the number of champions in a pedigree, are nothing if the actual dog/pup possesses the "bad genes" (non conforming or unhealthy).

The factors determining the quality would be:
1. Health
2. Conformation (Type, Substance, Soundness)
3. Pedigree (important if you plan to breed and to check for inbreedings which can be dangerous if done by inexperienced breeders or done several times).
Amongst the three, conformation is the hardest to fully understand. The breed standard is a great start to learn about breed conformation. It describes the perfect Yorkshire Terrier (which is really non existent) and it is the goal for breed improvement and breed protection. You'll be surprised to learn that an ideal Yorkie of a breeder is different from another breeder. The variations happen because each breeder has his or her own preferred qualities (which still conforms to the standards if the breeder breeds for improvement).
Soundness is an aspect not fully explained in the Breed Standard, Soundness is about how the dog is put together--as an art and a science. The canine art involves the type, the form, proportion or simply, the aesthetic aspect of the dog. Since art is subjective, this causes the variations mentioned earlier about the ideal dog in mind of breeders. Canine science involves structure, health, and substance. Science is objective and very important for the over all functionality of the dog. Unfortunately, structural soundness is often overlooked.
Anyway, to help you out with some basics on understanding structural soundness, I've made some illustrations. :)
*Puppies can be evaluated starting around 8 weeks for structure (to see which one is promising or not). However, you can not determine right away if a pup is of show quality until it reaches adulthood or at least 1 year old.

soundnesssoundnesssoundnesssoundnesssoundnesssoundnesssoundnesssoundnesssoundness

*the illustrations adapted for the Yorkshire Terrier breed belongs to http://strictlyYT.blogspot.com

*Pat Hastings is the author of "Tricks of the Trade"

Saturday, December 6, 2008

My First Yorkie Breed Conformation Show







Goober and I had our first show together at SM Molino last September. He got Winner's Dog in Ring1 and Reserve Winner's Dog in Ring2. This was the video of the Ring2. I had a problem with Goober to walk with me since he was curious about the scents on the carpet and had to run so he'd follow. Super obvious that I was a newbie and was being coached by ringside people. (I don't know what to do, Thanks guys) It was tiring and I had only one entry dog... what more with those with multiple dogs... they must feel super tired! I had to leave my two yorkids at home since I can't attend to them when I am handling Goober. Over-all, It was really fun. I did enjoy my first show and the venue isn't that far from where I live and has air-conditioning so it's comfortable. Goober is now pointed for his PH CH title @ 6mos and we need ALOT to improve. I promise to train him more and join more shows so he gets used to it like his great sister, Tiny. :)

You may laugh now... LOL...





Finding a Veterinarian for your Yorkie

The Veterinarian is the most important person in your yorkie's life (especially after you). This post is just about what to inquire your prospective certified vet and determine if he's the right one for your friend/ baby/ furball. The following questions are from Deborah Wood's book, The Yorkshire Terrier

How many Yorkies or other toy dogs do you regularly treat?
There is an art of caring for a 3 to 6 pound dog that veterinarians who usually only treat bigger breeds may not develop

Are you active in local or national veterinary associations?
This is a question to know if your vet is current and update with the latest development in veterinary medicine

What arrangements do you make for hours when your clinic is closed?
This is important as emergency situations might happen during off hours.

What kind of anesthesia do you use when you perform surgery?
Your yorkie is very sensitive to anesthesia because of their little size. The best anesthesia for the Yorkshire Terrier are the modern gas anesthetics such as ISOFLURANE. Safer than the old-fashioned IV's (make sure you had your dog checked for allergies, liver shunts and other diseases that may affect your dogs reaction to anesthetics)

What kind of monitoring equipment is in place during surgery?
It is important that your vet can continuously monitor your dog's heart and other vital function when he or she is put under anesthesia

Do you have certified veterinary technicians on your staff?
Your pet is safer if he is benefiting from the skills of a trained technician during surgery that with an untrained one of course. High quality staff is a sign of a high quality vet

Note that though you have chosen the best vet in the world, it is important that he or she is a good communicator so that the both of you will be able to the best possible solution for any health problems.

Introducing my Furball: Goober



(Click name for pedigree)
DOB:March 15,2008

Goober is my youngest Yorkie. So far, his big bro, Reeses, and his big sis, Twix, have been very nice to him. He's the little bro in the gang but he was already stocky and huge at 5 months of age. I prefer a bigger guy (but still won't go over the standard 7 lbs). He's such an outgoing boy, very confident and has a spirit too big for a yorkie (which is great). His structure is great and full of substance. No wonder he moves with ease. He's pointed for his Philippine Championship. However, I just let him sport a cut down look. I think it will be best to show him when he reaches two years of age--when he's more mature. It's a relief that he did not grow any bigger. He's currently turning 9 months as of writing this blog entry and weighs 2.8 to 3.0 kilograms.

Introducing my Furball: Twix



Registered Name: Pebbles of 3G
DOB: 06-19-2007


This is my girl, Twix. She's one sweet girl with a big appetite. She never wants me to leave her side... miss cry baby... a little jumper... Her black coat just started breaking at 10 months... I love her silky coat texture since puppyhood. She loves being photographed that's why she has more photos than Reeses... She likes to bully the boys but gets easily scared by loud sounds.


Introducing my Furball: Reeses



Registered Name: Jonel's Hairy Pawter
DOB: 7th of April, 2007

I have already said a wee bit about Reeses, my first yorkie in one of my posts.
He's the first yorkie I ever had and is the reason why I'm in love with yorkies. I got him when he was 4 months of age and he's such a real sweetheart. He's very energetic and playful. He loves to explore the whole place (together with his sidekick, Twix) He loves to play fetch and tug-o-war. Pasta is his favorite dish. He loves watching the zombies in "Deadrising" (xbox 360 game) and barks at them everytime! lolz... He's a smart pup and very easy to train and housebreak. It is true that the yorkshire terrier is one of the most intelligent breeds of dogs (puppies raised in a caged environment are hard to housebreak because they only recognize one place to do their business--the cage--and will treat your house just a bigger version of it so be careful when you get your own).


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