People say that good things come in small packages. This expression is especially true for describing Yorkshire Terriers. Nicknamed Yorkies, this lovable pet and show dog originated in Scotland, and its features were perfected in England. Initially, this breed was used to catch rats in clothing mills! But with evolution, Yorkies have become one of the most popular companion dogs.

Having a lifespan of 12-16 years along with a cheerful, energetic, and playful temperament, Yorkies can be the perfect friends for people who live alone. Additionally, under supervision, sensitive Yorkshire terrier puppies can learn to be friendly with children as well as other dogs; this is because they have a curious and loyal nature, and they thoroughly enjoy the company of humans and other animals. Growing up to 7-9 inches in height and weighing about 5-7 pounds as adult dogs, Yorkies are perfectly suited for crowded city life. These tiny dogs are one of American Kennel Club’s original breeds. It does not shed hair, is intelligent, and quite easy to train.

If you are interested in raising these lapdogs, you can find Yorkies for sale at many breeders and kennels all over the country. Log on to any of these websites: www.puppyfinder.com, www.lancasterpuppies.com, www.sweetyorkiekisses.com, www.dakotacountrykennels.com or The American Kennel Club’s website at www.akc.org and search for Yorkshire Terrier puppies or Yorkies on sale to find registered litters. This very popular dog breed has an entire website dedicated to it, the www.theyorkshireterrierclubofamerica.org. There is a wealth of information about this breed along with information about Yorkies for sale across the country.

However, if you don’t wish to purchase a Yorkie on sale, you can find adoption options for this breed’s puppies and adult dogs at the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America at YorkRescue@aol.com, and at Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue (ytnr@yorkierescue.com), where you can find Yorkshire Terriers that have been saved from danger or distressing circumstances and given a new lease of life. So if you truly care and want to adopt a Yorkie puppy or an adult dog, and are not particular about its age or other handicaps that the animal might have, then these are the websites where you can conduct some research and learn more about them. It is fulfilling and heartwarming to relocate Yorkies found in distressing situations and health conditions. You can provide them with a new home where they can find love and affection.

There is nothing that can melt your heart more than the eyes of a Shih Tzu. You can describe a Shih Tzu in many ways — furball, spunky, proud, polite, alert, stubborn, playful, lively — the list is just endless. Shih Tzus are loyal companions. They can live up to 12 years and will adapt to your new home without much difficulty. Shih Tzu puppies need to be cleaned and bathed more frequently as they are likely to soil themselves. Use a shampoo specially formulated for this breed and dry them with a soft towel. You also need to brush their coat regularly to avoid any tangles. With their long and soft double coat, Shih Tzu puppies are perfect to test your hair styling skills. Their nails have to be cut, and their teeth have to be brushed regularly. As Shih Tzu puppies are friendly, you can walk them because they need the exercise. It is very safe to allow them to play with children. They don’t shed much, and hence, are safe pets for people with allergies. However, you require a lot of accessories to care for a Shih Tzu puppy.

• Food and water bowls: Feed them the same food that they are used to at the breeders and gradually change to a new routine.
• Collar and leash or breathable harness: A 6-foot leash or a retractable leash are perfect to keep these pets at the right and safe distance. It can be harmful to use a collar in the long term as the Shih Tzu is a small dog. It can develop breathing difficulties too. Harnesses are a much better option right from the start.
• Comb and brush: Use a two-level toothed steel comb and bristled brush to detangle its fur.
• Bows, ribbons, and clips: With such a lovely coat, you can beautify a Shih Tzu puppy with new styles. Use colorful bows, ribbons, and clips to accentuate their coat and color.
• Playpens and bed: Shih Tzu puppies respond well to having their own space where they keep their toys and beds. A foam mattress in the playpen is a must as these pups spend more than 14-15 hours a day resting and sleeping.
• Toys: Pups need teething and chewing toys as they grow.
• Car Seat: Make sure you have a car seat that can hook to the Shih Tzu pup’s harness.

Along with these things, keep a first aid kit for pets, and you are ready to welcome your little lion dog home.

For some people, pets are an invaluable part of their lives. So, spending on a pet insurance policy premium not just mandatory, but it is non-negotiable too. Pet insurance covers accidents or injuries, illnesses, genetic conditions, as well as emergency care and treatment for your pets. If you pay an additional premium, it also includes routine care for their overall wellness. However, as roughly 68% of the American population owns different kinds of pets, the market for pet insurance is crowded with many players who offer similar types of policies. It is normal to be confused in such a situation. To clear your confusion, here are two of the best pet insurance companies of 2018 that you can consider.

With no caps on payouts, this pet insurance company ensures that the best quality of treatment options are available for your cherished pets in an accident, emergency, or when a sudden health condition crops up. They are appreciated for providing the best customer service in the pet insurance industry, and they have annual deductible levels varying between $100, $250, $500 or $750. The friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful staff at Healthy Paws help passionate pet owners manage their insurance claims online as well. Quick responses to requests for clarifications, prompt processing of claims, and reimbursement of payments based on the actual veterinary bill, all done with the utmost care and concern for your pets makes Healthy Paws an outstanding pet insurance company.

Figo Pet Insurance is a relatively new player in the pet insurance market. It takes the second spot in our list of the best pet insurance companies of 2018. They provide providing extensive coverage that includes examination costs related to accidents or illnesses. Their insurance packages also waive copays and deductibles for lifesaving care in an emergency situation. Figo Pet Insurance is well known for their quick repayment of expenses as well as the short waiting periods before the insurance coverage starts. Figo deserves the credit for being the first in the pet insurance industry to provide quick access to medical records with the Pet Cloud option.

Fish, cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, horses, hamsters, and reptiles, whatever species of pets you own, ensure that you have pet insurance coverage for them. If you have a good pet insurance plan, you enjoy peace of mind knowing that your beloved pets are well protected at all times.

While adopting a puppy can be an exciting thought, take some time to consider the following factors before making this life-altering decision.

• You need to give some serious consideration to numerous factors before bringing home a lovable puppy. Do all members of your family approve of it? While only one person might be the primary caretaker who takes care of the puppy’s needs, other family members must not object to having a puppy around. The average lifespan of a dog can be anywhere between 10-15 years. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the animal to have the acceptance of all family members who will welcome the puppy wholeheartedly.
• What size would your puppy grow up to be when it becomes an adult dog? Depending on the size of your house, you must adopt a puppy that will find it comfortable to live in the same space as you. Confining a large breed dog in a tiny house would not be fair to the animal, and might result in the puppy developing emotional or physical disorders over time.
• Adopting puppies means that you select a puppy from a reliable pet shelter, and not pay money to pet store owners or ruthless breeders to bring home a pet. Be noble and act unselfishly by choosing to provide a healthy, happy life to a puppy from your local shelter.
• Raising a puppy requires time. Do you have the time to get a new puppy acclimatized to your home environment? Can you trim nails and bathe a puppy, give it nutritious food, take it for walks or to the veterinarian at regular intervals?
• Can you give the attention that a puppy requires for its entire lifetime? Are you emotionally equipped and responsible enough to establish rules around the house, socialize the puppy with other pets or children you might already have at home, train and take it for exercises every day, and deal with any emergency situations that your puppy might be involved in, because these would not just require time but loads of patience as well.
• You have to think about your budget while adopting a puppy. Providing a hygienic space to live, healthy food and clean water to consume, and routine vaccinations do require money. Apart from these things, you will also have to spend on dog tags, collars, leashes, crates, beds, toys, and more.

Be compassionate and put the animals first when you make up your mind about adopting puppies.

PetSmart is a one-stop destination favored by most pet parents because they offer above par products and services as compared to other competitors. Besides, PetSmart also offers discounts, deals, and coupons that help with making affordable purchases all year round. It is not possible for one to keep shopping only during the discount season or only when a product is available for sale. However, PetSmart is very accommodative of its customers’ needs. Here are some of the best ways in which you can save big on your PetSmart shopping, especially through coupons for their exclusive PetSmart grooming products:

Sign up for their rewards card program
Although cash transactions are easier to carry out, certain reward cards can get you the best offers in town. You can redeem the reward points that you collect for direct discounts or redeem them for offers. If you’re lucky, you can redeem them to get PetSmart grooming coupons.

Save big at PetSmart by signing up for Petperks
By signing up with the PetSmart store, you not only get alerts and notifications on the latest or scheduled sales and offers, but you also get different types of exclusive PetSmart coupons such as PetSmart treats coupons, PetSmart grooming coupons, PetSmart toys discount coupons, etc.

Birthday discounts
Given that PetSmart is a very customer friendly store, they provide exclusive pet birthday offers and discounts, wherein as a Petperks member, you receive a special offer on grooming or other services on that special day to celebrate.

Use the internet
Getting your hands on any coupon, even hard-to-find PetSmart grooming coupons, is quite easy today due to the advent of technology. All that a customer has to do is sign up for PetSmart’s exclusive store membership called Petperks. Another method is looking for free coupons on both the manufacturer’s website as well as other third-party coupon websites.

Coupons from competitor brands
Did you know that PetSmart also accepts its competitor’s coupons?  Get your hands on PetCo coupons and take them to PetSmart for redemption. While there are some eligibility requirements to validate these coupons, as long as the pricing is a competitive and the sale season isn’t on, you could easily get a discount at PetSmart.

One of the easiest ways that all of us can surf for PetSmart coupons, even PetSmart grooming coupons, is by keeping tabs on all PetSmart social media handles, especially Facebook.

Of all the dog breeds in the world, the ever-energetic Chihuahua breed has a mysterious history. This breed weighs a maximum of 6.5 pounds and stands about 15 cm tall. Chihuahuas derive their name from a Mexican state of the same name where the dog was found somewhere around the early 18th century. Some historians say that this breed was tamed by the Aztecs or the Incas, while others say that they can be traced to the league of Spanish dogs, going as far as the early 15th century. The first Chihuahuas stepped into our country in the early 19th century. It is intriguing to note that the first public appearance of this dog was in 1890 when the President of Mexico presented the dog (concealed in a bouquet) to opera singer Adelina Patti. It is also interesting to note that there are myriad theories of origin for this breed.

• They live for 14-18 years, and this is considered the longest lifespan for canines.
• They are one of the top three preferred breeds in our country.
• Regardless of its size, the breed is rather active as they are often excited and are forever ready to play.
• They are also becoming popular as service dogs. They act as therapy dogs and lead the blind. This breed is also very helpful for children with special needs
• They get along well with other animals, especially cats. There are endless videos of friendly moments between Chihuahua and cats. They could give serious friendship goals to humans.
• This breed has the highest number of cesarean births than any other dog breed. Chihuahua puppies have a large head compared to their body size which makes a normal delivery difficult.
• This breed is found to have a huge range of colors. They can be solid or two-toned or sometimes three-toned as well.
• They face the same problems as any other small sized breed. They are fragile and have to be treated with care at all times. Dog owners are required to take Chihuahuas for around 20 minutes of walk every day, and never more than twice a day. The leading causes of the death for this breed are cardiovascular diseases, trauma, and infection.

While the breed has an intriguing history, the fact remains that they need to be given adequate care, considering they are a small breed and susceptible to a lot of threats.

Millions of dogs are abandoned in animal shelters every year. Shelters open their doors to sick and rescued dogs. Committed volunteers and dog lovers associated with these shelters do their best to care for these pooches. Their biggest task, or rather their greatest challenge, is to find people who are willing to adopt these dogs and give them a new home. They take abundant precaution to ensure that the dogs or pups aren’t ill-treated or abandoned all over again. If you are a prospective adopter, you are likely to face a lot of questions. From your intention to your capability to raise a dog, a shelter will probe into all these aspects. Here are some questions that a dog shelter might ask you.

Why do you need a dog? Why do you want to adopt a dog instead of buying one?
The dogs could be with you for a long time, and the reason for your desire to adopt a dog should be more than just a whim or a passing “feel good” activity.

Can you afford a dog?
Taking care of a dog involves recurring expenses such as food, training, accessories, playpens, toys, vaccinations, and trips to the vet. Are you willing to pay for spaying and neutering the dog? Unless you can set aside some money for the dog every month, you could end up feeling like your pets are a burden.

Can you take care of the dog?
Most dogs demand and require constant attention. They need to be trained, walked, and taken for exercise regularly. If you do not show them some love or affection, they could end up developing behavioral issues.

Is your house dog ready?
Shelters can also inspect your house before allowing you to adopt a dog of your choice. A yard, a fence, or a separate playpen could be stipulations put down by shelters. You could even be asked to dog proof the house. A small dog can adjust to small places, but some breeds need yard space and fenced enclosures to keep them active and safe.

How committed are you?
Most shelters look at you as the dog’s owner for many years to come. Your willingness to take the dog with you in case you relocate will be checked. Your back up plan when you travel will be ascertained.

You need to be prepared for a detailed interview. Do your research and read about the shelters in your shortlist. These steps will help you choose the right dog, and you can welcome it into your home seamlessly.