lily kisses is home at only 6 weeks old

[Ellie May]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Very bad breeder.

In many states it's illegal to sell a puppy that young.

Michigan does have the 8 week law but it looks like it only applies to pet shops and not small breeders.

[FlDebra]

Originally Posted by becky k

oh my god as if 8 weeks wasnt bad enough .i could not get the lady to keep her till 12 weeks. now she called me in the night said emergency family illness had to leave town for weeks even maybe and she just could not take the pups. could not leave them home as mommy not nursing them and her husband could not care for them as he works am to late pm .she is taking the mom dog with her. so i went and got her. ill post pics tomorrow. she is so tiny. i was up all night making sure she ate and was warm. another long night ahead......

This same exact story was posted here just a few weeks ago, maybe a couple of months and I have read it before that as well. I think some very unethical breeders are using this as an excuse not to continue caring for a litter of pups who desparately need more time with their mother and siblings. Not nursing is NO EXCUSE either. They learn a lot more than how to nurse when with their mother and littermates. I kept my current litter til 12-14 weeks and their poor mother died the third day after they were born. They weren't nursing, but they still needed the socialization.

I know you were put in a bad situation and felt the only thing to do was take the puppy and care for her as best you can. My ire is directed at the breeder. I just do not believe all of these family emergencies are real. I gave up a couple of major events to stay home with the puppies. That was my responsibility when I decided to let them breed. A responsible breeder has arrangements with someone to care for the litter intact, if there really is a true emergency that requires the breeder to leave town. So, there really is no excuse to call the propsective buyers and tell them they need to take possession at 6 weeks. It is even against the law here in Florida and some other states as well.

[FlDebra]

Originally Posted by Micah my love

Keep Lily nice & warm and give her some goat milk for a while it is good for the really young ones. good luck with your new baby

Betty & Micah my love

If you give goat's milk, dilute it half and half with water. First time I gave Goat's milk, no one told me that and I made the poor pups constipated. But luckily, once I diluted they started operating as usual.

Another tip. They sell a stuffed dog/or cat that comes with a battery operated heart that beats and a warmer. Puppies can cuddle up to it just like a mom or sibling and feel both the warmth and heartbeat that soothes them. I highly recommend you get one. I bought one that looked like a cat on clearance for like $15 at Petsmart and have seen the dog ones online. I figured the pups would not know the difference between the stuffed dog or cat . They still like to curl up on it to nap even though I haven't used the warmer or heart for a while.

Hopefully, you have Nutrical for Puppies on hand. It is a high calorie supplement that can quickly remedy low blood sugar. That is one of the dangers in a small puppy like this. Watch for lethargic behavior, falling over when walking, going limp when not really asleep, acting dizzy. Those are sometimes the signs of low blood sugar. Just rub a dime size blob onto her gums and she should bounce back within a few minutes.

I like to free feed my puppies. With one so young, you might want to carefully measure so you can be sure of daily intake. Be sure to weigh her as soon as possible and every couple of days until you are sure she is eating well and gaining weight. Limit those treats even though they love them so much. A few treats will give them enough calories they may ignore their food. I break up a yogurt drop into fourths -- makes for a nice tiny treat that won't "ruin their dinner." One Yorkie Yummie is a good size treat for a puppy too.

Make sure you keep her confined when not right with you. They will become overwhelmed with run of the house. They need a smaller area that is theirs at this young age. I use a kid's play yard I bought at Toys R Us. They sell the exact same one as a Pet Play Yard and charge $20 more for it. An X-Pen is also a good choice. You can put their bed in there, food and water dishes, and pee pads.

Be very careful -- they are very courageous and will try to jump off things that are too high. That can be bad on her tiny joints, bones, and soft tissue both at the time she does it and later on as repeated impacts can be harmful.

Ask if any question pops in your mind. We have all had to ask dozens of questions ourelves when we were new to Yorkie ownership. They are fragile, they are special, they are amazing! Congrats and enjoy every minute!