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Your Puppies First Two Weeks in Your Home
In the first two weeks, you must monitor your puppy’s behavior closely. You are looking to make sure your puppy is eating, drinking water, playing and going to bathroom.
Your new puppy is like a new baby
We tend to forget that your new, cute, cuddly puppy is still just a baby. Just like human babies, Yorkies puppies need lots of food, water, and sleep. In addition they have sensitive stomachs and should not be fed anything that is not specifically marked as puppy food, treats, etc., for the first year of its life. It is essential that when you bring your new puppy home that for the first week or so you do not over play with it and that you monitor its food and water consumption to make sure it is eating and drinking regularly.
Rest and Naps
And just like a human baby, your Yorkie must take frequent naps. The naps help the puppy build back its reserve. Your puppy needs to get a lot of rest and quiet time to help your puppy develop and grow. Do not let him over exert himself for the first two weeks. Minimize their activity level so that their blood sugar levels do not drop. Puppies are easily stressed by excessive handling and petting. You should limit holding the puppy unless he is sleeping on your lap.
Taking your Yorkie puppy outside
Do not take your puppy out in public until your puppy has completed its series of vaccinations because your puppy has not developed its immune system. Also, when taking your new baby to the veterinarian, keep it in the puppy carrier until you are in the exam room. There may be other sick animals at your vet’s office. You certainly wouldn't want someone to pet your puppy who was in contact with another sick animal.
A place for your puppy
When bringing your new puppy home, do not to give it access to the whole house, at least not initially. Designate a room that is clean and warm and was puppy proofed in advance. Then, let your puppy get used to its new home slowly. In that room, make sure the puppy has fresh drinking water available and accessible at all times. In addition, place a comfortable and cozy bed or sleeping pad in the room for rest.
A playpen is an excellent item to have in your puppy room. It provides safety and a sense of security for the puppy. Place the playpen in a highly visible area of your home. Leaving a television or radio playing softly when you are not home with your puppy will lesson feelings of loneliness and reduce stress. On one end of the playpen, place the wee wee pad or newspaper while on the other end place your puppy’s bed, blanket, and his toys. Place food and water bowls near the bed. The idea is to get your Yorkie to go to the other end of the playpen to do its business on the wee wee pad or newspaper. Puppies generally do not like to go to the bathroom near the area where they rest and sleep. You can start crate training the puppy when it gets a little older. These puppies have very small bladders, and crate training can be difficult for Yorkies until their bladders are larger.
Place the playpen away from an outside door, so the puppy won’t feel drafts or sudden changes in temperature. It is recommended that you place the playpen on a far wall, away from an outside door or, preferably, in an interior room. This is important until your puppy has received all of his shots.
One final benefit of a playpen is that you will be able to fold up your playpen and take it with you on trips.
Feeding
Puppies at this age should eat every 3-4 hrs. Please click here for more detailed information on feeding. Just make sure that your puppy doesn’t skip a meal.
If your puppy does not eat, do not wait to “see if he’ll eat tomorrow” as these small Yorkie puppies can become Hypoglycemic very easily. Hypoglycemia frequently occurs when a Yorkie doesn’t consume enough calories or if it are under too much stress. This is a serious condition which can cause weakness, seizures, lethargy and even death. There are many things you can do to prevent that, but you must act quickly. For first aid, use a clean towel to wrap around the puppy and make sure he is warm. Rub a bit of honey, corn syrup or some Nutri-Cal on the gums to get some glucose in his blood. Try to get the puppy to eat ASAP. If the attack is very strong take him immediately to see a veterinarian.
Don’t be too concerned that you need to wake up in the middle of the night to feed your Yorkie. Just make sure the puppy ate at least some of its food before you go to bed and then feed your puppy first thing in the morning.
Health Check
Give your puppy a quick physical exam on a daily basis. The eyes should be clean and the hair around the eyes free from buildup. If needed, use a baby wipe to clean gently around the eye. The nose should be slightly wet and the ears should be clean and free of debris. An important spot to check is the anus. Make sure it is clean, and if needed, wash with warm water and a bit of puppy shampoo. Finally, check the puppy’s stool. It should be solid, not runny. Runny stool is a sign of diarrhea which should be addressed with your veterinarian quickly.
Baths
For the next month or so I do not recommend giving your puppy a full bath. Instead, use a warm, wet towel or baby wipes to clean your puppy. Make sure the puppy is completely dry using towels, or use a hair dryer with using a low temperature setting (not hot) and the slowest speed.
Handle with care
Puppies are very fragile and should always be picked up, held or carried in a very careful manner. Their entire body length must be supported. In addition, your new Yorkie can be very tiny and therefore accidentally kicked or stepped on easily. Also, your new puppy will love to follow you around the house and will try to be as close to you as possible. You must make a practice of always being aware of where your puppy is so that you never accidentally step on him or her.
One method I use when the puppies are very small is to attach a small cat bell or two to their collar. That way, when the puppies are running around, you will be in a better position to hear them when they get close to you. This can prevent you from accidentally stepping on or kicking your Yorkie.
Spoiling your puppy
Puppies like children can easily be spoiled. A puppy will quickly learn how to pull on your heartstrings to get its way. The more you give to your puppy, the more he or she will employ the same tactics to get its way, whether it is to get you to pick it up and hold it, let it out of its crate, or to sleep in your bed. You must set boundaries and be strong so that your new puppy does not learn bad habits that will be difficult to break down the road.
Leaving your puppy for extended periods of time
It isn't advisable to leave a Yorkie puppy alone all day. They will need more care and attention in this important stage of their life. As a result, Yorkies may not be the best breed for someone who works all day. It would be better to take off from work if it can be scheduled for the first 2 weeks. Afterwards, it would be advisable to come home at lunch and check on your puppy. Most all puppies shouldn't be left alone for more than 4 hours at a time.
Yorkies and stairs
It isn't cute to see a 5 lb dog walk down stairs! Do not encourage your Yorkie puppy to walk down stairs! Stairs are not meant for a toy breed puppy. Independent of the real danger of falls and the resulting injury or possible death, repetitive climbing of stars can wear out the hip joints. What is cute now can be painful when your puppy is older. A gate should be placed at the top of the stairs or the bottom of the stairs to block access.
After passing these critical two weeks you should now do what every responsible pet owner does:
• Take your dog to your veterinarian regularly to get his checkups, vaccinations and deworming
• Spay or neuter your dog
• Keep your dog on a leash when out in public
• Get your dog license, ID tag and even a microchip to help find your dog in case it gets lost or stolen
• Take your puppy for grooming and brush its coat on a daily basis
• If something doesn’t look right, do not wait; contact us or your vet ASAP so your dog can get the treatment he deserves
• Enjoy your Yorkie!
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