Is it ok to leave yorkie at home alone for 12-14 hours on a regular basis?

[My lil friend]

I agree, a kitten would be a great idea. Cats are better at entertaining them selves,if you have 2 then they have each other,but are still there ready to be loved by you and spend time with you when you are home.

[Evie the evil]

Originally Posted by IsabelleOllie

Belle follows me into the bathroom, too. She'll even jump into the shower some mornings

LOL! yup...God forbid you actually get out of sight of these little guys.. its a total fit!

[AlicetheYorkie]

Originally Posted by My lil friend

I agree, a kitten would be a great idea. Cats are better at entertaining them selves,if you have 2 then they have each other,but are still there ready to be loved by you and spend time with you when you are home.

Ya, two cats would be even better I have 2 and a majority of the time, they're too busy playing with each other to care about me lol as long as I've fed them on time of course I like someone else's idea about a Ragdoll or Ragamuffin breed of cat, they're pretty big (up to 20 lbs.) and very dog-like. (that breed is actually on my "list" for the future)

[KendraE]

I do work,,,but fortunately for me, My office is 3 blocks from my home. I leave the boys at 8...Im home from 12-1 with them, then my kids arrive home around 3:30. We are a busy family and travel for kids sports quite often in the evenings, but the yorkies come with us. I too, like to work out a couple nights a week with a class...but, when I am gone, either my husband or my kids are home with the babies....

What Im saying is....if you are gone long hours, but have someone else that will be there, it could work. But, sounds like you are single....and have a busy schedule. These dogs really do long for their human companionship. I have to agree with the others that leaving a little one alone for that long, even if it is 2 or 3 days a week is probably not a great idea!

[lovespandp]

I work a 40 hour full time job. Pnut is left in his pack n play next to sliding glass door, he has food, water, toys, and pee pad (but he holds it). I also leave the TV on, I take him on a 15-20 min walk in the morning before he goes in. When I get off work at 4:30 the first thing I do ( if DH isnt home yet) is go home to take Pnut out of his Pack N play and take him on a walk. If I have ANYTHING to do after work I make sure I take care of him first. I go tanning a lot and I will never go after work, I go home. Half the time I walk him to go tanning. ( My tanning salon is across the street)

After work when I am home, he gets another 15-20 min walk. Before bed and I play with him for about an hour, maybe longer depending on his mood.


I make up being gone during the week with weekends, I never leave him alone on the weekends, and he is never in his pack n play. He is either with me or with DH. If I do have something to do where I cant take him, he is with DH.

Also he is free to roam at night, he will usually sleep in his crate, but he has the choice to go where ever he needs to.

Having a full time job and having a yorkie is like having 2 full time jobs, but I wouldn't change anything. I make sacrifices and so does DH, it kills me enough to leave him all week, I wish I didn't have to, but thats Life.

To me it sounds like you are too busy, but I do think it would be able to work if you made some sacrifices, if you do not want to change anything then don't get a dog.

[gumbysuz]

Well, try to put yourself in the pooch's mind and body. Would you want YOU for a companion and caretaker???

[Rhetts_mama]

Originally Posted by chachi

What are you going to do if the young puppy has a hypoglycemic attack while your at work and no ones there to help it. It could have disasterous consequences. There are other reasons why a small breed puppy shouldnt be alone like socialization and potty training. How do you think your going to be able to potty train it being gone that long. It is just not a good idea for you to get a puppy and you are getting this advice from past and present puppy owners and breeders who know what is required to care for a young puppy

That is one of the health concerns I mentioned in my previous post.

Originally Posted by jackie200

I read some of the older posts about leaving a yorkie alone and I have come across quite a few posts (some current and some a few years ago) from people who leave their yorkies home for around 9 hours while they go to work... with no problem. Perhaps I reworded the topic wrong, it wouldn't be 12-14 hours; they would usually alone 9 hours a day and twice a week maybe like 11 hours or so...

Sure they are social but they can we can do that when I am home; If I can be hone 3 days during the weekday (and just work out twice during the weekdays), I don't think it's that big of a deal...

It really is a big deal. I work 12 hour shifts (plus commute time). Even though my dh works from home, the dogs get very upset while I am gone. When I get home, they become velcro doggies, I literally have to peel them off me. You might not think it's a big deal, but the dog will.

Even though you say you will be home 3 days during the week, you probably really aren't home those entire 3 days between things like grocery shopping, spending time with friends, etc. Are you ready to put everything else on hold for the well being of your dog? While Yorkies are portable, there are still a lot of places they aren't allowed (most restaurants and grocery stores come to mind).

After being gone for 12 hours, are you ready and willing to come home to a big potty mess? These little ones need to be taken out every hour as a young puppy, and at least every 2-3 hours as an adult.

Lonely dogs bark. Are your neighbors going to be tolerant of this? A bored dog barks! A bored dog chews anything and everything- your furniture, the rugs, the cabinets...(toys only hold their attention for so long.)

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by Evie the evil

Here is the better question. Does having a yorkie mean enough to you to give up Yoga? If you feel that commited and intent on getting a Yorkie give up Yoga and take your Yorkie for a walk, Or do Yoga at home with your dog. A pet is a full time commitment.

Yes, I work 40 hours a week; however I have two teen daughters that are home most of the time, a 7 year old that worships her and a b/f that works a different shift than me.

Our little girl is alone for 3 hours max. (most days not alone at all) When she is home alone I always feel very guilty... and want to get back home to her.

I was going to suggest the same thing. Buy a yoga DVD or something to do yoga at home. Or, you can take your pup out jogging with you or a long walk. (Obviously, the pup would have to be old enough for those activities) I know of 1 other person who takes their yorkie out for a jog. She doesn't get tired either! I also work a full time job. As a result, my yorkie is way more destructive than he was when I was working part time and walked him 5 times a day. But, my parents help since I live with them and they work from home. I also turned everything into a game. Feeding time, Kaji has to use his nose to find the food in puzzles. We play hide and seek indoors, chase in the house, and fetch. I think I do such a good job of focusing on Kaji that my mom is jealous I don't spend any time with her!

It's possible to have it all, but you have to be flexible in order to have it. It really wouldn't be fair to a yorkie for you to live your life and exclude him/her from it. That's not what a yorkie wants. They will love you and want to be with you. I'm another that my yorkie won't even let me potty without him coming with me. It was annoying at first, but I got use to it.

I wanted to add, even date nights are centered around him. He doesn't always come, but if we plan an outdoor activity, it will include an outdoor cafe so Kaji can dine with us. Drive in movies are good too (which I've never done but want to) and my brothers watch him when BF and I want to do something Kaji can't participate in.

[RONLYNN]

You might also consider a dog walker so that the walker can come over in the afternoon to walk and play with the dog for a while. I have a friend who is gone from home for this amount of time because of her job, commute and going to pilates near her work but she has a dog walker that takes her dog out to walk and play for 30 minutes a day (she has a cockapoo, not a yorkie but still).

[My lil friend]

Originally the OP asked if in the opinion of the people on this forum leaving a yorkie 12 to 14 hours several day a week is ok. The answer across the board seems to be !NO!. Although they are "just dogs" in some peoples opinion they are living,breathing things with feelings and needs. If you can figure out how to meet those needs with a busy schedule that is great,pretty sure it will cost extra $$ (dog walker ,doggie daycare). It sounds as though alot of thought and soul searching is needed to decide if one can meet those needs. There are people that do it,but they DO give up something somewhere else. A great quote from a great man "you have to decide what you are willing to give up to get what you want". How bad do you really want this doggie in your life?

[dawn27]

In my non-expert opinion but I am a mother to four Yorkies. I don't think that is ok to leave any dog /Yorkie or not alone for that amount of time on a regular basis!! Occasionally Yes...but your just asking for trouble if you get a dog and plan on leaving them alone for that long. The lack of human contact can cause all sorts of behavior problems not to mention who will teach them about proper eating and potty habits? Plus the anxiety level it will cause will be through the roof. Which makes it harder to train them. So...Not a good idea!

Maybe you should think about getting a cat...who by the way can be left alone for long periods of time en days if need be.

[QuickSilver]

OP, it is probably a little overwhelming to see so many people telling you this won't work. It's good that you are on here asking about your schedule prior to getting a dog.

I'm going to add my voice here and recommend you wait for a different time in your life to get a dog. Before I got a dog, I walked them at a local rescue. Is this a possibility for you? This will get you some dog contact and also give you a sense of how much room you have in your schedule. A two-four hour / week commitment is much smaller than what you will need to give a dog of your own.

I work more than 40 hours per week. However, I work from home, and before that, I was allowed to bring my dog to work. I leave my dog alone for 5 hours maybe three times per week. He also goes to daycare 2x / week for dog socialization.

IF you get a dog, consider getting an older one that is already housetrained. It will be *impossible* to house train a yorkie puppy given your schedule. If you get an older dog, you also won’t have to worry about hypoglycemia.

You will also need to re-arrange your schedule and/or hire dog sitters, walkers, daycare, etc, to get your dog SEVERAL HOURS of attention EVERY DAY. Again, this is not for a puppy – a puppy needs someone there pretty much all the time, or you run the risk of raising a very insecure, poorly behaved dog.

Will you be able to find time in your schedule to walk your dog EVERY DAY for an hour, and take it out for park trips for several hours every weekend? If you do not have 10 hours of slack in your schedule, you do not have the bare minimum – the *minimum* - time your dog will need.

This isn’t saying you can never have a puppy – just make sure you wait until the right time in your life. Both you and your dog will be much happier for it.

[ArmaniMan]

NO! No dog should be alone this long. Yes, other people work but we make it work in other ways. You can look into doggy day care or paying someone to stop in during the afternoon to sit with the dog and take care of them. Most importantly, you have to make some sacrifices, there are times I want to do something else after work, go out with friends, run to the store, etc. but I can't. I know I need to get right home to my dogs and devote my evenings to them. If the dog is routinely going to be left for 9-11 hours per day, what exactly is the point in getting one? You haven't answered anyones question about WHY you want a dog. You say you refuse to give up your workout time, but that could be a great bonding experience with your dog. Why not come home and take your dog for an hour walk or run instead of working out that day. These are the things people who have dogs WANT to do. If you see the dog as just another chore to try and fit in to your schedule there is really no point in having them.

[MyLilyRose]

Originally Posted by jackie200

Well, a dog is not a kid; they are different.

I also happen to be one of those rare women who do not want kids...

No, they aren't kids. But they are living, breathing things that have feelings.

[schirmer_2010]

...Why do you even want a dog? If you don't have the time to play with and nurture the baby, why have it at all?