I just got a german shepherd puppy 8 weeks old. I was wondering when is the correct age to leave them alone at home. I tested him today for about an hour & he cried really loud for a long time. I know this cant be healthy for him, so when is a good age or what is something I can do?
2007-06-19 08:25:07 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
It depends on your dog's demeanor, if you have neighbors that the crying/barking would annoy, but mostly on the size of his bladder.
An hour should always be fine. You bought a dog, and a lot of responsibility, but you're not under house arrest!
The first thing to do is CRATE train him, with you in the room, in the house, outside for a short while.
The second thing to do is come home for lunch the days you have to work, OR line up a professional dogsitter to walk him.
The third thing is to make him as comfortable as possible. Old towels and blankets can replace mom's warmth, a loud old-fashioned clock can remind him of her heartbeat...
Lastly, if that all fails, you can buy pheremones, which go in a Glade-Plugin looking holder. Our dog REALLY had less fear of thunderstorms, etc. when we had one. Only took a couple months.
2007-06-19 08:33:14 · answer #1 · answered by sakicfriend 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are still in the house he will know it. You should actually leave and set up a tape recorder. The puppy will cry for awhile but give it time. I left mine alone for 4 hours at a time when it was 9 weeks old. I stayed home the first week with vacation time. She did just fine.
2007-06-19 08:29:18 · answer #2 · answered by Teresa V 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should be already able to leave him alone at home. You could try buying him a toy for him to play with while your gone. Or if you keep him in a crate try letting him walking freely in your house. But if you have a completely closed garden you can let him stay in the garden. I don't recommend that but it's an option.
2007-06-19 08:35:28 · answer #3 · answered by Shaqo_Wyn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should be able to keep him in the crate for about 4 hours at a time - no more. You may want to keep a radio on near the crate. leaving him out may make him a bit scared, so a crate is definitely the way to go.
Good luck!
2007-06-19 08:47:10 · answer #4 · answered by lkb740 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First he should have a kennel...you need to train him to like it and it should be a spot for him to go and relax he shouldnt feel like its a place of punishment. So to train him bring him to it give him a treat once he is inside of it or put his favorite toy in there and a comfortable blanket that he enjoys laying on and test it before you go out anywhere give him food, a toy and blanket and put him in there for a while everyday until he is used to it. You shouldnt feel that you cant leave home because of a pet.
2007-06-19 08:29:36 · answer #5 · answered by angie 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you crate training? I highly suggest it if you arent. We have an 11 week old Rottie mix and i leave her alone in the crate when i have to go do my grocery shopping,ect... Never ever for more than 4 hours, for me its usually 2 hours tops. Read up on crate training for sure if you arent.
2007-06-19 08:28:33 · answer #6 · answered by Cebsme 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
my puppy is almost one yrs old and we still cant leave him alone in the house b/c he will chew EVERYTHING. thats wiht all puppies. so i would leave him in a crate until he is mature enough and can handle it and wont pee in the house if he is scared or cant hold it in like a mature dog. trust me, you will regret leaving your dog alone in the house as a puppy. also, he is still lonley and used to lots of company with his siblings and mother. he should get used to the house first to make it feel like home.
2007-06-19 08:32:15 · answer #7 · answered by tayfrog8 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is just separation anxiety. Children go through this when they go to daycare. They just simply get over it. If you are not sure if the dog will go to the bathroom in the house, shut it into a bedroom, bathroom or someplace they can't destroy. Invest in a pet bed maybe? Make sure he has his favorite toys with him!
2007-06-19 08:30:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would say 12 months or i yr and 2 months. but try asap you think ur dog is ready.
2007-06-19 08:28:52 · answer #9 · answered by ctsay3 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When it's a year old.
2007-06-19 08:29:45 · answer #10 · answered by angelsloveslight 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋