Morkie puppy, but any dog owners - ???

Penny, I rescued my pup after I was disabled out of my job.  I knew I was going to get one some day, but I was working way too many hours to have it be a decent life for any dog.  Big dogs are okay if left for hours during the day, the Maltipoo, which is what mine is, would be nuts if left alone every day for 8 plus hours a day.

I have days where I can barely get out of bed due to pain, not depression, and it has never been a negative issue for my dog.  I trained him to use a potty pad, because I knew there would be many days that I couldn't get him outside, and I also didn't want to have to go downstairs at night to take him out.  I put his potty pad on my shower floor and leave the shower doors opened about 12 inches for him to come and go.  It is a walk-in shower, so there is no big bathtub base that he would have to climb over.  It works beautifully!  He goes in there on the pad and any that might miss the pad a bit is washed down every day with my shower, or if I notice any, I hose it down right away.  

Mine is also on raw food, which is the best thing for these little dogs according to my vet and the owner of my favorite pet health food store.  I have a little mini fridge in my closet where I will put a day's worth of his food, along with things that I can eat if I can't get downstairs.  I also buy the freeze-dried version (made by Small Batch ) for the days that I forgot to bring the frozen up.  You just break the patty up and mix it with hot water.  He LOVES these.  Well, he seems to love the raw food better than anything I have ever given him.  And it is so easy and stress free.

Downstairs, I have another potty pad in what used to be my wood storage for my fireplace.  I purchased one of those bit white flat plastic liners that people buy for their washing machine.  It is only about an inch tall and plenty big enough.  I put that inside the wood area first, just in case there are any misses or leaks, it collects in the liner and I can take it outside and bleach it clean.  He uses the downstairs one when it is too late at night and I don't want to take him outside, or if it is raining.  He always goes right to the edge of the pad and stops and looks at me, waiting to see if I tell him to go ahead and go, or if I am going to get up to let him out back.  

The convenience alone makes it worth it to use the pads, but the second plus is that you don't have to go outside and follow the dog around waiting to clean up after it, or hunting for dried up poop in the lawn if you don't pick it up right away.  I pick his up within seconds of him pooping on the pads and it is flushed immediately.  That leaves my back yard pool area clean and company ready at all times.

Also, when I am in too much pain to make it downstairs, I have lots of toys for him in a big tub on my closet floor.  He will play fetch with these (but never a ball for some reason) and keep jumping up and down from the bed, getting lots of exercise.  After seeing his reaction to the wand toys I have for my cats, I found my son's old tiny fishing pole in the garage and have repurposed it for the dog.  It is one of those poles that is about 3 feet long and has a thumb release that makes it easy for little kids to fish.  I put a strong test line on there and use a metal 24" leader at the very end so that he cannot chew through it and swallow something.  I attach his various toys and cast it from my bed.  He goes crazy for this.  He starts whining as soon as I bring the fishing pole out of his drawer of  goodies.

So the reason for all story about my dog and I is to show that my very bad days of being housebound or bed bound hasn't impacted the dog in any apparent way.  We still play and laugh and he will exhaust himself and plop down on my chest for a nap.  I cannot tell you how much I adore this dog and how much he has improved my quality of life.  He goes everywhere with me except the grocery store.  He is very patient and rides on a little shallow bed that I put into the child seat area of the cart.  He is so well behaved in it, but I cannot get too far from the cart or he freaks.

My particular breed, the Maltipoo, and my sister's dog which is a Bishop, cannot be left alone for more than an hour or two.  He cries when I leave for the grocery store, and goes nuts when I come home, crying and trying to get into my lap.  I don't play into this in an effort to reassure him I leave and come back and it is no big deal, but he is 3 now and still cry when I leave.

I would recommend putting your pup in a day care for the days you are working.  Being home alone for a full day would be too much for all the little dogs I know.  But I am not familiar with a Morkie's personality.  

Good luck and post pictures if you get one!

What a cutie - enjoy her. I just wanted to pop in and say you are awesome because you thought about whether a dog was right for you and whether you could be a good dog owner. Puppies are so cute and the love they give is amazing, but they are lots of work and it is like having a toddler for 10+ years. Kudos, kudos, kudos. I know you will rock it and your little bundle of fully love is in for an amazing life.

I have 2 Morkies. One is 4 and the other is 5. I love these dogs so much and would get another in a second! They are sweet, great with our 3 kids and really mellow. They love having someone to cuddle with but are just fine when we take off for the day.

I'll be happy to answer any questions you have!

Dogs are like 2 year old humans. 

Always in diapers and needing to be fed. 

Oh Penny! I only just saw this. I'm not a dog person, but she is very, very sweet.

What did you call her?

I'm glad that it is going so well! She certainly is a cutie. Nothing like those round little puppy bellies.

That is some serious puppy cuteness

I've also seen people buy one of those huge rubbermaid storage containers and cut a hole in the lid. The lid of the container is easy to remove while still being sturdy. 
 
I'm so glad that you love your new dog, and I love her name. I don't have a dog because I've moved a lot and lived in apartments and don't have a fenced in yard right now and don't feel like walking a dog every day. Lexica your post gave me hope that I might one day get another dog. I've always wanted a german shepherd, but that's completely unpractable for my lifestyle. 

One tip for helping with overexcitement when someone comes to visit is to practice. Get a few family members and friends to come over. When they come in, ignore the dog when she's too excited while the person greets you. Stand there and talk and then have the person bend over and pet your dog and give her a treat when she's calmed down. That should help any peeing from submissiveness or too much excitement--cocker spaniels are prone to peeing when they're really excited. I would also think that taking your dog out for a potty break right before you arrange for your friend to come to the door. 

I think you're starting out with dog training on the right path. Petsmart, etc. offers group basic obedience courses which can also help your dog become socialized. Your conscientiousness about training Gracie is a huge component of training. So many small dog owners let a lot of basic training slide because their dogs are so small that issues like jumping up, nipping, etc. doesn't seem like a huge deal. Sadly that makes little dogs even more nervous and neurotic. Who hasn't seen someone carrying around a little chihuahua, etc. that just shakes with nervousness and yips, growls and snaps at everything while the clueless owner just gushes at how "cute" he is. 

My mom has had several small dogs. She recently adopted a little weenie mix that my brother rescued. The dog is heartworm positive and has other issues like severe allergies, so my mom took him since she has the time and money to get his issues figured out. Her little Italian greyhound also enjoyed having my aunt's little dog around as well as the dogs that my mom sometimes babysits. 

My mom set up a video camera so she can check in with her dogs while she's away. You could set up your computer camera or could get a web video set up inexpensively. Then you could see what your dog does when you're away. Give her stuff to do while you're gone--like fill a kong with kibble or PB so she has a puzzle to distract her. Stay gone longer and longer until she gets used to you being gone and can sooth herself and enjoy herself. 

Your vet can also help you find a good groomer. My mom groomed dogs. Since I've watched her and know how groomers should act, I've noticed some really bad groomers at Petsmart and other places. Not everyone is bad, but many groomers at Petsmart, etc. aren't trained or paid well, and they can be really rough. My mom specialized in geriatric dogs and groom phobic dogs. She got a lot of business from owners who were asking for a good groomer after their dog had a bad experience. Go to a groomer that lets you watch at first. You can sit far enough away that Gracie doesn't pay any attention to you, but you can watch how the groomer shampoos--are they conscientious about the eyes and ears, do they show their tools to the dog at first to help them acclimate to the razor noise, etc. You don't want someone who manhandles and/or just powers through even when the dog is being skittish. I helped my mom with some of her hard to groom dogs. Having a second person helped. She sometimes even had the owner stand there and watch so the dog was more relaxed. 

no doubt.... and they always have toys all over the place. 

OMG, Gracie is adorable!  I wish you lived near me, I would offer to puppy sit when you needed it.  Gracie would undoubtedly get along with my Winston. I agree with another poster, it is like having a baby around when you first get them.  They need a lot of attention and training.  But the time you invest into her training now will reap rewards for the remainder of her life with you. Having a dog that is well behaved allows you to take them with you to more places.  

I have learned that there is a lot of stores around here that allow a little dog to ride in the cart when you shop.  As long as they don't sell food, it seems to be ok.  I always ask, because I don't want to be one of those people who act entitled.  To date, the only store that refused to allow him to sit in his little bed in the seat portion of the cart while I shop was Michaels.  I wasn't too disappointed because there is a big Joann's ETC store and a new Hobby Lobby in the same center that have better merchandise and were fine when I asked if it was okay to bring him in with me. 

I can't remember if this was mentioned in this thread already, and if so, sorry, but it is an important fyi.  Don't let her go to public parks, dog parks, or walk on the floor of pet stores until she has had all of her necessary shots.  My vet  is the one who told me this and I was glad he did because I was going to take him everywhere with me.  I wanted to start exposing him to lots of different situations and I was excited to get out with him.  I hadn't thought about what he might possible contract, but it makes sense to wait until their immune systems are ready to handle the possible onslaught of germs and cooties.  

And not just from dogs whose owners are not diligent about regular vet visits and required shots, but wild critters who are in the parks at night.  I get possum, raccoons, rats, and coyotes in my own backyard, so I went out with him to make sure he wasn't eating something he shouldn't or finding critter poop to roll in.   I also washed his little feet off afterwards, until he was fully immunized.  Fortunately, Winston doesn't seem to be inclined to roll in things, and has never eaten his own poop or the cat's.  

My sister's dog will find something dead or feces from something within seconds of being let outside.  And she must roll in it, rubbing her face and back all over it.  Gross!  That dog must hate being clean because as soon as she is freshly bathed, she waits for a second's lapse of attention by anyone going in or out the door and she bolts.  She is tiny, but she is fast.  All you see is a white blur go by.  She seems to have a preference for peacock poop, which is everywhere at my sister's ranch, although anything dead or disgusting will do.  And there is no lack of gross stuff on that property. There is also a concern for predators that could potentially kill her.  Coyotes, hawks, and rattle snakes are seen daily.   Which is why I live in the city.  Things go in my backyard, but only at night, and will run away if you turn the lights on.