My first puppy Alex 5 weeks old

[7an3na]

Hello Everyone,
I have a beautiful baby yorki named Alex. He's currently still with his mom. I visit him about 4-5 times a week and will be bringing him home in a week or so. I have never had a dog, so im not sure what would be healthy food to buy him. I have contacted a vet and was told that puppies get their first set of shots when they are 8 weeks. I'm afraid to take him outside to use the bathroom because he's still young and since he won't have any shots he might get sick. At what age can I begin taking him outside and what other recommendations can you guys give me to prepare for my alex.
Thank you for your time

-Pam

[Sarahleigh112]

First off, welcome to YT! You will find a lot of great people here and an overwhelming amount of useful information.

If your baby is 5 weeks old right now and you get him in a week or so he will only be 6/7 weeks, am I correct? That is far too young for any small breed dog to be taken away from his momma & litter mates. Most breeders on here will not let their puppies go until they are 12 weeks and have had at least some vaccinations.
I would, and I'm sure many other YTers will, suggest that you ask this breeder to keep your baby until 12 weeks or look elsewhere. Letting a puppy go too soon is red flag for an irresponsible breeder.

I can tell you from experience that bringing home a puppy too soon (@ 8 weeks) can be cause for a lot of health & behavioral issues. We were uneducated when we purchased our first puppy in August and have only now been free of health issues for 2 months now and are still to this day working to correct behavioral issues that would most likely not have been a problem if Jax had not been removed from his mama and litter mates so soon.

I am in no way trying to attack you or make you feel bad but to let you know ahead of time that bringing home a puppy too soon can cause many issues and sometimes even heartbreak.
Try searching around a little bit and you will find LOTS of information about when to bring a puppy home, food, vaccinations and other information you will need.

[puppyluvinmomma]

Hi and welcome. Congrats on Alex but I would wait til ur furbaby is 12 weeks also.

[brina05]

Welcome! I know you are anxious to get him and he is sooo cute, but I agree, please have the breeder keep your baby until he is 12 weeks old. These babies need that time with mom and littermates. Even at 12 weeks and 1-2 sets of shots completed, I did not take my boys out until all shots were completed, not in the yard, puppy training, pet stores, groomers. My vet said that parvo virus can live in the soil for years, so not to assume that our yard was okay. I have known of people's puppy getting kennel cough from being around other dogs at the groomer's or puppy training.

You will receive great information and helpful advise here. Congrats on your baby Alex

[LilMissy]

It sounds like you have a good relationship with the breeder since you are able to visit your puppy 4-5 times a week right now. I'm sure the breeder won't mind you asking if you can leave your puppy with it's mom and littermates for a few more weeks. These tiny, toy breed puppies can struggle with hypoglycemia, especially when taken away from their mom too soon. Hypoglycemic episodes are scarey and can be fatal. I know, because my Missy struggled with this for her first 3 weeks home. It is something to take very seriously. Also, your puppy is not done learning some important socialization skills from it's mom and littermates until around 12 weeks of age, such as bite inhibition. Normally this is learned naturally and effectively through contact with mom and other littermates. If the puppy bites mom during nursing mom can roll the dog over to correct it or just get up and walk away. Hungry puppy learns very quickly to control those teeth if it wants to eat. Likewise when playing with littermates, if a puppy gets bitten too hard it will yelp and stop playing. Once again puppy learns that biting hard means the end of something good. If puppy stays with his littermates for the first 3-4 months of its life it will learn bite inhibition. If you take on the task of teaching bite inhibition to your puppy yourself, it could take a year or longer, and those puppy teeth hurt! It's so much easier to just be patient and let mom do the training for you.

As far as letting your puppy outdoors, I wouldn't. Not until all vaccinations are completed. When you first bring home a yorkie puppy, a nice thing to do is purchase an "ex-pen", set it up, and inside place a crate or bed, food and water, toys, and pee pads. My adult yorkie still uses her pee pads, I find them so convenient that I never did switch her to outdoor pottying.

Congrats on your new furbaby and please be sure to share lots of pics with us when Alex arrives home!

[WV~Yorkies]

Congrats on your new puppy and Welcome to YT!!

I would ask the breeder to keep him until he is atleast 12 weeks. I do not let my puppies out until they have had 3 sets of shots and then I wait a week. Most of the time around 16 weeks old.

[yorkiebebe]

WOW! The breeder is giving away the puppy at 6 weeks?! Too young. Seems like this breeder just want to skip the vet bills for the shots. Please dont take the puppy home at 6weeks old. He still needs his momma. I agree with everyone here. Take him home at 12 weeks.

[JERSEY BOY]

Welcome and congrats !!! Please take the advice from all the experienced Ytrs. You will have a happy healthy pup at 12 weeks and you will be a very happy yorkie Mommy

[Yorkiegran3]

I got my yorkies all at 8 weeks. It seems to be the norm here in England.
I've never had any health issues, and they're haooy and healthy. I didn't take them out until a week after the 3rd vacination.

If you have friends with dogs who have been vacinated, I was told it is
ok for them to come to visit or to visit their homes after the 2nd jab. I paper trained them first then took them out. They use both.

Good luck with your baby.

Hugs Shirl x x

[Arzel36]

Welcome! Congrats on Alex!

[yorkie mad]

Originally Posted by LilMissy

It sounds like you have a good relationship with the breeder since you are able to visit your puppy 4-5 times a week right now. I'm sure the breeder won't mind you asking if you can leave your puppy with it's mom and littermates for a few more weeks. These tiny, toy breed puppies can struggle with hypoglycemia, especially when taken away from their mom too soon. Hypoglycemic episodes are scarey and can be fatal. I know, because my Missy struggled with this for her first 3 weeks home. It is something to take very seriously. Also, your puppy is not done learning some important socialization skills from it's mom and littermates until around 12 weeks of age, such as bite inhibition. Normally this is learned naturally and effectively through contact with mom and other littermates. If the puppy bites mom during nursing mom can roll the dog over to correct it or just get up and walk away. Hungry puppy learns very quickly to control those teeth if it wants to eat. Likewise when playing with littermates, if a puppy gets bitten too hard it will yelp and stop playing. Once again puppy learns that biting hard means the end of something good. If puppy stays with his littermates for the first 3-4 months of its life it will learn bite inhibition. If you take on the task of teaching bite inhibition to your puppy yourself, it could take a year or longer, and those puppy teeth hurt! It's so much easier to just be patient and let mom do the training for you.

As far as letting your puppy outdoors, I wouldn't. Not until all vaccinations are completed. When you first bring home a yorkie puppy, a nice thing to do is purchase an "ex-pen", set it up, and inside place a crate or bed, food and water, toys, and pee pads. My adult yorkie still uses her pee pads, I find them so convenient that I never did switch her to outdoor pottying.

Congrats on your new furbaby and please be sure to share lots of pics with us when Alex arrives home!

excellent advice andd well put.

[tarczely]

Originally Posted by Yorkiegran3

I got my yorkies all at 8 weeks. It seems to be the norm here in England.
I've never had any health issues, and they're haooy and healthy. I didn't take them out until a week after the 3rd vacination.

If you have friends with dogs who have been vacinated, I was told it is
ok for them to come to visit or to visit their homes after the 2nd jab. I paper trained them first then took them out. They use both.

Good luck with your baby.

Hugs Shirl x x

me to by the way mine name is axel he is so loving and sweet your will love a yorkie. I got mine at 8 weeks not knowing anybetter I was NEW too! but it all worked out for us he is now in his 6 month and 4 lbs and 14 ounces and happy is a clam! but we do have that biting issue so if I could have done it different just for that I would have! but he is getting better any yes he actually split my husband ear! so they are razor sharp it looked like a razor cut ouch!

[ChantalB]

Welcome to YT and congratulation on your new addition.

I agree with everybody, the puppy is too young... ask the breeder to keep him longer.

[naya69]

hi congrats on your new puppy i was so excited when i got my new baby too i got my little girl at 7 weeks and never had a problem so just do what you feel right i think its better to take them away from there mums before the so called 12 week mark that so many breeders want because then the pup has foemed a bound with the mum and siblins so 7 weeks is a great time to bring your new puppy home as long and she/he is eating well on her own

[jackson25]

Hi & Welcome to YT!

Please have the breeder keep Alex till at least 12 weeks old! Alex does not need to be outdoors till he has had all his shots.