For the love of Yorkshire Terrier
Welcome to Xigera Kennels!
We are a boutique kennel situated on the banks of the Vaal River, Gauteng, SOUTH AFRICA. Our love affair with Yorkshire Terriers started in 1998 and has continued ever since. Their gorgeous features, animated personalities, and total disregard for size and consequence, had us captured from the first introduction. We have been owned by many puppies since then and started our own responsible breeding programme for betterment of the breed.
All our Yorkies are home-spoilt and our kennel composition is of the highest standard.
Nutrition is vital and our canines dine on human-grade breed appropriate foods. Healthy treats and vitamin and mineral supplements keep them in beautiful condition with healthy, shiny coats and clear bright eyes.
Our local veterinary clinic is our medical partner and is on 24-hour standby to assist with any medical emergencies and has helped with best advice and cures for any ailments. Our Yorkies are all screened for any hereditary diseases and regular vaccination and de-worming is done to ensure that our kennel is disease-free.
LOOKING TO START A LIFELONG LOVE-AFFAIR WITH YORKSHIRE TERRIERS?
We aim to improve every litter and will breed only after careful consideration and selection to achieve excellent health, structure and temperament in our Yorkies. This continued practice confirms our kennel integrity.
We occasionally have puppies available for adoption as pets to qualified homes on application. Puppies are KUSA registered and micro-chipped. All are screened to be disease-free, with up to date inoculations and de-worming and new owners will sign an adoption agreement.
Puppies leave to their new adoptive homes between 10 and 12 weeks of age with a gorgeous goody bag.
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We are expecting our next litters early in 2012.
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Some useful information
The Yorkshire Terrier
History
The Yorkshire Terrier didn't begin as the fashionable and glamorous breed that they are today. They are a combination of so-called terrier breeds evolving from various terrier breeds. To best knowledge they think the Yorkshire was a crossbreed forming for the Waterside Terrier, Manchester Terrier, and Paisley Terrier. It got this name from all this taking place in Yorkshire, England.
In 1873, the kennel Club of England was formed. The Yorkshire Terrier joined the 40 selected Non-Sporting breeds under the name of Broken-Haired Scotch and Yorkshire Terriers. In the late 19th century the Yorkie made its popularity to the United States. Since then is has remained one of the most desired breeds. It is also the most registered breed in South Africa.
Temperament
Although the Yorkshire Terrier is a small toy breed best know for his beautiful silky coat and spunky character, there are a lot of great things that make this breed so popular. The Yorkie is a fearless watchdog. They have a great sense of hearing and can usually hear someone coming long before they get to the door. The Yorkshire seems unaware of his small size. They are devoted to their owners. Most will prefer to share your bed if you allow. Full of energy they can keep up with children. Because of their small size they might need more supervision with smaller children. They are eager to play and get into any trouble they might find. They have a mind of their own and this feisty, sweet little dog doesn't like to do anything he makes up his mind not to do! Even though is breed categorized as a toy there is still a lot of terrier left in them. They like to be busy, inquisitive, and bold. They can be aggressive towards animals so it is always a good idea to introduce with caution. While a toy, and at various times a greatly pampered one, the Yorkshire is a spirited dog that definitely shows its inner personality.
Health Problems
Concerns in health might be Portosystemic Shunt, collapsing tracheas, Legg Perthes disease, patellar luxation and occasionally seen Progressive Retinal Atrophy. It is important to keep them current on immunizations and teeth cleanings. Because of their size they can be susceptible to fragile bones. High falls or jumps can lead to problems with joints.
Grooming
The positive part of a Yorkie's hair is that they do not shed. Although Yorkie puppies do not need much grooming at first it is a good idea to start young so they can become accustomed to it. It may take up to 6 months for the Yorkie puppies to grow long hair and as it is groomed it becomes a silky, straighter hair. It can take a lot of time to brush and groom this breed. If you are not showing this them there are various pet trims available for Yorkshires. It is not uncommon for the Yorkie to be sporting a Westie trim. This is the same trim that is very common for the West Highland White Terrier. To keep the coat smooth and clean you need to brush them almost daily. On the upside they don't need to be cut as often as some other toy breeds such as the Poodle. If showing a Yorkshire Terriers it is a good idea to keep the coat oiled. The oil keeps the hair coated and protected, and also prevents matting. Groomers can suggest what might work best on your individual dog. Probably the main concern for maintaining a Yorkie's coat is keeping it from getting matted. When bathing it is important to use a conditioner or at least a moisturizing shampoo made for dogs. You should plan on bathing around once a week but this really just depends on the environment in which they are kept. Companion Yorkies often wear their coats shorter for easier up keeping.
Exercise
Yorkies are adventurous little dogs. They do not require a lot of exercise but do enjoy going on walks. The need plenty of attention and playtime is a great way to exercise these small dogs. They love room to run but might need to stay in a restrained area with so many hazards available to such a tiny animal. Being such a popular breed it is best to always keep these dogs within sight. A lot of dog owners have toy breeds that never get them returned if lost or stolen. It is always a good idea to keep various toys around for them to play with. They will mostly enjoy any game that interacts with their owners.
Training
Yorkshire Terriers are very intelligent, but they can also be a little stubborn. Keeping the training happy and fun it a great way to get through to the Yorkies. They may tend to get bored and it is important to make it a fun, positive experience for them. One way to teaching your Yorkie new tricks is by holding a small treat in your hand. Treats and lots of praise tend to work well with Yorkies. It also helps to have a good sense of humor because they will try to "outsmart" you. If starting with a puppy, Puppy Kindergarten is a great way to go. Not only does this help them to learn new things but also owners might learn the best ways to deal with their dog's individual personalities. Also another positive of Puppy Kindergarten is the social aspect. This teaches your new puppy at a very young age how to socialize with other dogs. This will help them in the future to be less aggressive towards new dogs or environments.
Because these dogs love to run and play it is important to keep them on a leash or within a closed off area where they cannot escape. Because of the popularity of this breed the chances of having them returned if lost is decreased. It is also a great idea to have them micro chipped for extra safety.
Source: www.terrificpets.com
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The Biewer Terrier
We were recently introduced to Biewer Yorkshire Terriers and we are most excited by their unique beauty and loving personalities.
We hope to introduce this exquisite breed into our kennel soon.
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The Biewer (pronounced Bee-vair) Terrier, is a rare breed of toy dog whose origin began in Germany.
History
Mr. and Mrs. Biewer had been raising and showing Yorkshires for 20 years, when on January 20th, 1984 the first blue, white and gold puppy named Schneeflocken von Friedheck was born. This was the start of what is known as the Biewer Terrier Breed.
Mr. Biewer spent 5 years selectively breeding his dogs until he was able to establish and breed true to a standard uniquely the Biewer Breed. The dogs were then registered with the ACH as Biewer Yorkshire Terrier a la Pom Pon, pronounced(Bee-vir). In 1989 when Mr. Biewer signed the standard for this wonderful new breed, it was that of the Yorkshire Terrier with the coloring being White-Blue-Gold.
Mr. and Mrs. Biewer kept a close reign on the Biewer breeding programs in Germany, so their quality breeding dogs were hard to come by and quite costly. When Mr. Biewer became ill, he was not able to carry on the dream he and his wife had set out to accomplish for the Biewers.
All the decisions of their breeding program became the sole responsibility of Mrs. Biewer and the care of her husband and the dogs became to much. Mr. Biewer died in 1997, and Mrs. Biewer discontinued her breeding program shortly thereafter, but the dreams of his treasured breed will live on forever, thanks to the efforts of many dedicated Biewer Terrier breeders.
To date, the American Kennel Club (AKC) does not recognize the Biewer as a breed. In Dec. of 2007 the American Rare Breed Association(ARBA) accepted the Biewer Terrier as a rare breed. The Biewer Terrier Club of America, Inc.(BTCA,Inc.) was accepted as the National breed club at this time. In South Africa, the Biewer Yorkshire Terrier Club of South Africa has started its own pedigree registry.
Traits of the Biewer Terrier breed
The Biewer Terrier is a charming little dog with a kind and friendly temperament. Equally as good with children as he is with other dogs of all sizes, the Biewer Terrier is a loyal and fast friend to all he considers part of his family. Although every dog has his own unique and special personality, as a breed, the Biewer Terrier is confident, happy, funloving and even tempered.
Always ready for play, nap time, walks or whatever his family has in store, for so small a package, they are packed full of playfulness and cuddly warmth. Generally Biewers are not noisy or especially difficult in any particular way.
As much of a joy to own as this little terrier can be, it is important to understand that due to their size, Biewer Terriers must be cared for in a safe environment, free from predators who might endanger their lives. For example hawks and other predatory fowl, may see a little Biewer as a tasty meal while unknowingly playing in the gated yard. Therefore, he must not be left unattended out-of-doors.
The Biewer Terrier's coat must be brushed daily to keep it free from matting and must be bathed regularly due to its length and density. The fur on top of his head must be tied on top so as to keep it from causing eye irritation.
Sources: Wikipedia; Biewer Terrier Club of America
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XIGERA KENNELS IS PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH:
Kennel Union of South Africa
Yorkshire Terrier Club of Gauteng
Rogz
Royal Canin
Identipet