REALLY off subject!!

localisap

I need some advice, my husband and I are getting a Yorkie puppy for our family. :happy: We have 5 year old twins and a 2 year old(will be 3 in May). :noway: When we went to visit the pup I was totally stressed out trying to NOT allow them to pick up or potentially hurt the little thing! I know when we bring him home in a few weeks, he will be bigger and stronger but what are some strategies that I can use at home to not stress myself out to the max and begin to eat!!!!!! :indifferent:

localisap

I need some advice, my husband and I are getting a Yorkie puppy for our family. :happy: We have 5 year old twins and a 2 year old(will be 3 in May). :noway: When we went to visit the pup I was totally stressed out trying to NOT allow them to pick up or potentially hurt the little thing! I know when we bring him home in a few weeks, he will be bigger and stronger but what are some strategies that I can use at home to not stress myself out to the max and begin to eat!!!!!! :indifferent:

jesusgrl14

Small dogs REALLY need a place to retreat to. Try buying your new pup a small kennel (WalMart has a great pop up kennel for about $16). This way it has a place to run when it is over-played with and you can zip it up to keep the kids out when you notice it needs a break! Remind your children that it is NOT a new toy and that they need to be gentle and treat it with respect. I had my own in-home daycare with my dog, a 7 lb terrier, and the kids loved her and carried her all over, but she would head for safe ground when she was ready to get away. Your pup will either love the attention in time or be really defensive. If you keep them focused on playing gently, you should have success in training both the kids and the puppy to play harmoniously. Good luck on this, it's tricky! Whenever you stress out take everyone out for a walk, it's good for kids and puppies and you can burn a few calories on the side! My kids LOVED to get to walk the dog! :flowerforyou:

memaw66

Yorkies require lots of care!!! They are very emotional dogs so be prepared. If you notice that the puppy doesn't seem to want to eat, make sure you have some Karo syrup around. If she/he hasn't eaten and you notice that he/she is just laying around and not wanting to do anything, place a drop or two of syrup ont he puppy's tongue. This will help to keep it from hypo-ing out, Kinda like a diabetic that hasn't had any sugar. She should bounce back after about 15 mins. I say they are very emotional because after you take her/him home he will no longer be around his litter mates/mom and he/she will feel sad. Even though they feel sad they still eat, so if she is not eating try what I mentioned about the syrup. Make sure your children know it is not a toy and that the puppy needs time to get used to everyone. Sometimes if they are picked up a lot they will throw up and then the child might freak out and drop them. Yorkies are very delicate as puppies. The older it gets the stronger it gets, just like children, so remind them of that. Hope this helps and good luck. Enjoy your new BABY!!!

I totally agree with the kennell too. That is also a good way to potty train. As they get older, they do not like to potty where they sleep. So this helps a lot. Just don't leave him in the kennel for long periods of time. And make sure you leave the door open when he is out so if he needs he can run there to be alone.

Charlaine

mydogmesa2

I know from experience that little dogs tend to feel really defensive around little children (kids can be really high strung and little dogs get squashed) Their only real defense is to bite and nip. So be careful letting the little ones get too rambuncsious (sp) with the dog. Little dogs like that are really for older children and adults.

localisap

Thanks for the advice! I'm definitely doing the kennel and I already have the kids talking about the "new rules" when the puppy gets here like, no running in house, no picking him up and so on. They are excited and hopefully it will work. I really like the stress idea of going for a walk. The kids will love that!:happy: Thanks everyone!