Tiny New Yorkie! When can I let him walk outside on the ground?? And Hi Everyone!
 

I'm a super newbie so if there's anything I'm doing wrong as far as posting please let me know. I love this community and I can't wait to join in on all the Yorkietalk:animal36:animal36

My teacup yorkie is Cruz (pics Below) and he is officially 9 weeks today. He has had his first round of shots. He has been out of the house with me just walking while I hold him a little but I'm afraid to sit him down on the ground for 2 reasons:

1. He hasn't had all his shots and I'm afraid he will get some nasty virus or catch something bad from the other dogs in our neighborhood.

2. He is less than one pound and extremely tiny. All the dogs in our neighborhood are huge and loud. Although he has a harness and a leash I'm worried about him being in danger. He is expected to get to about 3lbs full grown based on his parents. My last yorkie was around 9lbs when he passed at 6 years old and he grew to full size pretty fast. I know Cruz Cayden will be tiny but maybe I'm just paranoid. Anyone else with tiny yorkies: When did you let your baby outside on a leash for walks?

Thanks everyone! Here's Cruz Cayden below:

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Hi :welcome4: to YT! Oh my, Cruz is such an adorable guy! Your mommy instincts are right, he shouldn't be around any other dogs or animals until he's had all his shots, so that includes public places/outdoors.

I can't remember when I started walking mine (puppyhood was years ago!) but I think it was around 5-6 months when they had completed their puppy shots.

Hi there, Cruz is so cute, I think you may get more replies if you post in the general discussion forum.
Everyone will be just delighted to see such a lovely baby.

Oh wow, I'm always worried when a breeder allows a pup to go that young and especially when they are that small. Your pup did have some immunity from the nursing mother, but as soon as it gets the first shot, it loses that immunity and it takes two weeks for the shot to kick in. This means that for a two week period after every shot, your pup is EXTREEMLY vulnerable. The last puppy shot will be at sixteen weeks, so keep him away from other dogs and their feces until he's about 18 weeks. I think you are wise to be worried, I don't think a dog this small really should be playing with other unknown dogs. Cruz is a little doll and welcome to YT!

Welcome !

He's adorable . . .

Your right to be cautious with this little one. Just his size along would make me uneasy. I wouldn't suggest taking him outdoors until he has all his shots. There are some canine deceases that can be caught through urine and feces so you need to be very cautions of that. Definitely keep him away from any other dogs in the neighborhood.

What a doll he is.

ohmygoodness he is adorable!! welcome to YT!! :D

I would wait to put him down outside until he has had all of his shots, about 6m old. My vet warned me about parvo and all the other nasty stuff out there that will really hurt your little guy. I was so scared to put Lily down even though she isn't that tiny so I would wait.

Oh my Cruz is such a cutie pie!!! Welcome to YT, you have come to the right place and we're glad you decided to join us.

Lots of people have more knowledge than I do and I'm sure will share from their vast knowledge. Again, welcome!!

Hello and welcome to YT. He is a cutie. I would not bring him out until two weeks after he gets all of his shots.

Very cute.....Enjoy!

Cruz is very young (actually 12 weeks is what most reputable breeders keep them for... and if very small, even longer than 12 weeks).
Keeping him off the ground outside until his shots are finished is a very good idea... and also away from places like Petsmart, Petco and pet stores where other dogs may be.
Being so small, you may want to consider getting some NUTRICAL for him. They can get low blood sugar easily if they don't eat enough (which is common with one that small) and a little bit of Nutrical licked off a finger can do wonders for a lethargic puppy.

Good Luck with your puppy... he is a cutie! And WELCOME to yorkietalk!

Hello and welcome to you and baby Cruz. The others have answered your question already. Basically, Cruz isn't safe until he has finished his puppy shots. I too have "tinies". Mia is 3.4 lbs @ 2 years old. Allie is 1 yr. old and weighs 2 pounds even. My vets chose to split the shots into half doses, spaced a few weeks apart. And the vet only gave one type of shot each time. The only exception to that was the rabies shot. You can not split that one in half. I have used shot clinics for other dogs, but I only let my vet administer vaccinations to my tinies. They received a complete check up each time to make sure they were perfectly well before getting the shot. It meant many extra trips to the vet, and much added cost. I even brought my own fresh & clean baby blankets, to avoid placing Allie on surfaces which could contain germs. I made the choice to accept the responsibility of raising extra tinies. Advocating for Allie, and being mindful to not overload her tiny immune system are big parts of this responsibility. It is another thing for people to be mindful of when choosing to purchase an extra tiny pup.

Wow!! Thank you everyone! I'm so excited about all the feedback. You all are so helpful! He had his first puppy check today which is done to check to make sure the breeder didn't give a pup with a pre-existing issue. He's 1.6 pounds!! Cruz got freaked out by the barking of a big german shepard but I held him close in a towel the whole time. Made the vet wipe down the table again in front of me AND the scale. lol He's doing good but still whines alot. She said he's healthy and he had his poop checked too. Yhanks everyone for your input. I'm definitely gonna wait until he's about 6 months. @KiminMD I've had a yorkie before who grew to be really big so I appreciate the tips from someone who has a tiny. I'm willing to do whatever I have to do to keep him healthy happy and safe even if it means having a little high maintenance pooch :) @MistyMillar I'm gonna start posting in the general area now thanks for the heads up:) Here are some pics from the Dr today. Thank you guys SOOO much for your input. I think YT will be me and Cruz's new home. xoxo

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awwww he's so cute and tiny!!! :D

I noted in your pictures you are using a Banfield Clinic.
I would ask others with more experience than I may have, but I would question the exposure your tiny baby may be getting in that environment.

When I was training mine I tried the litter box so I didn't expose them to outside when they were little. They wanted to eat the doggie litter so I just started putting puppy pads in the box. It was so cute to see them go running to their box in the bathroom to potty but you really have to make a fuss and praise them so they keep doing it. Makes it really nice especially when the weather is nasty. Congradulations on your new baby. He is a cutie pie.

Welcome to YT and congrats on Cruz! He is adorable!

Hi love! Yes I know what you mean about Banfield. I worked at an animal clinic for years and I've some nasty stuff get spread around. Unfortunately, Im in LA and because I needed to get his first check up quick as my contract stated alot of places were booked up:( In the future I think I will take him to a private vet. Either way I had his covered up and snuggled in a towel in my arms and made the dr wipe down EVERYTHING. I know I seemed OCD. lol :D

Thank you for your responses everyone. I check this board from my cell everyday!lol

Cruz is adorable.

You are so right to be cautious with him, even beyond finishing his shots. There is another YT member posting today that she has 3 young pups in hospital with Parvo, and all 3 had their shots.

Since he is so tiny, a carrier is a good way to keep him safe when you go places. I always used one to take mine to the vet, then I places a pee pad on the exam table to set them on. They are so wiggly when they are little it's sometimes hard to hang on to them.

After reading the story of the 3 puppies with parvo despite vaccinations, I found the following info on webmd: Dog Parvovirus Symptoms, Treatments, and Causes

The second page of the article has the information about vaccinations--they don't fully kick in until after 16 to 20 weeks. After reading this, I'm not letting my little Bella anywhere near other dogs or on walks outside my driveway and front yard (which are dog-free) until at least after 20 weeks, and maybe longer.

Welcome to YT and your cruz is adorable! My Pixie came home at 8 weeks and I use to give her nutrical after she played. I did not let Pixie around other dogs, and I didn't let other people handle her, especially children, or take her outside until she had all her shots. I also did not take her in public places.
We used pee pads until she was about 8 months old. I still keep a pee pad down for when we leave and she will use it from time to time.

You are so right to be cautious. Thanks for sharing the parvo info, it will be helpful to many people. It is such a horrid disease, and I believe there are different strains of it.

It is so tempting to show off new puppies, taking them places, walking them, etc., but this is a time to really protect them as well. So many things can happen to them, so we need to protect them early on so they can be with us for a long long time. There is plenty of time later to socialize and show off. :D

I wouldn't even take Sam out in our own yard until he was 5 months (20 weeks). Some paranoia is well warranted when it comes to these little ones.

Agreed.!

Yes. I say 20weeks.

Your little guy is adorable! I have 2 smaller girls...one is 1yr & 3.13 pounds and the other is 10 months & 2.13 pounds. You are right to be extremely careful! Keeping him inside and trained on Potty pad is best. Being that tiny and young is a concern. Eating frequent meals and snacks is a must. At this age, you cant' over feed him! Take care of your sweet puppy and I can't wait for pictures of how much he is growing!

I wonder how the tiny pup is doing

Ah, what a sweet little baby!! Oh how I love puppies! Congratulations, you are in heaven right now, aren't you!

I agree with the question of a breeder letting a tiny go so young. Usually it's around 3-4 mos.

My little Libby, is seemingly to be between 2.7-3# and is 3 1/2 years old. I have, over the years have had 2 at around 4# and one that was 1.6 that had problems but did live to 6 yr.

I have to be honest, that I pretty much only like mine to be around the house outside. I do some leash walks in certain areas, but would prefer only a 'carrier' or a stroller in other places. I am so afraid of her getting hurt or ill.
I think that only a little friendly playful 'snap' could kill a tiny.

I'm sure you know yorkies seem to think 'I'm as big as you are, I'm going to nip your leg, let's play!' Not good with a tiny.

I've always taken to heart the warning my vet many years ago. He said to say out of Pet Stores, and places that are geared for dogs, such as fences in dog parks. He said you just don't know what dogs are carrying.

OK as usual, I am going on WAY to long...sorry.

I was going to ask about this, it makes me happy I'm not the only one out there who's vet split the shots up the same way. Rosie had her first jabs and the vet said to wait a month for the rest and that she was too small for her microchip, I got her at around 9/10ish weeks and she only weighs 1.3lbs, she was too tiny even for her flea treatment so they had to use frontline spray, rub it on their hands then rub it in her fur and she got half a worm pill lol! I guess it's common for them?

Hello, Cruz!!
 

Well, the other owners have given you some very good advice! Since Cruz is so tiny, I would keep him in his own territory (house, yard) until he has gotten all of his pupoy shots! My vet (who has two small dogs of her own..one is a yorkipoo) is not a fan of these new types of "dog parks" where lots of people congregate to let their dogs play together. A new "dog park" opened in a nearby city, and I was curious about her opinion when Taffy went for his heartworm check & medicine. Basically, she said you Don't Know What all these strange dogs' backgrounds are...did they have their regular shots & vaccinations, regular heartworm, flea & tick meds ? (especially in mosquito bite season when insects easily go from dog to dog in summer p.m. in these large play groups). Your puppy will be curious about smelling all the strangers' pee & poo, and could even try to eat some poo with all kinds of bacteria, worm eggs, etc. in it. Yuck! I take Taffy on walks around our rural road On His Leash because Yorkies love to chase rabbits, squirrels, etc. So, watch Cruz because even though he may not grow up to be a big Yorkie, he will still be quicker than you. Since he has a little neck, he will probably do better with a walking harness instead of hooking his leash to his collar. Some people argue that harnesses make dogs pull more, but there is a brand of simple little harness called "Easy Walk" which comes in all sizes; it stopped Taffy from pulling. They are not big or heavy...slender straps. (Cruz may need to grow a bit to wear the XXS.) Your dog's leash fastens to a ring that is located right in the center of the narrow doggie Chest strap, instead of hooking somewhere on his back. So, when he pulls, he is actually slowing himself down as his tugging pulls him back toward you when he tries to jerk or run. Do hold your leash "up" a bit higher so that he doesn 't walk over the top of his own leash, since the leash curves up right in front of him. Also, if Cruz has fine, thin hair, a t-shirt on a cool California night might make keep him warmer. My breeder/friend told me to Always keep a small tube of "Nutragel" (a brown vitamin gel) handy in case my pup didn't eat which can happen when puppies go to a strange new home or have neutering surgery, etc. She said you only rub a little bit on their tongue or the roof of their mouth(Cruz would only need 1/4 inch);it perks up their appetite. Taffy seems to like the flavor. Have Fun with little Cruz!!