:confused: New Mommy.... Advice please! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

amyount · 04-14-2011, 05:33 PM

Hello everyone! I am new to yorkietalk.com.
I am also a new mommy....

My baby ((Zoe)) is 11 weeks old tomorrow, and she's a Morkie. We got her at 8 weeks. We are having some trouble with potty training...and aggression/separation anxiety...???

My husband and I both work..we leave at 8:30 and don't get home until 6pm. The first week my husband was able to take PTO and stay home with her. The second week we really put the crate into use. We crate her when we leave, and around 11 a.m. my mom comes over (on her lunch break) and walks her, feeds her, plays...etc. She is then crated again at 12. If my mom doesn't have meetings she will come back over at 4:30 when she gets off and let her out and then they are here when we get home.

I am hoping that this arrangement is only temporary until Zoe is potty trained and older.. she seems to be okay with this arrangement.

This week has been rough however. My mom hasn't been able to come over on her lunch or after work and so Zoe has been crated all day long. The first day she did fine and was fine when we came home (no messes in crate, etc.) <-- I was proud.

The second day was completely different. She had pottied in crate, and it was all over her, she whimpered and whined and cried for a good 20 mins after we let her out. We went out, bathed, etc. She eventually calmed down.

She seems to have gone backwards in potty training. We can go outside to potty and be out there for 15-20 mins and she might *tinkle* (lol) but nothing else. Then we'll come in and within 5 mins of being inside she will poo. And then pee. This week has been reverse. She has pottied more in the house than outside. We will walk, etc. and come inside and she potties.

She's also gotten rather, aggressive. She's really clingy too...which I was okay with at first because she's adorable and I love her, but I've now realized it may be more than cuddling and loves....

Anyone have any suggestions.. I appreciate it!

gidget529 · 04-15-2011, 09:48 AM

Hi. Welcome to YT and congratulations on your new one!

There are very experienced breeders who can probably give you much more detailed advice than myself. From just a pet owners view: My first yorkie I got at 8 weeks of age. It is my experience that little ones this age are so people dependent. That is a long day for a little one to stay by itself. That is probably why she is regressing a bit but did better when your mother could stop by twice a day and give her some mothering. Is there any way your mother can continue on that schedule for the pup until she is a bit older and a little more independent? She has just left her mom and fellow littermates not so long ago. I'm sure she's having anxiety being left there that long by herself.

Charlies Mamma · 04-15-2011, 09:58 AM

Im so glad you joined this group, there will be allot of help to find here. I know not everyone has this option but when I trained Charlie I did it on a weekend, I took him out every 15 minutes to go potty now of course he did not go that much BUT when he did we praised him like nothing else. also I only fed Charlie in the AM and PM then took him out shortly after he was done eating 20 min or so. Charlie has never been crated so I cant give advise on that but I hope this helps some.

chachi · 04-15-2011, 09:59 AM

Welcome to puppyhood its definiely more than cuddling and loves. They are like a baby. They explore everything with their mouths. That aggression your seeing is just puppy chewing. To keep puppy from crying at night get a travel crate and put it on a nightstand where he can see you at bedtime. I also think the pup is alone too much can either your husband or yourself come home at lunch? Potty training takes consistency but the amount of time your away from the pup doesnt help either. Best of luck I know youll find a way to make it work but try to enjoy your pup as hes little because before you know it he will be an adult

AlicetheYorkie · 04-15-2011, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gidget529

Hi. Welcome to YT and congratulations on your new one!

There are very experienced breeders who can probably give you much more detailed advice than myself. From just a pet owners view: My first yorkie I got at 8 weeks of age. It is my experience that little ones this age are so people dependent. That is a long day for a little one to stay by itself. That is probably why she is regressing a bit but did better when your mother could stop by twice a day and give her some mothering. Is there any way your mother can continue on that schedule for the pup until she is a bit older and a little more independent? She has just left her mom and fellow littermates not so long ago. I'm sure she's having anxiety being left there that long by herself.

The only things I can think to tell you is maybe look into seeing if you can handle the cost of a doggie daycare at least temporarily until she gets a little older. My other suggestion would be maybe get a larger pen for her to be in at home when you're at work. One big enough for her to have a bed, a piddle pad, water, toys, and maybe a small amount of food. Also, leaving a TV or radio on helps them too, I always leave Animal Planet on when we're not home (dh thinks I'm nuts)LOL

That's just IMO kind of a long time for a puppy that young to go without being able to go to the bathroom, get a drink and be able to move around and play. Older dogs can handle it and even larger breed puppies, but I still wouldn't leave a dog in a small confined crate for more than 6 hours at a time even if they could "hold it in". She's probably just a little stressed from it.

AlicetheYorkie · 04-15-2011, 10:11 AM

Oh, and welcome to Yorkie Talk

YorkichonBella · 04-15-2011, 10:19 AM

Welcome to YT! Zoe is a cutie & I love her name. Congrats on being a new mommy. She is going to bring such much love & fun into yr life. I promise it gets better. The puppy stages can be a bit rough. Since you are gone for so many hours, disposable or washable puppy pads would work out great. Praise, Praise, & more Praise is the key when you are home & train her. Remember, she is still just a baby & she is needing lots of attention. Keep safe toys for her in the crate & having something of yours, like a soft tshirt might ease her separation anxiety. Pls let us know how it's going. Good Luck & hope Zoe catches on.

Ellie May · 04-15-2011, 10:30 AM

Maybe I misread. Do you mean that when your mom can't come over, she is alone for 9+ hours a day? How do you make sure she is eating during that time?

An 11 week old won't even have full control of her bladder and there is no way she will be able to hold it that long.

Also, because she was so young when you got her (too young), she didn't stay with her furmom for long enough. Behavioral problems are very common in these cases for Yorkies.

Welcome to YT.

gidget529 · 04-15-2011, 10:36 AM

I didn't think of doggy day care, but that is a good idea if you can find one in the area for little ones.

Also, just a thought, yorkies that young are at risk for low blood sugar problems. Because they are so small and the way they metabolize their food, they need to keep eating a little something to keep their blood sugar up. It would probably be best for the youngster if someone can arrange to be there at lunch time for awhile and then maybe grandma can stop by at 4:30 to make sure she get a little food again and some mothering.

gidget529 · 04-15-2011, 11:13 AM

I'm sorry, my middle'aged brain precludes me from having one contiguous thought!! You took a week off when you got the puppy, so you are trying to really do what's right by this pup. One very experienced breeder on this site is Mardelin (we have others that are also quite knowledgable). Perhaps you would want to private message her, and I'm sure she can give you very good detailed advice on how to get your pup started off on the right foot and set her up for success.

tjdmom · 04-15-2011, 11:21 AM

11 weeks old is terribly terribly young to be left so long, in my opinion and doggie daycare is a great idea when she gets older but at this point, my puppies have only had their very first shot so doggie daycare would be out for a bitl Can you have a dog walker, friend, neighbor or responsible neighborhood kid come over and take her out for a good bit of play and exercise? That would be my best suggestion. Honestly, at 11 weeks, I would not even use a crate as 9 hours is so long for her and there is no way she's going to be able to consistently hold it so she is left with no choice but to poop and pee on herself. Doesn't that seem a bit cruel? Can you maybe use a small room and leave her pee pads food and water and some toys at least?

AlicetheYorkie · 04-15-2011, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjdmom

11 weeks old is terribly terribly young to be left so long, in my opinion and doggie daycare is a great idea when she gets older but at this point, my puppies have only had their very first shot so doggie daycare would be out for a bitl Can you have a dog walker, friend, neighbor or responsible neighborhood kid come over and take her out for a good bit of play and exercise? That would be my best suggestion. Honestly, at 11 weeks, I would not even use a crate as 9 hours is so long for her and there is no way she's going to be able to consistently hold it so she is left with no choice but to poop and pee on herself. Doesn't that seem a bit cruel? Can you maybe use a small room and leave her pee pads food and water and some toys at least?

Oooopps, good point about the doggie day care and not finishing vaccines yet, for some reason that didn't even cross my mind when I suggested it. Scratch that for now OP, LOL.
Stick with giving her a larger area so she can eat, drink, play and use a piddle pad.

schanls · 04-15-2011, 02:02 PM

My babies are 7 weeks old and are kept in a plastic pen with 8 sides I purchased at PetSmart. It is big enough they have food and water, a bed, a play area and a washable reusable peepee pad. THey are acually doing great with it. They are peepeeing at least 70% of the time on the peepee pad and the other 30 is whereever they want. At this young age though I am really excited about that. The pen is very sturdy and comes put together in a box and cost about $65. It was worth every penny! Good luck with your new baby and I also love the name Zoe!!!

Taryn0405 · 04-15-2011, 05:54 PM

Congratulations on coming onto this site and getting a beautiful furbaby!

First of all, 11 weeks is young, that's how young we got Gizmo, and trust me (you can probably see my older and desperate posts) there will be some days when there will be a little bit of regression with training. The key is to stick with it. Consistency works the best with these dogs. Consistency, and schedules.

With that being said, 11 weeks is way too young to be in a crate for that long. The usual rule of thumb is months in age, plus one hour for being able to hold it. Granted, I discovered that with Yorkies, this doesn't always apply.

When it comes to the separation anxiety, Gizmo, coming from a BYB had it pretty bad. However, this started to fade when he began to trust my husband and I. That trust begins to build when she'll begin to know that "Yes, momma and daddy are going to come home and get me!".

There will be many days and nights that you'll get discouraged, but trust me it is worth it in the end.

However, once again I stress that she seems to be in the crate way too long. She may be better off in an ex-pen or possibly hiring a dog walker to swing by your house.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

KazzyK810 · 04-15-2011, 06:03 PM

You're expecting an 11 week old puppy to hold it from 8:30am to 6pm??? Am I understanding this right?

If I was crated that long...I'd be peeing & pooping all over myself too!

Can't you put her in a playpen with peepads, food & water? Or enclose her in a small safe room, like a bathroom or laundry or kitchen area, still with pads, food & water?

04-14-2011, 05:33 PM	#1
amyount YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Eminence Posts: 2	:confused: New Mommy.... Advice please! Hello everyone! I am new to yorkietalk.com. I am also a new mommy.... My baby ((Zoe)) is 11 weeks old tomorrow, and she's a Morkie. We got her at 8 weeks. We are having some trouble with potty training...and aggression/separation anxiety...??? My husband and I both work..we leave at 8:30 and don't get home until 6pm. The first week my husband was able to take PTO and stay home with her. The second week we really put the crate into use. We crate her when we leave, and around 11 a.m. my mom comes over (on her lunch break) and walks her, feeds her, plays...etc. She is then crated again at 12. If my mom doesn't have meetings she will come back over at 4:30 when she gets off and let her out and then they are here when we get home. I am hoping that this arrangement is only temporary until Zoe is potty trained and older.. she seems to be okay with this arrangement. This week has been rough however. My mom hasn't been able to come over on her lunch or after work and so Zoe has been crated all day long. The first day she did fine and was fine when we came home (no messes in crate, etc.) <-- I was proud. The second day was completely different. She had pottied in crate, and it was all over her, she whimpered and whined and cried for a good 20 mins after we let her out. We went out, bathed, etc. She eventually calmed down. She seems to have gone backwards in potty training. We can go outside to potty and be out there for 15-20 mins and she might tinkle (lol) but nothing else. Then we'll come in and within 5 mins of being inside she will poo. And then pee. This week has been reverse. She has pottied more in the house than outside. We will walk, etc. and come inside and she potties. She's also gotten rather, aggressive. She's really clingy too...which I was okay with at first because she's adorable and I love her, but I've now realized it may be more than cuddling and loves.... Anyone have any suggestions.. I appreciate it! __________________ ~Amy~

04-15-2011, 09:58 AM	#3
Charlies Mamma Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: With CharlieBrown of course! Posts: 1,403	Im so glad you joined this group, there will be allot of help to find here. I know not everyone has this option but when I trained Charlie I did it on a weekend, I took him out every 15 minutes to go potty now of course he did not go that much BUT when he did we praised him like nothing else. also I only fed Charlie in the AM and PM then took him out shortly after he was done eating 20 min or so. Charlie has never been crated so I cant give advise on that but I hope this helps some. __________________ Mom to Bug and Charlie-R.I.P my sweet Charlie 2021

04-15-2011, 09:59 AM	#4
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 37,147	Welcome to puppyhood its definiely more than cuddling and loves. They are like a baby. They explore everything with their mouths. That aggression your seeing is just puppy chewing. To keep puppy from crying at night get a travel crate and put it on a nightstand where he can see you at bedtime. I also think the pup is alone too much can either your husband or yourself come home at lunch? Potty training takes consistency but the amount of time your away from the pup doesnt help either. Best of luck I know youll find a way to make it work but try to enjoy your pup as hes little because before you know it he will be an adult __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

04-15-2011, 10:11 AM	#6
AlicetheYorkie YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 889	Oh, and welcome to Yorkie Talk __________________ Jenn, mom to: Dayton , Alice ,Darla, Miya , Summer & Chooch

04-15-2011, 10:19 AM	#7
YorkichonBella My little Shadow Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: NC Posts: 4,132 Blog Entries: 2	Welcome to YT! Zoe is a cutie & I love her name. Congrats on being a new mommy. She is going to bring such much love & fun into yr life. I promise it gets better. The puppy stages can be a bit rough. Since you are gone for so many hours, disposable or washable puppy pads would work out great. Praise, Praise, & more Praise is the key when you are home & train her. Remember, she is still just a baby & she is needing lots of attention. Keep safe toys for her in the crate & having something of yours, like a soft tshirt might ease her separation anxiety. Pls let us know how it's going. Good Luck & hope Zoe catches on. __________________ Bella Ganma-ma to ColeRIPNoahRIP

04-15-2011, 09:48 AM	#2
gidget529 Gidget & Sidney's Mom Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: PA Posts: 3,462	Hi. Welcome to YT and congratulations on your new one! There are very experienced breeders who can probably give you much more detailed advice than myself. From just a pet owners view: My first yorkie I got at 8 weeks of age. It is my experience that little ones this age are so people dependent. That is a long day for a little one to stay by itself. That is probably why she is regressing a bit but did better when your mother could stop by twice a day and give her some mothering. Is there any way your mother can continue on that schedule for the pup until she is a bit older and a little more independent? She has just left her mom and fellow littermates not so long ago. I'm sure she's having anxiety being left there that long by herself.

04-15-2011, 10:30 AM	#8
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	Maybe I misread. Do you mean that when your mom can't come over, she is alone for 9+ hours a day? How do you make sure she is eating during that time? An 11 week old won't even have full control of her bladder and there is no way she will be able to hold it that long. Also, because she was so young when you got her (too young), she didn't stay with her furmom for long enough. Behavioral problems are very common in these cases for Yorkies. Welcome to YT. __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

04-15-2011, 10:36 AM	#9
gidget529 Gidget & Sidney's Mom Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: PA Posts: 3,462	I didn't think of doggy day care, but that is a good idea if you can find one in the area for little ones. Also, just a thought, yorkies that young are at risk for low blood sugar problems. Because they are so small and the way they metabolize their food, they need to keep eating a little something to keep their blood sugar up. It would probably be best for the youngster if someone can arrange to be there at lunch time for awhile and then maybe grandma can stop by at 4:30 to make sure she get a little food again and some mothering.

04-15-2011, 11:13 AM	#10
gidget529 Gidget & Sidney's Mom Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: PA Posts: 3,462	I'm sorry, my middle'aged brain precludes me from having one contiguous thought!! You took a week off when you got the puppy, so you are trying to really do what's right by this pup. One very experienced breeder on this site is Mardelin (we have others that are also quite knowledgable). Perhaps you would want to private message her, and I'm sure she can give you very good detailed advice on how to get your pup started off on the right foot and set her up for success.

04-15-2011, 11:21 AM	#11
tjdmom Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: upstate ny Posts: 5,847	11 weeks old is terribly terribly young to be left so long, in my opinion and doggie daycare is a great idea when she gets older but at this point, my puppies have only had their very first shot so doggie daycare would be out for a bitl Can you have a dog walker, friend, neighbor or responsible neighborhood kid come over and take her out for a good bit of play and exercise? That would be my best suggestion. Honestly, at 11 weeks, I would not even use a crate as 9 hours is so long for her and there is no way she's going to be able to consistently hold it so she is left with no choice but to poop and pee on herself. Doesn't that seem a bit cruel? Can you maybe use a small room and leave her pee pads food and water and some toys at least?

04-15-2011, 02:02 PM	#13
schanls Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: N/A Posts: 49	My babies are 7 weeks old and are kept in a plastic pen with 8 sides I purchased at PetSmart. It is big enough they have food and water, a bed, a play area and a washable reusable peepee pad. THey are acually doing great with it. They are peepeeing at least 70% of the time on the peepee pad and the other 30 is whereever they want. At this young age though I am really excited about that. The pen is very sturdy and comes put together in a box and cost about $65. It was worth every penny! Good luck with your new baby and I also love the name Zoe!!!

04-15-2011, 05:54 PM	#14
Taryn0405 Owned by a Gremlin Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: The Mitten State! Posts: 3,706	Congratulations on coming onto this site and getting a beautiful furbaby! First of all, 11 weeks is young, that's how young we got Gizmo, and trust me (you can probably see my older and desperate posts) there will be some days when there will be a little bit of regression with training. The key is to stick with it. Consistency works the best with these dogs. Consistency, and schedules. With that being said, 11 weeks is way too young to be in a crate for that long. The usual rule of thumb is months in age, plus one hour for being able to hold it. Granted, I discovered that with Yorkies, this doesn't always apply. When it comes to the separation anxiety, Gizmo, coming from a BYB had it pretty bad. However, this started to fade when he began to trust my husband and I. That trust begins to build when she'll begin to know that "Yes, momma and daddy are going to come home and get me!". There will be many days and nights that you'll get discouraged, but trust me it is worth it in the end. However, once again I stress that she seems to be in the crate way too long. She may be better off in an ex-pen or possibly hiring a dog walker to swing by your house. Good luck, and keep us posted! __________________ Taryn Momma to Gizmo AKA Monkeyman My husband, daughter, son, and dog make me who I am "My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am."

04-15-2011, 06:03 PM	#15
KazzyK810 Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Michigan USA & Sheffield UK Posts: 4,119	You're expecting an 11 week old puppy to hold it from 8:30am to 6pm??? Am I understanding this right? If I was crated that long...I'd be peeing & pooping all over myself too! Can't you put her in a playpen with peepads, food & water? Or enclose her in a small safe room, like a bathroom or laundry or kitchen area, still with pads, food & water? __________________ Karan & ZoE (Chelsea )