Please critique my dog plan

[siblingrevelryagain]

We had a 9 week old shar pei this week and so far he seems to have settled in well.

I am not an experienced dog owner so would appreciate a critique (or not!) of my plans for him going forward.

I will be returning to work when he will be 15 weeks old. I have a large conservatory so plan to section off half of it which gives him full access to the garden and also the inside conservatory with crate/bed/blankets and dried food and water. He will be left at 8, after having had breakfast and a walk, someone will come in around 11.30/12, then I will return at 4.15.

I’d value honest opinions from experienced owners over whether this is ok; the conservatory has heating but with the door open it will be cold in the winter. Will he be warm enough with access to cosy bedding inside (I figure it’s like an outside kennel but sheltered from rain/wind etc)? Should I cover his crate to provide an insulated place if he gets cold?

[Hungrypuffin]

A shar pei is not an ideal dog for daycare. They are not a novice breed, full stop, and can be aggressive and unpredictable with other dogs.

A responsible breeder of shar peis would never, ever have homed this puppy to you. For one, they would have asked you about your experience with the breed. For two, they’d have asked about your working patterns and would not have sold you this dog with those hours. So either you weren’t truthful with the breeder or you’ve got yourself a puppy from a dodgy source.

In all honesty, I would rehome the dog now before you get too attached. I wouldn’t return to the breeder, simply because they don’t sound responsible. Contact the shar pei breed rescue and ask for advice.

If you still want a pet, get a cat.

[UnfinishedSymphon]

People like you make me sick, you shouldn't have a dog if all you're going to do is leave it all day.

Why did you get the dog?

[Bayleaf25]

Unsupervised access to the garden can also be dangerous, twice our young pup chewed a bush and a piece of twig got stuck in the roof of her mouth (wedged across) luckily I was there to remove it but if I hadn’t been around she would have been really distressed. She still tries to rip up bushes if I don’t keep an eye on her x

[FinnegansWhiskers]

OP why did you get a puppy just to leave him on his own all day? How is he going to learn toilet training? They don’t train themselves. Who is going to take him out and about to socialise? How is he going to learn to walk on a lead or recall? How is he going to learn acceptable behaviour?

What do you think your puppy is going to do when he’s home alone and bored out of his brain?

I have two dogs. When weather conditions allow I put them in the conservatory if I need to leave them for any reason. They are 5 and 4 and have never been left for more than 3 hours. If it’s too hot or too cold I leave them in the living room because, you know.... conservatories get extremely hot or extremely cold.

If you are lucky enough to find daycare for your puppy (they don’t take puppies unless they are fully innoculated) what are you going to do when daycare becomes too expensive?

Why, oh why didn’t you research a puppy’s needs before you got one?

[Shambolical1]

You're asking too much of a puppy that age, or really even an adult dog you will only have known for six weeks when you suddenly disappear for hours at a time every day.

This is risking ruining your dog for the future, not to mention the immediate risk to his health and state of mind as soon as you return to work. It's not fair on him, and unless you are prepared to pay somebody who is qualified and able to do what will actually be professional, near-residential training, not just 'doggy day care', it won't be fair on them, either.

He will need all the individual training and attention mentioned by previous posters and if you can't be there to do that, you will need to start thinking now about booking him a place with somebody who can.

Shar Pei males aren't the easiest of dogs, either.

I hope you can get something sorted for you and the pup; with all the 'lockdown pups' you won't be the only one with such a dilemma but now's the time for some careful thought.

[nicky7654]

Is your garden overlooked? I am asking as so many dogs are stolen from homes now for bait dogs. If your garden is safe then have a dog flap put in (I did this) so the room doesn't get so cold in the winter. Leave a radio on and maybe some chew toys and Kong's filled with a treat. You can also have a camera set up (I also have one) so you just look on your mobile to see if everything is ok. These modern devices are cheap and reliable. As soon as your back go straight out for a walk before you sit down. Good luck and enjoy your baby x

[Fairybio]

To echo so many others...

You can't get a puppy and then leave it. Full stop. Not for months and months. You then can teach it how to he left happily for short periods, but not with an open door and not in a conservatory.

Breeders should not be selling puppies to people who are not going to be at home with them.

If one of your family can't be at home, I would pay someone to come and dog-sit for the day. Going to daycare with other others will teach your one how to be part of a pack, but not how to be part of a family.

[cjpark]

At 15 weeks he is still a puppy. He will need socialisation, lead training, obedience training, physical exercise, bite inhibition training, be exposed to grooming and handling. He will have to learn to behave appropriately around children and loud noises and learn that he can be alone for short periods of time and that you will come back. This is a full time job.

You can of course choose not to do the above but you will end up with a dangerous teenage dog on your hands. I would be concerned with paying someone else to do this for you as the dog need to bond and respond to with you as his primary. Honestly, I would return the pup to the breeder.

[captainprincess]

I haven't read all the replies, but no of course that's not ok. But, you already have the puppy so what's your alternative. A plan before getting the puppy would have been a good idea. Also, someone mentioned theft, very good point. I wouldn't never leave my dog access to the garden if I wasn't home.

[SheldonSaysSo1]

When the puppy is older (closer to 1 years old) and for a couple of days a week this could work. If for the rest of the week (4/5 days) someone was home most of the day. At the moment the puppy is just a baby and you'll be storing up big problems if they are left all day.

[vanillandhoney]

@wireyfox

Aside from the daycare issue, people really shouldn't be buying or selling puppies before they are 12 weeks old. They really should have had their second set of immunisations before leaving where they were born.

The law states 8 weeks. Whatever your personal views, it's not fair to berate people who are following the law.

[SimonJT]

My puppy is turned 15 weeks on Monday, leaving him for that long would be innapropriate

The longest he has been left is an hour, he was being watched on a phone so we could see what he was upto. He has been to doggy daycare once, just remember if a dog isn’t fully toilet trained doggy daycare is more expensive as the staff are also having to train your dog. Lots of doggy daycare around here will only take very young puppies on a very part time basis as having a young pup five days a week means an entire member of staff being used for one dog. Most places will only take a dog ‘full time’ once they are six months old and reliably toilet trained.

Conservatorys get very hot, even with a window open, the breed you have chosen do not cope well with heat.

[tabulahrasa]

@wireyfox

Aside from the daycare issue, people really shouldn't be buying or selling puppies before they are 12 weeks old. They really should have had their second set of immunisations before leaving where they were born.

8 weeks is totally normal for most breeds...

[Ihaventgottimeforthis]

Doggy day care does seem like the only viable option.

Hopefully they can support you with socialisation and training, and your work commitments will ease soon so you can spend more time with your puppy.

[wireyfox]

Aside from the daycare issue, people really shouldn't be buying or selling puppies before they are 12 weeks old. They really should have had their second set of immunisations before leaving where they were born.

[vanillandhoney]

Lots of daycare centres won't take puppies until they're at least six months old and neutered.

[Wolfiefan]

It’ll cost you a fortune to have a sitter look after just your pup all day. And you can’t stick a giant puppy in with tiny ones. How on Earth is this going to work??

[BarkingHat]

Some day cares have puppy rooms. That helps as there's been an my vet says she's seem puppies getting long term cruciate damage from running around all day and not resting in some day cars locally.

[seadog1977]

Op what part of the country are you in , I can recommend a doggy day care that takes puppies as long as they have had their injections . Older dogs will need to be neutered . They have a puppy room, so they can be looked after separately from the bigger dogs .

[HalloumiSalad]

When I say lovely temperament, he is a softy, a Labrador who wasn't left alone for hours. Yours is a shar pei who would be in even tougher circumstances, so your outcome might be different.

[bunnygeek]

Also: never ever leave a puppy alone in the garden. That's how dogs are getting stolen all over the shop at the moment. Dog theft is mental right now.

Plus he may escape or eat something he shouldn't.

[tabulahrasa]

Aside from the dog stuff, I’m still going... so the door to your house is just wide open all day while you’re out?...

Anyway, yep doggy daycare is your best option really, you might want to look around quite a bit though, some are very much just a free for all with loads of dogs and just not an ideal environment for a puppy, especially from a breed likely to need the right kind of socialisation.

[HalloumiSalad]

At least you have asked the question op. I don't doubt it is hard for you to hear some of the responses (which have been fair, but from your pov coming from a starting point of thinking that was a workable plan, possibly a bit of a short sharp shock). Well done for taking it on the chin and not getting defensive. I really hope for your sake and the dogs you take the advice, because dog ownership should be a joy and you won't have that experience at all with your original plan, then dog becomes lifelong problem for you - whoever tries to take him on after you've had enough.
My friend got a pup last year, not had a dog before but all the best intentions and as an art home mum and dh working from home a lot it should have been fine. Pup arrived and at the same time she embarked on a major DIY project and her dh was away a lot. Dog was not alone much and was walked plenty but got little attention for hours every day. All his peak training windows were missed and she now has a beautiful, expensive, lovely temperament, dog who is a completely uncontrolled pain. Visitors have to be handed a squirty bottle of lemon juice to keep him at bay when they visit /shut him in another room while he scratches and whines, he harasses the children, their toys, their food. The one thing he is ok at is house trained. That was a dog growing up in a vacuum of guidance for the majority of his waking hours. It's no fun for her. She loves him and he is a loved family pet but he is a source of difficulty and people visit her less these days.

[bunnygeek]

Doggy daycare only works if the dog is properly trained and socialised. Not easy with a pei and after only 6 weeks with you. Some daycare asks for dogs to already be neutered and may not accept puppies either. It works for trained and socialised dogs, but not baby puppies.

You need family or a friend to be in the house with the pup while you're at work. Or use up a lot of holiday from work.

[SauvignonBlanketyBlank]

Woah no that's not a good idea.