Help! I'm a nurse and must leave home for 13+ hours some days!

[Britster]

I would assume you have, what three-ish 12 hour shifts a week? I think that's what a lot of nurses do.

A 7 week old pup should never be left for more than 6 hours, IMO. But even that's pushing it. That's pretty young.

An adult dog would honestly be fine for a few 12 hour shifts a week as long as it's not every day. My opinion anyway. Think about it this way, most dogs are home alone 5 days a week for 8-10 hours. With a nursing type schedule, yes they have 3 really long days but the rest of the week off w/ you!

In the beginning though, you will definitely need a dog sitter or someone to pop in a few times a day.

[thelittleyorkie]

Originally Posted by Rachael1983

Is there a kid around between 10-14 years old that may be interested in earning a little extra money while you're at work. After school some kids may be able to stop by, play with your puppy, clean up for you, get the mail and lock up. It's cheaper than a real babysitter and an alternative to daycare since they won't take the pup that young.

Wish I lived near you, LucyGoosey! (I am 13 currently. 14 next month). I would jump right out my window if I had the chance to petsit a little one! (especially if it was a yorkie! )

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by LucyGoosey

Thanks again for everyone's input (I would've responded more frequently but apparently every message needs mod approval lol) - for the next couple/few weeks I'm gonna have my friend puppy-sit and then after that, well, I don't know.

My vet relieved me of some of the worry that y'all were causing me lol - I'm not thrilled about leaving her home alone for extended periods of time, and I may not even have to, but at this point it's more about social issues and coming home to find my place destroyed - my vet says, at least with Lucy's weight, she's not worried about hypoglycemia; which was something I more or less dismissed when the store clerk was telling me about it (and made me sign a paper about it too!).

But Lucy's such a sweetie that I've already got no fewer than two families willing to watch her for me (of course, this may be because she's a small puppy- things might change when she gets older) but eventually I will do the doggy day care thing. One that I found so far opens after I have to be at work and closes before I get off haha. The search continues!

Hypoglycemia is not something to brush off not only can it kill your dog if no one is home to see the symptoms but my 17 pound adult had issues with it so size doesn't matter. Since it sounds like your pup is from a pet store and pet stores get there puppies from puppy mills I would make sure to get pet insurance and get one that covers genetic illnesses.

[Lovetodream88]

Be careful with taking you dog places because without all there shots they could end up getting very sick.

[gemy]

@LucyGoosey - cute name btw! She is only 7wks old - how much does she weigh? Usually they weigh less than 2lbs at that age. Maybe she is 3lbs, but still that is fairly lightweight and of course young.


I am happy that your vet feels that she *shouldn't* suffer from hypoglycemia, but you just don't know yet! Weight is one factor for sure, but there is always the underlying health of your puppy. The stress of being in a new home, with unfamiliar scents sounds and people. My motto is better safe than sorry.


Make sure diplomatically of course that your pet sitter does actually know the signs of hypoglycemia, what the emergency first aid is, and which vet to take your pup to in a emergency.


And like LovetoDream, I do highly recommend pet insurance for this young puppy, which btw most insurers won't insure before 8wks old, but apply then you can have it and hopefully nothing happens in the waiting period before coverage is activated. Pet store puppies are likely from less than ideal breeders if not in fact from puppy mills - so breeding for health is not high on their list of priorities.


I know we are hitting you with a lot of information, but we sincerely want your puppy to thrive with you, and should something happen, then you have the security of insurance behind you should your puppy have a illness or a genetic disease that crops up.

[SirTeddykins]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

socialization, which can be a real problem for dogs who are left alone all the time, but you really need someone for a long time, I'd say over a year at least. These things will come back and cause you all sorts of problems down the road.

well said and a hard lesson I learned and am still trying to overcome with Teddy..


good luck OP!

[MauiGirl]

Hi, Welcome to Yorkie Talk. I wish you were on Maui as i would gladly volunteer free puppy sitting while you work.

It's good that you have someone that can help. Do be careful though, as you little one should not be around other dogs or in places where other dogs go until she is fully vaccinated, at around 16 weeks. Hopefully the friend's doggies are all vaccinated, and yours will not be exposed to parvo and other things.

Good luck with your little girl. Can't wait to hear more about her.

[Jkpal]

My Piper is 4 yrs old and I, too, suffer for leaving her while at work (have had her for about 5 months now). Even though I'm on my feet allll night long, I speed walk through a 1/4 mile of corridors as soon as shift ends. I've actually heard comments from employees I've seen, but don't know, saying..."She wants to get home to Piper!" It's a long haul for us both, but we're doing fine and the joy and excitement every morning when I return is boundless. Thank you for the care you give others...Your baby is in good hands because you do care so much and are thinking ahead!

[smelcerk]

Proud of you LucyGoosey for sticking through this and not getting upset by some of the advice. While it has been painful to read and I am cringing at some of the harshness I have to say I have to agree with most. Your breeder should be ashamed of herself for releasing that baby to you at 7 weeks. That should never be done. I can tell that you already love your baby. Hypoglycemia is just way too big of a risk at this age and coming home to a dead puppy would scar you forever. So best to take preventive measures. You are going to need to find someone who loves you and will be checking on that precious girl every couple hours.

[ziggy925]

This is almost the equivalent of leaving an infant at home alone, or maybe a two-year-old. While not a great idea it certainly can be done with confinement, dog sitters and things to keep the puppy busy. The fact that you are concerned about leaving the puppy at home alone is a great sign. Dogs can't tell time, so they don't really know how long you've been gone, but they can get into a lot of mischief while you are gone. If I was in your situation I would use a combination of crate training and dog sitters coming in and out. You might try leaving the dog with a trainer on days you are gone, assuming you have the funds for that. Whatever you come up with congrats on the new pup and I hope this all works out. Except for the pee and poop most people are very happy to have a Yorkie follow them around for the day. Furthermore, while you obviously can't take your dog everywhere, it's pretty easy to conceal a small Yorkie in purses, backpacks and clothing.