Leaving pup at home during work

Discussion in 'Labrador Puppies' started by MichelleGilbert, Feb 7, 2018.

  1. MichelleGilbert

    MichelleGilbert Registered Users

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    Help!
    We just got a new puppy he is 13 weeks old now. We've had him for five days. So far he is great in the house on the potty front and has had only two accidents. We both went back to work today full time and the vet said he would be ok in the crate...I've done so much reading about leaving him in a crate or a pen or a room or what have you and it was all so mixed up. So we went with the vets advice. Unfortunately as predicted he peed in his crate which I don't want as this is also where he sleeps at night. Any suggestions on what to do with him during our workday? Would a room
    With a pee pad be best or what!!? We have an older small dog who is fine in her kennel all day so this is very new to us! Thanks so much for any advice!
     
  2. CamK

    CamK Registered Users

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    You sound like a newbie to this sight. Welcome! There is so much good info on this sight from all different kinds of people from many different countries. There is a search button, if you have time you can read other posts about crating.

    This sounds normal to me. Your pup is still young and he is going to have accidents. I believe a large metal crate is the safest place for him when you are out. Rooms have so many things in them that you don't know if they will start to chew or shred or....? From cords to cabinet doors to rugs.

    If you don't want any accidents in the crate he should be let out every three to four hours. I am a lucky one, we have flexible schedules and could run home during the workday. And I hope you can make arrangements to do that for a few weeks or at least until he gets used to being crated.

    The reality here in the USA is that we can't always run home and we don't have a friend or relative to help out. Our town of 13,000 has only one doggie daycare and its full. I like the large metal crates and suggest putting a pee pad in the crate, or a plastic boot tray with newspaper. It's easier to clean the boot tray than the whole kennel. As he gets older you won't need the tray.

    Make sure he has a chew toy or two. Might even leave a radio on. I also hired a neighborhood kid to stop in after school to give my boys a run once in a while.

    Good luck with your boy!
     
  3. Xena Dog Princess

    Xena Dog Princess Registered Users

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    You simply cannot leave a puppy alone all day, especially not inside a crate. Ideally you'd get somebody to pop around mid-morning for a play, and then again at lunchtime, and then again mid-afternoon. At 13 weeks most dogs need to wee every hour or so, so even 3 visits per day wouldn't be enough. Chews and toys are a start, but it's just not enough, they need a lot of time with people, too.

    If he's going to be alone for long periods then you could always restrict him to a decent sized room like the kitchen (use baby gates to contain him if you have to).

    Lots of people on this forum worked/work full time with a puppy, and they managed by combining paid dog walkers/family/popping in on lunch breaks etc. Some people even offer in-home daycares, with just a couple of dogs.
     
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  4. JenBainbridge

    JenBainbridge Registered Users

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    My boy is nearly 2 and Me and my OH both work fill time, although our hours are different to each other.

    The shift when Stanley is left the longest is when OH is on 7-3 and I'm on 9-5. On that week Stanley gets a walk with me before I leave and is left with a kong. Then after a couple of hours either a family member or his dog walker comes for an hour/2 hours and leaves him with another kong then OH is home by 3.15. So it's still very broken up but he's left for about 5 hours in total. He's not in a crate, he just hangs out in the kitchen.

    Prior to this when he was younger and I didn't feel as though he could be left that long he went to daycare 3/4 days a week and OH's mam & dad had him the other days. That was probably until he was about 16 months.

    It's not really fair to leave them for long periods, they need the toilet (especially pups) and they get lonely. It's like leaving us in a room for 8 hours with no tv, radio, phone etc with nothing to do.

    Do you have someone who could pop in a few times a day to visit and spend a bit of time with him and let him out? :)
     
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  5. Beckyt6

    Beckyt6 Registered Users

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    Me and my finance both work full time.

    We were lucky that when Alfie was a puppy I was studying so was home more or less all day everyday. I dont think he would have done very well being in a crate all day to be honest.

    He’s now nearly two and I went back to work f/t when he was about 18 months. Now we have a dog walker who comes twice a day. One of us walks him in the morning before we leave and leaves him with his breakfast in one of his interactive toys. Then the DW has he about 9 - 11 then leaves him with two kongs then she comes again and has him about 2 -4 then leaves him with another two Kongs we re then home by half six seven so he only ever does about 3 hours to 3.5 hours on his own in one go. In summer we also sometimes take him out again for an evening stroll otherwise it’s pee walk before bed.

    It’s hardwork but hes a happy chap. We used to send him to daycare but he didnt really enjoy it so we decided to break up his day with walks at intervals instead.

    Should also say some weeks one us will one day a week from home and every other Saturday we do gundog training :).

    As Jenny said do you have someone who could pop in and give your pup a break?

    Good luck with your pup.
     
  6. Naya

    Naya Registered Users

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    Unfortunately without someone letting him out on a regular basis he is going to have accidents. He's a baby who needs taking out on a very regular basis. Here is a link with some really good advice about working and having a dog. https://www.thelabradorsite.com/combining-a-labrador-puppy-with-full-time-work/ I work and have a dog walker come in most days when I can't split my working day. Dogs love company and will get bored without any kind of stimulation.
    His many hours will he be left a day? Where does he sleep at night?
     
  7. CamK

    CamK Registered Users

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    I hope we haven't scared you off! Sometimes our well meaning helpful bits of advice are shocking if we haven't heard them before. I hope you continue to research and come to a good solution for your family.
     
  8. Bettie

    Bettie Registered Users

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    If he has his own room then you could train him to a large box of wood shavings or even cat litter. This would be way more ideal than being in a cage for 8 hours. After all, he will probably get leg cramps. Then you can give him one of those pieces of equipment that spits out kongs at alternate intervals and auto toys that he has to work at to get treats. Having music in his room would be helpful too. I don't think that dogs watch TV since the cycle rate is slower than their vision so it causes a flicker like an old movie. We have a 13 week old adolescent too, after putting our 14 year old lab to sleep back in the fall of 2017. Its certainly a new experience for us. Its like having a baby, and my babies are now teenagers---and at age 13 weeks he is too.

    My breeder trained the puppies to a box at 6-8 weeks; perhaps yours did too.
     
  9. edzbird

    edzbird Registered Users

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    Dogs can now see telly (digital telly) :)
     
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  10. Bettie

    Bettie Registered Users

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  11. Karen

    Karen Registered Users

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    Hi there, welcome to the forum.

    I'm afraid you really cannot leave your puppy alone all day. He is like a human toddler - not only can he not hold his pee for any length of time, but he also needs mental and physical stimulation, otherwise you are doing him a huge disservice and storing up bags of trouble for yourself for the future. He depends on you for all his interaction, and for learning everything about the world and where he fits into it. If he doesn't learn how to socialize with dogs and other people, he can never be a good member of human-canine society. If you are not there to show him the rules, how can he learn them? And a puppy needs exercise too - time and space to run and play, again like a toddler.

    That's not to say that it's not possible to have a puppy and work full-time; of course it is. But just like working and having a child, it requires some organization and often money - if you haven't got friends or family to help you out, think dog walkers, or doggy daycare. Lots of us work; we can help with advice on how to arrange things for your pup and yourself so you both benefit. But keeping him in a crate all day is not the answer. And I'd ditch the vet who told you it was ok, pronto.
     
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  12. Elaine06

    Elaine06 Registered Users

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    We have a crate attached to his pen and it works really well. He gets walked in the morning and then I go to work and leave him with the radio on , a kong and some toys. I am home by lunch or if not I have a friend who pops in and plays with him. If I am home he sleeps most of the morning anyway...we have done this since we got him so he is used to it.
     
  13. Gloria Humphries

    Gloria Humphries Registered Users

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    they do not normally pee in their crate as this is where they sleep. Make sure your crate is the right size for the size of your dog. If the crate is to big and he/she has room to go to the bathroom on one end and still sleep on the other they may. if you have a divider us it and minimize the space they have. there still may be a few accidents in the crate as i believe this is normal. the older they get and the more you train them the potty in the crate will stop. We went through all this with my Miniature Schnauzer 9 years ago. we now have a 8 wk old silver lab and are starting it all over again.
    Oliver has not had any accidents in his crate yet. Today is my first day back to work and he will be in the crate around 4 hours before i can get home this afternoon to let him out then in another 3 or so before i get home this evening. So we will see how he does.
     
  14. Joy

    Joy Registered Users

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    I really don’t think it is kind to leave a dog of any age confined to a crate for this length of time during the day. I think the answer to working and having a dog is to either rope in friends and family to help or to pay for dog-care ( in the same way a working person might pay for child-care.)
     
  15. Gloria Humphries

    Gloria Humphries Registered Users

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    that is your opinion and i might agree, but it is not always something that is available having friends/family to help. everyone works a full time job. we do the best we can. our miniature schnauzer is our baby and she was done this way and turned out fine. I am doing the best i can and do not need negativity. i just asked for things to help not tell me i am doing something wrong just because you don't agree.
     
  16. JenBainbridge

    JenBainbridge Registered Users

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    This is something I struggle with I've got to admit..

    I find a lot of people say "well we haven't got anyone", "we have to work" on Facebook, on this forum and just in life generally.

    But in my mind - having a dog is not a right, it's a privilege. If I couldn't provide for Stanley fully, I wouldn't have got him.

    Some months if our car has broken or bills have been high, I've literally had no money at all - but made sure Stanley still had his dog walks/day care. Because in my mind company is nearly as important as food.

    Me and OH have sacrificed a lot for Stanley - we haven't been to the cinema together in 2 years, we rarely go out together anywhere because someone stays at home with him. But that's the choice we made, because it was a choice.. it wasn't as though we were forced to get him. He could have gone to another family who were around more.. so it's our obligation to make sure he's happy because we got him because we wanted him. And he shouldn't suffer for that.

    This isn't directed at anyone.. more just me musing out loud. So I hope no one takes offence.
     
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  17. kateincornwall

    kateincornwall Registered Users

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    And Jen, what you have got is a lovely well balanced boy , who is worth every penny, every second of your sacrifices !
    Many people work and manage their lives around the puppy they have chosen to have in their lives , this is surely how it should be ?
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2018
  18. QuinnM15

    QuinnM15 Registered Users

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    @JenBainbridge I agree. It's tough being surrounded by people who think that leaving a dog home for 8+ hours of a work day is normal and fine. I think the rise in daycares and dog walkers show that a shift is occurring though, in the meantime I have given up trying to convince friends their dogs are ripping up their homes because they are bored and home alone too often/crated too long. I won't leave Quinn with anyone with that mindset when going away, even though I know she could easily be left at this age for an entire day, why should she? She's our family and is considered in all our plans.
     
  19. kateincornwall

    kateincornwall Registered Users

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    I am also convinced that it isn't just the mental/emotional impact from many hours in a crate , there is a physical impact too . We believe that Nelly was left for long periods of time , crated . which could possibly have been a massive contributory factor in her poor back end joints , as in stuck in a small space for too long and not enough exercise . I also believe , as does our Vet , that her OCD behaviour is caused by a very deep rooted anxiety along with the blasted laser light play which was most likely used as a tool to tire her out instead of exercising her .
     
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  20. Karen

    Karen Registered Users

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    That is not just Joy's opinion, actually, nor is it negativity - it is the stated and steadfast belief of our whole moderator team that it is wrong, unkind and potentially harmful to leave any dog alone in a crate for any more than a couple of hours, let alone a small puppy.
     
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