Leaving my 8 week old Yorkie at home???

[izzy5]

Hi,

I'm picking up my little 8 week old male yorkie Magnus this Fri the 11th... I will be able to stay with him the entire weekend and bring him Monday to work with me... but he will have to stay at home and I work 8:30-5, I'll have my mom check on him and play with him when she gets off work at 4:00pm.... and I plan to come home every day at noon for an hour on my lunch to stay with him? Can you give me any advice?? I'm really worried because I want to form that bond with him first?!

[chachi]

Originally Posted by izzy5

Hi,

I'm picking up my little 8 week old male yorkie Magnus this Fri the 11th... I will be able to stay with him the entire weekend and bring him Monday to work with me... but he will have to stay at home and I work 8:30-5, I'll have my mom check on him and play with him when she gets off work at 4:00pm.... and I plan to come home every day at noon for an hour on my lunch to stay with him? Can you give me any advice?? I'm really worried because I want to form that bond with him first?!

Alot of people work and have pups so youll be fine. I think its good that you are coming home at lunch to check on him. It will make pottytraining a little more difficult while hes young and has a small bladder so if your patient with that everything will work out fine. Good luck

[kalina82]

welcome to YT

Your new puppy is very young and should stay with his mother until he's 12 weeks old. Its very dangerous to leave an 8 week old yorkie alone for that many hours, if at all. they need constant supervision to make sure they are eating enough and not suffering from hypoglycemia. Also by staying with mom for another 4 weeks he will learn important social skills such as bite inhibition, social interaction with other dogs and people, potty training, and more.

puppies this young sometimes do not eat by themselves when they are taken to a new home. its great that you can spend a few days with him, but 3 days is not enough time to ensure he will be ok if left alone. I took off of work for 2 weeks when i got my yorkie, and she was 13 weeks when i got her. Then when i went back to work i went home at noon to feed and let her out, and by 2-3pm someone else in the house was home to watch her.

On tuesday when you go back to work and leave her what would happen if he didn't eat his breakfast? would you be able to be late for work to hand feed him or force feed him if need be? if not, what would happen if his sugar levels drop while no one is home, and he seizes? no one will be around to take him to the vet and he very possibly could die.

its just not a safe situation to take home a 8 week old yorkie and then leave him alone for hours. i hope the breeder will allow him to stay with his mom for another month so he can get bigger and stronger, and have constant supervision and care.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by izzy5

Hi,

I'm picking up my little 8 week old male yorkie Magnus this Fri the 11th... I will be able to stay with him the entire weekend and bring him Monday to work with me... but he will have to stay at home and I work 8:30-5, I'll have my mom check on him and play with him when she gets off work at 4:00pm.... and I plan to come home every day at noon for an hour on my lunch to stay with him? Can you give me any advice?? I'm really worried because I want to form that bond with him first?!

A bit concerned about your pups young age. I'm sure that you know that at 8 weeks your pup should still be with it's mother. Is there a possibility that the breeder keep him until he's 12 weeks of age. At 8 weeks he wouldn't have but his first shot. Pups shouldn't leave a breeder's house until they've had 2 shots. That would bring up a question of his traveling to you without his shots and of course taking him to your office.

8 weeks is such a crucial time in a pups life and he's so young and still suseptable to hyperglycemia.

The only advice that I can offer is keep in a confined area (xpen) with plenty of food, water a bed, piddle pads and toys that he can't hurt himself.

[chachi]

OH I agree with the other two posters I didnt see he was 8 weeks sorry

[cathys]

Originally Posted by chachi

OH I agree with the other two posters I didnt see he was 8 weeks sorry

Me too, Please see if that baby could stay a few more weeks. He's too young to be all alone that long.

[maggiecc]

I got Winnie at 8 weeks. I picked her up on a Saturday morning and spent every minute with her until that Wednesday morning when I had to go to work. She was kenneled from 7:45 am to 12:15 pm when i got home from lunch. Then kenneled again from 12:45 pm to 4:45 pm when I got home.
After reading the above comments, maybe you should keep her with her mom until she is 12 weeks.
Although, I didn't have any problems with Winnie being kenneled during the day. I put a toy and a chew toy in her kennel. I think she just sleeps all day though because when it comes to the weekends she's not used to being up all day.
Winnie is now 15 weeks old and is doing great!

[alyx]

In the UK it is the norm to get your pup at 8 weeks as leaving them longer could lead to lack of proper socialisation and lead to a lot of problems with training in the future. The first 12 weeks are seen as the most important for socialisation - away from the mother taking the pup out and about to meet people and seeing different things, providing they are not allowed to mix with other dogs which aren't vaccinated or put on the ground where such dogs may have been.

At 8 weeks, providing they have come from a decent breeder, they should be well used to eating on their own. They should have been doing so for some weeks so it's nothing new to them. It's not ideal to leave a pup all day, but what you're planning on doing sounds fine providing you leave the put in a safe pen with food and water accessible to them all day and somewhere for him/her to do her stuff. He/she will also need some safe chews and you must give him/her as much time as you can.

My pup's now 18 weeks. I got her at 8 weeks and she's completely house trained (tells me when she needs to go out as won't use pads), very well socialised with other dogs and people. She (along with my little boy) are the main attraction along our sea and river proms, as they both have so many fans it takes forever to get a decent walk in. She's great in the car and people didn't even know she was there when we went on a steam train trip the other week. She's a fantastic, strong and well adjusted little pup, and I'm sure yours will turn out the same as long as you devote the time to bond with her and train her. It's so much easier when they're rehomed at 8 weeks. I've had pups at an older age and had lifelong problems as they've not been properly socialised when they should have been. As I say, it's the norm in the UK and many other countries so if you want to get your pup at that age don't let anyone make you feel guilty about it. Good luck. Give that pup lots of love, attention and correct feeding and she'll be fine.

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by alyx

In the UK it is the norm to get your pup at 8 weeks as leaving them longer could lead to lack of proper socialisation and lead to a lot of problems with training in the future. The first 12 weeks are seen as the most important for socialisation - away from the mother taking the pup out and about to meet people and seeing different things, providing they are not allowed to mix with other dogs which aren't vaccinated or put on the ground where such dogs may have been.

At 8 weeks, providing they have come from a decent breeder, they should be well used to eating on their own. They should have been doing so for some weeks so it's nothing new to them. It's not ideal to leave a pup all day, but what you're planning on doing sounds fine providing you leave the put in a safe pen with food and water accessible to them all day and somewhere for him/her to do her stuff. He/she will also need some safe chews and you must give him/her as much time as you can.

My pup's now 18 weeks. I got her at 8 weeks and she's completely house trained (tells me when she needs to go out as won't use pads), very well socialised with other dogs and people. She (along with my little boy) are the main attraction along our sea and river proms, as they both have so many fans it takes forever to get a decent walk in. She's great in the car and people didn't even know she was there when we went on a steam train trip the other week. She's a fantastic, strong and well adjusted little pup, and I'm sure yours will turn out the same as long as you devote the time to bond with her and train her. It's so much easier when they're rehomed at 8 weeks. I've had pups at an older age and had lifelong problems as they've not been properly socialised when they should have been. As I say, it's the norm in the UK and many other countries so if you want to get your pup at that age don't let anyone make you feel guilty about it. Good luck. Give that pup lots of love, attention and correct feeding and she'll be fine.

While it is the norm in the UK, she lives here on this side of the pond and we do things differently. I'm not saying that you're wrong in any way, but I fully trust the breeders and the mother club (YTCA) when they say pups must be with their mothers until 12 weeks of age. Especially since there is a described list.

Puppy Development

Originally posted by feminvstr and written by The Humane Society of the United States

Birth to Two Weeks: Neonatal Period

Puppy is most influenced by his mother.

Senses of touch and taste are present at birth.

Two to Four Weeks: Transitional Period

Puppy is most influenced by his mother and littermates.

Eyes open, teeth begin to come in, and senses of hearing and smell develop.

Puppy begins to stand, walk a little, wag tail, and bark.

By the fourth or fifth week, eyesight is well-developed

Three to Twelve Weeks: Socialization Period
During this period, puppy needs opportunities to meet other dogs and people.

By three to five weeks, puppy becomes aware of his surroundings, companions (both canine and human), and relationships, including play.

By four to six weeks, puppy is most influenced by littermates and is learning about being a dog.

From four to twelve weeks, puppy remains influenced by littermates and is also influenced by people. Puppy learns to play, develops social skills, learns the inhibited bite, explores social structure/ranking, and improves physical coordination.

By five to seven weeks, puppy develops curiosity and explores new experiences. Puppy needs positive "people" experiences during this time.

By seven to nine weeks, puppy is refining his physical skills and coordination, and can begin to be housetrained. Puppy has full use of senses.

By eight to ten weeks, puppy experiences real fear involving normal objects and experiences; puppy needs positive training during this time.

By nine to twelve weeks, puppy is refining reactions, developing social skills with littermates (appropriate interactions), and exploring the environment and objects. Puppy begins to focus on people; this is a good time to begin training.

A pup doesn't have to be 8 weeks old to bond with their new mommys or daddys, and to acclimate well into their new lives. The extra 4 weeks with mom help pups learn doggie ettiquette that no human, no matter how much love they give, can replace. They can substitute, but it's just not the same.

[tammy8833]

he'll be fine....=0)

[BanditSocks2]

I would definitely wait until the pup is 12 weeks old. Aside from the pup learning many essential things from his mother, you'll be able to leave him for a few hours at a time without such a large risk of hypoglycemia setting in. We got both our pups right before summer when my husband came home for lunch so they were never home for more than 3.5 hours at once. Then I was home all summer since I'm a teacher to train them. I wouldn't leave the pup alone though, see if you can at least get a pet sitter at least a couple times a day to check on him.

[spiritwings1202]

I got Pixie at 8 weeks but I was home 24/7 and I really am glad I was bc you do have to make sure that they are eating at least 4 times a day and can I plz suggest an ex-pen they sell them at pet smart http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753756 I set mine up the elongated way and had a plastic runner from home depot underneath for accidents. Then at one end I had her bed and in the middle her food and water and then near the end where the gate opend I had a pee pad tray. I really think a ex pen is the answer if you cannot be home as much bc at least they can move around and are not confined to a crate. good luck with your little one

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by spiritwings1202

I got Pixie at 8 weeks but I was home 24/7 and I really am glad I was bc you do have to make sure that they are eating at least 4 times a day and can I plz suggest an ex-pen they sell them at pet smart http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753756 I set mine up the elongated way and had a plastic runner from home depot underneath for accidents. Then at one end I had her bed and in the middle her food and water and then near the end where the gate opend I had a pee pad tray. I really think a ex pen is the answer if you cannot be home as much bc at least they can move around and are not confined to a crate. good luck with your little one

Great set up! I did the same thing, except that I removed some panels (I had a small room). But, when I was switching Kaji from outside potty to inside potty on piddle pads, I had an identical setup. I put back the panels I removed and it looked the same, plastic runner and all! It really worked, even on a one and a half year old.

[MyDuke]

I understand the concern about the puppy staying with mommy until 12 weeks old, but when I got Duke, the breeder (apparently not a great one, as I know better now) told me that it was ok for him to leave at 8 weeks.

So with that said...Duke did well (thank god). I too was with him for the weekend as we got him on a long weekend. I would suggest that if he cannot stay with mommy until 12 weeks and you must get him then definitely get the xpen as mentioned. They also sell them at babies r us and might be a few bucks cheaper. I set it up that he had his food, pad, bed with blanket, safe toys in a small area. I added water to his solid food to make it softer and easier for him. I was able to check on him every 2-3 hrs due to my work location at the time. I also had nutri-cal for him everytime I see him. I think an important part is to make sure that he is in a safe area with all his essential and spend as much time with him as you possibly can.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[laci32]

Originally Posted by izzy5

Hi,

I'm picking up my little 8 week old male yorkie Magnus this Fri the 11th... I will be able to stay with him the entire weekend and bring him Monday to work with me... but he will have to stay at home and I work 8:30-5, I'll have my mom check on him and play with him when she gets off work at 4:00pm.... and I plan to come home every day at noon for an hour on my lunch to stay with him? Can you give me any advice?? I'm really worried because I want to form that bond with him first?!

I have to agree with the others your baby is very young to be away from mommy who can teach so many things that are vital . I know it's hard the excitment and not wanting to wait .Believe me I know I was yanking my hair out for two weeks and shopped lots for my Andy before I brought him home . If your wanting very good advise it's see if you can leave your we one with mommy for at least another week and a half /2 would be better .Please keep us informed how it going and congrats !!!!