9 week old puppy left alone min 8 hours

[Peony15]

A young co-worker was watching their 9 week old Frenchie puppy crying at home via a webcam.
Puppy is left alone ! crated with food/drink/toys/puppy pads for around 8 hours shift time inc commute.
I told her that you can't leave a puppy especially at that age for more than 1 hour max , let alone caged.
The poor animal must be super anxious, it's making me ill thinking about it.
No one else can watch it, I asked.
I'm sure no responsible breeder hands over a puppy at 9 weeks to a working single person without proper careplan/background checks.
We work shifts so it's left at different times.
I don't know where co-worker lives.
Think co-worker expected me to coo over new puppy and not voice my concern at what is going on.
Had a sleepless night, what can one do , think RSPCA won't come out until pet left alone over 24 hours ?
Co-worker is "influencer" type iykwim..
Should I accept many animals suffer like this as owners buy them without thinking how much care a puppy needs ? You wouldn't leave a human baby home alone either ?

@Hmmmbetterchangethis that's horrific.

And to think we hate leaving ours for more than a couple of hours and he's an adult dog!

I don't know why some people get dogs, I really don't.

I went to a patient who had three very large dogs. The dogs never ever left the one bed flat. There was faeces and urine everywhere. The carpet was saturated and smell overwhelming. We safeguarded the patient and phoned the RSPCA. The RSPCAs response was I’m sorry we’re so overwhelmed and short staffed that it doesn’t meet out threshold for neglect !!!!

im just hoping from the safeguarding that social services will hand more luck :(

when i was a child we had a dog who was left at home all day alone while mom and dad worked and we were at school. was the norm back then. moms got a shih tzu now and doesn't even leave him to go to the corner shop

Most adult dogs can be built up to be left for 4-5 hours in a block but they do need to have grown up a bit. My last dog was left very happily when she was mature enough to handle it and it was built up.

Crates like anything can be abused. Crate training is spending months slowly building value as the crate as a great place to be. Not just shutting them in. They can be invaluable in certain situations but if you want to use one it’s a big time commitment to train. I do as I find them useful for the dog training activities I take part in as a place to relax (and that’s why it takes so long as you have to reinforce it as a place to settle). I don’t crate a dog as a matter of course as by the time they will be left they will be happy to just chill and be beyond the puppy stuff.

This is way more common than people would like to think it is . Unfortunately the practice of caging dogs has allowed this sort of thing as before it was the ‘norm’ to use a cage this type of person would have had a few days of getting home to piss / shit / damage and the dog would have been rehomed . Sadly because all the mess is contained this dog , like many others , will be trapped in this situation because the only inconvenience to the owner is picking up a soiled pad or two .

This - absolutely. Every time I post my disapproval of cages on here I get told that they're absolutely fine when used properly and, 'my dog loves theirs!'

But their very existence makes stupid people think it's okay to cage a dog and take it out when it suits them.

Awful for you op to be in this position. Horrific for the poor dog. I wouldn't be able to hold my tongue I'm afraid.

My old neighbour used to shut their dog in a very small bathroom to howl and get themselves in a right state. Maybe we should ban bathrooms?

A crate/cage is a tool like any other. Used properly and they can be a game changer for a lot of dogs. Used incorrectly like anything then dogs suffer.

I'm sure she still has the hassle of having to clean a crate and after 8 hours the pup probably needs a bath too, if it's not eaten the poo it's bound to have trodden the multiple poos 💩all over and either laid in it or a pissy patch and those puppy pads scrunch up really easily too. It can be worse than cleaning the kitchen floor when they get poo over the bars too, had a couple of vomit or shitsplosions to clean over the years where they've been sleeping and not had time to get out of crate let alone outside.

It's cruel and I would tell her so.

RSPCA won't do anything about it. I once called them because a deaf elderly neighbour had left their dachshund outside on a frosty winters night (obviously couldn't hear it barking non-stop). The RSPCA told me the dog would find itself some shelter in the garden under a bush!

Yet another example of totally irresponsible dog ownership.

And that's putting it mildly. She's chosen to be cruel to that poor dog.

We really do need a sea change in attitudes towards dogs and what responsible ownership involves

@Newpeep - you're missing my point. The advent of cages (I refuse to use the euphemistic term 'crate') has normalised the idea that it's okay to lock a dog up. We can all indulge in 'whataboutery' and yes people lock dogs in rooms/sheds etc. But the idea that all dogs have to be crate-trained is rife on Mumsnet. And yes, lots of people will use them as intended.
Unfortunately far too many people think they're entitled to own a dog, and cages enable those whose lifestyle or intelligence isn't suited to owning one. Out of the house all day? No probs - stick it in a cage! Can't be arsed to get up regularly through the night with a new puppy? No probs / stick it in a cage (preferably far enough away so your sleep isn't disturbed by its crying) and let it sleep next to its own faeces and urine. People can be so fucking entitled and cruel.

I would in a really nice way say something to your co-worker, totally non-confrontational.. but say there must be another solution for the puppy.. and help her to find it.

Well said .

Did not see co-worker yesterday , we are a huge building though, so was half hoping she stayed at home. Hopefully someone will read this thread too before getting a dog/puppy.
Being a ( rescue ) dog owner myseIf who works , already told her most of above and what is good practise. e.g I took a month off when dog arrived , dog had company always ( easier as we are a family ) , was left 30 mins alone to max 2 hours after a few months. Has daily dog walker in a mixed group plus morning and eve walks with family. Very different breed to Frenchie though, they are companion dogs and get very stressed alone.
Co-worker is young and very nice, might now realize the responsibility of having a puppy/dog. Social media has no photos of it yet which gives me hope that it has been a big reality check. It is almost the same as bringing a new born human home.
Next time we talk will try and offer helpful advice, some co-workers also do petsitting so might try to turn it into " lets help you and your puppy " type of maternal older co-worker advice session.
Thanks for all the input, someone will benefit from collective discussion on here on this hopefully.

She needs to get a pet sitter to pop in at lunch time. How on earth will the poor puppy ever get house trained? Point this out to her. The puppy needs toileting every hour or so.

That's far too long, the poor dog probably needs to go out to toilet around every 2-4 hours at that age still. We only got a puppy when between us we were only out for about 2 hours. We got a dog walker to call in to do social and pee break visits when she was picking up the dog from down the street for their walk. The pup needs this sort of visit and/ or to go to doggy daycare.

I would have to say something to her. Its disgusting leaving any dog locked in a crate 8 hours never mind a puppy. I can guard she will get rid of that dog in the future. How is she even toilet training it. That is pure animal abuse.

@Peony15 - have you spoken to her yet?

@SlipSlidinAway I asked a few days ago how " the baby " was ( deliberate choice of wording ) and was told someone is with the puppy. Think colleague knows how a puppy should be cared for by my initial reaction and might have had realized how much responsiblity is involvded. Is keeping a low profile around me so hoping , but do not know , initial message has sunk
in.

I think the phrase 'the baby' says a lot. My pups are my babies and, honestly, the first few months it is like having a baby as they turn your routine upside down. Hoping things have improved for the pup.

Must be lovely for her neighbours if she has them, I'm having to go through a noise complaint because of my neighbour's dog scream barking all morning when she's out at work (I work nights). Too many people have dogs that don't have the lifestyles for them

The dog is fed, watered and sheltered which I suppose makes it better off than those dogs whose owners don't regularly feed them or who leave them out in the snow which means nobody can do anything about it. It is unbelievable that the poor pup is crated for so long. Could you talk to your colleague in a non confrontational manner and get them to at least give the puppy the run of the kitchen?