[yorkietalkjilly]

My late Jilly was 3 lbs. and 6 1/2 when I finally had the guts to spay her. I think I kept her from jumping up or down on the doggie steps, porch, etc. for about a week or so. As she was an inveterate chewer at the time(before she choked/almost died trying to swallow the end of a rawhide chewbone), I kept her busy working on rawhide chew sticks and rubber toys she loved to destroy(she could have a toy in pieces inside 10 - 15 minutes despite her tiny size), had her find hidden treats around the house. She could walk around and sniff the treats out and each hunting episode kept her busy for about 10 minutes at a time. I spent a good deal of time sitting with her out front, in her carrier or in my lap, on the front porch and watching the world go by.

I crated her right here in the den when I couldn't hold her or be involved with her and forced her to rest far more than she liked the first few days and would drop treats through the top of the crate from time to time. She was pretty compliant, though, despite the fact that she wasn't best pleased being crated so often but would curl up and sleep for the most part. After those first 4 or 5 days, I lessened her time in the crate but still lifted her up and down from the furniture, etc., for the rest of the week or so. Even though they aren't happy having their activities confined, as humans aren't when we have to spend time in bed recovering, it's the only thing to do sometimes and usually they give up and rest in their crate. It's better than tearing things loose, getting a hernia or forming cysts in the incision and only lasts about a week and then they are done with it for good.