Yorkies Home Alone

[Kimbateal]

I am getting ready to adopt a Yorkie-I have a question. Some people say they suffer with seperation issues-others say they do well alone while you are at work. Which is true? Also-does anyone know anything about doggie litter?

[Thorsmomma]

I think if you leave plenty of toys nd thigs to keep him/her busy then they will be fine...and also water and maybe food.

As for the doggie litter, all I know it that it is different than cat litter...good luck!

Oh and welcome to YT!!! Glad you joined us!

[Ladylavender]

I think it really has more to do with individual personalities and how their owners are handling it from the very begining. Millie does fine by herself. She mostly sleeps. She is very happy to see us when we get home, but she does not destroy anything or go nuts while we are away. Nor does she cry and whine when we leave.

[GeorgiesMomma]

Funny I get on here and this is one of the topics I see. I just left my house today to go into the office and my Georgie stands at the door and whines when I leave and it kills me. I try to make sure I leave later in the morning since his Daddy gets home at around noon, and my schedule is flexible. I also leave him tons of toys and he has a big sister to play with and she couldn't careless whether we are there I keep telling myself as I walking out the door that obviously I have to work, and also I am sure he only whines for a minute and then occupies himself with his toys or playing with his sister. Yorkies are more like children than any dog I have ever had, our boxer is happy to see us but just goes and lays down when we leave. I guess that what makes Yorkies soooo special I would just tell you what I tell myself if they do whine it's very temporary.

[Kimbateal]

i thought so-i just wanted to make sure!

[Tiger's Mom]

Originally Posted by Ladylavender

I think it really has more to do with individual personalities and how their owners are handling it from the very begining. Millie does fine by herself. She mostly sleeps. She is very happy to see us when we get home, but she does not destroy anything or go nuts while we are away. Nor does she cry and whine when we leave.

Tiger is a home alone Yorkie as well but am hoping to get another playmate for him soon. However, I don't think he ever suffered from separation anxiety when I am gone, only when I am around and ignoring her .

Timing can also be everything . . . . I got Tiger at only 8 weeks but he already was a very sociable dog. He came from a very busy household with 6 other yorkies and 4 boys so his disposition was very good. I say timing because we got him the day after thanksgiving so I had plenty of time off between Thanksgiving and Christmas and with my daughter home from College for christmas break, there was practically someone at home all the time. So leaving him alone was indeed gradual.

He is now happy in his crate about 7 hours (with no accidents since I started crate training him) and as soon as he hears me come up my driveway, he starts to bark . . . I know this as sometimes when I am at work and my hubby is home, he recognizes my car arriving and will not stop barking until I go get him . . .he is one spoiled puppy!

Good luck on your new yorkie and welcome to YT

[Kimbateal]

I am going to crate train & have been reading up on it-how do you do it?

[AsCeNsIoN]

I have no idea what Mitzi is like when she's alone. I've only left her three time for an hour or so. Just to go shopping. I'm dreading leaving her for a few days in June

[AmyLeeWannabe]

We leave Molly alone for about 6 hours during the day and at night (has to be done!) She seems okay with it though. She seems to cry for about 2 minutes and then she's fine. Obviously she's very pleased to see you when you come home!
Hopefully she'll be able to sleep in my room soon.
But generally, I haven't seen any problem with it. I think they should learn a bit of independance for when your tired of playing!

[Tiger's Mom]

Originally Posted by Kimbateal

I am going to crate train & have been reading up on it-how do you do it?

I am no expert and so my basis for giving tips on crate training is based on experience from only one puppy (my Tiger) and from books I have read.

I think that to properly crate a puppy, determine how long he can hold it and use that as a starting point. If your puppy can only hold it for 2 hours, then do that for a week and then increase it by 1/2 hour increments every week. You are actually training his bladder but it has to be done gradually.

I started Tiger at about 4 1/2 hours because I know he can hold his pee about that much time when I go on errands with him so it did not take long for me to get to 7 hours . . . for now I plan to keep it steady at 7 hours for about 3 weeks before I make it to 7 1/2 hours . . . just because he is still a young puppy (going on 5 months on 3/1).

He has not had an accident since day one so I know I must be doing it right . . .

Hope this helps and good luck.

[yougetthesmiles]

I have to leave Kloey home alone, but she is in a crate, she is not fully potty trained so I dont trust her to have the run of the house yet! She mostly sleeps, and my husband is home but he works 3rds so he is asleep, but she does not wake him up and her crate is pretty close by. I have had her since she was 6 weeks old, so she is use to it. I do let her sleep with me at night though since he is at work, and she gets me up around 1am to go potty. I would suggest if you can to have a brother or sister for your baby, we have a 3 year old Husky and I swear she thinks shes Kloey's mom! You should see these 2 play together, it is the sweetest thing. But of course some people can't have a bigger dog.
Good luck!

[deniselea]

I used dog litter when I first got Luci. It's definitely different than cat litter. The brand name escapes me right now, but they carry it in Petco and PetSmart...it actually has a picture of a yorkie on the front. You can also get a litter pan..they come in a few sizes. I ended up switching from the litter to pee pads instead. Luci did ok with the litter, but I don't think she liked the way it felt on her paws. She does great with the pee pads...just make sure to buy a pad holder...I learned the hard way when I came home and the pad was shredded. She wouldn't do that now, but she would when she was a pup. Also the great thing about pads is they're portable. The litter and pan were a pain to bring with me places, especially since I usually stay at a friend's house on weekends. Now I just plop down a pad (without the holder) and it's so easy.

As far as leaving, I fill a kong with some treats...she knows instantly where to go...I leave her in a hallway with her blanket, food, water, and toys. She runs to the hallway in anticipation of getting her treats. When I leave, she's busy trying to get the treats out of the kong so she doesn't even recognize me leaving. I also don't make a big deal out of leaving. That helps. When I come home, she is sooo excited to see me. I think she sleeps most of the day. She'll adjust to your shedule.

[Kimbateal]

Thanks so much-i was worried about leaving Salem home alone. I was wondering about putting him in the bathroom or the hallway-I will use the hallway. He is used to being home alone & I want to make his transition easy as I can-thanks so much

[TootiesMom]

My Tootie puts on a good show when I leave him.. he screams like he is dying for about 1 min. or two to get to me, then he goes about his business with his brother and sister... (they stay in the kitchen) We monitored him at first to make sure, and he does just like a child, out of site, out of mind... he is fine, but BOYYYY does he get excited when I get home!

[Jenn218]

I don't leave Mojo home very much, but he has plenty of fun things left out for him while we are gone - plus, I normally bring home something new for him too!

At first, he would whine and paw at the door when we closed it - oh, so sad - then he got to where he would get on the back of the couch to watch us - still sad - finally, he got to where he would jump in his basket, thinking he would get to go this time - it is all sad to see, but we normally aren't gone long. Plus, we both love all the kisses and hugs and play we both get after we come home!

There are several threads on crate training and doggie litter - you might get more answers to what you are looking for if you use the search button - Hope this helps!