To think leaving a puppy for 5 hours is risking it?

[CurryBelly]

My puppy is 6 months old. I work 8:30 to 1pm mon - Thursday and for two of those days, puppy goes to daycare. Two days she’s left home alone but crated until I get home at 1:15pm.

Last week she suffered an awful accident in her crate, she rushed out too quickly and got her foot caught between two metal bars. It was horrendous and she was stuck like that for 20 minutes until I could find someone to cut the bars. Thankfully no injuries but it’s made me paranoid and I said no more crate from now on.

So over the weekend she’s had the full run of the living room, hallway and kitchen. I’ve left her for two hours max while I’ve been shopping twice and she’s been absolutely fine. No damage. She’s been left out of crate over night for weeks and has been fine also.

But I’m back at work tomorrow. I’m worrying that 5 hours will be too much and she’ll get bored and wreck the house?

It’s not just about separation anxiety. Leaving a dog for 8 hours is ridiculous. Toilet?

Wolfiefan He doesn't need to go (large dog-large bladder). Even when I get home he doesn't go straight away, waits for me to get changed and we go for our walk, then he goes.

I use to wfh and he would pretty much ignore me for the solid 8hours. So then I worked from the office and came home at lunchtime, no toileting needed and he still wasn't bothered.
We do a lot of activities in the time we have together that I think he is grateful for the peace and quiet.

All dogs are different.

No dog should be made to hold it for 8 hours. Poor thing.

No dog should be made to hold it for 8 hours. Poor thing. Literally just said he isn't made to hold it. He doesn't need to go. When I get home, I let him straight into the garden and he doesn't need to go.

I'm genuinely incredulous that anyone can think a dog doesn't need to go to the toilet once in EIGHT hours. You are fucking delirious.

frillyfarmer I mean, short of getting you round to sit in my house for the day, I'm not sure how else to prove it. He doesn't need to go. I let him out, he doesn't go. I'm not gonna force him to pee ffs.

My dog often goes longer than eight hours without going to the toilet. I'm not arguing that dogs should be left alone for that length of time - but plenty of dogs can hold it for that long.

Mine will pee much more often when out and about (marking) but at home he'll happily not bother for hours on end.

Miserable life for a dog.

I know you won't want to hear it
I know your circumstances have changed
I know you love your dog
But
5 hours alone is too much.
They just get too lonely.

Oh just to add, my dog is 6 years not 6 months. It was through routine and slowly building up home alone time that I am able to leave him. I fully accept that another dog would not cope with 8 minutes of home alone time. All dogs are different.

Do the people that think a dog cant comfortably hold it for 8 hrs, think that people get up at three in the morning to let them out then?
My dogs ask to go out, only been disturbed about three times in the night in the years I have had them.

I because night dryness is different. Just like it is with people.

You're worried about leaving your house as she'll get bored, and wreck the house.

Zero fucks for her leaving her five hours a day without concern for her, but your home.

All the training, exercising, playing in the flood, and whatever else you do doesn't alter the fact that you leave her for five hours alone.

You say this as if to say that somehow everything else you do makes it somehow less hours, or doesn't matter so much

People who abuse dogs don't do it 24/7. It might be that they don't get a condition treated, or leave their dogs home alone, or don't feed them properly, or leave dangerous things around. In other ways the dogs might be exercised loads, or highly trained. I just don't get your justifications, they're not.

Stop putting money into [expensive] training, and put it into day care or a sitter.

Or come home! Mid morning or whatever to break up the hours for her.

A picture of her is a bit odd given the circumstances, did you want to show off this dog, garner sympathy? Well she does have my sympathy, being left as a pup for so long.

I have seen an alarming number of miserable dogs that have an owner there with them all day but who basically thinks two meals and an hour's walk is enough for their dog who is clearly struggling massively with such little interaction. They then want help with poor behaviour and seem surprised that the dog needs more than 1hr 20mins of their day.

A young and intelligent dog that has high levels of interaction all week except for two five hour periods is going to be a great deal happier than one who has someone there all day but whose only stimulation is 2 x 5 mins of eating and 1 x 60mins of walking. This dog is a guarding breed, i.e. a type bred for large amounts of non activity and low owner interaction. It's not an excuse not to give the dog what it needs but what it needs is likely a bit different to something like a gun breed. Plus, all dog's are unique so there owners must judge a dog on it's character not the breed description.

OP, a walker midway is worth considering as 5 hours is too long for a young dog. I realise you are struggling to find one but there will be one who can take this dog for a walk, especially if she has achieved the obedience levels you describe. Ask everyone and anyone you know, especially at your training classes etc. If your trainer knows someone they might even be able to provide a 'reference' for your dog to convince a walker to take her on.

Outside of that, a secure room with baby gates etc to keep her confined but without putting her in the crate as you want the crate to be a good thing, rather than where she goes when you are leaving her, iyswim. Keep up the high level of training and interaction outside those times.

Cameras are now pretty cheap and easy to set up - you can get a decent enough one for £30 or less. This will help you monitor the dog when you are out.

@Cherrypies looking up hormonal suppression of kidney function during sleep. It'll blow your mind.

I think you do sound like a thoughtful,caring owner. Lose the crate, give her a decent sized room to stay in (utility would probably be poky for a big dog. If she gets a good walk before you go and when you come back I think having to be there five hours twice a week isn’t that bad, she’ll be ok. Mine do that every now and again, I leave toys and a bone each. Granted they’ve got each other for company though.

Weird, my dog regularly goes 23 hours without toileting because she’s so traumatised by fireworks that she regularly refuses her afternoon walk for all of November, December and January.

Otherwise she’s absolutely fine with 2 walks a day and I would guess most dogs are.

In the case of a puppy I would enlist a friend or accept the expense of a dog walker as temporary. My dog was on a regular 2x day rota by one year, which I think is normal.

I would get a camera to watch and give it a go.
My 2 yr old cockapoo has been left for that long and it fine, maybe get up early those mornings and go out walking for an hour.

People who abuse dogs don't do it 24/7. Why does the doghouse always tip into insanity...

trip in insanity

People abuse at times, this one five hours a day twice a week.

What aren't you understanding about that simple statement

@Smotheroffive
Leaving a dog for 5 hours is not abuse.
Leaving a dog with separation anxiety for 5 hours might be abuse.

Please come to work with me for a day and see proper animal abuse.

Why does the doghouse always tip into insanity...

It does. People expect things of prospective dog owners that would be positively dyed in the blue Tory if it were a baby. Mind you, i think this is all great, but it's a bit of a stretch to consider the OP abusive....?

There's a massive difference between less-than-ideal behaviour and abuse.

I do think that most dogs are better off in safe, loving homes than they are stuck in kennels due to the strict rehoming regulations they have. Surely it's better for a dog to have a family, even if that means it's home alone for a few hours occasionally?

In kennels, pounds and rehoming centres, they often go without human interaction for much longer than four hours!

Totally agree with adaline and some of the responses on here are just ridiculous .

Agree with the more sensible posters here - 5 hours twice a week in an otherwise engaging and loving home is not abuse. This dog sounds like it has a lovely home but would do better with some help to break up the 5 hours, especially while she is so young.

Does your dog wear a collar? I don't want to worry you, but I read a post recently where a dog had hanged itself in a crate 😐