with VICKI EDWARDS
I do not normally feed supplements. 6. Where do you whelp your bitches? Bitches are whelped in a large plastic oval whelping “box” in our den. It is oval so there are no corners and can be cleaned easily. For the first sev- eral weeks mom and babies are kept in our bedroom on my side of the bed for quick access. Then moved into the den or the kitchen. 7. How and when do you deter- mine a show quality puppy? Yorkies are a difficult as they go thru so many changes from birth to adult, from coat texture to coat color. There is usually a puppy I am drawn to shortly after birth. I want to see short backs with length of leg and neck to match to make a balanced dog. Things can change quickly when grow- ing, but that’s what I start out with. I like to see them around three to five weeks of age interacting with litter mates and their dam and that will help me to see how outgoing they are. At four to five months I usually know who my pick puppy is but will usually hold onto them for several more months just to be sure. I have to know that the topline is very level and the mouth is good. Toplines are not forgiving and if you don’t have structure and a level topline it will haunt you in your future breedings. You can hard stack almost anything to look good but on the floor moving tells all. 8. At what age do you begin train- ing? Please share training tips. Puppies at our house are rare as we just don’t breed that often. They get played with and cuddled from day one, and are taught early on about watching us for a cookie. At three to four months they are playing on a lead and learning about stacking. They drag a lead around while being supervised and I pick it up to let them get the feel on their neck. I never push things while they are teething. At four to five months they are usually walking on a lead like they have done it all their lives. 9. Do you thing your current standard is adequate? If not, what changes would improve it? Several years ago a DQ was add- ed to our standard that has caused
confusion. Currently a committee within our Parent club is working on a proposed revision that will make it clearer that the DQ applies to off colors, not normal variations in color that is described in our standard. I do have concerns as to how our standard as far as color of the blue and of the tan, as well as texture is interpreted. Black is not blue, and silk will always feel cool to the touch. 10. What is the great health con- cern to breeders today? Our Parent club is suggesting that members become involved with the CHIC program and we are currently doing the CERF and Patella exams, along with being chipped. Liver shunt to me has always been a very big health concern. PLE is being brought to our attention more and more also. 11. Is dental care important? Explain Dental care is very important in the small breeds with smaller teeth. Tarter on teeth can lead to a multi- tude of issues, including heart, and kidney problems. Not to mention losing teeth early when gum disease gets involved. 12. What do you enjoy most about owning this breed? We enjoy the companionship, and the challenge of training and compet- ing at shows. 13. What grooming tips or hints would you like to share? Start grooming early and teaching puppies about a brush, comb, baths and dryers. With Yorkies we wrap coats and band. So that needs to be learned as early as feasible. 14. What makes this breed a great show dogs as well as a companion? Our dogs love to be in the ring and showing off. Attitude is impor- tant and the need to want to be in the ring. It’s a win-win situation when the dog loves to show and then come home to enjoy an evening of TV with you on the sofa. 15. What tips or advice would you offer the newcomer? Find a competent breeder that shows regularly or a known breeder that has retired from the show ring,
1. When and where did you first become interested in your breed? I have always loved animals and when I was young I would sit and look at the pictures of the Yorkies in the world book Encyclopedia and told my parents one day I wanted to have one. I loved the silky, shiny coat that just glistened in the pictures. Back then, I fully expected to own a Yorkie, I never expected to be breeding and exhibiting them. But what a wonderful trip it has been so far! 2. What attracted you to the breed? What attracted me to the Yorkie was their air of self-importance, their atti- tude, and what a personality! 3. Do you inbreed, linebreed or outcross? Why? It depends on what I am trying to accomplish in any particular breeding, and what I might be trying to avoid. At some point in the almost 25 years of breeding we have inbred, line bred and out crossed. I will try inbreeding or line breeding if there is a particular thing I am trying to continue in a breeding and out crossing to bring in a trait that I would like to enhance in my bitch or hope to bring in all together. 4. How do you house your dogs? (together, separate, runs or pens) During the day I am home so they are in the kitchen area. At night they are in playpens. We have a very large deck and dogs are on one side, bitches are on the other and there is a separate play area for puppies. 5. Do you feed supplements?
T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2017 • 81
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