How much time did you actually spend with your puppy in the first few weeks?

[mintchocchick]

We are getting a puppy beginning of September and I'm trying to work out how much time I need to take off work.

I work from home, upstairs in a study, doing admin tasks on the computer and making phone calls. I can plan when I work, but tend to work in one hour long chunks (before spending 30-40 mins in the kitchen making coffee, putting on washing etc). So in the 6 hours that the kids are at school, I work about 3-4 hrs each day.

Just wondering if I'm going to be able to do those one hour chunks, at my desk away from puppy, in the first few weeks. Have other people found they needed to be with their puppy all the time?

That sounds fine to me. You need to keep the puppy in a confined area to encouage it not to wee or poo there then As soon as you return to your puppy take them outside for a wee so you can reward it. All the short breaks will help your puppy get used to being left and give the puppy the opportunity to practice calm greetings on your return.

You might find this book fits well for you...
Ian Dunbar's puppy training

Thanks mothership

We have a crate from a friend for night times and day breaks like these.

I was hoping that if I did a bit of training/playing/taking outside for a wee, during my work breaks (which occur every hour say) that that would tire our puppy out, so he would then settle and sleep for the next hour.

How much do puppies usually sleep?

I have Gwen baileys book "the perfect puppy" as the puppy trainer I'm going to recommended it. Do you think this other book adds much more?

I had completely forgotten how much puppies sleep and the LandShark got really over tired for a while as he cannot put himself to bed- like a toddler he needs actively "putting down" for a nap.
Your plan sounds fine, similar to ours in fact. The first couple weeks were very full on and I felt quite jaded by the sheer amount of work involved. It did however get better very quickly :)

We're getting our puppy middle of September.

Our breeder has recommended leaving them from the start so they don't get separation anxiety. I'm a SAHM but volunteer once a week for 3 hours and am constantly in and out the house.

What kind of puppy are you getting?

I got the Dunbar book when I got my first puppy and actually it was a bit "Gina Ford" for me, a bit regimented. But I can totally see the sense in what he suggests, which is very much what you are planning, short bursts of playing/training with restricted rest in between. Sorry, not sure how similar this is to the Bailey one as I haven't seen it.

I found it much like having a small baby. I needed to be around in case he needed me but he sleeped for large chunks. You are around so I think you'll be fine.

Sweet kitty - ours is an old English sheepdog, very boisterous but gentle with kids and just lovely and cuddly!

Was it you who suggested a new puppy support thread? Very good idea as there are lots of us with September puppies.

Thanks to others, I used Gina Ford with DS1 and picked bits that suited me so I might try the Dunbar book too. I need structure and a system for my sanity!

Our pup slept loads with bouts of manic jumping, nipping, running in between. It is tiring but so worth it.

Mine slept loads, and still does at 11 months. But I think what you have to plan for, is how tired you will be as well.

I work from home most days, and I found that when our boy was really young, I did find it hard work (still is to be honest, but we're a lot more settled into a routine and it does get loads easier). So when you had play time for an hour, then the pup would sleep for an hour, it was like I couldn't switch straight onto work. I would often find that I was just only starting to get into work as the pup woke. Bearing in mind that all the stuff with the pup is in addition to work and chores etc, its not really surprising if you get tired.

Getting settled int a routine really does help, even more so when you can walk the pup. Mine would always go to sleep after a walk, even though he only got 15 min walks as a youngster. And I learned to become more disciplined, and give myself 5 minutes with a coffee straight after a walk, then straight into work.

So your arrangement sounds totally workable, just remember to factor in a bit of downtime for yourself as well, as it is hard work.

That's a good point hercy thank you.

I tend to use my coffee making time as thinking/prep for a work phone call as those are often intense, or I plan work emails in my head while I'm loading the washing machine as my emails have to be phrased very precisely! Sounds odd but it works for me! That won't really be possible if I'm using that time for training/ garden for toilet etc.

So actually things will be very different. And its a good point about tiredness. I really can't afford to take much time off work so soon after school holidays but might need to plan reduced work weeks at the least.