We're picking up our new lab in January and I have just a few questions. I've owned dogs in the past but never an inside one. We're planning to start with the lab inside of course and then have her half inside half outside later. I have a few questions regarding house training as I work, and my wife works part time as well. I have a large crate that we'll start her off in using the crate training tips that are posted on the site, but there are times where the puppy will be alone for 3-3 1/2 hours for 2 days out of the week. The majority of the time the crate should be fine, but for these longer periods would a playpen be better? I've considered buying one but I didn't know if that would be counterproductive to our crate training.
Hello there, Perhaps you should consider the question: why put a puppy in a crate? One answer is to keep the puppy safe (and your house safe) when you can't supervise the puppy. For this purpose, you actually want the crate to be a big as possible, so your puppy isn't cramped up, and has room to stretch growing and delicate joints and limbs. A large pen is ideal. The other answer is to confine the puppy in a space that he thinks is his 'den' (which to a small pup means his bed) so he is reluctant to wee or poo in his den and so learns to 'hold on'. For this purpose, you want the space to be as small as possible, so your puppy definitely thinks of his crate as his den, and doesn't pee and poo in it. Over the years on the forum it really seems to me that the people who run into toilet training troubles are the ones that end up (for whatever reason) with a puppy that pees or poos in a crate. This means you have damaged the instinct they have to 'keep the den clean' and then you are in for an uphill battle. The dog's instinct to 'keep the den clean' is the reason we can toilet train them at all. There are lots of animals that lack this instinct and are consequently impossible to toilet train. So, I'd say give your puppy a large space when left alone longer than he might be able to hold pee or poo, so he can move away from his bed (his den) to pee and poo - a pen is great for this; AND/OR use a small crate and do everything you can to not have a puppy pee and poo in it - and if you are not there to take him out of the crate, you can't do that. So leave your puppy in a pen for longer periods, and in a crate for shorter periods.
Hello and welcome to the forum. What age will she be when she's left alone for that time, and will it be in one block or split up? It's really too long to leave a puppy for in one go, so you should be thinking of getting someone in - friends, family, neighbour, puppy walker etc - if it's one single span. A young puppy won't be able to hold their bladder or bowel for anything like that amount of time for many months, so a pen would definitely be the way forward when leaving her, or you'll just be teaching your puppy to toilet in her bed (the crate), which will cause her distress. As far as having her half inside and half outside, I'm not sure what you mean by this, but Labs are very sociable animals and do best when surrounded by their family. They don't tend to thrive if separated.
Our puppy was picked up at 8 weeks and the first two days I came home at Lunch but it was clear by day 2 she was fine on her own so 3 day left her all day. She was fine. She wasin the the puppy play pen and in the laundry with treat ball (5 min), water (probably 10 min as dish was a toy for weeks) , area to sleep toys fake grass and for a time puppy pads. I remembered reading something that said start as you intend to end up and she's fine in the laundry (graduated from play pen to baby gate) when we arent there. Puppies sleep a lot so routine is breakfast, outside, then treat ball in laundry and we leave. Get home and its back outside straight away and then walks etc
You've been lucky to be honest Jenny,most Labrador puppies of 8 weeks would not do well with that arrangement. it's not just the physical well being and safety of the pup and your property to consider,it's their mental development and well being tof course people who work can own dogs successfully but Labrador puppies usually require lot of human company and interaction to develop into well socialised dogs. Angela
Puppies get very lonely when left alone too long. Imagine yourself alone, confined with no one to talk to, no phone, TV or books. Now imagine a two year old the same. Their development is important and to develop they need company. Here is a good article to help you - http://www.thelabradorsite.com/combining-a-labrador-puppy-with-full-time-work/ ....
Me & my OH both work full time. He works shifts though and I do 9-5 so luckily OH tends to be around a lot through the week and me evenings and weekends. Sometimes our shifts cross - we had all these plans of the dog being able to be left with a drop by visit. Of course that's not how it worked out. Stanley now either goes to daycare or OH's parents have him for the day while we're at work. Obviously, our budget has taken a hit but the way we see it is that we wanted the dog - he could've gone to a retired couple or people who are around more so he shouldn't suffer for that. He's nearly 9 months now and the longest he's ever been left is 3.5hours and that was rare. It's usually 2 hours maximum.
Amen. It's always a conscious decision to bring a puppy into your life - they don't turn up by accident. Yet some people seem so loath to invest financially in their new addition the same way they would for a baby. I really don't understand it. It's not a right to have a dog, it's a privilege and, above all, a responsibility.
She'll be 8 weeks when we get her. And like I said this is 2 days out of the week when she's alone for 3-3 1/2 hrs max. I'm not expecting her to hold it during this time so the pen might be the best thing while we're starting off. What I mean by half inside half outside is we're planning to have her inside most of the time, but then outside to play or when we go to work. This is much later though when she's older. She'll be inside mostly as a puppy. I think I've answered my own question as the pen being the best thing for the extended periods we're gone, any other opinions on this please let me know as i need to order one asap
