Will a 8week old puppy be ok in a pen for 7-8 hours a day 5days a week?

Question

Will a 8week old staffordshire bull terrier puppy be ok in a very large puppy pen alone, with a play area with chew toys approx (2ft X 4ft). bedding area approx (0.5ft X0.5ft), a smaller toilet area (0.25ft X 0.25ft) (puppy is trained to go toilet on newspaper). - How much food and water should be left out and how often do puppys need feeding. - I have heard of puzzels which contain food and also feeding timers?

Answer 1

absolutely fine. you sound like a great pet parent that has covered all aspects of your dogs comfort. don't over feed though. you don't want the pup to have a tummy ache. i prefer to feed puppies 3 times a day. you don't explain your work hours, but feed when you put him in, and after you take him out, feed him again. a nice long walk before bed and in the morning should fix him up. the walks are important so his legs can stretch and grow properly. make sure the toys you give him don't have any small pieces he can chew off and swallow. KONGS are great toys and you can put treats in them. i'm a manager at State Line Pet Supply and we have all kinds of wonderful safe toys for puppies. try to avoid rawhide. it doesn't digest. there are better alternatives.

Answer 2

An 8 week old puppy- no. An adult dog, yes.
It sounds like you want to care for your puppy, and plan to provide him with toys, but in the early puppy stage, time is critical for socialization. Leaving him home alone all day now could create a barker, a whiner, and bad behavioral problems due to the fact he does not know how to socialize correctly. Puppies need a lot of stimulation- interactions with other dogs/people, not just toys.
Do you have a neighbor that can come over, or you stop home for lunch that can play with him for a half hour or so in the middle of the day?
There are set feeding timer dishes that aren't too expensive, but as long as he is not an overeater- I would just leave him dry food out all the time so he can eat when he wants. As for water- you can get those drop down dishes (water bottle like) that hold more water if he won't or can't spill them. Otherwise, I would say probably a large water dish should be plenty.

Answer 3

Best rule of thumb is that the MAXIMUM amount of time (as in 'I need to pee! I'm bursting!') is 1 hour per month + 1 hour. Therefore, the maximum your puppy can hold anything is about 3 hours. He will most likely prefer to go every hour or so, though. So by the time your pup is seven months old, he can comfortably last a working day without peeing. Your puppy was taken from his mother a little early 7-8 weeks is best) but his peeing seems quite normal. You should arrange for someone to come in at lunchtime until he is at least a year old (it's a boring life for a puppy being home alone all day).

Answer 4

NO.

An 8 week old Staffie is a baby. This is when he needs love the most. Give it to him now, and you will have a loyal and loving friend as long as he lives.

Feed him once in the morning as much as he can eat in 10 minutes, then a little snack (1/2 as much as he ate in the morning) around your dinnertime. Make sure he has clean, fresh water - as much as he wants, whenever he wants it. Fill the biggest bowl you can find. Make sure it can't be tipped over, too.

Keep him alone in a 2x4 pen for hours and he'll be a howler, a chewer, a jumper, or a killer. Don't leave this pup alone like that.

If you can't give him your full attention and love, please, find a neighbor with a dog to play with during the day, or give him away to a loving home who is ready to take on the responsibilty of raising a Staffie with love. Good luck.

Answer 5

Well, it probably will not hurt him . . but I don't think it's a good idea. Even though he is trained to go on the newspapers, it is very important to start potty training him to go outside asap. It is also important for the two of you to bond. He was just taken away from his mom and brothers and sisters. It will be very lonely for him to be alone that long and for that many days at a time. If possible, try to go home at lunch and let him out potty and have a little play time.

Answer 6

Physically he will be fine. But mentally it would harm him. Could you imagine a parent leaving their 2 yr. old in his room for 8 hours a day by himself . He would go crazy . A baby needs a parent or guardian for emotional and mental reassurance. IF you really want him and must be gone that long every day. I would suggest a doggy day care or someone who can come over during the day and spend a few hours with him. Good luck and just think of him first ,I know your trying and you care just by asking.

Answer 7

Sounds cruel to me. Don't you have friends, family or neighbors to visit with your pup. What about hiring a dog walker or a kid in the neighborhood to spend some time with him. Think about it ,you remove him from his litter mates and then put him in solitary confinement. Maybe you are too busy to properly care for a dog. To have a well balanced dog requires time and energy not just food water and newspaper.

Answer 8

staffs need alot of attention. i've owned a pitt and tried working those hours. NO WAY IN HELL did that work out. they need CONSISTANT training in order to be housebroken. let alone, they are active dogs and very social. i don't see it being a good idea. don't do those timer feeders either. your dog needs to be taught that its YOUR food, and YOUR giving it to him. just feed your dog alittle in the morning, and alittle at night. or even just once a day. but you NEED a feeding schedule. the amount you should give your dog is listed on the dog food normally. i think it goes by weight. think about what your doing that that poor dog. don't leave it ALONE all day everyday.

Answer 9

he should be fine but expect a mess when you return and don't punish him for it he won't understand why he's getting yelled at just clean up the mess. You need to have a very large heavy bowl for the water leave out a bowl of food, make sure you feed puppy before leaving for work so the bowl you leave is his lunch then feed him dinner when you get home also buy kongs with puppy paste of treats inside it

Answer 10

He should be. Hell deffinately make a bathroom mess for you for when he gets home. However make sure there is nothing you want him not to go the bathroom on or to chew in that area. I fed my puppy twice a day whenever we ate and I just gave him a bowl of both.