leaving yorkie alone - YorkieTalk.com Forums

amyn22 · 08-02-2008, 07:54 PM

Our little guy will be 6 months old this month. I have been off all summer with him to train him and take care of him, but now it's time to go back to teaching. We will be gone for about 9 hours a day now. When is it okay to leave him for that long? how much longer should be we having someone let him out?

PrincessDiana · 08-02-2008, 08:33 PM

I definitely would wait until he is completely out of his destructive puppy stage. Nine hours in an empty house is a LONG time for a bored Yorkie.. you never know what you might come home to!

It's safer not only for your possessions but also your baby to stay confined when you aren't around. I would wait until at least a year and a half, maybe two years. I know someone who waited until 3 years. I also know people who have never confined their Yorkies.

We leave 10 month old Franklin and 3 year old Maggie home alone unsupervised only when we will be gone less than an hour. I think it also depends on your Yorkie's temperament. Is he normally calm or does he get rambunctious at times?

kimmiek · 08-02-2008, 10:10 PM

This is a topic I've also posted about since Chewie absolutely can't be left alone. I go back to work next week and I'm SOO scared I will get home and there will be holes in the carpet and walls! Someone gave me the idea to put down a large thick plastic sheet that can't be shredded and the edges can't be reached...put a good sized exercise pen on top of it...leave, food, water, toys and peepee pad in the pen with the dog while you're gone. If we have to go anywhere for a few hours, we leave the TV on at a low volume. Not sure if matters much to the dog, but we figured it's better than silence and maybe he won't feel so alone if he hears voices. Best of luck to you guys!!!

Gabbys Mom · 08-02-2008, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amyn22

Our little guy will be 6 months old this month. I have been off all summer with him to train him and take care of him, but now it's time to go back to teaching. We will be gone for about 9 hours a day now. When is it okay to leave him for that long? how much longer should be we having someone let him out?

Do you have a room, such as the kitchen where you can leave him? Is he pad trained? We leave Gabby for 8 hours sometimes, but she is in the large kitchen with her food, water, potty pad, toys, etc... Other than chewing on a rug, she has been fine. We did start off just giving her a small part of the kitchen, and then would move the gate further away after while, so she is trained where to go potty. Depends on the shape of the kitchen, but we have a long l-shape kitchen.

Good luck!

kspice501 · 08-03-2008, 09:20 AM

I'm also a teacher and have the same problem. We go back to school in less than 2 weeks and Lucy will be home alone from 7 a.m. until around 3:30 p.m. Sometimes a little less, but we're going to keep her in our laundry room that's about 4 x 5 feet of free roaming space. Her kennel is in there and we have gated off the kitchen so she can't get out into the house. My concern is peeing on my tile and getting into the grout. She has done it before and I just hope that the power of vinegar will save the situation. We've tried pads, but I don't really like them and she doesn't use them consistently either. Our vet said since she's a good size, nearly 5 lbs., to feed her in the morning, take it away, then again in the evening. I also plan to hide treats in the room so she can find them during the day and have a little snack. My vet also believes it'll be easier to potty train her once school starts and we're on a set schedule. Being home all the time doesn't really set up her schedule for the long run. I can understand that. I think she'll sleep a lot of the time too. I thought about leaving the tv on too, but we have satellite and it will automatically shut off after a while, so she'll just have to get used to it.

donnarod · 08-03-2008, 11:52 AM

I kept Tricksie in a crate until she was 20 months old. She did fine with the pee pads in the crate. Was afraid that she would really get in trouble because she ate furniture, etc. while I was home with her and didn't see her. Could not imagine what she would have gotton into, "home alone", then.

mommaofmia · 08-03-2008, 12:44 PM

I'm a school nurse and I go back in two weeks.. I dread it so bad. She is deffinately not used to the crate anymore. I guess I'll let her roam and see how that goes. I will puppy proof mostly everything before I go back so that she is safe. I also have a sheltie and he keeps her company.. I will try and come home during lunch when I can to check on her... I will miss her though..

Tabatha00 · 08-03-2008, 01:24 PM

My kids have been out of school for the summer and they have been with Mufasa ever since we got him earlier in the summer. The kids go back to school this Friday and Mufasa will be alone for about 8 hours a day. We take Mufasa with us everywhere we are allowed to take him so he's not used to staying by himself for long periods of time. I'm pretty anxious about it. We don't crate him but we do leave the doors to all the bedrooms closed so he only has access to the living room and kitchen which has been puppy proofed. Mufasa sleeps most of the day and I'm sure when we leave and he calms down he'll go right to sleep but it kills me when he barks when we leave. It's like he's saying "hey I wanna go". lol

He is one spoiled puppy and I'm sure he'll get used to us gone but it hurts my heart a little bit that he'll be home all day by himself. I'm trying to talk my hubby into me getting another one so they can play with each other through the day. It's a work in progress. lol

For those of you who leave your puppies alone during the day what do your puppies do? Sleep?

kismet · 08-03-2008, 01:56 PM

Do everything you can to get exercise before you put her up for the day. All of our dogs get a 600AM walk and then were fine in a bathroom with the gate where they can see out. The Kong toys with a bisket inside is good too or a safe rope type chew toy. I always leave a radio playing. I think the voices help and it helps them not be scared of outside sounds going on. having a dog partner sure helps. Hope all goes well.

AVERYxo · 08-03-2008, 02:14 PM

when Avie was younger we would leave her in her xpen.. with her bed, food/water, pee pads, and toys! she was fine and slept most of the day anyway

but the xpen allowed her enough room to play, sleep, eat, & potty in!

then when we felt she was ready we allowed her access to one room.. and used baby gates to block her off from the rest of the house. then once we knew she was ready.. we gave her free reign to most of the house (minus a couple rooms & just closed those doors!

) i think if you try out an xpen.. and take it in stages.. you will be fine!

also.. make sure you give your baby lots of play time/walks, etc. when you are home!!

another thing.. we leave the tv on for her.. so it's not completely silent!

hviola · 08-03-2008, 05:32 PM

I plan on using an Xpen in the kitchen when I leave.

Question: Triss, 4 1/2 mos old, is trained only to potty outside. (Still has accidents of course.) I never used pee pads. In about 3 weeks, she will be home for 3 hours at a time alone. I dont want to use pee pads, but Im wondering if I should during that time only?

amyn22 · 08-03-2008, 08:20 PM

Well he is in a cage when we are gone. Always. He doesn't mind it. he has been alone for about 5 1/2 hours before. He never has the run of the house when we are not home. he has toys, blankets, food and water in his cage.

I just wonder if i should hire someone to let him out during the day also.

08-02-2008, 07:54 PM	#1
amyn22 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: chicago Posts: 240	leaving yorkie alone Our little guy will be 6 months old this month. I have been off all summer with him to train him and take care of him, but now it's time to go back to teaching. We will be gone for about 9 hours a day now. When is it okay to leave him for that long? how much longer should be we having someone let him out?

08-02-2008, 08:33 PM	#2
PrincessDiana I ♥ Franklin & Maggie Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2,068	I definitely would wait until he is completely out of his destructive puppy stage. Nine hours in an empty house is a LONG time for a bored Yorkie.. you never know what you might come home to! It's safer not only for your possessions but also your baby to stay confined when you aren't around. I would wait until at least a year and a half, maybe two years. I know someone who waited until 3 years. I also know people who have never confined their Yorkies. We leave 10 month old Franklin and 3 year old Maggie home alone unsupervised only when we will be gone less than an hour. I think it also depends on your Yorkie's temperament. Is he normally calm or does he get rambunctious at times? __________________ Diana , Mommy to Franklin, Maggie, Oliver, and Millie - RIP Piper Last edited by PrincessDiana; 08-02-2008 at 08:35 PM.

08-02-2008, 10:10 PM	#3
kimmiek Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: North Central Texas Posts: 236	This is a topic I've also posted about since Chewie absolutely can't be left alone. I go back to work next week and I'm SOO scared I will get home and there will be holes in the carpet and walls! Someone gave me the idea to put down a large thick plastic sheet that can't be shredded and the edges can't be reached...put a good sized exercise pen on top of it...leave, food, water, toys and peepee pad in the pen with the dog while you're gone. If we have to go anywhere for a few hours, we leave the TV on at a low volume. Not sure if matters much to the dog, but we figured it's better than silence and maybe he won't feel so alone if he hears voices. Best of luck to you guys!!! __________________ *~Kim~* Fur-mama to *Chewie (9mo.)* Proud member of the Studly Boys group and the *Spoiled Rotten Club*!

08-03-2008, 09:20 AM	#5
kspice501 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Farmington, MO Posts: 26	I'm also a teacher and have the same problem. We go back to school in less than 2 weeks and Lucy will be home alone from 7 a.m. until around 3:30 p.m. Sometimes a little less, but we're going to keep her in our laundry room that's about 4 x 5 feet of free roaming space. Her kennel is in there and we have gated off the kitchen so she can't get out into the house. My concern is peeing on my tile and getting into the grout. She has done it before and I just hope that the power of vinegar will save the situation. We've tried pads, but I don't really like them and she doesn't use them consistently either. Our vet said since she's a good size, nearly 5 lbs., to feed her in the morning, take it away, then again in the evening. I also plan to hide treats in the room so she can find them during the day and have a little snack. My vet also believes it'll be easier to potty train her once school starts and we're on a set schedule. Being home all the time doesn't really set up her schedule for the long run. I can understand that. I think she'll sleep a lot of the time too. I thought about leaving the tv on too, but we have satellite and it will automatically shut off after a while, so she'll just have to get used to it. __________________ Kim Lucy Lizzie Sammy George

08-03-2008, 11:52 AM	#6
donnarod "Owned" by Miss Tricksie Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Riverview, FL Posts: 3,737	I kept Tricksie in a crate until she was 20 months old. She did fine with the pee pads in the crate. Was afraid that she would really get in trouble because she ate furniture, etc. while I was home with her and didn't see her. Could not imagine what she would have gotton into, "home alone", then. __________________ Donna, Tricksie and Peanut

08-03-2008, 12:44 PM	#7
mommaofmia Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Mo Posts: 391	I'm a school nurse and I go back in two weeks.. I dread it so bad. She is deffinately not used to the crate anymore. I guess I'll let her roam and see how that goes. I will puppy proof mostly everything before I go back so that she is safe. I also have a sheltie and he keeps her company.. I will try and come home during lunch when I can to check on her... I will miss her though.. __________________ Mia and Karen

08-03-2008, 01:24 PM	#8
Tabatha00 YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florence, Alabama Posts: 287	My kids have been out of school for the summer and they have been with Mufasa ever since we got him earlier in the summer. The kids go back to school this Friday and Mufasa will be alone for about 8 hours a day. We take Mufasa with us everywhere we are allowed to take him so he's not used to staying by himself for long periods of time. I'm pretty anxious about it. We don't crate him but we do leave the doors to all the bedrooms closed so he only has access to the living room and kitchen which has been puppy proofed. Mufasa sleeps most of the day and I'm sure when we leave and he calms down he'll go right to sleep but it kills me when he barks when we leave. It's like he's saying "hey I wanna go". lol He is one spoiled puppy and I'm sure he'll get used to us gone but it hurts my heart a little bit that he'll be home all day by himself. I'm trying to talk my hubby into me getting another one so they can play with each other through the day. It's a work in progress. lol For those of you who leave your puppies alone during the day what do your puppies do? Sleep?

08-03-2008, 01:56 PM	#9
kismet Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tool Texas USA Posts: 33	Do everything you can to get exercise before you put her up for the day. All of our dogs get a 600AM walk and then were fine in a bathroom with the gate where they can see out. The Kong toys with a bisket inside is good too or a safe rope type chew toy. I always leave a radio playing. I think the voices help and it helps them not be scared of outside sounds going on. having a dog partner sure helps. Hope all goes well.

08-03-2008, 02:14 PM	#10
AVERYxo Lovin' my Girlies!! Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Orange County, CALIFORNIA Posts: 3,609	when Avie was younger we would leave her in her xpen.. with her bed, food/water, pee pads, and toys! she was fine and slept most of the day anyway but the xpen allowed her enough room to play, sleep, eat, & potty in! then when we felt she was ready we allowed her access to one room.. and used baby gates to block her off from the rest of the house. then once we knew she was ready.. we gave her free reign to most of the house (minus a couple rooms & just closed those doors!) i think if you try out an xpen.. and take it in stages.. you will be fine! also.. make sure you give your baby lots of play time/walks, etc. when you are home!! another thing.. we leave the tv on for her.. so it's not completely silent! __________________ Meg & my baby girls Avie & Gemma

08-03-2008, 05:32 PM	#11
hviola YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Casey, IL Posts: 1,175	I plan on using an Xpen in the kitchen when I leave. Question: Triss, 4 1/2 mos old, is trained only to potty outside. (Still has accidents of course.) I never used pee pads. In about 3 weeks, she will be home for 3 hours at a time alone. I dont want to use pee pads, but Im wondering if I should during that time only? __________________ Heather, mommy to Drake (7 yr old son), Triss (yorkie), spike (dachshund), ash and misty (my cats), and a baby on the way due Oct 1st!

08-03-2008, 08:20 PM	#12
amyn22 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: chicago Posts: 240	Well he is in a cage when we are gone. Always. He doesn't mind it. he has been alone for about 5 1/2 hours before. He never has the run of the house when we are not home. he has toys, blankets, food and water in his cage. I just wonder if i should hire someone to let him out during the day also.