How to List a Yorkshire Terrier for Adoption in Germany

Should you rehome privately, ask the breeder or use a shelter?

• The breeder. Look at your purchase contract for a take-back clause or right of first refusal, and talk to the breeder first.
• The KfT. If your Yorkie comes from a KfT kennel and you are a member, or if you are its breeder, the club's Terrier in Not page lets you present the dog. The KfT acts only as an intermediary; adopters contact you directly.
• A shelter or animal welfare society. The Deutscher Tierschutzbund's shelter finder lists those near you; ask whether they can advise or take the dog in.
• Your own listing. You choose the new family yourself, but you need time for questions and visits.

Allow a few weeks. Rehoming in a rush makes it easier to accept the wrong person.

How do you set adoption criteria for a Yorkshire Terrier?

• Children: VCA advises supervising children with Yorkies because they could easily hurt such a small dog; decide the youngest age you will accept.
• Other pets: a dog of up to 3.2 kg can be hurt by a boisterous large dog.
• Home: stairs, balconies, and fences or railings with gaps.
• Time alone and noise: how long your dog copes alone and whether it barks; VCA notes some Yorkies bark a lot.
• Coat and teeth: daily brushing or regular trims at a groomer, plus dental care, since VCA says dental disease is common in the breed.
• Health: for a dog with a slipping kneecap, a cough or a liver condition, an adopter who can manage medication and vet visits.

What should your adoption listing say?

• Age, sex, weight in kilograms, and whether the dog is neutered.
• Whether there is a pedigree and from which club; without one, say honestly that it is a Yorkshire Terrier type or cross.
• Health results if you have them (patella, eyes, dental work), or that none were done.
• Grooming: how often you brush or trim, and how the dog behaves at the groomer.
• Character: with children, other dogs, cats and visitors; barking; house training; time alone.
• Your reason for rehoming, the adoption fee, and your town without your exact address.
• Recent photos, including one after a trim, and a short video.

Look at other Yorkshire Terriers listed for adoption to see how they are described. Keep your phone number out of the text and let people write first. You can list your Yorkshire Terrier for adoption for free on PetzLover.

What adoption fee and contract are usual?

If the dog has a pedigree, hand it over with the dog and ask the club how to record the change of ownership.

How do you screen people who want to adopt your Yorkie?

1. Ask for a short written introduction: household, children's ages, home, working hours, other pets and earlier dogs.
2. Talk on the phone or by video about grooming, dental care, harness walks and time alone.
3. Ask which vet they use or plan to use.
4. Arrange a meeting with everyone in the household, and let the Yorkie approach in its own time.
5. Visit their home and look at stairs, balconies and fences.
6. Give them a day to think before deciding.

How do you hand over a Yorkie safely?

1. Sign the contract at the handover and take the fee in cash or as a transfer already credited to your account.
2. Hand over the Impfpass, vet records, any pedigree, the chip number and a sheet on food, grooming and habits.
3. Change the microchip registration to the new owners, for example with FINDEFIX, the Deutscher Tierschutzbund's free pet register, or with TASSO.
4. Deregister the dog with your municipality; in Berlin, deregistering from the dog register has also counted as deregistering for dog tax since 2024.

How do you follow up after the adoption?

• Check in after a week and after a month.
• Share tips: the usual food, short calm walks, the groomer your dog knows.
• Stay reachable for questions about habits or vet history.
• If it does not work out, take the dog back as agreed rather than letting it be passed on.

If people who really want a puppy contact you, point them to how to buy a Yorkshire Terrier puppy. If your Yorkie has had an unplanned litter, read how to sell Yorkshire Terrier puppies.