Where do you keep your dog while you are at work?

Question

I will be getting a puppy in a few weeks and I work 2-3 8 hour days a week.

I am getting a westie. I live in a large home and I want him to stay in the house. I have a job that I can come home for lunch or really anytime that I need to. I just wasn't sure if it was okay to leave him in a crate for hours at a time.

Answer 1

Two words, crate training!
Remember that repetition is necessary. Your puppy will not understand what you want unless you repeatedly show him/her the desired behavior MANY times.

Keep in mind also that your puppy does not know what is expected and must be shown the proper place to eliminate, and when.

Your best potty training friend is your crate. When you cannot watch your puppy, use a crate. Think of the crate the same way you think of a playpen for a human child. Even if you are only leaving the room for a "minute," either take the puppy with you or use the crate. After all, you would not leave a toddler in the house alone "for just a minute" would you?

Crate training can be fun for the puppy if you make it a POSITIVE experience. The DEN is an integral part of the wild dogs upbringing and safety zone. The same thing applies to the "crate". Giving the pup special "treats" is a great way to introduce him to his crate. The only time the puppy receives these special treats is when he is in the crate; the treats become associated with the crate.

Use the crate wisely. Don't crate only when you are leaving the house. Place the puppy in the crate while you are home as well. Use it as a "safe" zone, or for "time outs". (thus keeping your sanity)

By crating when you are home AND while you are gone, the puppy becomes comfortable in the crate and not worried that you will not return, or that you are leaving him/her alone. This helps to eliminate separation anxiety later in life.

Most puppies will not soil their "den." The first couple of tries you might have some accidents, but don't be discouraged. An easy way to avoid accidents in the night for the first few weeks is by following this routine:

1. set your alarm for about 3 hrs after your normal bed time. When the alarm goes off, get up immediately, go to the crate and CARRY the pup outside (I do this in my robe, with my shoes kept by the door to the outside). Place him on the ground and encourage him to eliminate. PRAISE when he does, and bring him back to the crate. Go back to bed.

2. Set your alarm for another 3 hrs, and get back to sleep. When the alarm goes off repeat part 1.

3. After about a week of the above routine, IF it has been successful (no crate messing) then you can set the alarm for * way through your sleep time. Follow the remainder of part 1. When you arise in the morning, TAKE the pup outside BEFORE you do anything else. Feed the pup and then crate. Follow your regular waking routine, then walk the pup one more time before going off to work.

4. Repeat the feeding, walking and crating at lunch time. Pups from the ages of 2 to 4 months CANNOT control their elimination for much more than 4 hours, so if you cannot return home at lunch time, arrange for someone to do this for you at lunch.

If the CRATE is too large, the pup can easily soil on one side and sleep on the other. The way to prevent this is to buy a crate that will accommodate your pet when it is fully grown. Then get a box that will fit inside the back of the crate. The box should be large enough that there is only room for the puppy to stand and lie down comfortably.

As the puppy grows, provide more room by putting in a smaller box, or cutting down the size. When the puppy reliably asks to be put outside to eliminate, remove the box so the puppy can use the whole crate.

If the puppy messes the crate, replace the box size to the point at which the puppy was reliable, and just give the pup a little more time to learn. In conjunction with crate training, potty training starts immediately.

Whenever you remove the puppy from the crate or just want the puppy to "go potty," take the dog to the door that will always be used to "go outside." Use the SAME door throughout the training period.

On the handle of this door, tie a bell to a string, dropping it even with the height of the puppy's nose. When you bring the puppy to the door, lure the puppy to touch the bell with either it's nose or paw, (using a treat) causing the bell to ring.

After the puppy rings the bell, give it the treat, (use a SMALL piece of meat or dried liver) and say "OUTSIDE" in a happy tone of voice. Take the puppy outside on leash.

Reminder: During housebreaking DO NOT allow the pup outside to eliminate alone or loose in the yard. Yes, that means in the rain, snow, whatever: YOU GO OUTSIDE ALSO. Give the puppy plenty of time. Don't rush or you will be sorry. When the puppy urinates or defecates, praise the puppy with "Good Outside" and again, give the puppy a tiny, tiny treat.

Continue to wait. When the puppy poops, again praise the puppy with "Good Outside" and give a treat. Go back inside, stop at the door again, and treat once again. If the puppy does not "potty" even after staying outside 15 minutes, return back inside, place the puppy back into the crate, wait 15 minutes and start again from the beginning.

If done religiously, this training process should take only about 2 weeks for the puppy to understand. This method will work with any dog, regardless of age. If you adopt a dog from a shelter or a rescue program, follow the same routine. Remember, even though the dog is older or even an adult, he still does not know the rules of your home, and may not have ever BEEN in a house. Be PATIENT and this method WILL work.

Answer 2

I don't like the ideas of crates or cages, but for a puppy, a good sized cage may be acceptable. I would consider a slightly older puppy that has been trained if I knew I would be away for any length of time. Though I suppose 2 to 3 full days isn't that bad.

Do you have a laundry room or a basement or any small room that you could "pad" to be puppy friendly?

My dog is left in the house without a worry, as she never gets into trouble. My sister's dog, who is now about 11 or maybe even 12, can still manage to get on the kitchen counter and has even grabbed food items from off the refrigerator. I don't know how, but it is absolutely amazing. She's done it twice and never broken the plates.

So basically, you have to see the dog's behavior to determine what action to take.

Answer 3

Erph - and I was thinking of a snide reply...

Well - don't know how big the pup is, and that can make a big difference. Where you live, and what kind of critters you have in your neighborhood also makes a big difference.

If you're pup is small, and totally untrained - fence off a section (fence *must* be such that pup can't climb or jump over) - put down newspaper all over the floor, reasonably thick - enough to absorb, er, accidents, and some food and water.

Its not an ideal environment for a growing pup, but the pup will survive in that situation, its a sort of wacked out nest environment, and I've seen it work with up to retrievers in size.

For bigger pups, I'm really not sure.

I do wish you luck in finding a better solution... might you be able to afford a puppy kennel and training and loves facility?

-dh

Answer 4

I work for myself so I get to stay home with my dog all day. When I do go into work a few hours a week, I take him with me. You can't leave a dog alone for 8 hours a day...that's just too long. At the very least have someone come and play with him or take him for a walk.

Answer 5

My dog is seven-years-old and she just hangs out while I'm away. When I had a puppy (different dog), I kept him in his crate, as he was crate-trained. This did not work well. He was a high-needs dog and needed a stay-at-home owner.

I also had hired a dog-walker for about $20 a week, and she would come into my apartment and walk my puppy each day while I was at work.

Good luck with whichever option you choose!

Answer 6

Hmmm. leave him in the living room and move things that can be chewed up. A carpet or a couch can be easily fixed unlike a really expensive pair of shoes. Make him a dog bed, make sure he has plenty of food and water. I would recommend someone came to take him out to go to the bathroom. Leaving him w/o that is torture. Leave the T.V. on with the news or cartoons. It will make him feel like he is getting some attention and wont feel so alone.

Answer 7

Best place for a puppy is for you to get a kennel cage that has room to grow depending on the size of dog the puppy will grow into, That way the puppy does not tear apart you home and they will learn if you have to go to the bathroom not to go in their cage till you get home to let them out unless they want to be sitting right next to their business.
If the dog will be outdoor then I would get a dog house and insulate it depending on the weather and chain them up next to the house.

Answer 8

I leave my dogs in a kennel while I work...since I work such varied hours, there are always times in the day where me or my fiance are around for the dogs. They do fine for 8-10 hours. I don't like leaving them that long, but if I let them roam they tend to get into things and I don't want them to get sick...

Answer 9

I live with an old person who never goes anywhere while I'm at work. She lets the dog out when the dog needs out. The dog stays in the living room on a dog bed.

Answer 10

I adopted a shelter dog who was a year old and completely housebroken and he really is a good dog so he has the run of the place when I am at work. He never gets into anything and does his business outside cuz he has a doggy door...