# Advice on leaving new Chi pup alone



## Tahlz (Apr 20, 2011)

Hey everyone.

I was hoping I could get some advice, I am hoping I'm not posting this in the wrong section. 

I now live with a 8 week old female Chihuahua and I also live with a Black Lab x and Kelpie x. I will not leave Summer (Chi pups name, I think) alone with them because I don't like the idea of 3 dogs being alone together for 8 hours a day, especially when Serenity (Kelpe x) is a bit rough with her and I am sure Summer can escape through the fence at this age.

So, what can I do now to get Summer ust to being alone?.

It's Friday night here now, I go back to work on Wednesday so I have a few days to get her ust to being alone. I want her to be fine alone in my room for a few hours and not whine all day long, I know this may not happen but i am hoping she can learn she'll be fine for 8 hours though it may be a bit boring for her. I will get her some toys. She already crys and whines being alone (which I fully understand, she's a new puppy) but I need to try and get her ust to not doing this in time.

I let her sleep in the bed (my other 2 do as well). Should I make her sleep in the crate so she's ust to being alone more?. I'd prefer her in the bed but if it'll help.


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

Can't you get somebody to look in on her? 8 weeks is very young to be left for 8 hours.Who is going to feed her during the day ,she will need a meal ?


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## Tahlz (Apr 20, 2011)

Sadly no . Aw, actually, I might be able to see if my friend can. 

Maybe when I get her a pen and put her outside in it then I could.

But she'd get fed in the morning before work and then when I get home. She's also have a toy with frozen peanut butter in it.


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

Sorry what do you mean put her outside in it ? you can't leave a puppy outside


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

NO, do NOT leave her outside in a pen! 

There's really nothing you can do in a couple of days to get her used to being alone. She needs to mature more to start being better with it, and she's not going to mature in two days. Like someone else said, 8 weeks is awfully young to be away from her Mama. Do you know about the dangers of hypoglycemia with a toy breed pup?

She needs to be separated from your other dogs during the day, in a playpen, or penned in a small bathroom or something, with a bed, toys, a pee pad and water. And I'd start today, so that you can see how she's going to act, and how the other dogs are going to act with her crated or penned. If Tango had been strong enough, he'd have opened the door to Jazz's crate because I noticed when I first started crating her, he'd go and paw at the door. He wanted her out. You need to see what your other dogs are going to do, like if they might try and paw or push down a gate if she's gated in a bathroom for example. 

If I had to be gone for too long when Jazz was a puppy, I'd leave a kong with some kibble in it, and just a dab of PB to hold the kibble in longer, so her food would be a bit more spaced out.


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

I agree with the above. No Chi should be left outside unattended especially not at this age. I would use the pen in your home with a set up as suggested above as well as have friend look in if possible ;-)


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

There are some automatic feeders at PetCo/PetSmart that let you dial in times you want to feed your dog. This would be ideal for you. Please get someone to feed her while you are at work. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can and will kill your baby. A baby chi needs to eat every 4 hours during the day. So AM, noon, after work and 9 oclock or so. Have some nutro cal (supplement) around too for hypoglycemia. Look it up on the internet, if you are not aware of what it is. When she is 4-5 months old she can go alittle bit longer. I think the pen idea is great, maybe in your bedroom? Then you can close the door, so the other dogs can't get to her. Safety first! Sue Davis


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## svdreamer (Feb 20, 2010)

I used a pen like this for my puppies. I free fed them so there was no danger of hypoglycemia and it had a bed and a pee pad. Give a bunch of toys, too. 8 hours is a long time for a puppy, but this way, it will be safe and be able to have some fun. Chihuahuas are not outside dogs at any age. They can get out and get killed by bigger dogs or carried off by birds of prey. If you can get your friend to come in halfway through the day, that would be awesome, but if not, the puppy will adjust.


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## LittleHead (May 20, 2004)

Pam offered wonderful advice :hello1:
I brought my youngest chi home at 10 weeks of age (old enough IMO), the first night I put her in the pen at night, she was crying and crying, even howling!! I was in my bedroom crying my eyes out because I felt terrible. 

I decided her being in there at night AND while I'm at work was too much, so she sleeps with me and my 2 older chi girls at night. Monday-Friday (and when she needs a time out), I put her in the pen and she has adjusted pretty well to it. As a matter of fact, she's in it right now and not one single peep out of her  

Good luck with your new addition!! :ngreet2:


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

I did exactly as Pam. We brought Hope home at a few days shy of 9 weeks and I took a few days and then half days off work to help her adjust. Then she was in her "room" (like what Pam has pictured) and I left her food, water and such while we were gone.


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## Tahlz (Apr 20, 2011)

Thank you for the advice everyone!!.

The other two wont be able to get to Summer because they'll be outside my room and there's a metal door blocking them so there's no way they can get to her. I wasn't going to leave her outside, lol, no way. I meant when she's a few months older I'll buy her a bigger pen so she can be outside but in a pen. This is in a few months.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I have an exact same pen----I love 'em! Sue


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## Jazzo (Jul 12, 2011)

svdreamer said:


> I used a pen like this for my puppies. I free fed them so there was no danger of hypoglycemia and it had a bed and a pee pad. Give a bunch of toys, too. 8 hours is a long time for a puppy, but this way, it will be safe and be able to have some fun. Chihuahuas are not outside dogs at any age. They can get out and get killed by bigger dogs or carried off by birds of prey. If you can get your friend to come in halfway through the day, that would be awesome, but if not, the puppy will adjust.




what did you line the bottom of the pen with ?


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## Kaila (Nov 10, 2009)

Tahlz said:


> I wasn't going to leave her outside, lol, no way. I meant *when she's a few months older I'll buy her a bigger pen so she can be outside but in a pen*. This is in a few months.


It's still unclear whether you intend to let her be outside unattended in a pen sometime in the future. Chihuahuas, as a breed, should never be left outside unattended--period--whether it's in a pen or not. They don't tolerate heat and cold well and I've heard stories of Chis being attacked by stray dogs, birds of prey (owls, hawks, etc.) and even coyotes or snakes. If you're not home to watch her play outside then she should be safely inside, away from big dogs and in a safe place (like a playpen or crate) where she can't get into anything dangerous.

A playpen would be fine if you're just out there with her to hang out and let her enjoy the grass but want to keep the big dogs from stomping all over her. That I can understand.

Sorry if I just misunderstood what you were saying. I just wanted to make sure to reiterate what others have said and make it more clear.  Even adult Chis are not safe outside, and a pen doesn't protect a Chi from birds, bugs, or the weather.


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## RACR (Jul 29, 2011)

Some great advice there  Would you be able to pop home in your lunch break to spend time with your pup?

My youngest is 21 weeks old. I have two chis and a staffie and though they get on very well I seperate them when I go out.. The chis stay in the kitchen and have each other for company.. If I am out a full day I get a friend to either have them for me or pop in.. Thats is literaly very rare though.. I am lucky enough that my job is with animals so they are with me most the time..


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## CarrieAndCalista (Jul 22, 2011)

I had this dilema when I got Calista, she was a very young pup and I took 2 weeks off work to spend with her when I first got her.
During that time I arranged her care for when I was back at work. Being left alone for a long time at that age is really stressfull and can create major seperation anxiety problems in the future.
I have 2 days where someone stays with her all day (MIL) because we both work nearly 12 hours, one day a week she goes to doggy day care for an afternoon (which has made a huge difference to her socialisation and confidence) and the other 2 days I am only gone for about 5 hours, so the daycare lady comes in, walks her for 45 mins and then spends 15-20 mins with her until she starts to get sleepy from the walk... 
The longest she is ever really alone is 3-4 hours. 
You really need to look carefully into how you leave her. Because Chis are so small, and bond so closely with their carers leaving them alone for long periods is not an option. 
I know that no shelter will adopt out to someone who works full time, also as far as I know, most reputable breeders won't either. This is especially important as she is so young, she really needs someone to be with her.


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## PlanetHarleywood (Aug 1, 2011)

Yeh I don't think being outside for long periods will be a good thing. My Chi (Harley) either gets way overheated in spring summer, or freezes in fall and winter. Only takes a few minutes for either. They are not tolerant of temps at all. I would also worry about predators if left outside even in a pen. Where I live is part of the city but we still have wild foxes running around at night. I haven't seen them in the day time but I imagine if they are around and hungry they will do what they have to to get to a small pet like that.


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## svdreamer (Feb 20, 2010)

Jazzo said:


> what did you line the bottom of the pen with ?


I lined the bottom with pee pads. But, as they got older, they only used one, so I took one out and they did very well.


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## mooberry (Jan 31, 2011)

When Bijoux was younger I used the pen to keep her separated from my golden retriever while I worked. I worked 8 hours to, wish I could have stayed home with her but I am to work in order to feed her ;p

Anyways when I left her in the pen she would scream like a banshee to the point where I once burst into the room because I thought she was hurt. She wasn't and poor Lincoln was by the pen trying to make her feel better. 

The trick I used to make her stop crying was to let her out with my golden while I was gone. That being said I knew 100% for sure that Lincoln would not hurt her, I also free fed because I couldn't be there and made sure she ate before and after I got home. Bijoux is also a big chi so hypoglycemia was not anything I had to worry too much about. 

Anyways that's what I did and it's been a month and a half and it's still works out perfectly in this house : )


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