How much freedom for a puppy?

[ProseccoSupernova]

We have a 10 week old Spaniel. We have a crate and a playpen attached. He is in there for most of the day with lots of toilet and play time with us every hour or two. I feel so guilty seeing him asleep or just walking around the pen but surely he is too young to give him the run of the whole room? He is in our living room as our kitchen is too small so there are sofas and other things in there he could damage if left to wander on his own. How old were your puppies when you left them unsupervised? He is in a crate at night and sleeps brilliantly but don’t want to shut him in a small crate during the day

@ProseccoSupernova

He is not ‘locked up’ he is in a pen approx 3x2m (the size of some people’s rooms) with loads of toys, a comfy bed and water. We can’t supervise him 24/7. Surely some people do a lot worse and leave them alone all day! We are in and out of the room all day interacting with him, taking him out to play in garden etc and he is out of the pen completely from 4pm onwards. But I take on the tips and will look to give him more space and see how it goes this week.

My rabbits have a 2.4m x 2.3m pen. They're minilops. He's a dog.

crate is for when you are in the shower /asleep. he needs to learn to be in the house and wants to be with you wherever you are 99% of the time

I can’t work out why awareness is being raised to not keep small furrys in cages the hole time but increasingly leaning towards caging dogs it’s like some mad parallel universe

Only time my boy is in his crate is when it’s bed time he loves it he’s got a big snuggly vet fleece and trots off quite happily. Rest of the time he’s either - asleep at my feet or milling about playing with toys or we are playing and now walkies as he can go out. I get that you wouldn’t be able to see if he did start chewing or being destructive but have him in the room with you puppy proof and have appropriate toys in room with you, I think it’s good to be able to pop in the pen but when my boy is having his morning nap I get so much done he hardly moves a muscle

My spaniel is 9 weeks and he has run of the kitchen and snug as there is no door between them.

He does have a crate but hes only in there to sleep, which is obviously quite a bit at the moment as hes tiny! Hes currently playing with a cardboard tube at my feet.

I think some dogs so genuinely like their crates - mine takes himself off onto his for a nap quite often and is happy enough with the door closed. Its very cosy in there!

Let him out and block off stairs. Ours had access to kitchen hallway and lounge. No they shouldn't have full access to the house at first, it's daunting and they are more likely to do a little wee upstairs and you won't see them.

But they should be able to sit with you, cuddle you, they are part of your family and so much of it is about the relationship and bond you form at that start.

Our puppy had the run of the downstairs area (still not allowed upstairs). The crate was only used for the first couple of months and only at night or if we popped put. Toilet training is easy if you commit to taking them out every half hour at first then every hour.

Why on earth is he stuck there on his own all day?

We used the crate for our 10 week old puppy overnight (he was within ear shot so I could hear if he was upset or wanted to go out) and if I needed to go out for an hour and couldn't take him with me.

The rest of the time he had free reign of the downstairs, I'm not sure how you can house train a puppy who is in a pen most of the time?

Your set up sounds a bit ott tbh, how will the puppy learn not to chew furniture or behave in a home environment if he's always contained?

Are you taking the puppy outside into the big wide world every day to socialise him/her? If not had jabs you should carry them.

Maybe she thought it was a mini lop bunny 🤦‍♀️

I don't understand why he's in a pen (however big, small, whatever) when you're there?!

My 9 week puppy has the run of the house. She is crated at night and a few times a day for 15-20 minutes (and occasionally puts herself in it for a nap). She hasn’t been left alone yet but when she is, it will be for a short period of time and in the crate then once a bit more house trained, she will be shut in the kitchen. When she’s grown and can be trusted, she will just be left in the house.

She’s currently conked out on the floor next to the sofa. Surely this is the point of a dog

We’re constantly watching her so she hasn’t destroyed anything. The odd accident inside as she doesn’t give much warning before she needs the loo but overall it’s going very well.