Leaving the dog on Christmas Day

[puginamug]

Our puppy will be 9 months old at Christmas.

We have been invited to relatives on Christmas Day. We'll be at home in the day, then leaving around 4 and will probably back about midnight.

Will the dog be OK in his crate? Relatives have toddlers and it will all be too exciting to take him.

We haven't left him for more than a couple of hours up think now. Once for 4 hours.

I'm thinking if we have a long walk in the day, this will effectively just be giving him a (very) early night. Or am I being unrealistic?

Don't look for a random stranger to dog-sit for you on Christmas Day.

Put your puppy before your Christmas social life
Stay at home
And as for inviting some random from Facebook then if you do that expect to come back to a puppy free house at midnight.

We’d leave our older dog for an evening if he’d had a couple of walks, but he would have been distressed being left that long at 9 months.

I also would not want someone else’s dog in my house.

Invite them round to your house.

FFS of course it's too long. I wouldn't even leave my adult (non crated) dogs for that length of time.

8 hours is too long to leave a dog in a crate. And too long to leave a puppy on its own

Obviously I wouldn't invite some random from Facebook to look after him.

The Facebook group is a village community group of my neighbours.

They are people I've known for over 10 years.

People are often posting on there looking for companions for dogs.

How far away are you from your relatives? If it's less than say half an hour, can you come back for a walk and company at some stage ?

We have a couple of dog walkers/sitters through www.borrowmydoggy.com. It's great because both you and the borrowers pay a bit ( owners more) so there is insurance in place if anything happens. I'm sure a nearby family would want to come and snuggle a puppy on Christmas day.

Host Christmas yourselves.
Take the dog with you.
Get a sitter for the dog.
4-12 is too long to be left. 4 hours in a crate is pushing it I think!

I’d get a travel crate - they’re not expensive and ours was an essential - and take him with you. You can take him for a couple of good walks and wear him out while there and crate him to sleep in between if you think he’ll tolerate that?

@puginamug

Obviously I wouldn't invite some random from Facebook to look after him.

The Facebook group is a village community group of my neighbours.

They are people I've known for over 10 years.

People are often posting on there looking for companions for dogs.

Perfect Do that

A friend of ours in the village is going to take him for the evening.

Thank you everyone for all your input.

You've inspired me @puginamug , I am home all through Christmas so I'm now browsing local facebook groups to see if I can get myself a dog to babysit for a few days

That's far too many hours. And leaving him in a crate? NO. Either get home early, take the puppy with you, get someone to walk him in your absence, or don't go.

Sorry, just seen that you've got someone to have your dog. Good.

At 9 months your pup is too young to be left alone for about 8 hours. It is also far too long for any age of dog to be left in a crate.

missed your update, thats great, have a wonderful xmas day.

Its much too long for any dog,never mind a puppy.there will be many occasions during the lifetime of your dog,where you have to think of the dog,rather then you.get used to this idea.one of you has to stay with the puppy,as you would probably not find a dogsitter.

good result op

That's great OP, glad you've found someone to have him.

My neighbours' dog has awful separation anxiety and barks continuously all day long when they go out for the day.

I feel so sorry for the poor thing. I can't look after him for them as my dog wouldn't be able to cope with a strange dog.