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Expert: - 12/12/2010


Question
Hi, i have a Teacup yorkie who is 3 months an i go to
school for about seven to eight hours..an i leave my
puppy home alone with plenty of food an water an
toys an let her roam around my house.,which is a safe
home..is that okay let her be by herself for that long??

Answer
It is generally not a good idea to leave a puppy alone all day long due to many reasons- potty training, socializing, etc. There are many things she can get into that you might think are safe and are not, such as lamp cords, chewing on rugs and choking on the pieces, etc.

For this reason, most puppies are crated or kept in a corral-like pen with a potty pad, food and water. If she is crated then you should get her one large enough for her to sleep, move around in and be away from her food and a place to potty. The ideal solution is that you have a pet sitter watch her while you are at school, or you take her to doggy day care.

Being in school or work all day is not the ideal time to be raising a puppy. I know that life has to go on, but it's very hard on the puppy in these situations.

Ask your vet if they know of some reputable puppy sitters.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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