Wendi's Woof

Ask ten owners how much they feed their dog, and most will answer with a scoop, a handful or "whatever the bag says." But a feeding guide on a bag is an average, and your dog isn't one. Activity, age, metabolism, neutering status and even the treats you hand out all change how much they need.

More than half of dogs in many countries are now overweight, which shortens lives and strains joints, hearts and breathing. This guide shows you how to find a sensible starting portion and how to adjust it based on what you actually see.

Kneading is the slow, serious paw-press cats do on a blanket, a lap, or a person who was trying to read. Owners call it making biscuits. The cat calls it correct. She is not sharpening knives for sport, and she is not copying a dog who digs the bed, though the family resemblance fools people.

Most kneading is comfort. Some of it hurts. A little of it is a medical clue wearing a cute name.

Walking a dog who pulls is tiring for your arm and miserable for both of you. The good news: pulling isn't stubbornness. It's a habit, because it works. Every time your dog drags you toward a smell and you follow, they learn that pulling gets them where they want to go.

Loose-leash walking is simply teaching your dog that a slack lead gets them what they want, and a tight one doesn't. This guide covers the equipment, the method and the problems you're likely to meet.

The rust-coloured tracks under a Yorkshire Terrier's eyes are tear stains. They are common on light faces, easy to stain further if you clean them badly, and sometimes a sign that the eye is irritated rather than just "how Yorkies look."

The brown is not dirt. It is porphyrin, a pigment in tears and saliva that oxidises on the hair. This guide covers why it happens, how to clean it without making the skin worse, and when it needs a vet instead of a wipe.

A cat who suddenly starts going outside the litter box isn't being spiteful. Cats don't have revenge plans. They're telling you something is wrong, whether it's pain, stress or a box they no longer want to use. It's one of the most common reasons cats are given up, which makes solving it kindly and quickly all the more important.

This guide helps you work through the causes in the right order and get your cat back on track.

Most pet emergencies don't happen at 2 p.m. on a weekday with the vet's door open. They happen at night, on a walk, or on a bank holiday, when you're worried and the nearest clinic is a long drive away. A small, well-organised first-aid kit won't replace a vet, but it can help you stabilise your pet, clean a minor wound, or get through the journey safely.

This guide lists what to include, what to avoid, and how to use the kit sensibly.

Hypoglycemia — low blood sugar — is one of the genuine emergencies a Yorkshire Terrier puppy can have. A dog who weighs two pounds has almost no energy reserve. Miss a meal, add a cold room or a long play session, and she can go from bright to wobbly in minutes.

Adult Yorkies are less fragile, but very small adults, seniors who skip meals, and any Yorkie who is ill can still crash. This guide covers the signs, how to prevent it, and what to do on the way to the vet.

For walks, a well-fitted harness is generally a good choice for a Yorkshire Terrier because it reduces direct lead pressure on the neck. Yorkies can be prone to tracheal collapse, but a cough has several possible causes and should be assessed by a vet.

A flat collar is still useful at home for an ID tag. It should not be the thing you attach a lead to.

How long a Yorkie can comfortably stay alone depends on age, health, toilet needs, and experience. If your work or caring responsibilities keep you away, a suitable walker, sitter, or trusted helper can make a workable routine possible.

This guide covers realistic time limits by age, what to set up before you leave, and the difference between a bored Yorkie and one with separation anxiety.

Toilet training takes time, and a small dog may need frequent opportunities to get it right. Age, health, previous experience, and the household routine all matter. A missed accident is a chance to adjust the plan, rather than a reason to blame the dog or yourself.

The good news is that the method is straightforward. What it demands is frequency and consistency rather than cleverness.

Yorkshire Terriers shed very little, and that's genuinely unusual among dogs. Their fine, single-layer coat has a growth cycle that allows long hair and tends to produce less noticeable shedding. “Hair” and “fur” describe the same type of structure; the growth cycle is the useful distinction.

What that does not mean is that Yorkies are hypoallergenic. No dog is, and the distinction matters a great deal if someone in your home has allergies.

Yorkshire Terriers are generally considered senior from around eight years old, though many are still bouncing off the furniture well past ten. With a typical lifespan of 13 to 16 years, a Yorkie can spend nearly half her life in her senior years, which makes this stage worth planning for rather than reacting to.

Most of what changes is gradual and easy to miss. This guide covers what to adjust in her diet, home, exercise and vet routine, and which changes are normal ageing versus a reason to call the vet.

The short answer is around 30 minutes a day, usually split into two walks. The useful answer is more complicated, because a four-pound dog with a delicate windpipe and a tendency towards kneecap problems has real limits that a Labrador doesn't.

This guide covers how much is right at each age, why over-exercising a puppy causes lasting damage, indoor options for bad weather, and the temperature limits that genuinely matter for a dog this small.

Yorkshire Terriers were bred to hunt rats in Victorian mills and to tell their owners about it. Alerting you loudly to things is not a flaw in the breed, it's the job description. That doesn't mean you have to live with constant noise.

The important thing is that there's no single fix, because there's no single cause. Barking at the window is a different problem from barking when you pick up your keys, and the treatment that solves one makes the other worse. This guide helps you work out which type you're dealing with first.

Dental disease is the most common health problem in Yorkshire Terriers, and it's also the most preventable. Most small dogs show signs of periodontal disease by the age of three, and Yorkies are worse affected than most because forty-two adult teeth have to fit into a jaw the size of your thumb.

Crowded teeth trap food and plaque, and plaque hardens into tartar within days. This guide covers how to brush her teeth properly, what actually helps between brushings, and the warning signs that need a vet.

Yorkshire Terriers have a fine coat with a long growth phase and relatively little shedding. Regular gentle grooming helps prevent tangles. Tight mats close to the skin should be assessed by a groomer rather than cut out at home.

The good news is that most of the work is simple once you have the right tools. This guide covers daily brushing, bathing, trimming, nails, and how to tie a proper topknot.

Fireworks combine sudden noise, vibration, flashes, and an unpredictable pattern—a difficult mix for an animal with sensitive hearing and no way to understand when it will end. A frightened dog may pant, tremble, hide, pace, bark, refuse food, or try to escape.

The best plan starts before the first explosion. Safety and management come first; training helps over time; and severe noise fear deserves veterinary treatment rather than a test of endurance.

Bringing home a Yorkshire Terrier puppy is wonderful, slightly chaotic, and over before you've had time to take it all in. Yorkies are tiny — many weigh under two pounds when they arrive — so the first few weeks need a bit more care than they would with a larger breed.

This checklist covers what to buy, how to prepare your home, what to feed, when to see the vet, and the Yorkie-specific health signs every new owner should recognise.

Most advice about feeding Yorkies focuses on what you shouldn't give them, which leaves a lot of owners nervous about sharing anything at all. Plenty of everyday foods are perfectly safe for a Yorkshire Terrier in small amounts, and some are genuinely good for her.

This guide covers fifteen human foods you can share, how much is appropriate for a four-to-seven pound dog, and how to prepare each one safely.

It’s important to make sure that your Yorkshire Terrier is getting the right nutrition. While there are a variety of food options available, there are some that should be avoided. Here are a few foods to avoid when feeding your Yorkshire Terrier:

Dogs eat grass for several ordinary reasons: they like the taste, enjoy the texture, are bored, or have learned that grazing gets a reaction from their owner. It does not automatically mean a dog is ill, missing a nutrient, or trying to make herself vomit.

Most occasional grass eating is harmless. The useful question is not simply does she eat grass? but how often, how urgently, and what else is happening?