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?

What about stair/baby gates? You get taller versions since Doberman’s are fairly leggy you might need them instead.

It’d let you ditch the crate but keep her away from anything you don’t want her in at unsupervised.. and possibly on a hard floor incase she has an accident. Loads of interactive toys too.

5hours might be pushing it but you’ll only find out one way. Just pray the sofa survives.

I do wonder how the never leave a dog alone brigade cope with a&e trips or shopping/social events.

I've got a 7 month old collie x lab and she's left for 4 hours and is absolutely fine. She's taken for a half hour walk before I go to work so gives her time to use the toilet and then sleeps nicely when left. We've got a crate that she sleeps in(with my dressing gown in for smell) and attached to that is a big playpen so door is clipped open. She has her breakfast as i leave and has plenty of toys and a licky mat. Weve watched her on the camera and she has her food,a little chew of her bone toy then sleeps. One day I went about my day as if I was working to see/hear what she does and it melted my heart seeing her so content and didn't bark once. She is more than happy to go into her playpen when we leave. Just to add she hasn't chewed or destroyed anything in our home, has never barked at another dog when out walking,everyone comments how chilled out and loving she is so has never done her any harm. Its down to how your dog copes with being alone. I'd suggest pretending your going to work and listening in from another room to see how she gets on

Thanks again for the sensible responses (and by that I include those who think I’m being unreasonable but have not gone hysterical calling me abusive etc).

Few things to add, I mentioned her training as certain people were suggesting my “potentially dangerous dog” is not getting any training. You really have no idea how much training she gets but it’s more than most pet dogs.

When I said daycare is not financially viable ... I meant I may as well not go to work (still considering this) and If certain people don’t believe that the daycare has no space on the other days, pm me and I’ll send you their number and you can give them a call yourself.

To those suggesting a walk before work, she gets this already. A walk before work, a full afternoon of activities (every day, whether I’m working or not) and a walk before bed.

She never wears a collar in the house.

I have bought a camera which I can watch whilst at work. We had one anyway fixed onto her crate so I could check whether she was stressing and barking but I’ve bought a better one which covers more area.

3 weeks of work left and then I have time off to consider not going back.

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

Oh Jesus it makes sense now, don't tell me you work for the RSPCA 😂😂😂

🤷🏻‍♀️ bold fail.

@currybelly if you don’t go back to work perhaps you could be a dog walker/minder? Sounds like there’s a need in your area..

Seriously OP you know your dog, and from what you say it has been fine being left for 5 hours aside from the accident with the crate. If you section off one room in the house, the safest room for her and leave the crate in there with the door open you will probably find the dog sleeps in the crate and you won't have the issue that happened before of her getting her paw stuck whilst rushing to get out. I agree that I wouldn't cage a dog for that amount of time but instal the camera and you will be able to confirm to yourself that she is fine being left.

Obviously continue to see if you can find a walker but it's really not the end of the world. 4 hours. 5 hours.

Give hours is too long for any dog.a neighbour leaves her all morning and he cries non stop.poor boy.
A Doberman will need a lot of exercise and stimulation to avoid boredom setting in and destruction following.How will you cope when he is bigger and need exercise before work?
Think a pp was right in you scrap the day care and get a walker in every day.This will break up the day and hopefully tire him out.
Always good to leave the radio or tv on and a chew.
A dog is a huge commitment for several years,day Care costs should be factored in before you get a dog,not after.

@LakieLady £9 for over 2 hours with other dogs and when she came when he was a puppy it was £6 for 30 mins and she is great and insured too!

to think leaving a puppy for 5 hours is risking it OP asks.

Risking what, I wonder. Risking 'it'..the puppy...no, no. Thats not her worry, risking the hiuse is her worry about leaving a puppy alone for 5 hours, which as pp have said is beyond rspca GDs!

But, OP says shes so wonderful that it doesn't matter (because training/toys/other stuff)

AYBU? Yes, you are. Did you really want to know that all your arguments say you didn't actually care whether anyone thought you were BU even though so many say you are.

Threads like these, standard format, AIBU presenting worrying situation, posters offer words, OP says but im fantastic so it doesnt matter, backstory infil of fantasticness, and denial of OP AIBU.

What a waste of internet.

it would cost me £80 a week which would really eat into what I’m actually earning

Surely that just the cost of having a puppy. I mean, your weekly food shop eats in to what you earn. So do your utility bills. But you pay it because it must be paid. As does the cost of not leaving a puppy locked in a cage for 5 hours. What price would you put on neglect?

It’s cheaper than sorting out the amount of damage a pup can do in 5 hours. To themselves and to the house as well.

Oh yeah, I forgot, not BU because expense

mine aren't in a crate during the day, but I do have a stair gate so they don't run through the whole house.

We have a dog walker if we're all out of the house during the day - can you advertise? Or ask the vets to recommend? My dog walker really exhausts my dogs and they love her.