[yorkietalkjilly]

Congratulations on your new baby! Remember that these little guys whine because they miss their mommie and siblings and the only people they have ever known - the breeder and family! They whine to call their pack to them - instinctual behavior genetically programmed in so that even a young puppy with undeveloped brain can call for its mom should it get carried off by a predator or something or the little one somehow fall off a bluff or otherwise get separated from its pack. So they want comfort from their packmates and mom and if you allow the crate to be near you or put the baby in an airline carrier and set it right in the bed with you, your baby will feel a lot more comfortable, knowing that someone caring is there. To me, it is rather cruel to stash a very young weeks old dog in a crate far from others its first few nights away from its mother and just expect it to deal. People don't mean to be cruel but it goes against the pack for a dog to sleep separately from its pack when we make them sleep alone - unnatural to the dog. Keeping your baby close to you its first days and weeks will help it settle into the new home better. I sleep with my dog and his and my Jilly before him both slept with me in the airline carrier in the bed or placed in a chair pulled up right next to it their first two weeks, after which they slept in the bed with me.

The new pup can also miss the warmth of cuddling up next to another warm pack member to sleep and nap so have warm, comfortable bedding for her in her crate or pen. That's all I can think of right now. Jilly was 4 1/2 mos. old and Tibbe 9 mos. old when I brought them home so I don't have recent new puppy experience but in the past, I still had them right beside my bed in their crate at night until they were old enough to be trusted and safe in the bed. You also have to worry about the little ones falling off the bed which is why an airline carrier works well at first. Once the dog is old enough not to accidentally run off the edge or jump off and hurt herself, they can be trusted to sleep with you.

Small dogs also need to be taught how to use doggie steps so they don't have repetitive impact stresses to their fragile bones and joints from jumping that far down.