[aimee]

1. Are they easy to bathe, and where do you bathe them? Do you use blowdryers?

I find them very easy to bathe, but some seem to hate the water. I started bathing my puppy the week I brought her home and she has had a bath almost weekly since. She now seems to really enjoy it and relaxes while being bathed. You do need to make sure you have a good hold on them, Yorkies are famous for being quite fearless and may try to fly off your kitchen counter.

I bath my dogs in the kitchen sink. I have a towel on the counter beside it, with shampoo, conditioner, brush, washcloth, cup, and flea comb. I use towels right from the dryer to get her cleared up, and also have a space heater set up beside the area I groom her in. That was I can brush her while she is still wet and get out any tangles she has.

With that being said, if you plan to keep your Yorkie's coat long, daily brushing is usually a must to keep away matts and tangles.

2. Are you constantly on the "lookout" so you don't step on them, or do the pretty much keep out of the way.

In a word, yes. Someone on here coined the phrase "Yorkie Shuffle" and it applies in my house. We always have to watch for the dogs, especially the puppy. She likes to be right where the action is, and usually that means right at my heals. The good news is, we've never had an accident with feet yet. It's always good to be aware of where the Yorkie is in relation to a person's feet

3. What size crate is recommended? Can a pee pee pad (or whatever they are called), be put in the crate while training them, say for
six hours, if I have to be away from home? The may be cruel, but then again, it is cruel to make them hold their little bladders. Curious on how you handle this.

I use the smallest size crate and my dog only sleeps in it. Many people prefer the wire crates. I'm not an expert on crate training, so I'll leave this one to someone who is. I'm home all the time so I am able to supervise their activities.

4. At appx. what age can you completely do away with the crate?

Again, I'll leave this for someone else.

5. My parents live right next door, and are anxious to care for this pup when I am gone. Do you think it will urinate in their house, and be completely confused, or are they smart enough to use a pee pee pad?

Your parents will probably have to train the puppy on where to go when s/he is in their house. If you train it to go on pee pads, it will be more likely to go there, but may have accidents in a strange place. I would have your parents work with you in their home on potty training if they plan on keeping the puppy often.

Hope that helps a little.