Is 2 hours and 45 Minutes to long for a 2 and a half month puppy to be alone at a time? PLease READ!?

Question

I recently got a Boston terrier puppy. I go back to school on the 8th. He'll be in the crate from 8:30 - 10:30 - my friend has agreed to come let him out for a pee break, but after that he'll be in the crate again from 10:45 - 1:15. There is absolutely nothing else that can be done to maybe have a second outing between 10:45 -1:15. After that he'll be out and about - only put in the crate at night and if I must do something for a short time during the evening. So besides sleeping at night the total crate time will be around 4:30-5 hours maybe 6 depending on how busy I am and traffic.

I'm thinking maybe if it's too much I would possibly call the breeder and just let her know I'm not ready to take on the puppy just right with school and everything... I hope she's responsible enough to understand –

Answer 1

The times you have listed seem OK, as the standard is an hour per month in age. I have also heard the age in months plus one. Naturally, the perfect scenario would have you being independently wealthy and already educated so you could stay at home and train your dog 24 hours a day. But let's be real...

I thnk you are wonderful to care so much and to take the effort to plan how this will affect your puppy.

Just please realize that having a puppy is HARD WORK. What should concern you more is how much time you will have to spend with the pup, socializing and trianing and just BEING WITH IT when you know you should be studying. You'll have to take the little tyke out every hour or so. It will not understand how important it is that you concentrate on that history reading or those calculus problems. It will be very hard.

I am NOT trying to talk you out of getting the puppy. You sound like someone I would adopt one of my shelter dogs to. Just please know what you are getting into up front. Patience and perserverance is the key with puppies. If you make the committment, you'll be a great pet owner.

Good luck and enjoy your puppy. Bostons are great dogs.

Answer 2

Sweetie, it is just fine to leave the puppy in there for 3 to 4 hours. How do you think people work when they have dogs? Here are a few things you can do to make it more comfortable for him.

1. Make sure the crate is one size larger than recommended for the dog. This will give him plenty of room to play.

2. Leave him some toys to play with.

3. Leave him a small bowl of water.

4. Don't worry about him or be upset when you leave him. He will pick up on it and will start being upset when you put him in there.

5. Leave a radio playing near the crate for him. If he hears something near by, it will comfort him.

At 2 1/2 months old, he will probably sleep the entire time that you are gone. I have 4 dogs, two that are 3 years old, one that is 13 weeks and 1 that is 8 weeks. They stay in their crates every night for bed. (That is about 7 or 8 hours) and anytime that I have to be gone for more than 3 or 4 hours. They are always fine. So, you have nothing to worry about.

Answer 3

I have three Boston Terriers. All of which I got at different times. Therefore I have raised three Boston Terrier Puppies. Through experience your puppy will be fine. That isn't too long at all to leave a puppy alone, just make sure it has a few toys in the crate and fresh water available.Also you will want to put one of the dog training pads in the crate as well. They are independent dogs, and since it's a puppy it will keep itself entertained. I have left mine alone longer than that when they were puppies. I have also recently gotten a Chihuahua, who is 3 months old and stays in a large box all day, She cries a bit at first, but after awhile she just either goes to sleep or starts playing with her toys. Boston Terriers are great dogs, and I don't think you should pass up an opportunity to have one. Good luck and if you have any other questions regarding a Boston Terrier, feel free to e-mail me!

Answer 4

Your puppy should be fine in that time frame, but do not disregard him being in there when you are out and about. run errands later in the evening or when someone else is home to watch the puppy so you can run out so he's not being "crated" all the time. Crate training is good for dogs, and if the puppy sleeps there during the night they can let you know if they need to be let out for a potty break =) Don't put any food or water in the crate with the puppy, most people think it's a great idea so they don't get hungry or thirsty, but this causes them to have to go potty! Feed the pup and take him potty before you go to school, then take him out right when you get home.

Answer 5

You are going to negatively impact your dog's crate training if you keep him in there that long without a break. A puppy in general canonly hold for an hour per each month of it's life til 8 months or so... so 2.5 month old pu = 2.5 hours hold tmie (average) If you know you're going to leave him alone for a longer time than that you're setting him up to make a mess in the crate...either seek out another friend to give the dog a break, hire a dog sitter to come by and do it... find an other route to keep the dog instead of a crate like a larger pen in the kitchen with a pee pee pad (if you must so he can have an area away from his sleep/den to go on), or a doggie door to a secure yard... If these won't work for you, than rehome the puppy to a home that can spend the time to properly train and care for the pup.

Answer 6

Don't give him back!! It is not too long for a puppy to be alone. Our six month old is left in the crate for about 6 hours. Just put some music on and be ready to play when you get home!

Answer 7

Working with puppies can be difficult, but a three-hour timespan should be fine. Just leave some water and some toys to prevent boredom.
You're a good pet owner for figuring out alternate ways to take care of him while you're busy at school, especially considering other responsibilities you'll have coming up. I think he's in good hands with you. I'm sure he'll be happy and healthy with sure a good owner.

Answer 8

That is not too long for your puppy to be in the crate, especially if you have someone coming to let him out. The crate becomes his safe spot, and basically his home. He'll go in there to take naps, etc.

Good luck, and may you and your puppy have a long life together!

Answer 9

It shouldn't really be too long for the pup. It's not a best case scenario, but it's not the worst thing.

The thing that concerns me though is that perhaps you don't have enough time for the dog in other areas. I'm assuming you're in college? THis is often a terrible time to get an animal. Friends, classes, studies, vacations, expenses....all of these things make owning a dog a bad idea. I can understand why you want one, but I would wait and get one as a graduation present instead!!

Answer 10

That's completely fine. I have a one year old chihuahua, and she stays in her crate all day til i get home from work. Your dog will learn to hold it. Dogs will never potty where they eat or sleep. I've also learned from my vet that small dogs can hold it for up to 14 hours. But, that is when thet get older. So, i wouldnt worry too much about 2 hours and 45 minutes. Your dog will be just fine!

Good Luck!