Would you leave a 9 month old puppy for 3 weeks?

[Twoshoesnewshoes]

I think I know the answer to this!
but it’s been a while since I had a puppy.
ive seen a good litter, pups are currently 8 weeks.
problem is, we’re going away on holidays for three weeks next February, so the pup would be nine months.
we have a pet sitter lined up for our cats, friends daughter who is really lovely and very responsible (early 20’s).
how will the pup be at 9 months? Too annoying/anxious/unsettled to leave?

If it was with someone they knew and trusted then yes , I left my pup for 2 weeks when he was younger than that but with my dog walker who has seen him 3 times a week since he came home ( & he was left in his own home )

It’s very much going to depend on the pup also , mine was left when I had to work from about 2 weeks after he came
home , we are incredibly bonded but he’s never suffered with separation anxiety luckily .

We left our 4 month old puppy with DH's parents for 2 weeks. They moved into our house and did the housetraining etc. I think if they'd known in advance what they were signing up for they'd have said no....but fortunately it was years since they'd had a puppy and had forgotten.

A 9 month old is fairly reasonable...so I would if it was someone I trusted who understood dogs.

Thank you @bugalugs45 , yes pup would be in their own home with their (!) cats, that’s a good idea that I could ask the sitter to walk him for a month or so beforehand.

I think it would be okay, especially if you’ve done proper introductions and maybe sent him for a trial run first! I can’t remember exact dates and ages but I left mine for a couple of holidays in his first year.

From around five months I was working most days and he had a dog walker, and when I was away he was left with family, so he wasn’t used to me being there 24/7 anyway and was familiar with other people looking after him.

Could you not wait and get a dog afterwards?

Thanks all, really helpful.
@stayathomer yes I can, and happy to do this if general advice was not to leave her at 9 months.

I guess it’s a good idea to get dog walkers and sitters in before that anyway, good points about being used to other people.
my old DDog was used to, and happy with, being with other people.
though I was her favourite, of course.

Your friend would be living in with the pup ?
If so its not too bad even though it’s not ideal in terms of bonding, although this does depend on the breed of dog, what breed is it ? Dog will be ok as long as she/he is getting plenty of attention and normal amounts of walks etc.

With mine, I think she would have been easier to leave at 6 months than 9.

It depends on what breed you're going for of course and the personality of the pup itself, but at that age I would have only left mine with someone with quite a bit of dog experience. They needed a lot of careful management through adolescence not just someone who was responsible.

Yes the sitter would live here.
she’s got good experience with dogs.
it will be a Jackapoo

As in, the puppy will be a jackapoo
the sitter is human.

With a family member they knew really well and in a place they were already familiar with, yes.

In a kennels or with a dog sitter, absolutely not.

I wouldn’t. Poodle mixes can be notoriously clingy and prone to severe SA.

I definitely wouldn’t leave an adolescent dog with with a young adult who’d never own a dog before and who didn’t know the dog very well already. 9 months is prime dickhead territory. You need someone who knows what they’re doing.

The sitter has lots of experience with dogs, she would be staying in my home.
take the point about dickhead behaviour though.
maybe I should wait til I get back…

What happens if the puppy can't be left for long periods - is the sitter going to be able to stay in your house all day, everyday?

Yes the sitter can stay home.
but I would endeavour to train the pup to be left before then.

Mine wouldn’t have coped with that at 9 months, to be honest even at 3.5 years he’d probably struggle with 3 weeks! 2 weeks is our maximum we leave him once a year, he is a fairly clingy dog though and doesn’t bond too easily with other people.

Plus 9 months is a tricky age, they can get a bit fearful, be total twats etc so that’s quite a lot for someone else to deal with……

Go back to breeder if possible. Or get a house sitter or an amazing person who will care for your dog like it’s their own. Or back out of the purchase.

Yes, I would and did. My poodle cross (at 9 months) had a 3 week holiday with a home boarder when we went abroad. He was absolutely fine. He had/ has no SA or clinginess and slotted straight back in at home.
I felt rejuvenated after having a break.

Adolescence is a tough time and a dogs second fear stage during adolescence is an important time and you wont know when its happened until its possibly too late. Leaving could be the catalyst for problems further down the line if not planned for well.

If you decide to leave them, I would plan on starting training and familiarisation at being home alone with the sitter from about 6 months. One night here and there, then two nights. Pup needs to learn that this is normal and that you always come back.

Sitter needs to understand what they are signing up for. This is not house sitting this is childcare effectively.- pup will need structure, routine, training, play....you need to know that the sitter can do this and do it well. Three weeks is plenty enough time to undo all your training at a time when pup will regress and start pushing boundaries anyway.

Personally I think 3 weeks is too long. I'd be looking at 2 weeks once they are 12 months assuming I had the right care lined up.

Thanks everyone, lots of opinions and info’

Train your puppy so it doesn’t have anxiety you have plenty of time.

Thank you @Welshmonster that’s reassuring

Yes! Providing that you have a good routine going, and give all instructions to the dogsitter so they can carry on the routine while you’re gone.
At 9 months a pup should be fine being at home. A kennels would be a completely different matter though!!