I want to hear from people who raised a puppy...?

Question

... while also working full time?
I have the option of adopting a puppy from the local pet rescue place.
I work 9 till 5, Mon-Fri but I am home every evening and every weekend.
Yes, I have considered an older dog - but I am really keen on getting a young dog/puppy.
I can easily get 2 weeks of work to help her settle in and learn the ropes.
I want to hear stories on how people raised a puppy as well as keeping their jobs.
The last thing I want to do is crate train her, so if you have OTHER options I'd love to hear them.
Thanks.

Would a dog pen be equivalent to a crate? But with a little more space?

I am not saying 2 weeks is the only time I will spend training my dog... I am saying I'll be home for the first two weeks, to get her settled in.
I wouldn't let her roam the house willy-nilly, I would fence on areas of the place where it wouldnt be safe for her to go.
Cats don't give you the same friendship that dogs do. Dogs are companions. Cats just want their food and then ignore you.

I have had 5 cats in my lifetime, 3 are at my parents place.
Don't get me wrong, I love cats.
But my friends dogs are so much more friendly and outwardly loving then cats.

Answer 1

You will have to arrange for someone to come in at least a couple of times during the day to let the puppy out. A puppy can't hold his or her bladder for 8+ hours.

Why is crate training the last thing you want to do? It's not cruel, it is a very effective training tool.

Answer 2

I'm not sure why you are opposed to crate training. It's actually very healthy for the puppy as they need a safe place and have den-like instincts.

I purchased my first puppy at 12 weeks old, in September. I have the luxury of working from home so the scenario is not comparable but I do think that 2 weeks of dedicated training (crate training included) would allow you to transition a puppy fairly well. When I travel I have friends who are home quite a bit so they picked up my same training techniques and my puppy has done very well.

Leaving a puppy home without crate training will prolong your training period dramatically.

I would also mention that you definitely don't want a puppy store/mill puppy as they are much harder to train. I purchased a puppy at a pet store and the poor thing has had numerous parasites since with lot's of diahrea and she also lost the instincts of not going potty in her sleeping area so it was much more difficult than if I had purchased from a reputable breeder. I also had 7 weeks at home with her before my first trip so that helped a lot.

Good luck with your decision.

Updated - The general rule of thumb on how long a puppy can 'hold it' is one hour for every month. So if you purchase an 8 week old puppy the longest it can stay inside without peeing is 2 hours. Gating it into an area is fine but realize that the puppy will go to the bathroom inside. Regardless of whether you use pads or not, they'll still not learn that they can't pee inside. It will be a long training period if you are leaving them in the house for 8 hours.

Answer 3

My husband and I work full time and adopted a 4 mos old puppy. She was crated trained and both of us never had a dog before that was crated trained and were leery about this. I have been converted. It took major commitment from both us. She had lots of energy. She was walked at 4 a.m. and played with until I left for work. My husband checked on her at 8 and noon. I took her for long walks when I came home and played a lot! Her crate was her security area. We never left her in her crate longer than 4 hours. If not abused, I think the crate is great. Now that she is 2 yrs old she has the run of the house, but she still uses her crate when she gets scared (storms, loud noises etc.). She is no longer confined in her crate but we will probably not remove it either because she still considers that her safe haven.

Answer 4

Ok here is the thing if you are home 2 weeks with it when you get it home that is what it will expect from you (to always be around) So I would be sure to leave the house a little here and there durring two weeks and see what it does while you are out i have two dogs both crate trained but that is used only when I am not home and for one of them because he has seperation anxiety any way you can also try using baby gates and gate off a certain room for the dog to have durring the day while you are gone that way it has room to move around But as long as you are home in the evenings you will be a great mommy for a rescue dog they need time away from you as much as you need time from them good luck and I hope all goes well

Answer 5

The idea of a crate as opposed to a pin, is that with LESS space, she will hold it till you get home. If there is room to use the bathroom, she will. Plus, many pups can climb.
I go to college, and work full time. I also have a small puppy(i have about 6 right now, i foster).
For me, i work and go to school about 2 blocks from my house, so when i get 30 min or an hour between work and classes, i come home. I have to make myself get up early for long walks, and there are plenty of times where i don't go places or on trips because i have small pups that can't hold it that long. The thing is to always have a tired puppy. A tired pup is a good pup, so as long as you have enough time to wear her out every day, you will be fine.

ADD:My cats are more affectionate that my dogs are, hands down. They follow me around the house, and sleep on my face. Many cats are. Maybe you have not had the privilege of being around a lot of cats.

Answer 6

The first 6 months is hardest. And house breaking is the hardest. I was lucky because my sister was living with us when our dog was a puppy. Paper train than teach the dog that he have to go outside the yard. Once he know how to go on paper, bring the paper out. And when the dog know that outside is the place to go potty, can eliminate the paper. And my dog used to play with water in his water bowl when he was a puppy but we taught him not to. And puppy have to chew on toys when they are teething. Two weeks is not enough to have an obedient dog. Is someone living with you? It's kind of dangerous to leave a dog alone without a crate when you are not home because he might swallow something or knock down something and get hurt. Maybe you can get a trained dog that is not too old. Maybe 2 years old.

Answer 7

I raised my Missy no problem while working full time. I'm lucky enough not to have to work with the 4 I have now, but it is very doable. Puppies and dogs cost a lot to keep so I would imagine most people have to work to be able to afford to take care of all of their needs.

Missy used to have an X-Pen in the kitchen with a potty pad, food, water and toys. The kids school was close enough for them to be able to take her out an lunchtime and play with her for a while until she went back into the pen. It gave her much more freedom than a crate. It worked out real well for us.

The 4 I have now actually are crate trained even though I don;t work now. They are well enough behaved to stay out now, but they still go into their crates for private time with the door open and to sleep at night.

Answer 8

Puppies need more than 2 weeks. Mine is 6 mo old. When they get bored, puppies chew..chew..chew. Unattended puppies can chew electrical cords, swallow any small objects they find etc. I think you are being irresponsible and very unrealistic . Two weeks is by no means enough time for a puppy to 'get settled'. (I have adult children living here too, so my dogs are never alone). Crates are not mean, they are a safety zone at night to keep a mischievous puppy out of danger. You can't sleep and watch him at the same time. How can you house train a puppy if you are gone 8-10 hrs a day? Puppies are cute and fuzzy till they chew your table legs and pee all over your house. They need way more time than you are able to give them.

Answer 9

First I would highly recommend a kennel /crate while your away at work unless you want puppy poo everywhere I give your pup a place that they feel secure in maybe you have someone you can trust to stop by a couple of times while your at work to let puppy outside and as they get bigger they dont have to go out as often.Puppies chew and unless you like coming home to a house that looks like a family of beavers moved in get a crate.Take the 2 wks off that will allow you and the pup to bond and for you to start training remember he eats take hem out immediately same when they drink Its alot of responsibility and a lot of joy

Answer 10

The best thing to do would be to paper train her. to do this you could buy puppy pads that they sell at the store or use news paper. they also sell spary to put on the pads, this spary is sented for dogs so its attractive to them. While your at home with her you should take it out to potty every couple of hours so its trained to go out doors when your home. my dogs can normally hold it untill i get home. the routine it that in teh morning when i first get up i let them out them make their breakfast then let them out again right before i leave. when i get home they are normally waiting to go out and they normally don't have anythng on the papers. But if your opposed to a crate i would start off by keeping your puppy in the bathroom while your at work for teh first couple of weeks, throw some toys and a bed in there as well as a dish of food and water and it will be fine. That way if there is an accident its normally done on a hard surface or a bath mat not your carpet