when you leave pup home alone....... questions

[WTFwasthat]

so i leave pup for school run - around 30 mins, then if I need to go to the shops ( could be an hour), then another trip out ( school run, dropping dd training etc) another 30 mins etc. is that ok? i mean they say don't leave pup for hours on end but sometimes it can be 2-3 hrs in total. This changes daily obviously. I have to go big food shopping today with my Mum which could be 90 mins. he hasn't been left today apart from 25 mins school run this am. mThat's alright isn't it?

[yesbutnobut]

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me - and a lot less than many people leave their pups for. It might be a problem if pup was suffering from separation anxiety. If your pup is crate trained you'll probably find he will just curl up and sleep (you might want to close the crate door just in case pup needs the loo).

[ijustwant8hours]

Our pup has to be left and so he is! Not for hours on end but for the usual domestic necessities, life just being life things. He seems perfectly happy. On a thursday I help in the school so he is left for three to three and a half hours which is the longest alone spell. He sleeps as far as I can tell.

[WTFwasthat]

ok. I don't feel too bad then! I wentbout today for 90 mins and rushed back as hecwas in his crate. He barely raised an eyebrow . i am guessing he can't tell the time though

[WTFwasthat]

maybe it is me with separation anxiety

[Missmuffet28]

Sounds fine to me and crate is best place for him you know exactly where he is and what he is NOT up to when your out :) my pup is 2 now and I still put her in her crate when I go out I wouldn't have it any other way, not that I don't trust her but like I said I know exactly where she is! She regards it as her bed tho so I really don't think she gives a hoot that I lock the door when I go!

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

We left ours for up to two hours if we absolutely had to. It wasn't a daily occurence, but was sometimes unavoidable. Actually, he is still rarely left, but if he sees me getting ready with my decent coat and boots, he goes off to his bed in the kitchen with a sigh and a put upon look

[WTFwasthat]

Glad I don't have to feel too bad about not being in 24/7! He seems happy enough and has got used to being crated for short spells. I think I am putting human emotions on him!

[applegate]

ours has been crated in the day if i have worked a night shift which i do once a week for about 3 hours, not ideal but one morning a week a necessity. however i always have a good play with him first and then he sleeps, well i assume he does as there is no barking or crying!
I have worried about it but equally want him to be used to being left for short times and not being upset.
He does greet me as if if hasn't seen me for a week when i get us though! lol

[WTFwasthat]

applrgate. it is difficult isn't it. I know people who get pups but work part time. I feel bad if I go food shopping for an hour!

[tabulahrasa]

applegate - mine greets me like that if I step out of the gate to put a bag of rubbish in the bin behind it and then step back in, lol.

[applegate]

It has been hard and I really worried about it but we have built up to short times being on his own and he does just seem to sleep. It's actually quite nice being in the house as I know he is not distressed or crying.
He went to work with dh yesterday as I had to go somewhere and couldn't get out of it which I was dreading as getting the puppy was most definitely mine and dc's idea and not his... but puppy was perfect and they had a nice walk at lunchtime, so hopefully it could be repeated although I haven't broached the subject yet lol!!!

[WTFwasthat]

i would say that is the biggest negative about owning a dog. But we will adapt!

[SweetieDoesIt]

I am really nervous about leaving our 4 month old pup tomorrow evening. It is DH 40th birthday and we are out for a family meal where I expect we will be out for at least 3 hours. She goes in a crate overnight with no issue but usually if we pop out we leave her in the kitchen with access to her toys and water. Our neighbours have mentioned she does cry when we are out. I did set the video camera up to watch her and she does whimper a bit but does settle down. This will be the longest we have left her for.

Her crate is in the dining room as our kitchen is very small but we are not sure if we should put it in the kitchen tomorrow so she can go in the crate while we are out. What do you think?

[WTFwasthat]

i would probably leave it where she is used to it. Can the neighbours pop in to check onher? you could bung them a bottle of wine as a thankyou. She will prob be fine but i know how you feel! As long as she is fed, watered, toileted and comfy she should be fine. Have a great night out

[SweetieDoesIt]

I am going to walk her before we leave, she has already had a long walk this morning so i am hoping she will be tired out. Then move her crate into the kitchen so she can go in there while we are gone. I will leave the crate open as i think 3 hours is too long for her to be locked in the crate. I will leave her the radio on and my dressing gown so it is comforting for her. I am overdoing this aren't I?

Unfortunately we don't know the neighbours that well to give them a key.

I am sure she will be fine, DH says she has to get used to it but I just think she is so young still. It will be fine I know it will.

[WTFwasthat]

how was it SweetieDoesIt?

[SweetieDoesIt]

Aw it was ok, of course. She was asleep in her crate when we got home. She had eaten all the stuff in her kong. I don't think she must have jumped at the baby gate cos I had left my dressing gown draped over it and it was still there.

So all in all it went well and we will be doing again sometime.

[TheCatInTheHairnet]

I'm glad you posted this thread! I'm not sure if I'm being unreasonable, but our new pup has a few naps, but one long sleep a day, and I've been timing all my trips out around that one sleep. DH mentioned that we could all go to the cinema tonight and I was aghast at the idea of leaving him.

I'm being neurotic, aren't I?!

[WTFwasthat]

i think it is probably neurotic but I would be the same! I don't like feeling that way as it is making me feel like i cannot even go Xmas shopping and it does panic me a bit. How old is pup? Is it old enough to not need a wee during the time u will be out?

[applegate]

it is restrictive at the moment isn't it? I have got a friend booked to come over for the day to puppy sit so i can go Christmas shopping the week after next, a weekend wasn't working out and I have got to go at some point and just dont feel I can leave pup too long. Definitely the downsides of dog ownership but 5 weeks in he is so lovely i wouldn't have it any other way

[WTFwasthat]

applegate - so is he 13 weeks? How's the housetraining going?

[applegate]

well it had been going really well, no accidents for the part 10 days so i borrowed a friends carpet cleaning machine and bought some highly expensive shampoo for it and cleaned the sitting room rug this morning...... the puppy obviously did not appreciate it and has weed on it 3 times today, currently feeling a little frustrated!!

[WTFwasthat]

applegate, i feel your pain! How frustrating! We have only had one poo indoors in about 6 days but tonight he went to pee on the lounge rug ! you feel like you are making greatvprogress and then they go back and make you wonder if they have got it at all! It is tiresome to say the least