Just two years ago, I was adamant that a dog in the house should be big! So that during walks, it wouldn't be me guarding it, but it would be guarding me and my family… I was sure I couldn't get too attached to a small-breed dog; it just didn't seem serious… I just couldn't reconcile my image with that of a small, “glamorous,” constantly yapping dog…
That's how I used to imagine “little things,” based on impressions I'd gotten from the neighbors' mutts: they always bark! Now I understand that not everything depends on breed; a lot depends on upbringing, or, as is often the case, the complete lack thereof.
And then one day I saw her, our puppy's mother… I fell in love with those little eyes at first sight, her hairstyle captivated me, and when she nuzzled my hand, I melted! From that moment on, not a day went by that I didn't buy a book about this breed or visit some website! I knew everything there was to know about the breed! And just six months later, this miracle appeared in our home!
Yes, a miracle, happiness, joy, life! The name of this miracle is the Yorkshire Terrier! If you don't appreciate affection, devotion, endurance, intelligence, and trainability, this breed is not for you!
If you decide to get a puppy of this breed, be prepared for constant joyful discoveries and admiration from those around you. If you're a shy person, it will be very difficult for you to walk your pet at first; people point at you, everyone openly admires your treasure. I've never seen so much emotion from people before! This is not an exaggeration; it's true. My six-year-old daughter often asks me, “Mom, why does everyone like our dog so much? Why does everyone pay attention to her?” The answer is always the same: “Because she's charming, both in body and soul!”
When you return home, rest assured that you'll be awaited with devotion, and if you allow it, they'll happily lick you and everyone else who comes into the house. Our son even made up a joke about this: “Crime Chronicle. At Katya's birthday party, 25 people were licked!”
It's interesting, but contrary to the popular belief that small dogs aren't very smart, or rather, even a bit dim-witted, Yorkies are incredibly intelligent. They quickly learn what's acceptable and what's not, and that's entirely up to their owner. A Yorkie will spend its entire life trying to control you, but whether you give in or not is entirely up to you! If you allow yourself to be manipulated, you'll end up with an unruly, capricious animal. If you don't let them take advantage of you and keep training them, you'll be happy for years to come!
Our sweetie knows and follows all the general training commands, and she learns everything very quickly, through play, with us teaching her ourselves. She catches on quickly, and her training is limited only by our imagination!
But we do give her one break. Whenever we scold her for something trivial, she immediately rushes to kiss us. It's impossible to resist—she knows she's a suck-up, no matter what! Her openness is irresistible; she loves everyone and is ready to play with the child for days! If you could see how she and her daughter play hide-and-seek or tag… For real, one hides, the other searches, then they switch roles.
If anyone asks us if we regret getting a Yorkie, we'll answer that, of course, we do! We regret getting just one! There should be one Yorkie for every family member, and we'll strive for that!
Talk to any Yorkie owner and you'll inevitably hear that Yorkie mania is contagious—you can never have too many Yorkies! Having this miracle at home, I agree with every word! If you're still unsure about choosing a breed, put your doubts to rest, talk to the breeder, and you won't leave without a treasure!
