Poor little one! I did not let any of my pups go until at least 12 weeks. Until that time, they stayed in a play yard, with bed and blankets in one area, food and water another, and the rest covered with pee pads for them to do their business on. They are too little to have run of the house unless you are playing with them. If they have the small play yard with definate separation of sleep, eat, and pee areas they will grow to know to do their business in a certain spot. Then you can gradually increase the size of their space. Use the child gates to block off the kitchen or other tiled floor area. Still have a specific place for the pee pads and another for food and water. Once they are using that area well, you may want to give them more area to roam in. But I would hesitate to give them the whole house when you are gone until you have been several months without an accident.
I agree with the previous posters who said a great deal of patience will be needed. You pup bites too hard because that is normal for them. They usually bite each other and sometimes even the mother dog. They learn that bites hurt and then they temper them to not be so rough. The mother dog may gently nip at their necks to let them know they are going too far. They get lots of social skills during those 8-12 months. Yours may need some reinforcement from you to learn what they missed from mom and siblings. Yell a loud "ouch" in a stern voice when they bite too hard. You can even take your fingers and gently nip their neck like a momma dog would with her teeth. Just something to get their attention, not hurt.
Be patient, consistent, and loving and it will all work out. But frustration is almost inevitable during the next few months. Know that everyone goes through this and it will be okay eventually.
WELCOME to YT and the wonderful world of yorkshire terriers! |