Is this normal Yorkie puppy behavior?
 

I just got Lexi Friday & she is 10 weeks old. The first night she slept in her playpen (closed) for six hours & then I checked on her when I heard her & put her in bed with us & she did great. Last night she slept all night with us & I got up in the middle of the night to take her to her potty pad & she used it. Now she cries (& will not stop crying after even 30 minutes when left closed in her playpen. (I was afraid it would harm her crying that long so I did take her out). Her food/water, bed, toys & potty pad are in it. She cries even if she can't see me & when not playing she wants to be in my lap or at least touching me. I can't do much as she wants me to hold her most of the time. I bought a puppy carrier that attaches to the front of me that she can ride around in. Should I not do that? Am I making matters worse?

Don't get me wrong- I wanted a lap dog but I need to be able to live a somewhat normal life too. :D Since she is so young, is this type of behavior normal? Will she outgrow some of it?

Your Puppy is very young. Many Yorkie breeders will not let puppies be adopted until they are at least 12 weeks old.
I often recommend umbilical tethering for young puppies. (where you and the puppy are hooked together. The leash is hooked to their harness and your belt or wrist) This is great for bonding, house training, chewing etc.. I don't know about the baby sling thing, maybe another trainer or Yorkie owner has experience and could comment. Will she out grow some of the clinging ? Yes, I think she will explore and play more on her own as she gets older and used to her new home.

My puppy did the same thing. No crying the first night, and after that started crying at being left alone. I think he was in shock the first night, because the first couple of days he wasn't very active either. And after that, he warmed up to us and started running around and crying.

To train mine not to cry, when he was in his crate or playpen, I did not get him out until he stopped crying. Sometimes I had to wait around the corner for 15 minutes waiting for him to stop crying so I could let him out. That way, I was rewarding him for NOT crying. If you let them out when they cry, you are rewarding the crying.

If you want her to be crate trained then you need to not bring her to bed with you at night any more for the time being. She needs to learn that being by herself is ok. Crying will not hurt her in any way. If you want her crate trained so you can put her in there at night/when you can't watch her/when you're not home then you need to put her in there and leave her there. She will stop crying eventually. By going to get her the first two nights and then bringing her to bed with you she has learned that if she cries in her crate you will come and free her. What she needs to learn is that crying and carrying on isn't going to get her anywhere and that being a quiet good girl is what is expected from her.

Also I feel that crate training also allows them to have a little independence. They learn to self sooth and be ok with being on there own when you cannot play with them. In my opinion it makes it easier for the dog later on in life when they have to be away from you for whatever reason (work, vet, vacation, groomer, etc...).

Thank you ladies SO much for your feedback & suggestions. Kalina, would it still work if I let her sleep with us but did the playpen training (leaving her alone & allowing her to cry & praising her when she does stop) during the day only since I do want her to sleep with us. If I am not closing her in her playpen right before bedtime (so we do not encounter any crying), that wouldn't be counterproductive, would it?

My Jewels was like that and I put the xpen right by where I was sleeping and when she saw me lay down she would lay down and go to sleep. The carriers that keep the pup with you are great because they encourage bonding. They can make them needy too though but if you want her to be a lap dog you want that

Chachi, boy it seems like such a fine line, doesn't it? :) I want her to always be a lap dog BUT I don't want her to be a dog that will make herself sick if we happen to be separated (like a family emergency, etc.) where I might have to be gone for a few days. Not sure what to do about the carry around puppy pouch. One reason I liked the idea of it (especially right now) is due to my other two dogs. I do not trust them yet with Lexi. This way we all can be walking around with no worry. Also, Lexi is stuck to me like glue when I walk so sometimes it is safer for her to just be carried in the puppy pouch.

Teresa, I just wanted to correct an error I made - Lexi was actually 11 weeks 3 days the day I picked her up (not 10 weeks). She was born 08/02. In all the excitement, I didn't actually count the weeks & days. :( She will be a whole 12 weeks tomorrow (& such a BIG girl @ 2.7# lol) Yes, she has gained 0.1 oz since I picked her up.

When they're young like Lexi, how can you not want to hold and be with them 24/7 ! I've never agreeded with the "tether" approach... actually, just the opposite.

They don't know they can "move" on their own for some reason, and I try to encourage that, where they know they can move into an accepted area for potty purposes, investigations, closeness, whatever. But, you have to give them access, and encouragement.

I LOVE to have mine sleep with me, but, a ramp/stair up to/down from the bed is very important for their safety and "independence". I never pick them up to put/bring them up in the bed with me, but, make them use the stairs for that, and decent too...every time ! That IMHO trains them that they can do something about whatever they are complaining about, instead of crying and relying on me to resolve the issue for them.

So, if they want to be close to you, let them, AND, give them a way to accomplish that.
If they want to potty, same thing, provide an acceptable area, and a clear route to it.
One thing you shouldn't do, is intervene in their need, by picking them up and "taking" them wherever. They need to know they can get there on their own. Let them follow you to the paper/potty area, waive your hand at the top of the stairs to the bed, and make them use those resources consistently. I think pretty soon, that you're going to be very pleased that they understand there's a way, and use it.

It is normal and she wont be so terribly dependent as she gets older. She sounds just like my Jewels at that age

I too think it is normal for this age. She is a baby still. She will grow out of this as she gets older. I say cuddle her and carry her in the pouch and completely spoil her!

Yeah, Jimmy did the same thing. Real quiet the first night and cried like crazy for a week after that but I kept him in the crate, he eventually fell asleep.

Now he is allowed to sleep in bed and is only put in the crate when I go to work.

He sleeps so well in the bed!

Yea, and I bet you do too... I sure do ! :thumbup:

I crate trained my Lola when she was a baby, and honestly. She never cried once at night. I'd lay down by the crate at bed time till she fell asleep, then get up quietly and go to my bed in another room. She'd sleep through the night every night. She'd be glued to me during the day, but I would put her in her crate for her afternoon nap too. She's very independent now as a grown up pup, and she sleeps in bed with me. But if I need to be somewhere unexpectedly Lola can sleep and do her business just fine because I taught her early on to be an independent little one.

It is such a fine line. You definitely don't want a pup that cannot be alone and have separation anxiety. However, she is such a baby right now, I think it's fine to give her comfort and security until she feels more confident and is a little bigger. Especially if you have other dogs...I wouldn't let her out of my sight yet.