13 week puppy & back to work!

[xxxCheshireMumxxX]

Good evening, our puppy will be 14 weeks when I return to work full time.

I work 7.45-4.15, (Monday-Thursday) 5 minutes from home so I plan to take him out in the morning & come home for my lunch & spend time with pup. He will then go back out for a walk after work.

This means he'll be alone just under 4 hours in the morning & in the afternoon, he is crated so I am presuming that this will be ok? We have started leaving him for periods of 2.5-3 hours this week under camera surveillance to see how he gets on & he is fine, chews his toys & falls asleep.

My question really is, what is your feeding schedule for age one or less dog when you work a normal working week? Should I feed him 3 times a day or 2?

We have older dogs (10 & 12) and on average only ever leave them for max 4 hours alone, a few times a week. They've VERY occasionally been left for up to 6 hours, but that's been in extreme/unpredictable circumstances. You can't seriously think it's okay to leave a solo puppy for that amount of time alone!? Surely at that age they need to be taken out to toilet every hour/2 hours? You can't expect him to hold it for 4 hours at a time? Dogs are social animals, they live in packs. You are your puppy's "pack" and leaving him alone all day is unnatural and confusing for him. In a couple of weeks he won't be sleeping as much as his is now, and will spend a huge chunk of his day pining and stressed about where his pack is. And shortly after that, he'll be awake for the majority of the time you're out... Anxious, upset, and likely annoying the hell out of your neighbours howling and barking, trying to call you home.

I booked THREE WEEKS off work. I am well aware of a puppies needs - clearly you're not well aware at all.

Why, why are dogs seen as a 'must have' accessory these days? No thought for the animal's needs. What you're describing is a crap life for a dog and just because other people similarly mistreat their dogs, doesn't make it right or acceptable.

I really hope this is some kind of sick wind up. If not, you are a disgrace OP and you should not have a dog.

Why have you just got a puppy when you are returning to work? That's insane.

About 1-2 hours after feeding he will need to go to the toilet so locking him away for 4 hours is cruel. Their little stomachs aren't designed to hold it for that long. That's why all guides say "up to x hours" but you're asking a dog to hold his bowel unnaturally every damn day.

Or soil his enormous () crate which will be distressing for him as dogs don't like to soil their own space, or have to stay next to it. It will also make him more difficult to housetrain.

Nuts. Poor puppy. I have a 5 month puppy. She only sleeps in her cage at night. There's NO WAY she would stay in her cage 8 hours a day without howling.

From September (my daughter has her on my work days but going back to college) she's going to puppy day care for 2 days and my parents are having her one day. There is no way I would leave her alone every day for hours. She's a sociable friendly companion dog and it would be cruel.

@RLOU30 OP wasn't replying as was playing with pup

How embarrassing. I'm glad you find the situation funny. Your puppy is going to spend his days sleeping next to his own shit. Fucking disgraceful.

I did a similar thing to @Lazypuppy, then after a year got another dog and they have the kitchen/dining room during the day. I never used a crate as I found it stressed them out.

They get 2x half hour walks a day.

I think the problem is that puppies are a trendy accessory at the moment. Its the fault of instagram IMO.

We have a 13 week old puppy. He is incredibly chilled but even so he requires loads of interaction. We deliberately got him a week before the school holidays started and he was with me during that time. Then the DC have 8 weeks off school plus I'm home all day every day. When the DC go back to school I work from home anyway and on the occasions when I have to go to meetings DH will be able to work from home to puppy sit.
He does sleep quite a bit but the pattern is that he will sleep for 40 minutes or so and then want to play, go to the loo, do some training etc. He has complete free reign of the large garden and takes himself in and out regularly to explore. When he sleeps it is generally at my feet. He is currently being fed 3 times a day at 7, 12ish and 6ish but gets snacks of things like raw carrot in between. We could in theory leave him whilst he's sleeping since he's so chilled but only for about 30 minutes.

When are you going to do all of the socialisation required which needs to happen in his first 4 months. Things like interacting with other dogs, lots of different people of different ages, water, other animals like horses and ducks, public transport, roads and traffic, day to day noises and smells?

What you are proposing OP is unfair but you know that which is why you are being so defensive.

Fed up of these posts from clueless people who have no idea about the responsibility involved of taking on a dog. Get a cat instead OP - you clearly have no idea what a dog requires. My partner and I work full time and our puppy is dropped off at daycare on our way into work, and picked up on the way back. The puppy loves it as he plays with other dogs all day, and he is very well socialised and chilled for his age as a result. Can't believe you would even contemplate leaving your pup in a crate for a 4 hour stretch ever, let alone twice a day. Poor poor dog - is going to be very stressed. Pay for daycare or send the pup back to his breeder.

I'm not all 'dog rights' but keeping a dog in a crate day and night is bloody cruel. At least let him have a roam of the house.
What breed is he?

Also can I ask where you got a crate that big?

You are seriously underestimating how much work a puppy is.
I look after 2 dogs, one is nearly 1yr and the other is 6/7mths. They are HARD WORK.
I walked them yesterday afternoon for an hour and a half, got home and they were still crazy and ready for more.
They hardly sleep in the daytime, what if your puppy barks constantly when you’re out?

Also, my friend had a dog. She went to work and thought he would be ok in the crate while she was out (first time she had left him alone) - he ate his way out of the crate, completely destroyed it.

She shut him in the kitchen instead the next day- he ate a hole in the kitchen door.

People say to me “oh your dogs are so well behaved”
It didn’t just happen, took years of work to get to the point now where I can go out for 4/5 hrs and leave them.

So cruel to leave a puppy alone for all that time most days. How will it ever learn what’s right and wrong with no one there to guide it every day and also to let it out in the garden every hour?

I thought a dog walker coming into the house a couple of times a day would be enough but quickly changed that opinion when our puppy arrived.

My dog as a puppy went to daycare and he still does as an adult. It was the best decision we made as he gets to play with his doggy pals and comes home happy and tired.

OP you are going to struggle with toileting at that age leaving your puppy so long either side of your visits. And when they hit teenage phase you could end up with lots of issues as they push boundaries even at the best of times.

That's far too long for a dog of any age to be in a crate but a puppy!!!

How are you going to train him? You know to walk properly on a lead, recall training, walk to heel, not chew things or people? Is the pup housetrained? If not how are you going to teach that? If he is then you can expect that to change when he is left alone all those hours.

At that age I was feeding my puppy 4 times a day and taking him out (if only in the garden) for him to toilet.

Yes puppies sleep a lot but not as much as you say. What about playing time for him? Only allowed to play when you deem so?

I have 2 dogs, 5 and 6 and only leave them 4 hours max and that is quite rare. They either go to a doggy day care or a friend or neighbour comes and sits with them

What about socialisation? It is so very important for a dog. I have a rescue that had no socialisation at all. I got him at 10 months and the damage was already done. Now at 5 he is scared of everything and everyone and yes I mean everything - trees, birds, other dogs, lorries, buses etc.

He has been to several behaviourists and they say because he wasn't socialised nothing can be done to help him.

He is honestly a nightmare dog but me and DH refuse to give up on him unlike his original owner who couldn't be bothered and the 3 supposed owners after he went to rescue

Mydogisthebest - I grew up with a dog that wasn't socialised at all for the first 6-8 months of her life. When we got her, the damage was also done. She spent the rest of her life terrified of other people and dogs. Ironically, because she was a GS, people were still frightened of her!

We have rescue dogs now (you know, the sort that people get as cute cuddly puppies, don't meet their needs and then get rid of when they're older and have developed behavioural problems....). I don't know their backgrounds but it's obvious to me that one was never socialised as a pup.

The op would like me to 'bore off' but I suspect I know a little bit more about dogs than she does 🤷‍♀️.

OP, a family member gave a home to a rescue dog who had been kept in similar conditions. The poor thing’s teeth were worn to nubs from chewing on the bars. They tried so hard with him, all sorts of professionals got involved but in the end he had to be euthanised under veterinary advice for everyone’s safety as he had developed a serious mental illness.

@Medievalist I think a lot of people don't realise just how important socialisation is.

The dog we got as a 9 week puppy we took everywhere we could think of - shops, markets, cafes, pubs, parks, the beach, etc. We made sure he met lots of people, saw and heard cars, buses, lorries, bin lorries etc. He is now a happy confident dog who love everyone and everything.

The rescue dog is just a nightmare. He gets really excited about going out but then once out goes into panic mode. He barks at birds, cars, people, other dogs, cats. He is a big dog with a loud deep bark. He is not vicious in the slightest, he barks because he is scared and wants the scary thing to go away. I get so much abuse from people though even though I try and stay away from everyone.

My heart breaks for him almost every day although indoors with me and DH he is the most loving friendly and devoted dog.

People like the OP just make me sick to be honest

It's too much time in the crate for sure.

I would look into doggy day care, or a walker who can take him for a good run in the morning. Then he can have bonding timing with you on your lunch break, and in the evenings, and a sleep in the afternoon.

He's more important, obviously, than your soft furnishings. Crate training can be a useful tool but it's not intended to be a cage for your dog 16 hours per day.

The rescue dog is just a nightmare. He gets really excited about going out but then once out goes into panic mode. He barks at birds, cars, people, other dogs, cats. He is a big dog with a loud deep bark. He is not vicious in the slightest, he barks because he is scared and wants the scary thing to go away. I get so much abuse from people though even though I try and stay away from everyone.

I have one EXACTLY the same. He's aggressive when we're out and about because he's scared and I also have to be very careful. But if you saw him cuddled up to me on the sofa or (ssshhhhh) bed it would break your heart. He's such an anxious boy - I can see it in his eyes and it's awful.

I know the op thinks I'm a pain but honestly, the damage some people do to man's best friend..... Well, I just hope Karma bites them (or an abused dog).

Poor dog that is much too long and I really pity your neighbours who will be listening to a dog barking constantly. How are you going to house train your puppy? Four hours is too long to expect it to be able to wait to toilet. How are you going to be able to leave him with free run of the house if you aren't there to teach it how to behave? You are going to end up with a dog with serious behaviour problems.

I just don't see how this dog can be socialised properly with a lifestyle that involves him being shut away alone for eight hours a day. Today we have been to a lake to see the ducks and geese, smell all the different smells (goose poo - yum), get used to little children screeching and running around, look at the water (thankfully we didn't test it out for swimming purposes!), meet some peacocks, see some enormous horses and see lots of people on bikes and scooters. We've also just had a quiet woodland walk this evening and we've done some recall training.

My parents take in rescue dogs, and they all come with problems (some more severe than others). Medievalist and mydogisthebest know what they are talking about.

OP, you should not be having a dog. And the breeder who was willing to sell a puppy to you, when you are evidently completely unsuited to dog ownership both practically and psychologically, is not a reputable breeder.

Why oh why would you get a tiny puppy, or any dog at all actually, when you are out at work all day ?
This is an incredibly cruel thing to do to a pup. Disgusting. Crating a puppy for eight hours every day ? You should be reported to the RSPCA, I am amazed a breeder sold you a puppy, unless you lied.