New Owner Anxiety, HELP!

[nycyorkieowner]

Hello All!

Just joined YT and went through some of the threads, and found some of the info to be very useful!

Ok, so I recently bought Oscar (Saturday July 5th), and he just turned 10wks old! The pet store suggested that we buy him a crate where he should stay for most of the day. They said we should only take him out 3x a day for about 10-15min each time.

So, since we brought him home I've kept him in the cage with his bed, plush toys, water bottle, bowl of dry puppy food, and a weewee pad. Because I was home, I was also taking him out of the cage periodically to pee/poop in a designated area in the house (the pet store people said we couldn't take him outside since he wasn't fully vaccinated).

I've noticed that Oscar doesn't eat a lot, and that bothers me. The store suggested that I take the Mighty Dog wet food and puree it with water and pancake syrup. Still, Oscar licks at the liquid but doesn't eat the meaty pieces. Supposedly he's still adjusting his new home and so he may not have a big appetite for food.

Anyway, the reason why I'm stressing is that I have to go back to work for the rest of the week, and I'm nervous about leaving him home alone. My plan was to leave him in his crate with his food for the day, and when I get back, and I can take him out, feed/play with him, change his weewee pad, etc etc.

Is this ok? I know he'll prob have to adjust to being home alone since it will be his first time. Is there anything else I can do to make it more comfortable for him?

Also, at night when he barks and weeps, I feel bad. I go to check on him to find that he already peed in his weewee pad... does he still need to be taken out? should i acknowledge his cries? i've been reading some websites, and most say that i should ignore this unless his barks sound really urgent. is this right?

I'm going to take him to the vet this saturday (july 12th) to have him checked out, but I can't wait until then. Any advice or pointers will be helpful!

Thanks,
Vanessa

[TLC]

Welcome to YT

Oscar is probably so cute! But he is still a little baby, and he is in new surrounds so it's gonna take time....

I never used a crate for training purposes. I had a small spare room that I puppy proofed and mine stayed in there when left home alone, with their beds, toys, water, food, pee pads, etc...

As far as food, well...Mighty Dog really isn't the best thing to feed. Brands like: Merrick, Wellness, Canidae, SOlid Gold, Natural Balance. These are better brands.

I too would be concerned about the lack of eating, but it could mean he doesn't like that food he is eating...

Do you have nutrical? If not, get some, it's a vitamin supplement that helps regulate his sugar levels and entice the appetite. Also, being he is still so young, most reputable breeders hold pups until they are 12 weeks old, I would get some Karyo syrup and put a little into his water bowl for the day (this will help with his sugar levels).

There is so much more that I can't think of, so hopefully others will chime in soon. Also, I think one of the breeders has posted some really helpful puppy information...I will try to find the link for you.

[Rae Rae]

Welcome to YT and congrats on the new puppy!

I have a question, did the pet store mean out of the crate 3x a day, or outside 3x a day? Either or, I would definitly not leave the puppy in the crate all day, and if your training the puppy to potty outside, 3x a day will not be enough, puppies constantly are going potty!

[TLC]

Here it is - GREAT stuff!

Read: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...w-parents.html

[bchgirl]

Be aware the purpose of crate training a dog is because dogs do not eliminate in the same area they sleep. Unfortunately pet store puppies...have had no other choice....so it's not going to be real effective with him.

Letting him out 3 x a day wasn't often enough either. He is very small....very small means very small bladder too.

I would buy an x pen and set it up somewhere in the house. Include a pee pad inside...his toys, bedding...etc.

When you are home...do not allow him to roam unattended. Keep him confined where you can see him.

If it's possible to come home at lunch...I'd do that..or perhaps have a neighbor come in at lunch time.

[RMc]

Hi. I am by no means an expert..at anything! But I think crates are NOT the way to go. For a few hours, maybe. All day is too long!! After all, the dog is now a member of your family and the faster he is familiar with his surroundings the faster he will become adjusted. I go with the earlier post, puppy proof an area and go that route. Again, just my opinion. I am having problems with my own Yorkie.

[missmolly_mtl]

Hey there Vanessa, (Warning - this post is LONG- Sorry in advance!)

I am also a new owner of a Yorkie pup.. though mine is almost 5 months, named Toby.
I know there's a LOT of info out there and it can get contradictory and very confusing. When that happens, I trust my gut. This is your dog, and use your intuition to decide what's right for you and your dog. (of course this is only my opinion)

re: crate training
Personally, I have never used a crate, but it comes highly recommended by the pet stores/vets/books...etc. Things are fine without it. He has a bed and his own "space" to go to when he feels anxious or nervous. I haven't bought a crate cause I just don't have the space for it right now...

re: the food
When I brought Toby home, he didn't eat much for the first few days.
He was VERY excited and we didn't sleep much the first few nights.
We are feeding him the same food he was fed before
He seemed to start eating on the third day or so once he got a bit more settled into the new surroundings.

I have purchased an online book for Yorkie's and in the .pdf document it states that these particular dogs shouldn't be fed wet food. Perhaps it's wrong, but I find that it's better NOT to feed them any kind of food that's found in a local grocery store - it's cheap and filled with fillers and/or animal byproducts (EWWW!)
You should ask the vet for a good food for your dog - he/she will know best.

Invest in Puppy vitamins!! These are really ultra helpful to ensure your dog is getting all the essential nutrients & vitamins a growing puppy needs.
I've been using Excel daily supplement... it seems to be tasty (?)
I only use a really small amount (pea sized) 2x a day.

re: leaving your dog alone for long periods/seperation anxiety
I'd say in my opinion, that again, this is your choice to make. For us, we let Toby stay in an area of the apartment, but block off places that we don't want him in. For me, I wouldn't want to leave my dog in such a small area for a long period of time, esp. near a wee pad. It's just not that sanitary for them... and your dog may end up smelling like the wee pad.. ? just a guess here ? If you go with a "designated area" make sure that if they pee or poo on the floor (somewhere other than the pad) then it'll be easy to clean up.
Also don't leave things on the floor that can be eaten or chewed up.

I've heard that these dogs are really people lovers & don't like to be left alone (that probably goes for all dogs), but I'm sure that your dog will adjust soon. My best advice here would be to try to start leaving your dog for short periods of time, and gradually work up to the long periods. This way the dog will be less traumatized when it's been left for over 6 hours long.
I understand you have to go back to work on a certain day, but perhaps you can start leaving the dog alone for longer and longer periods before you go back to work. It will just ease them into it more.

As for the whining/crying....
Personally I would feel terrible to leave the dog in the cage at night.
My friend has done that in the beginning and now has stopped doing it.
She puts her dog's bed right next to hers and things are fine.
My dog's bed is right next to mine (with a baby gate) and pee pad.
We've been having good nights and things are running smoothly.
Your dog may appreciate this if you let them sleep outside of the crate (again this is JUST my own opinion) and may start to eat and play more and more.

Sorry for the LONG drawn out Post!
These are just my own opinions, I think the best advice is your own GUT along with information that feels right.

All the best of Luck!
Post some pictures when you have some time
Thanks for letting ramble sooo long!

Molly & Toby

[nycyorkieowner]

thanks for the advice!

i'm definitely going to look into changing his food... i tried giving him Cesaer's but I don't think he likes that either. i've been giving him Nutra Cal 2-3 times a day, and he seems to like it. the guy at the store said that the Nutra Cal decreases his appetite so I usually try to feed him first, then give him the vitamins.

as for the crate, I'm kind of torn on it. as much as i would love for him to share a bed with me, he's def not potty trained, and i don't him to eliminate on my bed! i'm thinking i'll move the crate into my room, so at least he won't feel so separated from me. right now, he's in the hallway across from my room so i can see him when i keep the door open.

the exercise pen sounds like a great idea. i dont have much space in the main areas of the house, and i don't want to put him in the basement by himself! there will be times when he'll be home alone, so i rather him walk around in an open space, as opposed to being confined to a crate. a lot of my friends who own dogs have done the crate training, and they highly recommend that i do the same for Oscar. i'm comfortable with the crate, but i def agree that he needs a bigger space to work with when he's home alone.

when i'm home though, i def take him out more than 3x a day for more than 10min at a time. i'm only worried about the whole hypoglycemia thing, but he def gets his fair share of vitamins and syrup throughout the day.

anyway, keep the advice coming! can't wait til i get to talk to the vet

[BethPurk]

Hi. I took a picture of where I put Sadie at night. We leave the fence open for her during the day so she has her own personal place to go to throughout the day. We keep her food and water in there too as well as her pee pad for overnight. We dont encourage her to use the pee pad during the day because we'd prefer her to go outside so we're "in training" with that. She does go on the pad overnight though and she sleeps in her diva bed. LOL. The difference between this setup and a crate is that she has more room to designate areas for sleeping, eating, peeing, etc. Im no pro when it comes to Yorkies as she is my first but Ive raised plenty of dogs and this has always seemed to work well for us. Good luck with your new puppy!!

(I believe you can click on the photo to enlarge it)

[nycyorkieowner]

BethPurk,

I have my crate set up exactly the same way but my crate is a bit smaller. i think I will invest in the exercise pen so that Oscar can run and play while I'm gone.

[melissa23]

Hello! Im new to this site too! I agree on what most people said. Hes probabley just trying to adjust in new home! Give him lots of love! We didnt really crate train Cashmere (my Yorkie) we just felt so bad when she cried. And now shes a spoiled brat, but we love her! Try changing the food, Mighty Dog is not what you want to give your baby, thats cheap stuff. Cashmere gets the caniade mixed with cut up chicken, steak, eggs, or cheese. And get NUTRI CAL!!! I cant stress it enough. It saved a friends yorkie. Just a little on you finger and out it in his mouth.

[tractorqueen]

I sure hope he is ok.I knowI got Bella at 6weeks old and she weight in at least than 8oz.She was so tiny and well I try to crate her at frist and she did well with that and did not cry at all as long as she has sometihng with my scent on it.I would use a tee shirt that I would wear for a couple of hours Something you don't mind if you have to throw it out.Ans we live back out in the woods but I took her out to potty about every two hours and put down pee papers too and she never mess on the floor.I would hate to think that you will have to keep him crated all day. I like the idea of the play pen type deal.Bella was also and still is a picky eater.I have to buy her Caser moist food ,that is all she will eat unless I hand feed her dry food.she will eat it then.
Hope you find some good ideas on her to ease your mind.

Regina

[TLC]

Here is the expen that alot of us have:

Walmart Play yard Expen

It's about $50 - well worth it, b/c you can you this in a number of ways. If you do a site to store, shipping is free, you just have to pick it up at the store.

[nycyorkieowner]

thanks for the link! i'll def get one from walmart... the price seems pretty reasonable!

[freshie]

Originally Posted by TLC

Here is the expen that alot of us have:

Walmart Play yard Expen

It's about $50 - well worth it, b/c you can you this in a number of ways. If you do a site to store, shipping is free, you just have to pick it up at the store.

Thanks for this link, I have been researching them and this is the best price and best reviews I have seen yet! I think this is the one I will be getting for my little guy.