cant be with puppy 24/7. what do i do when im not home?

Question

i am thinking of gettin a puppy. however i cannot be home 24/7 obviously. if i were to get one, he/she would be alone for about 4-6hrs alone. is this ok? cruel? do i just leave him/her in a kennel and then take him/her out when i return home? what do i do in this case? is this normal? someone ill be home after that but i don't want to be cruel to a puppy. should i just wait? how can i begin to care for it in my case?

Answer 1

You would be OK with a 4-6 month old puppy, as a puppy can only hold its bladder for 1 hour per month of age..To get one younger would be a cruelty, and it would either be impossible to house-train, or would get bladder infections..
You could call the doggy day cares in your area, to learn if there is one with a nursery for younger pups..(be sure to check references)..and they will continue the potty training and socialization of your pup..
But, a puppy under 6 months, left for 6 hours per day will be hard to train, and will be destructive without supervision..As dogs are pack/family oriented, and will be stressed if left home alone, whether kenneled or not.

Answer 2

Instead of getting a puppy, you may want to consider getting a younger dog (maybe a year old or older) that is already housetrained. This way you won't have to worry about the dog having accidents in the house while you're away.

My parents have two dogs who often stay home by themselves for about 5 hours at a time (though they've been alone for up to 12 hours at a time) and they never have accidents because they're used to it. If you have a puppy though, expect lots of accidents.

My boyfriend's family got a dog (about a year old) and tried keeping him in a crate while they were away at work. At first he was okay with it, but soon he started to tear the crate up, and even ingested some of the plastic. If you have a puppy, they are easier to crate train. My sister got a puppy who was only about 6 weeks old, and he loves his crate. When he's sick or scared, he goes into his crate for comfort.

If you do get a crate, make sure you leave food and water in it, and maybe a couple of safe toys. Also, if you put one of your dirty shirts inside, your puppy may feel more comfortable.

I heard that if you leave a TV or a radio on while you're gone, your dog won't be as lonely.

You should definitely get a dog at an animal shelter, rather than at a pet store. Pet stores usually (if not always) get their dogs from puppy mills, where dogs are kept for the sole purpose of reproducing. With so many dogs out there already, shelters will be happy to adopt a dog to you at a low price. Many of these dogs have already had their shots, been spayed/neutered, been housetrained, are used to people, etc.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Of course get a puppy gosh nobody can be home 24/7 just to be with a dog or puppy .

I just got a new puppy about a week ago and what I do because he is still in training to be house broken and dont trust him yet and with my cats I got at walmart a little cage. I put a blanket down for him , some chew toys and no water because it will just spill anyways . He hates it he will bark and cry but he does settle down after some time and when you get back home take him or her right outside to do their business. Also he will sleep in that at night for the same reasons I put him in there till I can trust him not to go in the house .

It's not cruel the only thing cruel about it is if you are home and just leave the dog in there.

Go get a puppy and enjoy it and love it you will have so much fun with your new pet !!!

Answer 4

=I personally do not believe in cages but I do understand about crate training and it does work wonders for folks that work outside the home. Fortunately for me and my 3 babies I am self-employed so I am here 24/7. It has been mentioned that canines are cave dwelling and like the security and that seems to work. My suggestion is that you let a parent or a friend doggy sit. The puppy will get friendly with this person and you as well. Doggy day care worries me that you and your puppy will not have the appropriate bonding. Whatever you decide to do I am sure you will take full responsibility for your decision.

Answer 5

It would be fine, you just have to crate train the puppy to keep them safe and your stuff safe when your not there. Or you may consider adopting a youger dog from a shelter or pound. Young puppies need go to the bathroom frequently so you do not want to wait too long to let them out. If you got a slightly older one thats not a huge concern, as long as you have the time for the dog when you are home.
Crating a dog is not cruel, its actually better for them. Sure they put up a fuss for awhile but they learn. My dogs actually prefer to be in a crate when we are gone, even though both are fine outside the crate.
I would say get the puppy or dog on a day or weekend when you have a day or two to dedicate to the dog. Its better for you and them to settle in.

Answer 6

I recently purchased a bouvier de flanders pup in the last week of March 2006 and although I too had the same sentiments as you about crating a dog it is the best remedy to house train the dog. Also the crate becomes their security blanket as they progress through the months to come. At first my bouvier wimpered and barked but that soon waivered once he knew there was no response. Also the crate that I purchased was one of the larger ones that had a divider which came with it. This turned out to be a great advantage to me and the dog. The reason being is I could gradually expand the size of his space and therefore decrease his ability to go the washroom in his space. Dogs will not go the washroom in the near vicinity of there den, but given enough space in their crate they will oblige you by doing so. This does not in any way omit you from attending to the dogs training outside the crate but it does assist you in preventing your dog from going to the washroom in your space as they progress in age, because your space becomes their spaces and the idea of not going in the crated space becomes they same principle of not going in the house. My bouvier is 100 pounds and 8 months old he has been able to hold it for 10 hours at 8 months, 8 hours at 6 months , 6 hours at 4 months and only 2 hours at most at 3 months. Never once did he go in his crate. I hope this helps in your decision to own a dog. I myself was here all the time but they are several occassions that I have left for 4 hours and I always leave the crate unlocked and have since he was 5 months old.

Answer 7

It wouldn't be cruel to keep him in a cage/crate when you aren't at home-- I think that just makes you "smart"! And as far as what do you do when you aren't at home, if you get a puppy, I have a simple piece of advice: "Hope for the best"...
Lots of folks make the kennel/no kennel decision and come to the same conclusion- being concerned for the sanctity of your home while you are out isn't animal cruelty.

Answer 8

Since it is a puppy the kennel is the best option, puppies will tend to explore their surroundings and we surely dont want him to bite an electrical cord, plus leaving their mother and moving to a new environment is stressful enough for the pups, a small secure home like a kennel can ease their insecurities. just allow them enogh room to relieve itself and a small companion does the trick too, a stuffed animal.

Answer 9

We got a baby gate and keep her in the kitchen if we are gone for about more than 1 hour. It's nice and cool there, and our puppy just goes to sleep there. But otherwise, we keep her in her crate.

We got a large crate at Target that came with a pad and a little water/food dish that connects to it for 39.99. So it would be cheaper for smaller ones of course (I don't know what kind of dog you want, we have a boxer mix).

Answer 10

A kennel for a dog for four to six hours is an excellent idea. Dogs are den animals, and a kennel quickly becomes "home" - a place of security. You, as the leader of the "pack" should let him out immediately upon your return, and take him to an appropriate spot in case he needs to relieve himself.