Good morning everyone We have adopted a new puppy, Sophie, from the humane society. They say she is a lab/collie mix. She is 2 months old and 15lbs. My family is myself, my husband, 16yo boy, 10 yo girl. I work 1st shift and my husband works rotating. Generally it's only going to be about 3 hours that Sophie is alone. Some days it may be from 7-3. We don't want to crate her unless it becomes the only option. I have rearranged my shower/tub bathroom area to leave her in. Its a pretty large area and there is a separate toilet with a door that will be closed so there is not much for her to chew on except the tub or shower or wall. I hope she doesn't but only time will tell. This is my first dog. I'm hoping this is an ok plan for her when we aren't home. I am hoping within a year or two she will be able to have free run of the house. We plan on spending a lot of time with her around the house and making her comfortable to explore with supervision. We will see. She comes home this morning. She is terrified. We don't know what kind of life she had before arriving at the shelter. The shelter said we may have to change her food because sometimes dogs associate the food with being at the shelter. She was spayed yesterday and we will have 5 days of pain meds. [/url][/IMG] Any advice is welcome. Thanks for reading.
Hi there and welcome to the forum. I would really invest in a crate, and wouldn't see a crate as a last resort, but a den, and somewhere safe where she can go, yet still be aware you are around, especially if she is frightened, and as a young puppy has just gone through a spay. That is a huge amount of her young mind to adjust too. She may also find being away from her new"people" a bit distressing if she is in another area of the house.
Welcome from Hattie 10 years and our rescue boy Charlie 7 years. I agree with the above advice regarding the crate. Charlie was 9 months when we rescued him and I put the crate up, made it all cosy for him, he would go in at all times of the day as it was his safe go to place. He did not see it as a horrible place to go to. On the days Sophie will be left for 8 hours is there anyone that can call in a few times to let her out to toilet, play with her and keep her company as this is a long time for a very young puppy to be on her own especially as she is scared, everything is changing for her and she's been spayed also it will hamper toilet training? Good luck with Sophie xx
Hello and welcome! Joy (now 7 months) loves her crate and always goes into it very happily. This means we can go out without worrying about her injuring herself on anything around the house (you'll be amazed at what puppies find interesting to chew) or about her damaging anything. However we introduced her to being alone in the house very gradually, both of us just standing outside for 30 seconds to start with, then a minute, then a bit longer, etc. etc. So far the longest we have left her for was 2.5 hours when I accompanied my husband to a hospital appointment that took longer than we'd expected. I asked our neighbours if they'd noticed any distressed noises (we can hear their dog barking) and they said there hadn't been a sound. I have to admit I have never left any dog of any age for more than 4 hours, so would be worried about leaving such a young one for as long as 8. Love to little Sophie and best wishes to you.
Hi and welcome. We used a crate when I went to work, but only left her for 1.5hrs, then popped home for half hour, then work again for 1.5 hrs. We worked up slowly to 4 hours max being alone. If I work 6 hrs in a day, I have a dog walker come in and take her out for a good hour in the middle to give her company and also give her a way to run off some steam. We de-crated her when she was 6 months old and are lucky that she's never chewed anything.
Hello and welcome. I, too, agree that you should reconsider using a crate. Especially for your situation where your puppy is scared and post surgery; it will give her a safe space to go to if she feels overwhelmed. Covering it with a blanket will make it feel even cosier. A small room can seem so much more imposing with the close high walls than a crate that looks out onto a bigger room with more light. I really think it will be a far better option for your new puppy.
Just wanted to say hello and welcome to the forum. You have been given some great advice, so there is nothing I can add, but say Good Luck and hope Sophie soon feels at home with you all.
Welcome to the forum. I hope all goes well with Sophie. It may take time for her to adjust if she's terrified and, yes, a partially covered crate would be ideal to give her a ‘safe’ den, particularly with a tasty Kong too. She will also need to be kept calm after her spay. Do post some photos!
Hi @Mckalesmom and welcome to the forum! If she is just 8 weeks old, then hopefully it won't be long before a happy safe house will help her to feel less scared and anxious. A crate will really really help her feel safe, it is great knowing that she isn't getting up to anything when you aren't 100% watching her too (you do sometimes need to cook/shower/toilet/sleep!!) My girl Lilly is 7.5 now and she loved her crate. We took it down when she was around 2 years old, but whenever we visit my SIL she always heads for her dogs crate for a snooze, even now. If it is associated with a safe place, and food she will really thank you for it. Good luck! jac
I don’t think people who have suggested crating would agree that your puppy should be left for that length of time in a crate. For 3 hours maybe a playpen / proofed room, but for the longer time you really need someone calling in for an hour, twice during the time as a minimum.
Well, yes, I wouldn't be leaving such a young puppy for three hours, period. She needs to be able to go to the toilet etc, but more than that, she needs to feel safe and have human contact and three hours is too long to leave her at this age, especially since she is already scared. I would have a crate in a puppy pen for when you do have to leave her, but invest in a puppy sitter for the time being.
I agree with the folks about about getting her a crate. It is a good place to start. As time goes by you may discover that YOU do not need it, but she does. Or at least a place that is all her own where only really good things ever happen. That is what happened with Murphy. Had his crate, then we morphed him into a nice comfy bed. The crate is long gone, but that bed is his spot. Murph is a really good dog, I had to leave him once for about 8 hours. No problem, no messes, nothing destroyed. And that from a guy who normally has his people around all day.
Thanks everyone. My family is discussing the crate. I feel that my puppy may be more than 2 months old. She is 16lbs. When we put her in the bathroom, she goes to her bed. She doesn't whine. She goes to the back door when she needs to potty (we always take her out that door). It could just be a coincidence. She has never had an accident overnight (I didn't think a 2 month old puppy was physically capable of holding it overnight) She has not destroyed anything and we were gone about 5.5 hours yesterday unfortunately. She used her puppy pad. I know we don't know what her life was like before so she could be somewhat trained already. We are taking her to the vet on Wedsnesday. It has snowed here and I am really worried about her stitches dissolving. She does bite a lot so I am working on that. From what i read, when she bites you should give her a chew toy every time. I have to say I'm pretty exhausted so far but she is really helping me to become active again and I need that. Also, since she needs constant supervision I have found myself spending less time worrying (depression). The majority of my free time has been tending to her. We live in a rural area but my aunt is going to come tend to her on the days we have to work the same shift. I realize leaving her alone is not ideal, but neither is living in a shelter and possibly being euthanized. She is doing great. Lot more energy than I thought. She went from terrified puppy to Queen. Lol. I am going to figure out how to post pics.
I'm going to try and not sound harsh when I say this, but if it comes out wrong, I apologise. I know your intentions are the best, but just because what you are offering is better than euthanasia, it doesn't make it acceptable. A young puppy (and whether that's two months or three) really shouldn't be left alone for three hours at a time on a regular basis, and certainly not more than five. It's not good for their emotional development and could come back to bite you in the butt in months to come - but more than the disruption that it could cause you from an owner's perspective, this is something that could have a lasting impact on her lifelong ability to cope with separation. It's not something to be taken lightly, so I would urge you to seriously consider getting someone in to help you supervise her when you can't be there. Some 8 week puppies can last overnight, yes. It varies massively from puppy to puppy.
You came to exactly the right place if you are wanting the best for your pup. Have you visited the main site? There are a lot of brilliant articles on the care of dogs. https://www.thelabradorsite.com/start-your-labrador-experience-here/
