Puppy proofing guidance - YorkieTalk.com Forums

2newpups · 01-28-2017, 10:26 AM

Getting ready for the big day... bringing home our new babies in a week! Set up the condo (theirs, that is LOL). Finally figgered out how to seatbelt in the carrier. Picked up smallest packages possible of the puppy food the breeder has started feeding them. [purina puppy tender and crunchy, and pedigree puppy meat... ughhhh... I know it's not good stuff, but that's what the breeder told us] Bought health insurance. Scheduled their first appointment with our local vet for the day after we bring them home. Secured all the power cords. Bought and washed baby blankets, food and water dishes, teething toys, and got pee pads... it seems to go on and on LOL.

Decided to roll up and stash expensive area rug inherited from Mom, for obvious reasons, and discovered the wood floor underneath really needed a good vacuum and wash... rut roh... suddenly the Murphy's floor cleaner I've always used poses a really important question: will it be toxic to the pups if for some reason they lick the floor? Is there something safer I should use? [Was I this anxious when getting ready for my baby daughter 28 years ago? LOL]

Thankful for any and all advice, my new YorkieTalk friends!

Mercgirl · 01-28-2017, 11:13 AM

If you have stairs, you may want to consider a stair gate. Our house is an old Victorian one with very steep stairs...a fall down those when Wookie was tiny could well have been fatal, so we got a stair gate. We still use it now, even though she's a lot bigger, when she's at home alone.

2newpups · 01-28-2017, 12:38 PM

Oh yes! Totally a must. We still have our gate from previous pets. Forgot to mention that, thank you! Do you have any suggestions for what floor cleaning product(s) will be safe for the pups? Or tips?

Maximo · 01-28-2017, 05:58 PM

When I first brought Max home, I realized that I needed an xpen to keep track of him when I couldn't watch closely.

I use Murphy's on our wood furniture and haven't had a problem. We just ditched the heavy chemical stuff like kitchen floor wax. Always dilute everything and rinse well.

I put covers on all of the electrical outlets and made sure all electrical cords were out of reach. Got rid of a lot of indoor plants. Things like Creeping Charley and ivy are very toxic.

Put shoes out of reach, and anything that can chewed or swallowed.

Congratulations on your new additions! Enjoy.

Lovetodream88 · 01-28-2017, 07:23 PM

Don't for get nutrical or something like it. It's in a tube and might be called puppy paste. In case they get low blood sugar.

2newpups · 01-29-2017, 09:10 AM

Yeah, I imagine the shoes will be the biggest problem. We're in the habit of kicking off our shoes as we come in the door, going to have to break that habit LOL. Oh, and we did get the NutriCal. It was one of the things mentioned in a book in the YT library, I believe, Yorkie Info Center's "The Yorkshire Terrier Complete Guide." Lots of great info in that book!

Maximo · 01-29-2017, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2newpups

Yeah, I imagine the shoes will be the biggest problem. We're in the habit of kicking off our shoes as we come in the door, going to have to break that habit LOL. Oh, and we did get the NutriCal. It was one of the things mentioned in a book in the YT library, I believe, Yorkie Info Center's "The Yorkshire Terrier Complete Guide." Lots of great info in that book!

We leave our shoes by the door too, in an area sectioned off by a baby gate so the Yorkies can't get to it.

My boys haven't chewed much in their 8 years with us, but we have had some random incidents. The worst was Teddy chewed the zipper out of my favorite hoodie. I was thankful that he didn't rip up his mouth doing that!

Max once chewed a little on some magazines on the coffee table, and Teddy chewed a little of the binding on a book. I think the glue is what attracted them. Luckily neither of them got sick.

Kat549 · 01-29-2017, 10:47 AM

Wow, sounds as though you are super prepared...... what about a good training book plus a chart that indicates, for each week of growth, what to expect in terms of both behaviour and body growth. Good Luck. I brought my 8 week old home one month ago and just adore him....

2newpups · 01-29-2017, 01:46 PM

Thanx, Maximo (Kristin?), I didn't think about a baby gate - sounds a whole lot better than a box haha! Kat549, you're the first person I've "met" on YT whose pup was only 8 weeks old when you brought him home. I've been really stressing over that, since several here (who obviously know A LOT about Yorkies and dogs in general) have pointed out that pups should really be with their moms for at least 10 weeks. Ours too will be 8 weeks this weekend, and the breeder insists they will be fine but I already trust y'all so much more!

Lovetodream88 · 01-29-2017, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2newpups

Thanx, Maximo (Kristin?), I didn't think about a baby gate - sounds a whole lot better than a box haha! Kat549, you're the first person I've "met" on YT whose pup was only 8 weeks old when you brought him home. I've been really stressing over that, since several here (who obviously know A LOT about Yorkies and dogs in general) have pointed out that pups should really be with their moms for at least 10 weeks. Ours too will be 8 weeks this weekend, and the breeder insists they will be fine but I already trust y'all so much more!

Reputable breeders keep the pups until 12 weeks but sometimes finding and buying from reputable breeders just doesn't happen. Thank goodness for pet insurance though. I rescued my boy at 9 weeks. He had already been to two different houses and two different families and they just didn't want him so I got him and figured I knew enough to help him get over some of the issues he might have due to leaving is mom to young and stuff. He did pretty good but I have another yorkie to kinda help him out. The biggest issue we had was separation anxiety because I guess he was so young when we got him and passed from two different houses that he was scared of being left alone. Biting was a bit of an issue but who knows if it was worse with him then with a pup that didn't go home until 12 weeks. I think its a bigger issue when you have a pup that will be in a house by himself with no other dogs and you take them before 12 weeks because they have no one else to learn from. Since they have each other they should be able to learn socialization and stuff pretty well but you might want to look for a local puppy class to start socializing them with other dogs. The biggest thing you need to look out for is hypoglycemia the smaller and the younger they are the higher at risk they are for that.

Mercgirl · 01-30-2017, 01:01 AM

We got Wookie at 8 weeks, but we'd planned it so we both had the following week off. 8 weeks is the most common time to collect pups here in the UK, after they've been chipped and had their first jab.

As it turned out, there were absolutely no problems. We got home with her, put her down on the floor inside the front door, and she just ambled off. Walked into the lounge where all three of our cats were, stole Pixie's ball, and took it straight into the pen we'd bought for her! The cats were all 'WHAT IS THAT!!!!'

She did cry that first night, so I ended up sleeping on the floor next to her pen, but after that she was absolutly fine. We kept her in her pen at night until she was bigger, but now she sleeps upstairs on our bed with us.

2newpups · 01-31-2017, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kat549

Wow, sounds as though you are super prepared...... what about a good training book plus a chart that indicates, for each week of growth, what to expect in terms of both behaviour and body growth. Good Luck. I brought my 8 week old home one month ago and just adore him....

You know, my husband says I'm going overboard, but I'm actually enjoying the (probably unnecessary) preparations. I may take you up on that chart idea, Kat549, cuz I think it would be good to know. I believe that yorkie book I mentioned the other day has some training info in it, but I haven't read that far yet.

2newpups · 01-31-2017, 11:55 AM

[QUOTE=Mercgirl;4692880]We got Wookie at 8 weeks, but we'd planned it so we both had the following week off. 8 weeks is the most common time to collect pups here in the UK, after they've been chipped and had their first jab.

As it turned out, there were absolutely no problems. We got home with her, put her down on the floor inside the front door, and she just ambled off. Walked into the lounge where all three of our cats were, stole Pixie's ball, and took it straight into the pen we'd bought for her! The cats were all 'WHAT IS THAT!!!!'

It's good to hear about the 8 weeks norm in the UK, makes me worry less about that. As for Pixie and crew, I can certainly relate. When we brought our Molly home as a pup many years ago, she was so tiny; our cat Avery, weighing in at 14 lbs, seemed a credible threat. So we never left the two of them alone together. Out of the corner of my eye one day I saw Avery stroll over to Molly as he often did, but instead of just sniffing her and walking away as usual he started licking the top of her head. It apparently felt good, cuz Molly's eyes were drooping sleepily, and she lowered her head like, "don't stop." It was so cute. We still didn't leave them unsupervised, but it was fun to watch, especially once Molly started approaching the cat looking for him to start licking the top of her head.

01-28-2017, 10:26 AM	#1
2newpups Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Christiansburg, VA, USA Posts: 34	Puppy proofing guidance Getting ready for the big day... bringing home our new babies in a week! Set up the condo (theirs, that is LOL). Finally figgered out how to seatbelt in the carrier. Picked up smallest packages possible of the puppy food the breeder has started feeding them. [purina puppy tender and crunchy, and pedigree puppy meat... ughhhh... I know it's not good stuff, but that's what the breeder told us] Bought health insurance. Scheduled their first appointment with our local vet for the day after we bring them home. Secured all the power cords. Bought and washed baby blankets, food and water dishes, teething toys, and got pee pads... it seems to go on and on LOL. Decided to roll up and stash expensive area rug inherited from Mom, for obvious reasons, and discovered the wood floor underneath really needed a good vacuum and wash... rut roh... suddenly the Murphy's floor cleaner I've always used poses a really important question: will it be toxic to the pups if for some reason they lick the floor? Is there something safer I should use? [Was I this anxious when getting ready for my baby daughter 28 years ago? LOL] Thankful for any and all advice, my new YorkieTalk friends! __________________ Finn and Monty You drive me "...every little success is a huge success!"

01-28-2017, 12:38 PM	#3
2newpups Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Christiansburg, VA, USA Posts: 34	Oh yes! Totally a must. We still have our gate from previous pets. Forgot to mention that, thank you! Do you have any suggestions for what floor cleaning product(s) will be safe for the pups? Or tips? __________________ Finn and Monty You drive me "...every little success is a huge success!"

01-28-2017, 05:58 PM	#4
Maximo ♥ Maximo and Teddy Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 25,041	When I first brought Max home, I realized that I needed an xpen to keep track of him when I couldn't watch closely. I use Murphy's on our wood furniture and haven't had a problem. We just ditched the heavy chemical stuff like kitchen floor wax. Always dilute everything and rinse well. I put covers on all of the electrical outlets and made sure all electrical cords were out of reach. Got rid of a lot of indoor plants. Things like Creeping Charley and ivy are very toxic. Put shoes out of reach, and anything that can chewed or swallowed. Congratulations on your new additions! Enjoy. __________________ Kristin, Max and Teddy

01-28-2017, 07:23 PM	#5
Lovetodream88 Yorkie mom of 4 Donating YT Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaPlata, Md Posts: 23,247	Don't for get nutrical or something like it. It's in a tube and might be called puppy paste. In case they get low blood sugar. __________________ Taylor My babies Joey, Penny ,Ollie & Dixie Callie Mae, you will forever be in my heart!

01-29-2017, 09:10 AM	#6
2newpups Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Christiansburg, VA, USA Posts: 34	Yeah, I imagine the shoes will be the biggest problem. We're in the habit of kicking off our shoes as we come in the door, going to have to break that habit LOL. Oh, and we did get the NutriCal. It was one of the things mentioned in a book in the YT library, I believe, Yorkie Info Center's "The Yorkshire Terrier Complete Guide." Lots of great info in that book! __________________ Finn and Monty You drive me "...every little success is a huge success!"

01-28-2017, 11:13 AM	#2
Mercgirl Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Rugby UK Posts: 89	If you have stairs, you may want to consider a stair gate. Our house is an old Victorian one with very steep stairs...a fall down those when Wookie was tiny could well have been fatal, so we got a stair gate. We still use it now, even though she's a lot bigger, when she's at home alone.

01-29-2017, 10:47 AM	#8
Kat549 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Toronto Posts: 77	Wow, sounds as though you are super prepared...... what about a good training book plus a chart that indicates, for each week of growth, what to expect in terms of both behaviour and body growth. Good Luck. I brought my 8 week old home one month ago and just adore him....

01-29-2017, 01:46 PM	#9
2newpups Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Christiansburg, VA, USA Posts: 34	Thanx, Maximo (Kristin?), I didn't think about a baby gate - sounds a whole lot better than a box haha! Kat549, you're the first person I've "met" on YT whose pup was only 8 weeks old when you brought him home. I've been really stressing over that, since several here (who obviously know A LOT about Yorkies and dogs in general) have pointed out that pups should really be with their moms for at least 10 weeks. Ours too will be 8 weeks this weekend, and the breeder insists they will be fine but I already trust y'all so much more! __________________ Finn and Monty You drive me "...every little success is a huge success!"

01-30-2017, 01:01 AM	#11
Mercgirl Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Rugby UK Posts: 89	We got Wookie at 8 weeks, but we'd planned it so we both had the following week off. 8 weeks is the most common time to collect pups here in the UK, after they've been chipped and had their first jab. As it turned out, there were absolutely no problems. We got home with her, put her down on the floor inside the front door, and she just ambled off. Walked into the lounge where all three of our cats were, stole Pixie's ball, and took it straight into the pen we'd bought for her! The cats were all 'WHAT IS THAT!!!!' She did cry that first night, so I ended up sleeping on the floor next to her pen, but after that she was absolutly fine. We kept her in her pen at night until she was bigger, but now she sleeps upstairs on our bed with us.

01-31-2017, 11:55 AM	#13
2newpups Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Christiansburg, VA, USA Posts: 34	[QUOTE=Mercgirl;4692880]We got Wookie at 8 weeks, but we'd planned it so we both had the following week off. 8 weeks is the most common time to collect pups here in the UK, after they've been chipped and had their first jab. As it turned out, there were absolutely no problems. We got home with her, put her down on the floor inside the front door, and she just ambled off. Walked into the lounge where all three of our cats were, stole Pixie's ball, and took it straight into the pen we'd bought for her! The cats were all 'WHAT IS THAT!!!!' It's good to hear about the 8 weeks norm in the UK, makes me worry less about that. As for Pixie and crew, I can certainly relate. When we brought our Molly home as a pup many years ago, she was so tiny; our cat Avery, weighing in at 14 lbs, seemed a credible threat. So we never left the two of them alone together. Out of the corner of my eye one day I saw Avery stroll over to Molly as he often did, but instead of just sniffing her and walking away as usual he started licking the top of her head. It apparently felt good, cuz Molly's eyes were drooping sleepily, and she lowered her head like, "don't stop." It was so cute. We still didn't leave them unsupervised, but it was fun to watch, especially once Molly started approaching the cat looking for him to start licking the top of her head. __________________ Finn and Monty You drive me "...every little success is a huge success!"