Yetholme Yorkies

Below: Aust Ch Yetholme Kahluas Esperanza - 'Smudge'
In Dec 2014 we almost lost Smudge after being bitten
by a tiger snake. She spent more than a week in the vet hospital
receiving round-the-clock intensive care.
Fortunately, she made a good recovery
and returned to the vet hospital to express her thanks to the loving
and caring staff (pic below).

Sadly, six months later - as often happens after snake bites - Smudge
dropped dead from a fatal heart attack.
Hand-raised from eight days of age, adored, we've had some huge losses over the years
but this a real gut-wrencher.
RIP, beautiful Smudge.
**

Are you wishing for a yorkie?
Who could blame you!
Until you've been owned by a yorkie,
you have not known pure joy!
**

I cant imagine anyone not being
hooked on yorkies, but it's always fascinating to know how someone gets introduced and
besotted with a certain breed when there are just so many breeds in the dog world.

On this page we will be having contributions from people who have become just that - HOOKED!!!
YOUR submission is welcome!
**

Neither Jan or I can remember how we got to know one another. it must have been through the UKShowdogs
site. I have a griffon site which she joined as she has no griffons, and I was persuaded to join the ripplers
as I have no yorkies.

My only connection with the breed was through my neighbour Joan who had a yorkie rescue called Lulu who
had been debarked, against the law in UK. Lulu was a very sweet dog but quite unremarkable. If anybody
says that debarked dogs do not suffer, I would dispute that on the basis of her. she barked and barked,
and I am sure the fact that she could not hear herself made her bark more.

Until I saw the pictures of Jan's and other's dogs, I simply had no idea that yorkies could be so beautiful
and so sweet. I see them at shows sometimes and hate the whole business of the grooming and the little
red boxes. (Sorry Lyn). Did Jan influence me at all? Absolutely not! she only nagged and nagged and
educated me in yorkie ways and I shared all her joys and all her sadnesses. Especially in the tragic
circumstances of her dear Lulu, and shared the pleasure of her lovely pups.

So completely independently, apart from weekly nags, I tried to obtain a rescue. In December 2009 little
Izzie came to stay. I got her through one of the unoffical rescues who move the dogs from foster to foster.
Izzie had been found circling in the road and picked up by a dog warden. She is the sweetest little dog
imaginable. She was completely blind in one eye and gradually developed a loving trusting personality.
Unfortunately my dogs picked on her and I decided it would be kinder to rehome her yet again. She is
now with an elderly couple as only dog and seems content as far as I can discover.

Our first encounter with a Yorkshire terrier had been just over two years earlier. My husband & I had grown up with different
breeds of terriers and our children had grown up with Australian Terriers. When our much loved Aussie Terrier Algernon
passed away in February of 1998 just weeks short of his 16^th birthday a friend of my son’s asked if we would like to adopt
her six year old Yorkshire Terrier named Sandy as she felt she didn’t have the time to devote to Sandy to give her the quality
of life she deserved.

Sandy very quickly settled into our hearts & into our home. She was a petite Yorkie who came with her own wardrobe of hand
knitted jumpers & assorted toys. While she would not have won any ribbons for her beauty she had a very endearing nature.
She went from being an outdoor girl living in a backyard shed to having full run of the house, including sleeping on the beds.
She introduced us to games such as “throw the rope” & loved to show her appreciation by giving a high five with her paw when
we offered her the open palm of our hand. She loved nothing more than to be included in family activities and to settle on
someone’s lap after her evening meal.

Sadly one Saturday afternoon she was attacked by a neighbour’s dog while standing on the porch of our front door. Our
house is elevated & the front door is located on the side & we would often leave it open. The porch was a favoured spot for
both Algernon & Sandy who would enjoy the breese and the warmth of the afternoon sun. When Sandy started barking it
triggered an instinct in our neighbour’s dog. He broke through the gate to his property & raced up to our front porch grabbing
Sandy in his jaws. My son was seconds away & managed to prise Sandy from his grip. We raced her up to the vet but her
injuries were too great. The vet must have known she would not survive as he allowed us to stay with her until she passed
away. Another lady who was at the vets with her dog which was giving birth to a litter of puppies very kindly offered to give
us one of the pups when it was ready to leave its Mum but we declined as we were most definitely “hooked on Yorkies”.

I know the general advice is to wait to fully grieve the loss of a pet, but maybe because of the way Sandy lost her life our
sense of grief & loss was overwhelming and we started to search the following day. We found Jan who had a half brother &
sister ready for a new home & we decided to adopt both. Sam & Bonnie are both beautiful looking dogs but are as different as
chalk & cheese. Sam is on the larger size for a Yorkie & has an irrepressible character which is true to his kennel name
“Wild Desire”. Bonnie on the other hand like Sandy is petite & far more demure “a proper little Madame”.

It was late May of 2000 when my family & I first met the two Yorkshire Terriers that are still a part of our family today. Early on
a Sunday afternoon my husband & I & son & daughter met the breeder of our Yorkies Jan at the picturesque town of
Mount Victoria in the Blue Mountains. As Jan introduced us to Sam aged 9 months & Bonnie aged 4 months snow clouds
started to form to the south. Jan returned home to Yetholme but my family & I stayed at Mount Victoria to become acquainted
with our new family members. Later in the afternoon as we were playing with Sam & Bonnie snow began to fall & settle on
the ground capping off a perfect day.

My son & I enrolled Sam & Bonnie in puppy school at Centennial Park in Sydney. Sam & I spent most of our time in the
naughty spot in the middle of the class circle while all the other dogs did their routine. The trainer made it perfectly clear
it is not the dog at fault but the owner, but I never managed to succeed in persuading Sam that to be a well behaved dog he
needed to be at least civil to other dogs. As Bonnie is petite she spent most of her time with her underbelly being wet from
the dew on the ground. As summer rolled on long walks along the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk became the norm where one
of the regulars dubbed Sam the "Bronte Beast". In spite of his top dog persona while out & about he really is a big softie at
home. He’s very loyal & affectionate to his immediate pack members & enjoys his cuddles just as much as Bonnie does.
Bonnie is a real sweetie & very much the boss at home. One of our fondest memories is of coming home one day when they
were still quite young & as we had left the bathroom door open finding toilet paper strewn from one end of the house to the
other. We presume they were partners in crime & smiled at the thought of the fun they must have had.

They've grown older and have reached the status of senior citizens in doggy years. Sam spends a good part of his day sleeping
but still enjoys his walks. Bonnie is more active & involved in her world & still enjoys a game of “throw the rope” just as Sandy did.
However old they grow they will always be our beautiful Yorkie babies & very much loved members of our pack.
**

This is from Liz in South Africa, from the well-known Hlala Yorkies. Many thanks, Liz.

The first Yorkie I ever met belonged to friends of mine - his name was Percy, and he was hell on wheels - or 4 legs! He had beautiful colour, was
quite small, as I remember, and never let anyone forget who was boss in the house! They came to visit us once and Percy was with them. We had
Bouviers in those days - about 6 of them - they were non-aggressive dogs and used to my parents' Chi's, orphan lambs, pet squirrels, etc., etc., so I
told them they were welcome to bring Percy in as the Bouvs wouldn't hurt him. His owner's reply to that was, "It's what he'll do to the Bouvs that
worries me!" So Percy had to stay in the car - and furious he was about it too!

Years later, with most of the Bouvs gone, I felt the need for a surrogate child and thought of a Yorkie. They were like hen's teeth here in those days
and I very nearly settled for a little fluffy white Maltese Poodle (a non-registered SA breed which was all the fashion but now dying out, it seems).
Within a week of rejecting the MP I heard of a Yorkie, but missed it, then fate stepped in - had left my name with the breeder and she had a cancellation
and I got Mouse. I've had special dogs all my life - very special - and cats and horses, etc., etc., but this little elf was a whole new experience. I was
utterly enchanted! Was dairy farming in those days and had to be on the job by 4.30 am and she wasn't going to be left at home and would turn out with
me in the dark and trot next to my foot, like a little mouse, to the dairy. My employers were very anti-dog but she had them eating out of her hand in no
time - as the boss' wife said, "She's so joyful!" Had never thought of showing but felt the world couldn't miss seeing this enchantress and was, of course,
very disappointed that she did not go BIS at her first show!! She hated showing! She went everywhere with me - cattle sales, shopping, polo, etc. When
she got the red ribbon in her hair it was a sensation in a farming community, and when eventually I was brave enough to let her have puppies I was
asked if she was going to give birth with the red ribbon in her hair!! Of all the Yorkies I have had, and that's a lot, Mouse, and the enchanting daughter
she gave me, Wisp, who became even more my soul mate, remain the most precious.

Here is our first contributor, Ronelle from the beautiful south coast of NSW....
Ronelle was 'owned' by Yetholme Baby Bits....

TO OWN A YORKIE....

It wasn't just the ribbon in her silky hair, or her cute button nose,
or even the shining dark eyes that looked adoringly at me. Nor was it
the tiny feet that peeped out from under her long sleek coat or the
pert manner of her walk.   No–– It was her smile!

      This tiny 20 cm. high rascal actually smiled at me. I had no
idea dogs could smile. Here I was, standing in the middle of a busy
Mall in Brussels obstructing busy shoppers, whilst bending down
smiling at this miniature canine, who, to my utter disbelief, smiled
back. Totally fascinated I asked her owner how long the puppy had
been doing this.

"Oh, Vivian has been smiling and greeting people since she was about
eight months old." I was told.

I knelt and stroked her silky coat and tickled her behind her ears.
Vivian responded with a gentle lick on my hand and then looked up at
her owner to see if she approved. As there was no reprimand, her body
began to wag from the tail up and the licking became more intense, to
be followed by a few delighted yaps.

"That will do, Vivian," chastised her owner.

Vivian stopped yapping immediately and once again looked up adoringly
at her owner. In our brief meeting I discovered that this captivating
little animal was three years-old, obedient– to a point, playful,
fussy with her food and simply loved attention. Walks along the busy
Brussels' streets and perhaps a romp in the park were a real treat,
while the chase and retrieval of a small rubber ball sent her into
blissful rapture. Vivian's heaven was made up of a plate of baked
chicken pieces, a squeaky ball, the pigeons that she almost caught in
the park and, of course, the numerous cuddles and obvious love she
received from her owner. The attention she got from passing
strangers, when she smiled, also ranked high on her list of
pleasantries.

Before I could ask the most important question of all, Vivian and her
owner bade me farewell. They were on their way to Nanna's place, a
weekly event not to be missed. As soon as the two turned down a
certain street, Vivian knew where they were going. There would be a
small dish of chicken pieces waiting, not to mention the hugs and
cuddles as soon as they were let in the front door. Nanna was a
favourite member of the family.

A lover of all things small and cuddly, particularly dogs, I hadn't
asked what breed Vivian was. On my return to Australia in 1978, the
first thing I did was to consult a large picture book displaying 'Toy
Breeds'. On page 28 there she was–a Vivian dog! Vivian was a
Yorkshire Terrier– 'Yorkie', for short.

Within three months of that eventful meeting in Brussels, I
introduced eight-weeks-old, Yorkie puppy, Suzie, to my family. Super
intelligent, independent, boisterous and courageous, Suzie lived with
us for 16 years. She was just as beautiful in appearance as Vivian;
long flowing silken hair that swept along the ground, her alert ears
standing upright, her sparkling eyes ever watchful for something to
chase. To my utmost delight, this little Yorkie was a smiler, in fact
she could smile on demand, which kept our visitors amused and in
stitches most of the time. Although she had a mind of her own, Suzie
loved nothing better than to be petted and caressed. She idolized
every member of the family and would join the children in whatever
mischief they got into, making herself scarce when the scoldings
were being handed out. To the utmost grief and distress of the
family, Suzie died of tick poisoning, unable to be saved by our local
vet.

Our second Yorkie, 'Buttons', was as different in personality to
Suzie as you could ever imagine. Quiet, gentle and loving, she was a
real home girl. Extremely polite and gracious with visitors, she
quickly became a favourite. She had the happy knack of making
everyone feel special.       Buttons had an extraordinary
characteristic that not many Yorkies display. She did not like to be
soiled in any way– in fact she would actually stand in front of the
laundry sink demanding to be bathed, if she felt she needed it.
Whether it was the extra attention she always got after a bath when
everyone told her she looked pretty, or whether she just loved the
soapy massaging and towel drying that followed, or whether it was the
sense of being clean that just made her feel better, I will never
know. This little Yorkie lived with us for thirteen years before
passing, and holds a special place in my heart. She was loved with
the deepest affection by all.

Now, turning one year-old 'Babe' has become a member of the family.
As cute and as beautiful as she is, Babe is a real athlete. She
adores to run along the beach close to our home. She plays in the
shallows and chases the occasional seagull, while at home she
contents herself with chasing lizards in the garden. She is oblivious
of her small size and is ever eager for adventure. The Great Dane and
Bull Mastiff she meets along the beach pose no real threat and she
would readily stand her ground if it weren't for her owner who swoops
her up, suppressing a potential heart attack .
Babe has above average intelligence and needs to be shown a new
discipline once only. She learnt very early that begging seldom fails
to be rewarded, and uses this technique to receive not only tid-bits
of loved delicacies, but that it also increases her chances for going
for a walk, or a ride in the bike basket or in dad's kayak. Like the
other two,Babe is absolutely adored, and the love that we give her,
is given back ten-fold.

If I could create a literary image of a Yorkie, I would have to
include all of the following:- Clever, brave, loyal, loving,
sometimes aggressive, independent at times, sassy. Beautiful when
groomed (and knows it) hectic and wild-looking if not. Has a sense of
presence and self importance, willing, if not anxious to please.
Affectionate, affectionate, affectionate.

Once a Yorkie owner–always a Yorkie owner. Its love at first sight!

Ronelle's Book: "ENCOUNTER" by Ronelle Smith, is available through A & Robertson or Dymocks Book Stores, or by
contacting Ronelle by email; At
<[email protected]> as we have copies available. Cost of book is $24.95. For more detailed information
about "ENCOUNTER" please visit the web site:-

www.ronellesmith.com

The manuscript for the second book in the series of five books, "ENCOUNTER - the quest" is currently with Ronelle's
Literary Agent in New York who is negotiating with a publisher in the US. Meanwhile Ronelle is half way through writing
book 3; "ENCOUNTER - the challenge" at this time. The whole series traces the development and adventures of
Jonathon Newman-Smith, from age Thirteen in Book 1 to his late twenties or early thirties in Book 5. Ronelle hopes
to publish a book every 12 to 18 months ( Book 1 launched in December 2007).

Hooked on Yorkies???