What would you do - Puppy dilemma

[NameChangeDoggy]

Hi! Less an AIBU and more a what would you do ..

If you had a 20 week old puppy and the whole family had to go to an important event would you ..

1. Put puppy in a kennel overnight (you can't leave them evenings only here, has to be all night) that he's only been to once for a half day puppy morning.

1. Leave them at home by themself (would be from 6pm to 10:30pm)

1. Neither, you'll have to cancel the event or you or your DH will have to miss it.

??

(Please be kind, I'm new to the whole puppy thing and know I might be getting things wrong. That's why I'm asking!)

Number 1, as long as all vaccines etc are up to date.

Ask a good friend to sit with it? How long have you left it for previously?

Ask a friend to pup-sit? With the lure of a takeaway?

1 or 3
If 1 and puppy isn’t house trained etc I would be explaining this and offering what ever top up in money the business required.

Either 1 or get a friend to puppy mind.

Surely evening meal and a walk and wlft home alone is fine? When you go to bed presumably you aren't sat up all night with dpuppy?

1 or 3. You can’t leave a puppy by themselves all day. You shouldn’t even leave an adult dog by themselves all day though people do it.

I agree with trying to find a friend who will dog sit though

Dog sitter. Friend or neighbour would be fine. Someone who comes to your house and watches TV. That's what we do!

You can't leave a puppy home alone overnight. That's pretty irresponsible, especially for that length of time.

Option 1, or find a friend who will have it/ housesit.

If you can't do that one of you will have to stay at home surely.

Option 2.

4.5 hours is fine for a 5 month old, assuming they're used to being regularly left (even if for shorter periods).

We did similar on NYD with ddog who is 5.5 months. She'd been walked twice that day before we left and fed a bit earlier. She has a puppy pen that's about 3 times bigger than a crate with her bed and several of her favourite toys in. She was fine.

What breed? We don't have breeds that have seperating anxiety so would go with 2, after enough exercise. I think that we are starting to create issues with dogs because we aren't treating them as dogs. However some breeds shouldn't exist can't be left as easily.

Sorry, misread, thought it said 10:30 am! Yes I would leave a puppy of this age for about 4 hours if they generally seem ok to be left.

Option 2 , puppy should be fine for 4 1/2 h . Nice walk before you go out .

@Ponoka7 I worry and admit to babying our dogs, but I think you have a good point.

Ours have always been good about being left for a few hours on their own. I guess the breed helps and the fact they have doggy company.

Do people not read? Why the talk of 'all day' and 'overnight'?

The op is talking about 4.5 hours in the evening which is neither. 20 weeks is not a tiny puppy.

I'm gobsmacked by the number who won't leave a dog alone for 4.5 hours. Teaching your dog, gradually, to be comfortable alone when needed is one of the best things you can do for them.

Thank you all. This is so helpful to read! I thought people might all call me heartless and that I was being ridiculous not to cancel the event! So it's so good to hear reassuring and balanced points and to know it's not so bad for him to be without us for a few hours. I think after reading comments so far I'm err'ing towards leaving him at home, as it will be more familiar and cosy for him than a kennel, but I'll show the thread to DH and we can decide together. Thanks all

Agree with @SuperPup86 . 20 weeks is 5 months old and owners should have been working with the puppy building up to leaving them . Having said that - it may depend in evening behaviour of the individual dog . I can remember as a young puppy ours chose early evening to have mad zoomies so wouldn't have been an advisable time of the day to leave . I think that was a lot younger than 20 weeks though .

Also, why anyone would choose 1 is totally beyond me.

Do people really think any dog would be happier stuck in a strange kennel - mainly alone - with different sounds and smells etc? Just for the sake of not leaving them alone for a few hours?

And come the evening the dog would be shut alone in the kennel anyway !

I think as a one off he will be fine being left but no longer than you say and with a run before you go to tire him out

Option 2 is only an option if you've trained for it. If pup is only used to being left for 30 min then this is not an option.

Option 1 wouldn't be an option for me personally, so it'd have to be option 3 if you haven't done the training for 2.

Lots of PP haven’t read the OP. She’s not suggesting to leave it “overnight” or “all day” FFS. OP, it’s fine to leave the dog for that length of time provided you had it from 8-10 weeks (so it’s settled in the environment), that it’s house trained and isn’t destructive when left. If I were you, I’d set up a camera to watch it just for your peace of mind though.

I think people are misunderstanding the op (I did at first). The op is only going out for 4 hours in the evening, not overnight. Of course it’s better for the puppy to sit in its own house for 4 hours one evening, instead of being locked in a cage in a strange kennels for the entire night! At 5 months I’d be expecting a dog to be able to spend a few hours alone a day. Tire it out first and give it a long and some toys. Maybe get a neighbour or pay someone to check in on it for 20 minutes at some point if you’re really worried.

Kong not long

@NameChangeDoggy

i think some people skim read & saw the 'overnight' but read it out of context.

Home alone for that time would be fine. Well walked beforehand, earlier dinner & toileted before you leave. Safe toys.

However, for my own peace of mind, I'd ask a friend/friends teenager to 'pup sit'

my friends have a chocolate lab, I'm single/no kids & since they got the pup, I've spent more time there when they're out/away than I have when they're home. I'm there 5 days from tomorrow, they're in the sun somewhere.

Frequently there for an evening.

find yourself a mug for a cute woofa face & you'll be set!