New owner in T-minus 9 days!
 

Hi guys! I'm a young 20-something in NC, live with my awesome boyfriend. Life's pretty cool, I guess, but there was something missing. I look at my Facebook page, see all of my friends getting married, having babies. I've read their posts about smiles and poopy diapers and sighed.

MAN, THAT SUCKS!!!!!

I'm too young for that! I've got a career I'm starting, I'm young and eat like crap and watch too much TV. Who wants to give that up?

So instead I'm getting a dog. Nolita!

She is fierce. Named after the coolest neighborhood in Manhattan, she goes by Noli too, whatever, doesn't bother her. What does bother her is that black belt/brown shoe combo you've got going on. Granted, fashion rules are made to be broken and heaven knows they're hard to keep up with, but even this six-week-old pup knows that some things never change. Just like how icons may come and go but no one will ever top Smoky as Greatest Yorkie Ever. Well, Nolita can give it a shot. (By the way, are you seriously having another Arrested Development marathon? Aren't there dances to go to?)

So I'll be picking her up next Sunday. I've been lurking here for weeks, preparing and studying and totally not stalking certain Nursery threads, but now that it's getting real close I decided to jump in. Any advice for the first night? That's what I'm worried about. The whole crate-training has gotten me confused as well. We've got a travel crate, donated thoughtfully by my mother, but do we leave her there all night? Or should we keep her in the kitchen - a marginally bigger area? I AM SO CONFUSED. HOLD ME.

Also, previously mentioned boyfriend joined the Navy last November. In about a year and a half he should get his assignment. We're hoping for a move to Japan (We're young and childless! And reckless! Things like this are PERFECT for when you're young and childless and reckless!). I've found an old blog post about bringing pets to Japan, but it's from 2007 and I'm worried it's outdated, or wrong. It's also a bit confusing. Any Navy brats around that can walk me through the process?

AND CHECK OUT MY BLOG. It's new and going to be totally badass like me. And Noli!

YEAH you!!!!:D

ha! LOVE your post...literally made me laugh outloud :D

As to the crate training, a young pup will need to be let out in the night to pee &/or poop. I've always paper-trained (pee pads) my yorkies for convenience of not HAVING to be home to let the dog out at regular intervals. The best setup I've found for that is to put a crate (with comfy beddingminside it) inside a playpen that is lined with pee pads. I leave the crate door open & my pups have always slept in the crate & done their business on the pads outside it.

I've never trained a pup to only go outside, but there are plenty of people on here that have, who'll be able to give you advice on how to make that type of crate training the most effective.

Congratulations on Nolita & welcome to YT :)

Thank you!

Will she cry if she has to go? I was planning on training her to go outside to potty; that's what my mother's done with our yorkies at her house (Starr and Shelby, the Supreme Divas). Though I'd love for her to go on the pads if I'm not home. I can have my cake and eat it too, darn it! I'm not expecting she'll spend too much time alone, and I've taken time off for the first week. One of the (dis)advantages of nontraditional jobs are the nontraditional hours. Noli would probably be alone 4 hours in a day, max. At least until the boyfriend leaves for Navy, but that's not for six months.

I was planning on doing the playpen/crate/pee pad option...but then I heard it's good to keep them in the bedroom, too!

Hi and welcome!!!!! It is so exciting waiting for a new baby!!

You can do what I do......and let my babies sleep in bed with me. :D I have yet to have a problem with pottying on the bed, or well in the house either!!! I got very lucky!!! Hopefully you will too! We use the disposible potty pads and have recently purchased the 'potty patch', which Jett loves, and Bella thinks is 'stupid'......(I know if she could talk this is what she would tell me. LOL) I keep the potty pads spread throughout the house, and keep one in the master bath for night time potty time. Works amazingly!!! Spread throughout the house sounds like my house is covered in potty pads......thats why we never have accidents. ROTFL No what I mean is one in each room the babies frequent. Family room, dining room, computer room, and 2 bathrooms!

How old is your Nolita?? Congrats!!!!!

The boyfriend will completely object to the dog on the bed (he already feels emasculated enough, poor sucker!!!) and is kinda repulsed by the potty patch. I agree, there's a reason why we didn't get a cat (well, mostly that cats suck and want to suck your souls out through your eyes. But the smelly litter box too).

She'll be seven weeks when I pick her up.

AND HEY. HEY. I've read a lot of posts, I know all the reasons why she should stay until 12. If I had found this forum before I bought her I would have found another breeder (I had doubts, but reassurance by my mother, who also got her first yorkie at 7 weeks with no problem, dissuaded me). I've read and understand the things she'll be missing out on with her mom and litter mates, but I'm hoping to keep her socialized and be a proper owner with training. As much as a delight the breeder has been (she really has been wonderful, aside from this one thing), I won't be recommending her to others.

But that does lead me to another question. Can someone walk me through the timeline for parvo vaccines? I know that she's got some now through her mother's milk, but how long should I wait to take her to get hers. I heard a week, I heard 10 days, I heard waiting until she's a few weeks older.

And I want to get her out and socialized, she'd be fine with vaccinated pups, right? As long as they've had their booster?

This puppy should absolutely not be exposed to other dogs at this age- she shouldn't even be going outside to the bathroom. If I were you I would set up wee wee pads for her for now. Once she is vaccinated you can transition to outdoor training. I know you say you don't want to use them- but taking a 7 week old puppy outside and letting her walk on the ground is a recipe for disaster.

:thumbup:

Oh trust me, I know not to let her out yet. I want to train her to go outside eventually. Sorry if that wasn't clear earlier.

But that's what worries me about parvo. I've heard lots of different things about being around vaccinated dogs. :confused:

Welcome and congrats!

It sounds like you are already well informed and have done your research which is awesome!! Good luck to you and your new furbaby. (:

Thank you! I tried, and I'm hoping to get the last details squared away before the big day!!!