New Puppy Question

I am going to get a new puppy next week-I am also going back to work-I know, great timing!!! I would of gotten one earlier this summer but we just got married and moved into our house. So my question is-During the day when I am gone-should I crate the puppy or just gate it in the kitchen? do you think 9-4 is too long for the puppy to be alone? I am getting nervous now!!!!
TiA!!!!!!!!

Re: New Puppy Question

Our puppy was 10 weeks when we first got her. We tried the crate only for the first two days. She was very anxious and scared and barking.

We then blocked off the kitchen. Gave her a wee wee pad, her food and put her crate open in there for her. That added space helped her a lot.

After a few weeks of that, and her doing well, we opened it up to the living room and the kitchen , we block the hallway and the rest of the rooms.

She now does great ( we have had her almost 2 months now) when we leave for work. No more crying or barking and we are gone from 8:00 am -5:00 pm

although the first few 2 weeks, DH came home at lunch every day and I was home all day with her for about 3 weeks in the midst of all that.

Just remember he/she will get used to being alone, but its gonna be rough at first. I would say the first 3 weeks will be up and down with her moods( or his)

Good luck!

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In regards to feeding-Neither one of us can get home during the day-so I heard that puppies have to be fed three times a day-so would I just leave her/him food in the crate?? I wish that I would be able to be home with the puppy, and the only time I would be able to get one and be home with it is next summer-but I cant wait that long!!!!!! It just was such a hectic summer-anyway thanks for your help--Im def gonna have so many questions--I really appreciate it!!! What kind of dog do you have??

Re: New Puppy Question

We left her food with her all day. She barely eats so it wasnt a problem. We wanted to get her to eat!

We have a shih tzu/Lhasa apso mix.

We had a million questions too when we got her. Everyone on here was SOOOO helpful!!

This is our Abby

Message edited 8/24/2006 10:35:10 PM.

Re: New Puppy Question

personally, i would not get a puppy if i didn't have the time to devote to training and acclimating him/her to the new environment. i am not saying that you shouldn't but it is going to take that much longer for the dog to learn the "rules of the house". i also would not advise putting 3 meals worth of food in the crate w/ the puppy. the water can be an issue too as she/he will most likely play w/ it and get it all over the place. the crate should be viewed as a safe and comfortable place and that the puppy WANTS to go into.

why can't you wait until you have more time to train and nurture the puppy?

Message edited 8/24/2006 10:49:36 PM.

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she is sooooooooo cute--I am getting a cockapoo-I am really excited-but as I said I am getting nervous!!!! any really good advice?? I saw that Abby is chewing-my friend swears by the bitter apple-but I think you said you tried that already!! where did you get Abby??

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I was actually commenting on how cute Abby was :)

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Message edited 8/24/2006 10:55:33 PM.

Re: New Puppy Question

I really don't want to wait that long-next summer is very far away-My husband and I are really excited and we are looking forward to our new addition.Thanks for your advice :)

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Thats tooo long for her to hold it!! she shouldnt be in the crate for more than a few hours. YOu dont want her to have to mess in the crate. Gate her in the kitchen and put wee wee pads down. Have someone come over at lunch and play with her, feed her and let her out! Using the wee wee pads will slow down the house training... but its ok! I just got a puppy a month ago. I am going back to work in september too! We got him the day we got back from the honeymoon. FM me if you have any questions!! Good luck!

Heres our baby:

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We got a new puppy last Oct.. he was already a few months old... we thought we would do "the right thing" and give him some extra room and put a gate up...BAD idea for us.. I came home to POOP EVERYWHERE ..on the walls-in him....BUT stupid Mommy who is just learning- goes and does it again...BAD BAD ME..it wasnt his fault.. I did a lot of cleaning up the first week or so..

and ya know what-once we put him in his crate while we were gone at work (I am a teacher too) he was fine...

For a WHILE! a long while... I was a mad woman- I came home during my break time and lunch to take him out, play with him,feed him... it wasnt close either-30 minutes driving (both ways) ... I was lucky my time off were all connected (if they only knew what I was doing )

We were very excited too-and I am glad you are... its so fun! HOWEVER, a lot of work..

is there going to be someone who can take him out in the middle of the day while you are working? he cant stay that long...

I know you dont want to hear this-but can you wait til you have a week off or something- those first few weeks are rough...I was so tired cause he would cry at night-really-like a baby!its hard-BUT worth it in the end...but my suggestion would be to wait til you have a break-doesnt have to be summer-but at least a week break..

Message edited 8/25/2006 9:45:40 AM.

Re: New Puppy Question

9-4 is really too long to crate a puppy they actually reccomend that you start off 1 hour and then increase.

It would probably be better to block off the kitchen and maybe put her crate in there.

also the tv or radio helps and a t shirt or blanket with yours or your HD scent on it.

If there's anyone you know who might be able to come by in the afternoon to check up on him/her might be an idea too.

also do you know what kind of breed your planning to get do some research beleive me its worth it I have a pit mix and she is a great dog but she is very stubborn.

Either way good luck.

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I got my puppy over spring break, and I only had a few days before I went back to work, so each day when I was home I would leave her gated in the kitchen, each day a little longer so she could get use to being alone. We decided that the kitchen was too big an area for her (they feel safer in smaller places) so we turn her crate to face into our laundry room and we put pads down in there incase she had to go she can walk out of her crate. Neither of us could come home during the day so we just fed her in the morning and as soon as I got home (8-4) After about a month she was holding her pee/poop but I still left her pads, now she is fine, but I still have her in the laundry room with her crate.(I like to think if she needs to stretch her legs she can get out of the crate) Just a warning, she did cry ALOT!!! It broke my heart to hear her whining as I left the house or when I came home, BUT it does end, she is almost 7 months and fine now!! Hopefully she won't go in to shock when I go back to work next week!!

Oh and another thing, we don't crate her at night, we tried and she would cry and cry, so we let her sleep with us, we figure she is crated so long during the day, that she needs some more time with us!!
Good luck with your new pup!!!

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I am so confused now--I would have a week off with the puppy-then I would go back--I could come home on lunch-I only work three towns over-I don't want to do the wrong thing :)
Thanks for all the help, it really means a lot to me!!!!

Re: New Puppy Question

We got Katie at 8 weeks old and crated her while we were at work from 8:45 to 5:15. I would come home from lunch and let her out around 12:30. She would stay in her crate at night. She had maybe 1 accident in her crate. I would give her food 3 times a day.
At about 8 months old she is no longer crated, she just got too wild being in there all the time. We keep her gated off in the kitchen. I come home for lunch every other other day.

ETA: We crated her the night we got her, on a Friday. During that weekend I would put her in the crate for like 15 minutes at a time and only let her out when she stopped fussing. Everytime she went in the crate she was given a treat and we said the word crate.

Message edited 8/25/2006 11:44:11 AM.

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Thanks for everyones help!!! :)

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9-4? that is WAYYYYYYY too long for a puppy to be alone.

however many months she is, well that is the amount of hours she should be able to be alone.
for example if youre getting her at 2 months old, she shouldnt be left alone, or expected to hold her bladder for more than 2 hours.

if youre a teacher i would recomend waiting until next year when school lets out so you have a good 2-3 months with the munchkin.

Re: New Puppy Question

Having just gone through puppyhood with 2 dogs, I can honestly say that it is a TON of work! It is rewarding but a lot of work. I definitely would not do it unless you have at least 2 weeks to stay home with the puppy and then only leave him/her home alone 2-3 hours a day. It takes awhile to house train them and deal with separation anxiety. If you are going to be out at work all day, maybe you can consider a young adult?

Good luck