Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Aside from having a hard time being housebroken, puppies that are alone all day are never going to be socialized. Here is the American Veterinary Society's view on puppy socialization. Since we work from home, our schedules allow us to bring him on errands, meet all kind of people every day, and just learn how to behave in public. That is just as, if not more, important than housebreaking. Puppies can't possibly learn to tolerate the sights and sounds of the real world if they are locked in a crate all day.
Aside from having a hard time being housebroken, puppies that are alone all day are never going to be socialized. Here is the American Veterinary Society's view on puppy socialization. Since we work from home, our schedules allow us to bring him on errands, meet all kind of people every day, and just learn how to behave in public. That is just as, if not more, important than housebreaking. Puppies can't possibly learn to tolerate the sights and sounds of the real world if they are locked in a crate all day.
oh, good point. I think a good daycare would be the best option. lots of socialization and a staff that will hopefully attend to his housebreaking needs. hopefully at 3 months, he has all his necessary shots
Jazz was a 12 week old puppy when I got her. I work not 9-5 but rather 6:30 PM to 7AM 3 days a week so am home 4 days. I took a couple weeks off work when I got her. I have pet door onto a fenced patio so within 2 days she had learned that if she needed to relieve herself she could go out that pet door and use the patio . When I was home I would take her out like you do a puppy and reward her for doing her business and even taught her to go on command which is a great thing to do. I did crate train her and she loves her crate but being gone 12 hrs is too long to be in a crate so she and the old dog I had had the run of the downstairs, lots of toys to play with and the dog door to the patio and they did fine when I was at work. If you are lucky you have a puppy like Jazz that learns very fast.
I have lots of friends that work full time and have had puppies so I don't agree with people that say " what you work full time you can not own a puppy" as it can be done and I think taking a couple weeks off work to work with a puppy can make a big difference or even having someone stop in once or twice a day to take it out can help. Have any elderly neighbors that might want to enjoy the company of a puppy once or twice a day? I ask because I know some elderly people that will not get another dog for fear they will not be alive long enough to see the dog through its life yet they really miss having a dog and would love to be able to visit a puppy or dog or even go walking with a dog. There are options out there if you think hard enough. Best of Luck to you!
It's my understanding that they don't like to go where they sleep as they get older.
FWIW
They dont like to go where they sleep but if they have no choice, accidents are inevitable, no puppy can 'hold it' all day, they simply dont have the bladder or bowel muscle control they'll have in the months to come.
With this particular puppy (I know it's not yours, it's just easier to keep posting here rather than start a new response), I'd make it a point to come home at lunchtime and like mui suggested, keep it in the puppy-proofed kitchen so it can have some room to stretch its legs and move about, we kept the crate door open w/ a big rock and put newspapers on one side of the crate (outside the crate but in the kitchen) and toys on the other but I came home at noon-ish and then about 2-3PM to reinforce the housetraining and give the puppy some attention. The OP can get an ex-pen (exercise peN) if they cant use their kitchen, that way the puppy woudlnt be crated all day which is overcrating and not good at all (if the puppy is crated all day long, it will have accidents and it's not good for the puppy to get in the habit of 'going' where it's crated - they want to be clean. Would not take this puppy to doggie daycare just yet, not until it has completed the series of puppy vacc's (in fact, he prob. wont be able to get into DDC w/o them). Would be extra-patient w/ this puppy b/c he'll need it, would also make sure to take it to puppy classes once he's finished his vacc's (we take our kids to school, why not our dogs - ?). THe puppy can be housetrained but realistically it will take longer (also, the puppy will probably be alone longer than 8 hrs b/c one has to add travel time into the equation, grocery-shopping etc), it will take a while which is why many rescue groups don't adopt puppies to working people (I know this isn't true in all cases, am just stating what many do as it will take a long time to housetrain and many owners invariably get frustrated and some rehome the puppy).
Last edited by Honeycrisp; 01-12-2009 at 10:56 PM..
try getting a baby gate, and block off the bathroom, and leave the crate in there with door open.
also get the pee pads, dr foster sell them. If you had a kid who could bring the dog out after school
that would help. Many people work leave toys around and a radio. My dog was 5 months and
had no problem going in the crate, therfore i blocked off a tile room. I had another dog who was older
but til the puppy got older the other one wanted no part of her. I also did the doggy day care for
a few days a week.
This is one of the reasons we did not get a dog until one of us was home during the day. (unfortunately both of us are now I am unemployed).
That being said, realistically, I see my various neighbors who work full time and have dogs and yes, one of them comes home at lunch or break time and walks the dog.
I don't get people who leave a dog home 7-8 hours in a crate or alone, but I do see why some people 'have to' especially if their financial circumstances have changed and they HAVE TO be out all that time.
and attach it to the crate to give them lots of room to roam, play etc. I got a remnant piece of vinyl flooring at a home improvement store for about 30 bucks and put it under crate and pen to protect the floor beneath it.
As a child, we grew up with a basset hound despite us kids having to go to school, parents working, etc. We kept our puppy outside when no one was home during the day, then he'd come inside when we were. Just followed the basics from there: watching him to make sure he didn't go in house, keeping him close to us, and crate training at night.
A warning, of course, with this crazy heat to be careful of leaving a puppy outside with no shelter.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
