Working Woman needs advice!!
 

My husband and I are planning on purchasing a yorkie soon. We are both working people and will be leaving our Yorkie at home alone most of the day. From what I have read already the best plan seems to be to get a crate and leave it open in a bathroom/kitchen area that is gated off from the rest of the house. Leave potty pads or a litter box in the room as well.

My question is the food. We will obviously feed it before we leave for work but from there we seem to be stuck on what to do as far as a midday feeding. Some say leave food out and available all day. Some say only leave water out all day, no food. The puppy will probably be 8-10 weeks old so I know it needs to be fed 3-4 times a day.

I guess we need some advice from people who work full time. What worked for you? What didn't? etc? Hope someone can help!! :) Thanks!

I am home all day but I would free feed one that little. When he gets a little older and bigger you could do scheduled feedings

I am gone 7.5 hours per day. I left food out until my dog was about 6 months old and then I changed to two feedings per day. At that age, your puppy won't eat much and you want food to be available. That being said, she probably won't eat while you are at work. But it should be left out until she is a little older.

I agree that the crate is too small for more than three hours. Until my puppy was potty trained I left her in the bathroom with the crate open and a pee pad and lots of stuff to chew on. I also gave her a t-shirt that I had worn the night before for my scent and left the radio on. At that age she slept most of the day.

Bonnie

Do you already have a puppy in mind? Yorkies aren't supposed to go to their new homes until 12weeks. I would avoid a breeder who sends their dogs home at 8 weeks. Given you situation, you might consider buying an older puppy. Many top breeders have puppies that didn't quite make it in the show ring that are around 6 months old. That way housetraining will have been started and hypoglycemia won't be a concern. I suggest you do some research on hypoglycemia. Can you take a few days off from work when you first bring the pup home?

Hypoglycemia should not be too much of an issue while you are gone because the dog will be laying still and sleeping. You should give Nutrical before you leave for work and after you come home while she is very young. I got my puppy at 10.5 weeks.

I would leave food down all the time, that way he/she can eat when he/she feels hungry. If not, maybe hire a dog walker to come and check on things and give him/her some food.

When I got Gracie, I came home at lunch time to feed her wet food. She refused dry food until she was 6-8 months old. When she stopped wanting lunch, I stopped coming home to feed her and just left out dry food. Then Holly came. She always liked dry food so I just leave a bowl out for both of them all day. When puppies, I had them in an ex-pen with their crate, with the crate door left open. Now that they are older, they are gated off in the living room while I am at work.

My suggestion would be, to get an xpen, and put a bed, food ,water and pee pad in it. I got my yorkie when she was less than 7 weeks, but, I was also home with her all day, if yours is real tiny, then I wouldn't leave her home by herself. As far as leaving her in the bathroom, the only thing is, they do usually chew, and unless you want molding and wallpaper, etc chewed on, she will need confined

You've got alot of great advice already...but I wanted to commend you for doing your research and being ready for you baby before you bring it home!! Can't wait to see what you choose...be sure to post pics when you bring baby home!!! Good luck!! :animal-pa

We got Samson when he was about 9.5 weeks. I am away for work about 9.5 hours during the week and my fiance is gone anywhere between 5-9 hours (depending on his schedule for the day). From day one we have left Samson in a gated bathroom with a bed, a washable pee pad, toys and water. It's the same on the weekends when we are going to be out for more than 3 hours (we leave him in his crate if it's shorter than three hours). Once in a while we will leave food on the weekends if we know we are going to be gone past his dinner time, but most of the time we don't leave food at all. We feed him all the food he wants in the morning and all the food he wants at dinner, but we do not leave food during the day. He ALWAYS pees on the pad and he has been able to hold his poop all day for the last two months. The amount of pee on the pad is getting smaller too. When my fiance comes home in the mid to late afternoon, most of the time Samson hasn't gone yet or has just gone, so we know he's getting better at holding his pee as well.

We've spoken to our vet about not leaving him food and she said it's fine, as long as he's eating enough the other two times (plus he gets treats throughout the morning and evening during potty times). He is not underweight and he's doing great she said, so we're okay with our decision. It's a lot easier to poop/potty train when you control when they eat/drink.

You have been told everything I could share. I just wanted to wish you luck with your new baby. Yorkies are really wonderful additions to a family.

I just don't think a puppy is a good candidate for a couple that both work full time. You will probably get frustrated with potty training since Yorkies are known to be very difficult to house train. Puppies cannot hold it in for more than 1-2 hours and Yorkies especially because they have small bladders. I think you should consider an older dog that is a larger breed. Possibly a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel? They are still pretty small, at 10-18 pounds, and are friendly with dogs/people/other animals and are easy to train. They don't require grooming like Yorkies either. I just think it will be very hard to train a puppy and socialize one when you are gone for most of the day. If I were you I would wait until you are gone no more than 4 hours a day. I am not trying to be rude I just think it isn't right to leave a puppy that is a mere 12 weeks old alone for 8+ hours a day. That is a long time even for an older dog. This is just something you should consider. Please don't take this the wrong way, I am only trying to help.

Good Advice which I agree and some advice I don't agree with.

First - I Agree to wait to bring home a puppy until it is 12-16 weeks old or older. A puppy should be with its momma until at least 12 weeks. THere is a lot it learns in those 4+ weeks at the 8 week age.

Second - My husband and I are both working professionals. A Yorkie is a great dog for this type of lifestyle if you keep the following in mind - you are exhausted when you come home but they are ready to go strong. Be prepared to provide alot of stimulation to your baby when you get home and fix supper and clean up dishes and wind don and etc..etc..etc.

THird - I would free-feed. A yorkie needs a regular source of nutrition. Don't fill the bowl but have some kibble in the bowl for him/her at all times (small amount). Water is a must!

Fourth - We use a baby octagon that we got at walmart for our 3, yes 3 yorkies. That and a pillow and blanket with food water and the far part of it for a puppy pad. IT gives them room to move around and stretch their legs and feel like they aren't soiling where they live/eat.

IT's going into the winter season so yes, it is difficult to train yorkies during this time. I would recommend that you stick with the puppy pads, consistently, until the warmer season.

I hope this helps!

Missiemiss

You have recieved great advice. I am in agreement to have your new pup in an expen , so he/she has plenty of space. Also use potty pads , since you guys will be gone . Be sure to free feed A high Quality Premium Puppy food , kibble that can be left out all day for your baby. Little yorkie pups are prone to hypoglcemia which can be deadly . Fresh clean water is a must too.
I'd also suggest bringing home your pup during A weekend so you can be there the first few days . Bonding is very important to any kind of pup, and you do not want separation anxiety in your pup. I also woryy about lonliness , which I believe can be dealt with leaving a shirt with both of your smells on it in for your pup in the pen. Even leaving A radio on or tv may help ease your new pups fears of being all alone. Especially if the pu has been with littermates and mom all its life.
This may save you from future behavioral problems. If their is anyway you or your husband could come home or a friend or realitive go over to your house just to make sure the pup is ok, and give the pup attention, and extra love that will also help .
I found out that My Yorkie pup is A lot like A human infant. Very needy and wants the closeness of human contact. AND I am virtually home most of the time! She still prefers the human contact and wants to be near me the majority of the time, even when asleep.
I do not know if this is the nature of the breeed, or if it is because she is A pup, however, My Suzi is 8 months old and is happiest when she is near us at virtually all the time.

I would also try to get a puppy with an independent kind of attitude if that make sense. Our breeder picked Xena for us because she knew we worked 9 hours a day and Xena was very good at keeping herself occupied, she thought she would be fine by herself while we were at work. We got Izzy a few months after Xena from the same breeder but Izzy is the exact opposite. Our breeder thought she was the kind of dog that would be miserable by herself so she either should go to a home where the owner didn't work or worked from home, or to a home where there was another dog that could keep her company. Our two girls keep eachother company when we're not home so I know that lessens any separation anxiety.

Or you could try getting 2 puppies so they can keep eachother company. :D You know they say yorkies are like potatoe chips, you can't have just one. ;)