Hello and few Q's from a newbie :)

[cpurser]

Precious baby!

[Jacksmom052709]

Oh my goodness... he is THE most adorable thing!!!!

Congratulations! I have a male. He originally pottied squatting, even after he was neutered, now he'll lift his leg abut 85% of the time and squat the other 15% of the time. LOL I think he feels more manly if he hikes his leg... I also have him pad trained and he will use those if we can't get him outside in time but he squats inside and doesn't lift his leg.

Jack sleeps with us and he knows where his food comes from, so he has never given us any problems.

My husband is a two-time Iraqi war veteran (1991 and 2004) so he is home all day with Jack. Although there are times when we go out and leave Jack home. He does have some separation anxiety (though I think the anxiety is worse on us...LOL) but he isn't destructive or anything when we leave, so that is a good thing.

Good luck and welcome!

[gardengirl77]

Oh my, he is way too cute! Makes me want a puppy. I better refrain. Enjoy!

[Harrysmum]

Good morning! Your little Choco is absolutely gorgeous!!

I have a boy (14 months) - I suppose he lifts his leg about 90% of the time (it depends where we are - if there's a handy blade of grass to pee on!! )

I agree with gracielove - before you have that big long separation time when you have to go back to work - start leaving him for short periods now - gradually increasing them so that it's not so much of a shock to his little system

Good luck! Sally + Harry x

[jeane]

he is so cute/ Morgan sleeps in his crate right next to my bed so he can see me

[Speed]

Originally Posted by withchoco

Hello,

We just adopted a 16-week old boy, Choco, last week, and he's a little gem.
Although I grew up with small breed dogs, this is the first time having a male dog, and I have few questions.

1. He is 16 weeks old and weighs around 2lbs. He squats when he pees, and I am wondering when male Yorkies typically start spraying or peeing with a leg up. I have heard that many people wait to neuter/spay their Yorkies until reaching 6 months so that the milk teeth can be removed at the same time, if needed. For my male cats, I got them neutered before they started spraying, so that they don't get into a bad habit.

2. I am currently on vacation for about a month, and once the break is over, I will be away for about 4-5 hrs per day. I'm spending most of the time with Choco, and I am a bit concerned that he may get separation anxiety if I have to leave him alone after spending most of the time with him for a month. Any advice on how I should get him adjusted?

3. Do you let your Yorkies sleep in your bed? I have heard that dogs get confused about hierarchy when you let them sleep in the same bed with you. Currently, Choco sleeps in his crate at night, since he's still being potty-trained. He whine for 2-3 sec when I put him in his playpen, but shortly goes off to his bed without much begging. Would it be best to let him sleep in his crate?

Thank you in advance and happy holidays!

PS - I tried to upload some of his photos, but they exceeded the size limit. I will do so after adjusting the size.

1) We got our little man Patrick late. He was around 7 months old and had already developed a marking habit. We got him neutered the 1st week we had him, but it was evident the marking had become a habit because he kept doing it. We ended up having to get him a belly band while we're gone so if he tries to mark, it doesn't get all over the house. So I also recommend correction when they try to mark, but also the later you wait to neuter the more chance their is of it becoming a habit if he does have a tendency to mark.
2) Like all training, I think the best thing to do is practice and start slow. When we got each new Yorkie after our 1st, we set up a webcam and went outside and sat in a vehicle and watched them to make sure they didn't have any destructive ideas that might put them at risk. We started with small intervals, and then increased it. With our 3rd one, that really helped. When we go to leave, she looks at us like "whatever." I think there will always be some level of separation anxiety, but the idea is to minimize it so they're comfortable when you leave.
3) We have always let our Yorkies sleep with us and it hasn't caused any problems. We wouldn't have it any other way!

Good luck with your new little one!

[gryhndnut]

Welcome! Choco is a little doll. I am new here also and find that everyone is very helpful.

Jersey is almost 7 months and has never marked in the house. He has lifted his leg to pee from the time I got him. Sometimes he lifts his leg when he poops! I don't expect that to change after he is neutered, which I have not done yet because I am waiting for, and really hoping that his other testicle will drop.

I probably will never let Jersey sleep with me. I just don't get a really good sleep when a pet is in the bed with me. I am always worried that I will roll over on them, hurting them or even worse. My friend has been a veterinarian for a lot of years. She told me of a yorkie that had it's leg broken after being rolled on it bed and a chahuahua that was killed when the husband rolled over on it and did not realize it. Jersey is good in his crate and that is the way I want to keep it. I think if you let them sleep in your bed and then change your mind, you might have some sleepless hours when you try to make them sleep in the crate again.

Again, welcome!