New Mommy Frustrated....
 

I have had my baby, Maggie, for 2 weeks. She is 10 weeks old. I have had many dogs (larger breed dogs) in my 49 years but never can I remember feeling so much frustration with a new puppy. But, in the past when I got puppies I did not have to work and was home with them. You may all think I am a terrible mommy but I have thoughts that maybe I made a huge mistake for several reasons. I work all day and when I get home some days I am very tired. I go home to poop all over the laundry room floor (no, it is not diarrhea, she just poops a lot), and now the kitchen floor because I felt the laundry room was too confining and made her a larger area. When I ran home at lunch today she had already pooped several times on the kitchen floor (not the laundry room where the newspaper is). She has been on antibiotic for several days for Coccadia and seems to be feeling better. I feel so guilty leaving her for hours during the day and wonder if she needs to be in a home with someone who can spend more time with her. I got her from a girl at work 2 weeks ago because her little boy did not seem to understand he should be gentle with her. I am divorced and thought it would be great to have a baby to keep me company at night and weekends. I guess I just need someone to tell me if this breed needs to be with their owner for longer periods than my schedule allows me. I don't feel like I will ever accomplish potty training her. I work with her when at home but just doesn't seem to get it. I know she is very young. Are my expectations too high for this age? I feel like I am having post partum depression or something.

Just take a deep breath! Potty training does not come in a few weeks. It took me 3 months to potty train Aubrey. She just might not be use to no-one being there with her a lot. I would just put some puppy pads down (if thats the way that you are training her) and put some toys and water in the room with her. I would feed her in the morning before you go, and then take her out, then when I get home, I would take her out and then feed her then take her back out. Its frustrating at first, but you will overcome that part and you will love her. Check out the training forum, theres a lot of good info in there about potty training, and being at home by yourself. Welcome to YT!!

Welcome to YT! Could I ask how many hours a day are you gone? If you are only gone for 4 or 5 hours and then come home and see her and go away for another 4 hours I think that is okay. It is very difficult to potty train though. Ellie is 6 and still likes to go in the house.

Thank you so much for your encouragement Kelsey! I know I should be ashamed for even considering giving her away. When I look at that sweet little face of hers I feel even more guilt for even having that thought. By the way, I forgot to say that she does have a little kitten to play with, it's a stray that came up the same day I brought Maggie home. They are about the same size and do play well together but I can't leave Maggie out to roam all day as the cat because, of course, the cat goes in the litter box always. When I went home at lunch today the kitty had crawled over the gate in the kitchen and they were together, both playing happily on the kitchen floor with all the puppy poop. :sickie:

Welcome to YT. I know you are frustrated but in the end it is all worth it. They are very loving and love to cuddle. Patty and Murfee

I know how you feel, but they are so worth it!!! You will be so happy if you keep her. They are the best dogs ever! I have grown up with several big doggies (3 boxers and a lab). They are easy dogs to potty train. Small puppies are really hard... but its not impossible. Dont let her out of your sight when you are home. Keep her in one area of the house (like the living room) and just watch her. I work full time, and go to school full time. I dont have alot of time, but we have made it work. Just be patient and give it time. Things do get better!! And thats what us YTers are here for!!!!!!

HI Crystal! I leave around 7:40 in the morning and get home around 5:15. I try to go home at noon every day for a few minutes. I was thinking this morning that there will be times after school starts that I will be gone often at night for a few hours when my son (who will be a senior this year) will be playing basketball.

awwww...you are all so sweet! Thank you for all your encouragement! Obviously, I am not busy at work today.......sitting here reading your replies. :D

Thats good that she has a little friend!! Give it time and you will have her to be a :littleang!!

What kind of food are you feeding??...I know a better quality food reduces the amount of poo's they have....:)

Hi BJ! I am feeding her Natural Choice. It was recommended by my son and his wife. hmmmm.....thought it was a good quality food but wonder if the food is making her poop so much. The vet didn't say anything about the Albon, the antiobiotic she is taking for the Coccadia, upsetting her tummy. It is not really loose, maybe a little soft, but I can't get over how often she is pooping!

Everything will be fine! Just calm down, and don't stress out! :D

Potty training will be difficult, some yorkies take months to be pottytrained. Remember she's still a baby, and it takes time and patience. I'd reccomend using potty pads instead of newspaper, because they have a scent that makes them want to go there.

You sound like you're going to be a great yorkie mommy. Welcome!

Dont panic. We had 5 puppies when our girl had her litter. And they made a lot of poop during the day. We got them teddies and left the radio on and kinda stayed to one area of the utility room then. My little angels still mark inside the house when we have left them in kennels for a bit!! You will be fine!!!

Cheri,
congrads on the new puppy! I think you are just in an adjustement phase! My boys are 2 and still have accidents in the house practically everyday! Its VERY frustrating. I have switched their food to Nutromax, it supposedly cuts down on the # of poops they take a day by having a balanced mix of stuff that they use, vs a lot junk that cheaper foods have. (I am not an expert so forgive me if Im wrong, I just read that in my research for a decent food) Try feeding her a good food.

Also, I am single and work from 8 - 5 everyday. I leave home at 730am and get home from work at 6pm. My boys are home alone all day and I work too far away to even go home on lunch. They are fine, they have each other, their toys, I leave a radio on for them. They sleep most of the day Im sure. Please don't feel guilty. Just make sure you give her time at night, take her for a walk, play with her, snuggle with her in bed! She'll be fine, especially with a kitty to play with too!

You are not a bad mommy! We all get a bit frustrated with the puppy stages! My boys must have eaten EVERYTHING in sight! at least 20 pairs of shoes, holes in my kitchen wall, the bottom of my cabinets, their bed (multiple beds) and much more... they were little terrors and It took ALL my patience and then some to make it through! :) :)

yes, your doing good..:) I don't think it's that then, unless it effects one pup differently than another, it was worth a shot...:) maybe someone can address that issue w/ brands for you...

Everyone has already made really good suggestions so I really don't have much to more advice to offer; however...

I want you to know that it is OK that you feel frustrated and IT DOES GET BETTER. When I first brought Tucker home I can remember feeling so overwhelmed and tired at times and I definitely questioned if I had made the right choice (we came home several times to poopy pawprints everywhere, too!)...but with time all those feelings of frustration dissipate (well, most of those feelings as he still can be a little bugger sometimes :p ). YT has been a savior, helping me read up on everything from teething to potty training to ear infections not to mention the positive support the members here provide.

Tucker's almost 6 months old and has been home almost 3 months now and I am so blessed to have him in my life. Give your girl a little more time (she is still exceptionally young!!!) and know that you did make the right decision and all your hard work will pay off BIG TIME in very little time. Good luck and enjoy your baby!

I am a newbie here, but I have had dogs all of my life and yorkies for about 7 years. Most of that time I worked full time. (now I am retired, so I have a life..lololol) The easiest way I have found to train them is to use an inside puppy pen. I bought mine on ebay... look for puppy exercize pens) They are made of sturdy wire, stand 4 feet by 4 feet, have a latching door, no top and fold up flat. We take ours with us whenever we go out of town as well and they are perfect for motel rooms. In fact, I bought one for downstairs and one for upstairs. The upstairs one we used as a whelping cage when Sunshine had her babies. On both pens I bought a plastic tablecloth to go un the ground, then put the cage up on top of it. I put a large size pee pad in one corner and slip the sides of the pad under the edges of the pen to hold them in place. I put one of thier dog beds in another corner and thier food in another, plus assorted toys to play with. Then I spray the pad with "out!" housebreaking aid that you can get at Walmart. The puppies are in the pen whenever we are not home or when I cannot devote 100% of my attention to them. The pen upstairs is set up the same way except I have thier travel crate in one corner for them to sleep in. You might need to have 2 of the plastic tableclothes in case thier is an accident, so you can throw one in the washer. It is sure a lot less mess to clean up. When I am at home I take them out to go potty after they eat or wake up for a nap. They run right out to go as soon as I take them outside, so I hope they are learning. I hope this helps.
You will never regret keeping this little sweetie. You will be rewarded for your patience 10 times over.
Sonya

Congratulations on your new puppy! I know it can be frustrating, but just try to hang in there. She is very young, I'm guessing that you got her at 8 weeks since she is 10 weeks and you have had her for 2?

Try to be patient, she will catch on. Make sure you use lots and lots of praise and treats when she goes potty where she is supposed to. You might want to try potty pads instead of newspaper. They are so much cleaner and she might go on them since they are pre-scented for dogs.

I wish you all the best!

Welcome to YT!!!!! Hang in there. I'm single and I leave for work at 7:30 and get home around 5:45. I work too far away to come home for lunch. My boys are 2 and 3 and they run the house while I'm gone. They use potty pads while I'm at work, however they do still "mark" sometimes. Rarely do they poop anywhere else other than on the pads. Yorkies aren't the easiest to housebreak, but man, it's sure worth it in the long run. I don't know what I'd do without my boys. Stick with it, she'll get the hang of it!!!

It does seem to me the breed is more difflcult to potty train.
I am still scolding my 1 yr old for potty in the house. we are putting in fake wood floors July 28 YEPPIE NO MORE SMELL CARPET..

Welcome to YT! Like everyone said, it will just take some time. When I first got Trixie, I was working all day as well. And she sometimes stayed at home by herself for a full workday. Most of the time I'd try to come home at lunch time though.

I know this may sound cruel, but it may help to confine her to a smaller space. When we started potty training, I kept Trixie in a larger kennel during the day. They don't pee or poop where they sleep. So while they may not be able to move around a lot, this might help with the potty training. It does mean you have to give them more exercise and play time at night when you get home. And then when Trixie's potty training started getting better, I'd give her more space; I'd let her have the whole kitchen.

I hope that helps!

Thats great! Wish we could put some in.. that would help out alot, especially cleaning up pee-pee :thumbup: !

Housebreaking won't be easy since you work. It will take longer. Just be consistent. Also, couldn't you take her to the basketball games with you or is that not allowed there? I take mine every place with me I can.;)

Unfortunately, the school has a sign posted that says "no pets". Wish I could take her but someone would surely complain. Also, tried the crate training at first and didn't work. Always heard they don't "go" where they sleep or eat. Didn't seem to bother her....poop and pee pee all in crate. I felt she was too confined in crate also. I need to try the pads. So does everyone agree that the "out" or some type of spray works well?

I know how you feel!!! I have also just had my new baby for 2 weeks, she is 10 weeks old now, and I often feel very frustrated. She has to spend the day in the crate while I am working and I am convinced that she has her days and nights mixed up. We spend most of the night awake and I have been exhausted since she came home!! I am trying to do the whole crate thing but when it is 2 in the morning and she is crying and I'm exhausted it is just easier to put her in bed with me. This is my very first puppy and I am learning so much!! As frustrating as it can be sometimes, I simply adore her and I am convinced I have never seen anything so cute.

Dear Madeleine's Mommy,

Just curious....on an average how often does your baby poop each day? I still think Maggie Mae poops an awful lot, even for a young pup. When I went home at lunch she had gone 7 times in a 4 hr. period....and she had gotten out of her little area in the laundry room/kitchen and was running happily around my apartment. I had put a piece of plyboard up (wedged between the refrigerator and stove). I had a kitty litter container in one corner to block the the little space between frig and cabinets and she had climbed up on the kitty litter and gone over the plyboard. I am going to get a gate this weekend. So needless to say I spent my lunch break cleaning up her poop and pee pee. Madeliene is just precious! We will get through this! This forum has been so helpful to me in more ways than one. All the encouragment has really made me feel better.

Have you talked to the vet about all the poop? It could be something with the coccidia. I just finished treating mine for it and one of them especially seem to poop an awful lot. Now, after the treatment, all seems back to normal.
Can you post a pic of Maggie? How old is she, how big is she, all that stuff we would like to know. Hang in there, you'll love her!;)

Madeleine poops about three times a day. I went to the vet for shots today and he told me that leaving food out all the time is a bad idea and that I should only be feeding her two times per day and she should be pooping about two times per day. It definitely seems that your little baby is going a lot. Hopefully someone with a lot of experience can give you some advice on that.

Post a picture of your little one, I would love to see her!!!