Hello. I have recently picked up our first family dog, a Labrador puppy. He is now 10 weeks old and is gorgeous. He has been ridiculously easy to house train and although he has his expected puppy crazy times, the whole process has been tiring but brilliant. We have followed the advice in 'Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy' by Steve Mann and it has worked for us (so far, we are only 2 weeks in!).
Dh and I organised it so between us we would have 3 weeks off work to settle in new puppy. I am a teacher and go back to work on 19th April. We then have 6 weeks before my DD who is in Year 11 finishes school, and she will be at home with him then. I break up early July so will have 2 months off until September.
Anyway, there are 2 weeks before he is fully vaccinated and can go to daycare, so he will be left in the house between 8:30 and 3:30 when my DC come back from school.
I bought a crate and he does go in it to sleep, but I haven't ruthlessly done crate training. He has been left alone in the crate a few times for about an hour when we have popped out and has been fine. DD stayed in the house two of the times upstairs and said he barked a couple of times but then was quiet.
We have a play pen too but haven't put it up. I am worried about leaving him over the two weeks.
I have arranged a puppy visits twice a day at 10am and 1:30pm and my SIL who is on maternity leave is going to see him at 12 every day.
I feel bad leaving him in the crate, and especially him being out of the crate for the visits but having to go back in after half an hour of freedom.
Do you think the play pen would be better for him than the crate? The crate is extra large and he is happy in it, but I don't like the idea of him being locked up repeatedly. He is not used to the playpen but I still have all next week to get him happy with it.
It is only 2 weeks but I am massively over thinking it all. Any advice or experience would be very much appreciated.