[yorkieusa]

Originally Posted by MorkieMomma

Hi,

Our vet told me that I needed to stop hovering over Bella, and playing with her and interacting with her every moment she is awake. He said she could and most likely would, develop severe separation anxiety and she needs to be taught that it's okay to have alone puppy time. I'm a housewife, with no children, so our pets are our 'kids'. What am I supposed to do, ignore her??? The issue came up when the vet tech took her to be weighed, she freaked out and squirmed like crazy and squawked until she was back with me.

She woke up recently and immediately I got on the floor and started playing with her. I'm not a softie. She knows not to bite, because that gets a "Eh eh eh!! No Bella, no bite"...and she doesn't like upsetting me. I DO correct her when she does something inappropriate.

I stopped after an hour of play and went into this room.

I decided to try and do what the vet said and let her play by herself but she's breaking my heart. I refuse to leave her unwatched, so I put a rack in the doorway instead of closing it. She keeps standing on her hind legs, leaning against the rack, tilting her head and whimpering at me. She won't play by herself, Brussels is tired (he's senior), kitty wants nothing to do with her yet (though she has stopped hissing, now she just sniffs her nose and walks off).

She *needs* a playmate (namely me) doesn't she? How can I expect her to just amuse herself? That feels really unfair.

You should hear her whimpering, and those eyes, those eyes are like little windows. She clearly wants me to play with her.

I just want reasons why I should listen to the vet and not play with her?? It seems like animal cruelty and neglect to me. IF this is right, and she is supposed to have alone time....she's not liking it at ALL. How long am I supposed to let her stand up and cry at me?

I interacted with our Brussels the same way when he was a puppy and LONG into adulthood (until he started sleeping a ton). He grew up just fine, didn't have this 'separation anxiety' stuff, and didn't seem to have ANY ill effects.

...she's still whimpering at me and has been since I started typing this.

Ha-ha-ha! I think you'll be just fine and you certainly don't need psychological help. Yorkies follow you everywhere you go in the house. That is just the way they are. They just want to be with their person. There is nothing wrong with you or your puppy. Enjoy her! Use the advice here that you find helpful and ignore the advice that isn't so helpful.