How long is it ok to leave my 15 week Yorkie in her cage for?

Question

Ok so I have a 15 week old Yorkie and I have to leave her in her cage from 8am-4pm Mon-Friday. Is that ok? Leaving her that long locked up with no water food or bathroom break? I've tryed leaving her in there for about 5 mins to see what she does and she'll start whining and barking. I have no other choice I have to go to work. What should I do?

Answer 1

Try to ask someone for "puppy-sitting". The cage is not a good solution.

It's just a puppy that needs to eat at least 3 times a day, fresh water all the time, someone's attention and space...

Answer 2

Argh! I hate cages. But since you are honest enough to call it a cage and not a freakin' crate, I'll throw in my two cents.

The dog needs to be let out every couple of hours to do it's business. You do not want the dog to start defecating in the cage. That just leads to problems further on. If you must leave the dog in the house have someone drop by once in a while to let the dog out and provide some human companionship. Since your dog is a small breed you might consider litter training it. Then you can provide a larger area for it to roam in while you are absent.

She will get used to the cage eventually but they are a temporary measure at best. No dog likes to confined for too long.

Answer 3

That is WAY too long to leave a 15 Week old puppy locked in a Crate for.  She needs to be let out at least every 3-4 hours to go outside.

If you can't go home during your lunch hour, then you need to hire a pet-sitter or have a non-working neighbor come in while you're at work.

Answer 4

NO thats not okay.

A fifteen week old puppy needs to be let out every three hours. Water ALWAYS needs to be available.

Is there a way you could come home on lunch break and let her outside, or possibly hire someone to let her out?

A smaller dog needs more frequent urination breaks because of their size, Yorkies especially because of their EXTREMELY small size and bladder size.

Its unhealthy and can cause damage to her kidneys to be left for eight + hours a day with no bathroom breaks or water.