I am Located in Marion Oaks in Ocala, Florida.  When cancer forced my retirement from a long term RN/Psychology career, I found myself still with the need to "care" for something.  I decided those something's should be Yorkshire Terriers.  My goal is to to breed Yorkie puppies which closely match the AKC standard AND, who are happy, spoiled, healthy and are human and pet friendly. 

The ribbon cutting of our grand opening for Our Heavenly Yorkies & Boutique occurred during 2010.  On 1/11/11 Julie & Romeo gave birth to their first litter of three (2) females (1) male.  We are small breeders, having only 1-3 litters per year.  Our puppies start out in a whelping box (playpen), then after a few weeks move to a small swimming pool, 4-5 weeks, a larger pool and then the run of the house.   They begin paper training in the play pen and after moving to the pools make frequent trips outside to romp in a large fenced yard with the rest of the family.  By 6 weeks they can climb dog steps and use the doggy door.  Of course, they are never outside alone because their size makes them quite vulnerable to the birds and animals of prey.

  We are happy to ship to most locations via Continental Airlines for approximately $300.00.  We happen to be in contact with two excellent breeders in our area so if I don't have a puppy for you, I can refer you to two excellent breeders.  No matter which breeder you choose, remember these points: 

  Does the breeder handle the puppies regularly?

  Are the puppies raised WITH and are a part of the breeders family?

  Are the puppies kept locked down in crates or kennels or allowed to roam and learn?

  Are the puppies fully weaned and not placed until they are 10-12 weeks old minimum?

  Is there water and food available always to the puppies?

  Never buy EVER from a Puppy Store or Flea Market no matter how tempted or good the price.  A few dollars saved "will" cost thousands later.  Always buy from reputable breeders !!

All About Yorkshire Terriers

  Country of Origin:  The Yorkshire Terrier (or ‘Yorkie’) was bred in Yorkshire, Northern England in the 1800’s to hunt and kill rats and other vermin. It was carefully bred from a number of working terriers, some of which came to England alongside Scottish immigrants looking for factory work. The Yorkshire Terrier may have derived its long coat and blue coloring from the Clydesdale and Skye Terriers, and its signature coat pattern likely results from crosses with the English Black and Tan Terrier. Early Yorkshire Terriers were known as Broken-Haired Scotch Terriers or Toy Terriers.  Huddersfield Ben, born in Yorkshire in 1865, was a popular champion and skilled ratter who sired many small Yorkshire Terriers and is today universally recognized as the patriarch of the breed.

  Yorkshire Terrier History:  Today's Yorkshire Terrier is very different from the early Yorkshire Terriers of the North of England. There are varying accounts of the origins of this breed and its development. I have tried to give the most accurate, and most widely agreed upon history of the Yorkshire Terrier assembled from books and publications written be reliable and experienced fanciers of the breed in the UK.

Before 1750, most British people worked in agriculture. The onset of the Industrial Revolution brought great changes to family life. In Yorkshire, small communities grew up around coal mines, textile mills and factories. People were drawn to these areas to seek work from as far away as Scotland. They brought with them a breed known as the Clydesdale Terrier, or Paisley Terrier. These were primarily working dogs, much larger than today's Yorkies, and were used for catching rats and other small mammals.

These terriers were inevitably crossed with other types of terrier, probably the English Black and Tan Toy Terrier, and the Skye Terrier; it is also thought that at some stage the Maltese Terrier was crossed with these breeds to help produce long coats. As the outline of the Maltese resembles that of many of today's Yorkies, this is very likely. Unfortunately, no records in the form of Pedigrees exist to confirm these crosses (possibly because of the poor level of literacy in these times), but a great deal is known about the type of people who bred them, and there can be no doubt that early breeders had a very clear idea of the type of dogs they were attempting to produce. We can see in today's Yorkies how strongly the terrier temperament has been retained.

  Size:  The Yorkshire Terrier is 8" - 9" tall and weighs approximately 4-7 lbs).  Some may even grow to 10# or greater.  Yorkshire Terriers have a small, flat head, level or scissors bite, dark, intelligent eyes, and small, highly set, ‘V’-shaped ears. They have a flat back, round ears, and tail carried high.

 Coat:  The Yorkshire Terrier has a very long, straight, silky coat which is golden-brown at the head, chest, and legs. The color and texture of the coat are perhaps the most important show trait. Puppy Yorkshire Terriers are born black and tan and gradually attain their natural color. Show dogs are groomed with the hair grown out long (sometimes trimmed to floor-length) and parted down the middle of the back. Yorkies have no undercoat and shed little.  They also have very little dander so are considered hypoallergenic.

Character:  Yorkshire Terriers become attached to their families, but most maintain some measure of independence. They have a boisterous Terrier personality that far exceeds their small size. Yorkies are lively, bold, and intelligent (scoring in the top third in dog intelligence tests). They bark when they sense danger. Due to their strong ‘alpha-dog’ personality, the Yorkshire Terrier may not be suitable for inexperienced owners.

Temperament:  The Yorkshire Terrier is tolerant of older children, provided they respect its personal space. Due to its small size and bold temperament (which arises from its working origins) the Yorkshire Terrier is not recommended for young children unless carefully supervised. The Yorkshire Terrier can occasionally be a bit too brave when dealing with larger dogs, but gets along fine with cats and other household pets. Yorkies prefer life indoors, and are may be unsuited to cold climates.

Care:  The Yorkshire Terrier requires intensive brushing and combing on a daily basis. If this is too time-consuming, the coat should be trimmed professionally.   Examples of shorter cuts can be seen at Grooming.  The Yorkies hair should be kept out of its eyes by a rubber band or a bow.  Loose hairs should be regularly removed from ear passages. Yorkshire Terriers have a lifespan of 12-15 years. Yorkie puppies are prone to hypoglycemia (diagnosed by listless behavior and shakiness) and adults are prone to a number of musculoskeletal issues and distichia (extra eyelashes on the eyelid which can scratch the cornea if not properly treated).  Yorkies under 3 pounds are especially susceptible to diarrhea, vomiting, tracheal collapse, anesthesia sensitivity, and injury.  The anus area should be checked daily for stool impacted around the opening or caught in their hair.

They should always wear a harness in lieu of a collar due to the small size of their trachea.   My personal preference is the Puppia brand, usually XS for under 3# and S for 4-6# and M for #7-9# will be sized perfectly.  See more under Grooming.  The best prices I have found were either on Ebay or Amazon and may be found on the links page.

Training:  The Yorkshire Terrier is intelligent and capable of learning quickly with consistent training, but some prolong the process with their independent, stubborn nature.  As a breeder, I begin paper training the babies when they are about 3 weeks old and by 10-12 weeks they use the pads with some regularity.  So it is always a good idea to see what training your breeder has already begun.  If you find your puppy has been confined and not had the advantage of socialization with humans or with beginning housebreaking techniques, you might wish to choose another breeder or realize puppies take time to train and a great deal of patience.  This breed does NOT respond to yelling, hitting, and punishment.  Yorkies are in particular a breed that responds to praise, praise and more praise.  Golly, kind of like we humans. 

The socialization process should begin at about 1-2 weeks with  gentle handling and by 4 weeks socialization with other Yorkies in the breeders home.  By 10-12 weeks they should be well socialized to other humans and to other dogs.  If socialization is not begun early you can wind up with a shy, timid, anxious Yorkie who becomes fearful when other humans or dogs are around.  Check out your breeder and make sure their puppies have been appropriately socialized.  If the puppies are fearful or retreat and/or cower/shiver, you may wish to pass and look at other breeders.  Yorkshire puppies should never leave their mother until at least 10 weeks of age and some smaller ones stay until after the 12th week.  Any Yorkie under 9 week of age should not be taken from its Mom.  Reputable breeders don't sell 6-8 week old puppies.  They will take deposits on puppies and hold them for you until their Yorkie Mommie says it is ok to let them go to a new home.

Activity:  The Yorkshire Terrier can have most of their needs met through indoor play, but they love a daily walk or romp in a fenced-in yard. Yorkshire Terriers are well suited to apartment life and love walking on a leash.

Health & Longevity:  Life Expectancy is about 12-15 years.  Yorkies are generally hardy and healthy and long-lived. Like many Toy breeds however, there is some incidence of hereditary/congenital disease in the form of patella luxation, open fontanellas, Perthe's disease and a smaller incidence of elongated soft palate and a tendency to collapsed trachea.    However, conscientious breeders only breed from sound, selected stock, and do their best to eliminate these defects. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that one buy only from a reputable breeder, and never purchase a puppy from a pet shop, flea market or 'puppy mill'.  A reputable breeder is happy to show the puppy in their home, allow you to view its' parents, and watch it interact with the family.  A reputable breeder will be available to offer support and education after the sale as well. To purchase a puppy from an unreliable source may invite future heartbreak (and huge vet's bills). 

Limited and Full Registration:  Puppies are sold with either limited (no breeding rights) or full registration (puppy may be bred or used for breeding).   Good breeders have their puppies checked several times from 7 weeks to time of sale, often as many as 4 vet visits.  If the Vet gives the puppy to total clean bill of health, good knees and has no other known issues the pup may be sold with full registration.  Some breeders wish to keep their lineage pure and ONLY sell limited registration.  If you buy from such a breeder please ensure you take your puppy to your own vet immediately while you still have time to make a return if something is wrong and "before" you are too attached to part with him/her.

On the other hand some puppies may have a small trait, not health threatening but which is not suitable for breeding and the breeder will sell that puppy with limited registration.  This is a part of being a reputable breeder.  These traits will usually not affect the long term health of the puppy or the puppy would not be sold.  The breeder should be willing to give you all the information as to why one puppy is sold without full AKC registration.  Ask !!   Also the price of the puppies could be substantially different according to registration.  If you are not interested in breeding and only wish a happy healthy pet, limited registration will not be an issue since you most likely be be spaying or neutering your new baby.

I admit I am a Yorkie Hoarder, watch out you could be too !