new puppy
 

Hi!
I just got my first Yorkie puppy few days ago and I want to share with you my feelings and got advices from experienced dog lovers. First of all I was amazed how quickly she learned to go on a pee pad. She was not trained to do that at breeder's house. But for some reason she is not that consistent with poo thing. Is there a reason for that?
Second, in matter of 3 days she became really active, running and jumping. She can't jump on a bed or on a couch yet, but she tries like a cat using her nails to climb on.
She is so adorable, but like any baby it is hard to get a good sleep when she is in the same room. Few time she woke up, asked for attention and go to sleep again. Sometimes she wants to play and won't calm down for an hour. What should I do about it? I live in the house and I have basement where I won't hear her crying. Do you think it would be too bad? She would feel comfortable there, just nobody around.
Any advices would be appreciated - about anything, not just what I asked.
Thanks!

well, you asked so in my opinion it is cruel to banish her to the basement. perhaps you should re-home her. her behavior is because she is a baby and it takes time to learn the things you mentioned. What she is doing is normal puppy behavior. Clearly, you were unprepared. BTW, welcome to Yt. We are very passionate about our babies and the way they should be treated so don't take personal offense at some of the answers I know you are going to get.

If you brought a new baby home would you put them in their own room straight away and ignore their cries? I doubt it.

Its the same with puppies, in my opinion the best thing to do is to have the puppy in your room with you. If you are not prepared to get up with her in the night then you should not have a puppy. Puppies are hard work, you need to spend months putting the time and effort into her. Its unreasonable to expect her to be perfect straight away, she's a baby.

Not trying to sound harsh, I just don't think you seem to understand what having a puppy is about, enjoy her! You will miss the puppy stage once its gone. Welcome to YT.

Hi I see you are new so first thing I wanted to say is welcome. You dont want to keep her away from you in the basement. You want to put her in an xpen, a crate, playpen or a gated room. She is crying because she misses her Mom and littermates but will stop after she gets more used to her new environment. Good luck

Aww, congratulations on your new baby:) Yes, they will cry at night and keep you up until they get used to staying in their crate or pen. I kept mine in a crate right next to my bed and whenever she cried I told her 'shhh, time to sleep' and I'd stick my fingers through the gate and she would fall asleep leaning on them. You can put an article of your clothing in there with her so she can smell your scent.

As for the spurts of energy and climbing all over everything - yup, she's right on track:)

I grew up with dogs. Seems like we always had one or more while I was growing up. Since I've been married, we have had one dog - a Maltese we had to put to sleep a month ago. We plan to get a Yorkie in less than two months. Even though we have had a dog before, I have been reading everything I can get my hands on before we bring our puppy home.

Based on my research, it is perfectly acceptable to let your puppy sleep in a different room than where you sleep. It is perfectly acceptable to ignore crying and calls for attention in the middle of the night (one disclaimer: if your puppy is very young, he may need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night until he is a bit older. I don't recall at what age they should be able to sleep through the night without going potty.). If you continue to allow him to tell you to "wake up" in the middle of the night to PLAY, then this behavior will continue as you reward him with his wish.

Someone compared ignoring a baby to ignoring a dog. A dog is not a human, and when we use human psychology on our dogs, we cause them to become unstable and take over as the pack leader. You want to be the pack leader, not the dog. I babied my last dog and treated him like my human baby. Big mistake. He took over the house, and I became his follower.

I strongly recommend reading "Casar's Way" by Cesar Millan. He will help you understand dog psychology and how harmful we are to our DOGS when we attempt to "humanize" them. You can still have an affection and wonderful relationship with your dog, even if you are the pack leader.

Good idea about the article of clothing! Our last puppy cried the first night we had him, but he did fine the second night and from there on out. We have a box fan in our room and turned it up on high so we couldn't hear the crying.

Thank you very much for your understanding.
I adore my little dog and I am prepared to do whatever it takes for her, but I also believe that I shouldn't spoil her. Plus, one sleepless night after another can drive anyone crazy.
What I planing to do so far is to let her sleep with me in the same room, but if she became too hyper and wants me to play with her - I'd take her to the room where I can't hear her.
My daughter is 12 now, but I still remember how it was to have a baby. But human babies cry when they are hungry or sick. There are babies who just love to be on mommy's hand, but this is not right and I pity those moms.
So my question to you, professional pet lovers - do I have to feed my dog during the night, do I have to play with him if he wants to play during the night? And if not - what the point to have him next to me and hear him crying then not hear him crying. For the dog - no difference, for me - big difference.
Anyway, to say is one thing , to do is another. I don't know yet if I can do that, but I want to try.

Hi, welcome to YT. Now, I don't think the puppy is going to cry all night. Puppies are very playful, full of energy but they also tire out very easly after having those playful outbursts. I would also keep her in my room where I can keep an eye on her if for whaterver the reason there's something wrong with her. It would give peace of mind. Just give her a couple of days, she'll get used to her new surroundings. She sure cannot cry all night, puppies need to sleep many hours, more than grown up dogs.
Rubi.

Welcome
 

First of All...Welcome.....You have come to a great place for advice and possible friendships...There are the nicest people here.

I just got my new pup Brodie on Friday. He is 4 months old. We are crate training. What I have been done is put the crate by my side of the bed. Friday night, He whined and cried pitfully. I just rolled over and stuck my fingers thru the wires of the crate and rubbed his back and ears....He settled down beautifully. He whimpered a couple times thru out the night and I just repeated the process. On Saturday night at bed time, he whimpered, I stuck my fingers thru again and petted him and baby talked him. He settled down quickly and I only had to do it twice. On Sunday night, he settled down all on his own. IMHO I felt he just needed the reassurance and I gave it to him. I also feel that by doing this I am making him feel more secure in his crate and in me. Remember, we have taken them away form the only home and mom they have ever had.

You can really learn alot from the people here on YT if you will listen and read what they say.

Now I will get off my soap box.:D

Welcome to YT! How old is your new puppy? This makes a such a huge difference in their behaviors, feeding and potty needs too. Enjoy your new addition and enjoy Yorkie Talk, lots to talk about and learn here.

Not only do you not have to play or feed your puppy during the night, you should NOT. Your puppy does not need to be fed during the night, and he needs to establish a sleeping/awake cycle that suits YOU, which means your dog should sleep through the night like you do. Your puppy will eventually stop crying at night. And if you stop playing with him at night when he wakes up and just ignore him, he will sleep through the night (or at least not wake you up if he stirs). You can always let him sleep somewhere else until he gets his days and nights in order and then move him back into your room.

I just thought i'd mention something VERY important when it comes to yorkie puppies. Hypoglycemia! You really really need to be vigilant in watching for signs of this (pale gums,weakness, confusion and possibly seizures) which is one of the reasons I think its a good idea to have her in the room with you. If she should become sick in the night, you need to be aware of it straight away and if she is in a basement, you will not be able to be.

My Opinion
 

First, I agree with every post. I have three babies, 2 Yorkies and a Westie. I got the Westie first when she was 8 weeks old. I crate trained her. Then I adopted a puppy mill rescue Yorkie who was five years. She had already been trained was used to being by herself. I had to teach her it was okay to be around people. Then I bought Rowdy my five month old Yorkie. I'm letting the other two dogs train him. As for sleeping arrangements with Rowdy, I have let him sleep with me since I brought him home. He sleeps all night and never hardly moves until I wake up and take them all outside. The other two sleep with me sometimes but they had rather have their own space. I believe in the motto: "Don't sweat the small stuff."

i must say , its really rough in the beginning, i used to let lexi out of her
crate every hour on the hour, then every two hrs and so on....i was
totally exhausted, but i took her in and she was my responsibility.
we all went through it.. promise you, it will get better....just be patient
and it will all work out... you surely came to the right place to learn..
welcome and enjoy

HI and Welcome to yt, I have crate trained 4 babies:) Its a alot of work, but it doest take much time for them to catch on that nite time is for sleeping, I started like most others here did, crate in the bedroom with you, if he cries just whisper to him to be quite, I use the word quite only, and i still do if i need them to stop barking, they respond to one word well, after they sleep thru the night i brought my crate back out to the area where they now all stay, living room:rolleyes: yup i have 4 crates in the living room;) good luck to you, there is tons of great advise here:) no basement please:(

Congratulations on your new furbaby. My Sawyer is a year old now, and I wish he were a puppy again in many ways.You have come to the right place to talk about yorkies, you will get lots of good advice, and a few corrections when we feel you are wrong, but that is what you want isn't it? Anew puppy can be a hassle; but a yorkie isn't just another puppy. Yorkies have a bond with their skin mothers that is so strong. You will become the center of his life after a while. A yorkie wants to see you, or hear you, or touch you more often than most dogs. Putting his pen next to your bed, so you can reach out to him if he whines to reassure him is great. No food or water after 8, and a good playtime right before bed to wear him out , really helps too. Take him potty right before you retire for the night, and while he may be too young to hold his bladder all night right now, if he does have to go, it is right back into bed right after with no playing or other stimulation. It won't take long, and your baby will be as ready for bed as you are.
Now my final thought on owning, or being owned by, a yorkie. Everyone picks a certain breed for a reason. maybe you love the look, or you need a watch dog, or you want a great companion. A yorkie is a wonderful dog; but they have needs too. I love much of what Cesar Milan has to say; but I also love some of my little boys devilment . My Sawyer is such a big part of my life, and I enjoy him to no end. He sleeps with us now( not like in the beginning), and in my sleep I reach out to touch him to assure myself that he is o.k., and I will often find my husbands hand already on him for the same comfort, and I smile and go back to sleep. Enjoy your baby. If you jumped into getting a yorkie too soon without understanding the breed, now is the time to rehome him not later when he is too attached to you. That is not ctiticisim I promice. A yorkie is not for everyone, but there is a breed that matches just what we each want in a dog. I bet you will soon be as addicted to your furbaby as the rest of us. Just hang in there and don't be afraid to ask questions, we all were first time yorkie mommys once too.;)

Well my dear... As you can see, you will get an array of responses. As for every pup is different, so is every owner. When I first got my pup, I kept her in a playpen (w/ bed/pad/water) in our bedroom. At first, it was fine - but as she grew, the noise grew etc... So, I moved her into the living room, which was next to our bdrm and we had no problems...However we recently moved into a two story home and yes, my pup sleeps downstairs. But, I do get comfort in knowing that I can hear her.....

However, the bottom line is you still have a life and probably a job. If you want to try the basement as an option, maybe you could use a baby monitor... That way you can hear her if she is in destress or what have you... Theres always a will and a way - Do whats best for your situation. Just because some people may let their pup sleep w/ em', doesnt mean you have to... Hope this helps....

Do you believe having a Yorkie puppy is any different than having another toy breed? I remember how hectic my life was when our Maltese was a puppy. I got up at night every 3 hours to take him outside to potty for quite awhile until I was sure he could hold it in all night. He had lots of energy and loved to chew. Are Yorkies the same? Are there any unique qualities about a Yorkie you could share? Thanks.

I AGREE.

WITH HARVEY, HE SLEPT IN THE KITCHEN IN HIS CRATE AND AFTER A FEW NIGHTS OF BEING UNSETTLED, HE WAS FINE AND HAPPY TO GO TO HIS OWN BED AND SNUGGLE DOWN TO SLEEP. DONT GET ME WRONG IT WAS VERY HARD TO LEAVE HIM, BUT AFTER ACHAT TO MY VET I KNEW HE WOULD BE OK. I THINK EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THERE OWN OPINION, BUT I HONESTLY FEEL IT IS BETTER FOR YOUR DOG/PUPPY TO SLEEP SEPERATE FROM YOU - SO THAT YOU EACH HAVE YOUR OWN SPACE.

GOOD LUCK WITH WHAT EVER YOU DECIDE THOUGH......

I don't think it's so horrible to put her in another room where her crying may be a little less troubling, but not in the basement where you can't hear her at all. What if she was really in trouble. We put Penny in the family room for a few nights where we could still hear her, but not so shrilling. Once she comed down at their I brought the crate in my room, and she's doing great.

I'm sorry if I was talking like a yorkie was the only toy breed that had special qualities. Toy dogs just seem to need a closer contact with their owners, and are more demanding of attention. I was just trying to say that sometimes little dogs have a harder time sleeping through the night until they can hold their little bladders better. I wouldn't be as confident at putting a toy puppy of any breed in the basement unless I was sure I could hear them if they needed me. Toy puppies can get hurt a lot faster and a lot worse than a larger puppy. I wanted her to know it doesn't last forever, they do grow up. My Sawyer didn't sleep with us until he was out of the puppy stage and started to sleep through the night. Not all yorkies sleep with their mommys, that is a personal choice, the same as with all breeds, large and small. I'm sorry if I offended anyone, I am just so in love with my yorkie that I think of them as a special breed:ladywinks

My girl is 20 weeks old and we've had her for about a month now. The first week I slept by her side and I wasn't getting much sleep because she would wake up in the wee hours of the night because she knew I was there. We decided to put her in a kennel crate that we have that is quite big. It's big enough to put her bed in and still have some room for a potty pad. This way we get our sleep and she can go pee if necessary. She sleeps through the night and doesn't start whimpering until my hubby leaves for work, at that time I get up to take her outside. Everyone is happy this way. Sleep is important so if you need to move your baby to another room don't feel guilty about it. I love my baby to bits but I also love my sleep.

Good luck!

Our Maltese, even as an adult, would not always sleep through the night. There would be evidence in the morning that he got up for a drink of water or played with a chew toy. But he rarely woke us up in the middle of the night. He'd go back to sleep on his own.

I can see where you would want to make sure your dog was located somewhere were you could hear him "just in case" something is seriously wrong, like he's sick or hurt.

welcome to YT!! A week before I picked up my baby I took the breeder a new baby blanket which she put in the crate with the mommy and other siblings...When i picked him up I put him in his playpen with a stuffed animal and that blanket and he was fine..He slept in my room for about 3months and then i put him in the living room and I spend a lot of time there during the day with the tv and computer so when its time for bed and he goes in his playpen he knows its bedtime and off to sleep he goes...he will wake up about 6am barking to let me know its time to go out!!! :D
Good luck with your baby!!!

Sounds like a good "out of room" plan to me. :p

Thanks everyone who response! I really appreciate your support and advices.
My Maggie is only 8 weeks old. She is very smart and first few nights she was doing not so bad. I understand about adjustment to a new house and I was very patient. Actually the first night I couldn't sleep not because she did something wrong, but because I was too excited and looked at her every now and then. I didn't put her into a crate at first. May be it was my mistake. I bought a pet taxi instead of crate, it is big enough, but the top part can be taken off and then it looks like a bed. So I use that pat taxi as a bed and sometimes as a crate. I also put a potty pad next to it and on a second night she knew where to go and since then I have no problem with that. But day after day she became more active and she starts exploring. My daughter (12 years old) stays with her during the day while me and my husband are at work. So we have somebody at home at all times. But now our Maggie doesn't like to sleep in her bed (which is converted to a crate when we all have to go some place). And she really loves our couch. Now she looks up at the couch and tries to jump on it and she whine, because she can't reach it. Same start happening during the night. She does the same with the bed. The moment I take her to the bed, she settls and keeps quite. When I try to put her back into her own bed, she can stay there for a little while and then again asking me to take her into the bed. Last night I locked her in the crate after 3:30 am. She didn't stop whining until it was time for me to stand up and go to work. When I let her out she was very happy.
I have a feeling that she stoped liking her bed because I can lock her there. Should I continue locking her there until she get used to it? What I should do about the couch? I don't mind her sleeping on it sometimes, but I mind her to do the same with our bed. I told my daughter to keep her on the floor at all times. May be we spoiled her by keeping her on our laps and next to us on the couch.
Another question : Maggie likes to play with our hands or our feet. She bites, but not bad and we all enjoy it for now. Can it grow into a bad habit that when her teeth became bigger and stronger we would have a problem? Or may be she understand that we are playing with her and she wouldn't do us a real bite?
And another one: I was warned about hypoglucemia. Few times I was concerned that Maggie sleeps a lot and not very active. Is it the case? What should I do then? I can't make her eat if she doesn't want to, can I? The breeder told me to keep the food at all times and let her eat when she wants to, but remove food and water at night times. But some other people told me that I should feed her 2-3 times a day and that is it. Which advice to follow? For now I remove the food only for a while after she finishes eating and after few hours put it back. But she doesn't have a specific schedule yet. It is quite random now.
And the last question - when it is safe for her to go out? She had her first round of shots. Should I wait till the second round is done? I let her our in my backyard though for a short time. Is it safe?
Thanks again!