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help-questions about Yorkie pup and crates Thinking about getting a Yorkie pup for my daughters. Breeder has already started crating them (they are only 2 wks old). She will release them at about 7 weeks. My husband and I work, so we will have to crate her for 8-9 hrs per day. Is this ok? For the first few weeks I could come home at lunch time and let her out, but I couldn't do that indefinately. so maybe my question is more like- can I leave her for 4hrs, let her out at lunch, and then again when we get home at 5pm? And, will she begin to expect this as she gets older, b/c like I said, I can't come home for lunch forever! thank you! Renee |
I think I already answered your question in another one of your threads but I'll repost here :) First off, it concerns me that your breeder is letting her pups go at 6 to 7 weeks of age. That is WAY too young to be let go from their mother and litter mates, puppies should stay with them til about 12 weeks of age. As for crate training, 9 hours is a very long time to be away from a brand new puppy. You have to remember, their bladders are very tiny and need to go more frequently. As they get older they have better bladder control and can hold it for more hours but as babies they don't have this control. Also yorkies are prone to hypoglycemia and it would worry me that if not fed for 9 hours, your baby could go into shock and would be alone :( Puppies that are crate trained need a strict schedule and I can't image being able to stay on schedule while being gone for 9 hours, but I could be wrong! Do you have a neighbor or family member that could check on him each day? I don't mean to scare you but puppies really need a lot of attention. Now that mine is almost 11 months, I actually had to resort back to crate training since he relapsed, but I'm able to leave him for 8 hours if I have to bc he has bladder control. I still go take him out every 4 hours but if necessary he could hold it for 8. I would just do some research on yorkie puppies, I'm no expert, but they really need a lot of time and attention at their age, ESPECIALLY if your breeder gives you the pup at 6 or 7 weeks! I would seriously ask her if she could keep your baby a bit longer, best of luck to you!! |
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I ditto this post completely!!! Good luck!! An X pen could work for longer periods of times, instead of a crate! You could put potty pad on one side, food, water, toys and bed on the other. Yorkie babies need a LOT of attention however!! Good luck!! |
thank you both for the replies! How about if I came home for lunch (around 4 hr mark)? I could do that for a little while but not indefinately. At what age would it be reasonable to expect her to hold it for 8hrs? I thought about the wee wee pads and a enclosed gate (xpen?), but I would like that to be a temporary solution until she is able to hold her pee/poop for 8 hrs-even in an xpen. What would happen if I eventually took the wee wee pads away? I know, lots of questions, but my kids (and me too honestly) are so excited about getting this little dog and I want to make sure we are making the right decision |
That's way too young to leave mama (IMO) not a good breeder...sign of many bad things to come all too often... 12-14 weeks is when reputable breeders send them home. Crates are for sleeping-NOT CAGING! Get a large play pen or gate off a smaller area that has a play area, food area, and potty area and a sleeping area (bed) in it like a 4x4 -(I'd go 6x6) because you need a potty zone away from the bed and food-a smaller area can be used after have established potty training and it can be removed form the play pen. hmmm totally unrelated other than this thread just came up and it's too cute so here's an idea of an area like that, but this is for a dog already potty trained and being attended to...they need a place to potty and if not you are setting them and you up for failure and a horrible situation. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/my-...ke-reesie.html <<<this plus potty area. I personally have a Best Pet soft sided play pen in a medium, a large would be better but the "gates" are safer if you are not home (the one picture on my profile page). Potty place, a potty pad washable or disposable, a litter box, a potty patch, or grid system...something! Goodluck and Welcome to YT! |
so you think I could start out with a pen and place wee wee pads in there and then eventually be able to take them away once she is able to hold it for 8hrs? |
The xpen is the only way to go for working people unless you have an extra room don't expect babies to be able to hold for 8 hrs use pee pads so she/he can relieve themselves as needed...and leave food & water at all times |
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They are one option but the video speaks volumes, along with the number of people here realizing how hard it is to potty train Yorkies-I'm home all the time or they go with me and it was still hard...and notice it's an adult Yorkie pictured on the homepage-could be coincidences...:rolleyes: I wanted to note I use crates here, for sleeping at bed time in my room-we don't even close doors they just have beds insides crates (I use large crates for small dogs) and a play pen for the day time when we are not home, or just need them to go in there. But Yorkies especially are a HUGE commitment and take a lot of effort, evaluate if you are up for it all together...then post pictures of the new pup on here! ;) |
Yikes! That whole thing would scare me to death! First of all how young the pup is and second that it would be unattended for hours at a time. Hypoglycemia would be a real possibility and some die from that alone!! You must be a brave woman!! |
I just want to add, like someone else already said, yorkies are very attention-loving dogs who will follow you EVERYWHERE (don't expect to ever go to the bathroom alone again haha) and who crave human contact, especially yours. I just would feel so bad for a new puppy who is left alone for 9 hours a day everyday :( Will your girls be home at all during the day to play with them since you wanted to get the puppy for them? I agree with another post, maybe its best you get an older dog so you don't have to worry about the hypoglycemia or that is already potty trained, although they still need/crave attention too :) |
I wouldn't say brave, just ignorant. That's why I posted up here. We really want to get her, but I want to make sure we are making the right decision. I have heard many success stories too with pups being alone for 8hrs. I think I can get the breeder to keep her until 8 or 9 wks old. That combined with maybe using wee wee pads until she can hold it 8hrs may be the best solution. I just would like to be able to take the wee wee pads away at some point in time. |
oh and also combined with coming home at lunch time for the first month or so Is that a better combo for those of you out there gasping? :);) |
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Yorkshire Terrier - Hypoglycemia |
Honestly I would walk away from this breeder and look for a pup elsewhere. I know everyone is excited to get a puppy but you're asking for trouble. I would be terrified to leave a 7-9 week old puppy home alone for 4 -8 hours a day. Yorkie pups are tiny and need to be monitored to make sure they are eating, otherwise they can suffer from hypoglycemia which then can lead to seizures and death if not treated immediately. Pee and poop in the crate is the least of your worries at that age. Puppies need to go potty when they wake up, after they eat, after they play, and whenever they feel like it. I brought my yorkie pup home at 13 weeks old and she weighed 1lb 15oz. I took off from work for 2 weeks to make sure she would be ok away from her mother and siblings at her size, to bond with her and get her on a feeding/potty schedule. I used a crate and an ex-pen for training with no potty pads. She didn't like to use them so i just took her outside from the very beginning. After the first 2 weeks I went back to work but would come home on my lunch hour to take her out, feed her, play with her, and then take her out again. So at 15 weeks she was able to hold it those 4 hours while i was away. That's double the age of the pup you want to bring home. Do yourself and your children a big favor and do not buy from this "breeder". Go to Yorkshire Terrier Club of America and look for breeders in your area. There are also threads here on YT with guidelines for buying a new puppy. There are several red flags to look for and letting puppies go before at least 10 weeks old is a big one. Puppies should stay with their mothers and siblings until 12 weeks old to learn social behaviors and manners. |
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Even though Elvis is my daughter's Yorkie...I would never get a dog for a child...I got dogs because I wanted them and was willing to take on all their care...luckily my kids are really into helping with "their" dogs...Yorkies are not really good with or for kids... Note to the OP-I'm here taking a pic for you right now! :) We've gone out in the yard gotten wet in the long grass, played ball, chase, came in played and then walked. I'm taking a YT break for me right...well they key board is on my lap and I have to lean over to read, Scoobers and Princess are passed out on the couch...note where Elvis my Yorkie is in the pic...please excuse my super messy (shameful messy) desk-we're remodeling and I grabbed a table out the garadge for now! |
.Elvis was 2 years old when we got him...and pre-exposed to children, he's also a "teapot" yorkie...I'm sure you noticed his large size...luckily he is very very mellow and we have well trained children here... Sorry double post! |
When I use the Bathroom... My Male Sneakers doesn't care, but... My Female Becca likes to "peek" :eek: |
Couple of things. 1. Is it normal (asking others who breed, or know?) for a breeder to start crating puppies at just 2 weeks?:confused: Are they crated with the mom and littermates? 2. Zoe came to us around 8-9 weeks, and if I had left her for four hours she would be dead. For two solid weeks I had to feed her (by syringe) every hour, 24 hours a day. Then for another 2 months she was sick with one thing or another and she couldn't have been left alone during the day. 3. Zoe is now 5 1/2 months, and we still get up and let her out during the middle of the night. She's tiny, so I feel obligated at this point. So, also be thinking about how tired you can be and still function at work. 4. I'm another one who never has "alone" time now...which is fine ('cause I:love: her lots and lots! But, she cries if I even step out of the room (she has barriers up while we're potty training--note that this is still going on at 5 1/2 months :D). If I had the choice, I would NEVER take a yorkie this young from it's mother. Even my cavaliers, who are 17 lbs full grown, didn't get to come home until 10 and 13 weeks. It's so easy to get so excited about a new puppy, but remember that the reality of that new puppy will be there for a long, long time. Especially with children, it would be just heartbreaking to get a puppy home, everyone falls in love, and THEN you find out it's not a workable equation. I wish you good luck with this, and hope that whatever you decide it leads to health, happiness and fun! |
Even tho Ziva is a rather good size yorkie (6 1/2 lbs.), she has the bladder capacity of a peanut. She is getting close to 2 years now so I don't think this is going to change. She is now outside trained but only because I got laid off and am home full time. Have you considered a larger dog? My wheaten terrier was great for the kids(3) when they were little. |
Yorkies bladders are probably the size of a walnut, with them drinking any water at all they will not be able to hold it for 8 hours. They'll probably just find a spot to pee in secret if you don't give them an indoor option. I brought Rizzo home at 14 weeks, he was crate trained but was iffy about potty trained. I gated him off in the kitchen with food, water, bed, crate (door open), things he could safely chew, and a few potty pads. I come home (still, almost 1 year later) at lunch everyday and he usually doesn't go during the morning 4 hours, but will go sometime between his lunch break and when I get home from work. Don't expect your yorkie to ever be 100% housebroken. Give her an indoor option, and praise her for using it. The only success I've made with Rizzo is that he only pees indoors, he will not poo inside (woohoo!) and honestly I think he trained himself. I think he got tired of me placing his poo on the pad taking him to the pad and showing him his poo then giving him a treat. Once he poos he wants to be away from it (another celebration for that because he's not a poop eater, a common issue with yorkies) You shouldn't bring home a pup that young and leave her alone for 4 hours at a time, even with room to move around. Sometimes they won't eat unless you're standing there with them (Rizzo) and if they crash, they crash hard. You're definetly taking a big risk with hypoglycemia bringing her home this early. I recommend walking away from this breeder and research another breeder. Find one that keeps the pups until they're 12 weeks old at least. JMO. |
I believe you have received good advice regarding crate training & potty breaks. So I wanted to add that at this point I would be concerned about what type of puppy you are getting and potential health concerns. A breeder letting a puppy go that early is a red flag. So I would be very concerned about her breeding practices. Reputable breeders do not let puppies go that early, IMO. What type of contract, guarantee? |
8-9 hours in a crate during the day is no life for a puppy or any dog. :( |
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"A few REALLY important things. 7 weeks is to young to take from MOMMY pup still has a lot that only mom can teach the pup that is benificial to the future. To take the puppy THAT soon is irisponsible and I question the breeder as she should know that. Also how old is your daughter? this breed is fragile and recommended as a pet for children. Also 7 weeks is to young to leave by themselves. There are many sites that give you information. Books at the library etc. On here you are getting good advice you may not like it but it's honest truthful advice. Become knowledgable before you take any pet. I only say these things for well being of the furbaby."laci32 ...and all that |
I hope you are taking all this advice to heart. Even with a large breed dog that can leave the mother at 8 weeks, how can it possibly bond and feel secure if left alone for so long? At 7 weeks a toy breed is much too young to be away from its mother. Sorry. Best of luck and please keep us informed. |
I would have been scared to death if I had got any of my Yorkies earlier than 12 weeks. When we got each of our 4, for the first week someone was at home all the time and later they were never left more than 4-6 hours. Of course my work is very close, school across the street and my husband is retired , except for playing golf. I would wait until this puppy is older or find another one that is older. Of course I was Yorkie dumb until I got all this great advice from the wonderful people at Yorkie Talk. |
Too young. Walk away. It will save you and your family a lot of heartache. Also, I would suggest a bigger dog for your family. Please do not think of just your family, when considering a puppy. 8-9 hours alone everyday, especially, at that age is just not fair to a tiny yorkie puppy. That sounds like a pathetic existence to me. How lonely that puppy will be! I've seen many families like yours get yorkie puppies, then the kids get older, become involved in all sorts of activities. Before you know it, they realize they are never home and find it better for the puppy to rehome it. Please consider what you are doing, not only in the present. Consider how things will be in two years, five years, and even ten years down the road. Put the puppy first. |
Here are some links that may be helpful to you when making you final desisioin ! Are You Ready for a Dog, Should I get a Dog?, I want a Dog Breed Selector, Dog Search, Puppy Survey, Puppy Test, Test to find the right dog, Breed Quiz good Luck...!! |
I don't think she's going to come back! I pray she doesn't get any poor little dog. It just isn't the right home for one. |
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