Backyard Dog

[CaamyD]

I'm going to be starting a job soon where I'll be gone the majority of the day and I'm freaking out about what to do with my dog while I'm gone. There is no way I can let her roam the house like I want to- she's just not trained enough to not pee on the carpet. My mom keeps telling me put her in the backyard but I'm unsure of doing that...there's a lock on the gate, a huge area for her to run and play in, and no holes where she could get out....
What do you think?

[paulalowe6]

No way would I leave my babies outside all day!!!!!!!! Can you not confine him/her with a baby gate in a room with no carpet? Good luck with your decision, there are so many things that could happen if left out unsupervised. Hawks for one, digging out from under the fence. Too risky imo.

[manolos mom]

A baby gate or an xpen. Do not leave your baby outside. Yorkies get cold or hot very easy. They are inside dogs..

[Britster]

I wouldn't! Even though they MAY be fine, I wouldn't take the risk. Especially with all these Yorkie kidnappings lately with this economy. People that take them and sell them for money. Plus, as posted above, other wild animals or digging out of the fence, getting overheated.

[sandyapk]

Put her in a room with tile floor where you can easily clean up after her. I am not sure where you are in California but hawks and other animals can hurt your baby outside.

Get a washable potty pad, teach her to go on that. Get a gate or an ex-pen and give her a bed or blanket. If you leave it outside you are asking for trouble.

Or you can always do doggie day care or ask a friend to watch her.

I am in socal, where are you?

[Yorkielove1]

Nooo please dont leave your pup outside!! Get a doggy gate like someone else suggested!!

[RDB911]

Too Dangerous!
Try to confine her to one room w/o carpet and start training now before you start the job. Try leaving for 10 min and they returning, keep extending the time you are gone until she is comfortable by herself. Good Luck!

[CaamyD]

Sandy- I'm in central Cali
so you think it's okay to leave her in a bathroom or the kitchen all day? I feel so bad doing that too!!
Any other advice would be soooo helpful, thanks guys!

[Hollee]

I haven't gotten my puppy yet but when I do, and when I have to return to work, I plan on leaving her inside in an exercise pen. Make it like her own little room and she'll probably love it! Put her kennel/ bed in there (open) and a puppy pad or newspaper and her favorite toys and maybe hide a treat somwhere. If you must leave her outside, get an exercise pen with a cover so that the big mean birds don't get her.

[CouversMom]

I plan on keeping mine in the kitchen with a baby gate for the day. That way, it's easy to clean up after, and he still has a decent area to move around in. I would make sure that they have plenty to do (toys, food, water etc) so that they are not bored.

I just cannot kennel mine all day, I would feel too guilty! I would suggest gating off an area where they will be safe

[cdawnfine]

Originally Posted by CaamyD

Sandy- I'm in central Cali
so you think it's okay to leave her in a bathroom or the kitchen all day? I feel so bad doing that too!!
Any other advice would be soooo helpful, thanks guys!

Kitchen or bathroom is fine just make sure that you put baby saftey things on the cabinets and make sure there are no chemicals eye level. I would also use a baby gate rather than close the door this way she can look out. Since you are not back to work yet I would start getting her used to being in there so she is used to it and it is not such a shock. What every room you choose make it her house. Some food water a safe toy, bed and if she can not hold it all day start trying to get her to go on Pee Pads or in Litter box depending on how you want her to go.

[TrevorForever]

I really dont think it is a good idea at all to put a small dog outside all day long. You could teach about the crate, you could get an x pen, all sorts of options, but honestly, I think outside is the worst thing you could do. Sorry

[princesselle]

I gate my baby in the laundry room. Since the first day I left her I play classical music for her, she knows not to whimper and sleep when she hears it. If you put her in there without the music she knows someone is home and she will whimper. Sometimes I can actually trick her and put it on and go take a shower and she'll sleep. They're like skin kids you have to be consistent, the first time you give in to a bad behavior your sunk.

[Cindyloohoo]

I bought a gate at Toyrus that is for babies. It forms a circle or a square. It is large enough for her crate to go in too. I put that on the tile floor. They have the same gate in petsmart with a different label on the box. They charge twice the price for the one labeled dog pen. Try toysrus.

[Honeypaute]

Both my dogs are crate trained. They stay in their individual crates during the day when I am away and bedtime. Believe it or not, they love their crates! Tater often hangs out in his when he is tired or afraid. It's like his den and it's a safe haven. They of course have a big fluffy pillows to lay on. Some people feel bad about caging them but dogs have a den-instinct which the crate helps satisfy. He pretty much sleeps all day regardless if I am here or not so it's just nice to know he is safe and not getting into anything.