Help! New owners!
 

So after years of my daughter asking for a puppy, against my better judgement, I got her one. She is cute but I am overwhelmed. And of course my daughter is too!

She is only 9 weeks and she follows us everywhere we walk in the house.

I forgot to mention this is my first dog too. So be gentle.

I bought one of those puppy apartments where the crate has a bed section and a potty section. She slept in it last night and she did potty in the pad section. But during the day when we are home, I am clueless how to use this thing. And having to watch her every move to make sure she's not pottying is getting overwhelming to the point where I'm thinking maybe we should find her experienced puppy parents to take care of her. :(

She's also not eating the food the breeder said she was eating before we got her. I know leaving her family can can stressful but she's not eating the Ian's like she never ate it before. We gave her some moist food Cesar's and she licked the bowl! Vet said to mix the wet with dry but she is seeming to leave the dry food in the bowl.

We tried to walk her yesterday and today outside on our sidewalk and this first time dog owner didn't know she would need to learn to walk on the leash. She just sits there or try's to roll on the grass. Had no idea dogs needed to learn...thought they just walked along happily.

As you can see, we are very overwhelmed and inexperienced...do y'all think we should give it a couple weeks before looking for an experienced potential new owner?

I feel so bad...I cried like a baby this afternoon wondering what to do.

Hi friend - welcome to YT - so glad you found us :)!!! And congrats!

First, don't feel alone! We've alllll been there with our first yorkie/dog - where we don't know *what* the heck we've gotten ourselves into - been there. And where we don't know what we're doing!

So, a few things:

1. First and foremost....you cannot take her for walks etc, at all, until she is fully vaccinated. That is an absolute. Puppies can *very easily* die quickly from parvo. So, you really must keep her safe from parvo/distemper until her vaccines are done.

2. The breeder let her go too early - she should've been kept until at least 12 weeks old. So, you have to be extra careful w/ ensuring she eats etcetera. As far as food, IF she is not having diarrhea or wet stools on the Cesars -- then just continue mixing it w/ the kibble and leave that alone for at least a month. At that point, I'd suggest you switch to a much better quality wet food than Cesars. You can also try sprinkling Parmesan cheese on her kibble to make her eat it - dogs love Parmesan.

3. Private message me your email - and I will send you a puppy training guide via pdf :)

Keep asking questions :)!

One of the issues might be she left mom to early and should have been with her for 12 weeks and it makes a huge difference. When you can not watch her put her in a confined space with a pee pad and toys. You should not be taking her for walks or even to walk around the vet or pet store until she has all of her shots or you risk her getting parvo which can kill her. Have you tried soaking her dry food in hot water and then draining it and giving it to her? You could also try mixing in a little boiled chicken or cheese. If she's not eating you need to make sure she doesn't get hypoglycemia. Puppies can be overwhelming and take a lot of work. Everything is new to them and you have to teach them everything.

Patience
 

I totally agree with what everyone has said. For me the key word was "patience." I had no idea how much work it is to have a puppy. It is like having a toddler around. They love to get into everything! Once you are over the puppy stage, you'll find your life will be so much better. The love these little ones give is the best thing you can experience. :)

No walks until puppy is fully vaccinated. I know potty training can be hard, but taking her out immediately when she wakes from a nap or every 30 minutes is usually sufficient or placing her in a pen with a pad. Very important to praise and give a tiny training treat like Merricks (really tiny) immediately after she goes and she will learn very quickly what is expected of her. Although taking care of a new puppy is very time consuming, they grow so quickly it will be over before you know it. Don't give up. Put in the time now and you will be rewarded with a lifelong companion that requires very little care after a short time.