Leaving dog for 8 hours???

[JessesGrl]

taking her to work is NOT an option unfortunately..I will be a therapist at a childrens home...not good to have a puppy around when you are trying to have a session w/ a child..

 

[AndyRosse]

Jesse, calm down.

There are plenty of options before you decide to give her up just because you will be working soon. First, are either of you two able to come home at lunch to take her out and play with her for a bit?? Or how about a neighbor, friend, family member, etc? Or again, the suggestion of a professional dog walker?

Are you planning on leaving her in the crate even when she is an adult dog? Or if she is well behaved will you be leaving her out of the crate once she''s trained? Because then maybe you are only stuck in this situation temporarily.

Also, if you guys cannot have anyone stop by and take her out, honestly just consider fencing her in your kitchen with some baby gates and leaving some "wee pads" or newspaper or whatever in case she really has to go. I am all for crating her at night, but for 8 hours ALONE, I would rather see her confined to a larger area than a cage, but of course, not the entire house.

There are many opportunities and who knows, maybe before you go back to work she will just be an angel and you will be able to leave her out of her crate during the day!!

 

[Mara]

oh my god PLEASE do not return the puppy just because you have to work!!

there are PLENTY of pets out there whose parents work 8 or 9 hour days and they are just as happy as can be. you do not have to be a stay-at-home dog mom....pets just want to be loved.

Trust me, my dog is FAR from traumatized when I leave her alone. In fact, she probably welcomes the solitude, she''s pretty independent. I cannot stress that the personality of the dog comes into play too, when she was a puppy she was the same way, kind of off doing her own thing, and very curious. She loves to be around us, but she likes her alone time too.

Your dog is not going to be dire and unhappy because you have to go to work and/or leave her in a crate and/or playpen...dogs easily adjust and they know when they are loved. You will eventually learn how to please your dog and make them happy.

It really bothers me to see that you would return the dog just because of what people say on a forum like this! Are you sure you are in it for the long haul?? Dogs do require a committment, but I firmly believe if you are in love with your animal that is all that matters, not the semantics. As long as you can come home after the day of work and spend time with your pup and give her the love she needs, and attention at that time, then she will be fine!

 

[sjz]

Date: 5/12/2005 6:19:59 PM
Author: fire&ice

Date: 5/12/2005 4:14:35 PM
Author: moremoremore
I''ll try...LOL...but I AM a cat lover...so there must be lots wrong with me ...Oops, there I go again.

Ahh, that explains it. Cats are from Venus. Dogs are from Mars.

Entirely different story. Though, we did have a cat who prefered to be in a ''cage''. He had an injury that forced us to confine him for a week. He LOVED that cage. We left it up for him. I think he thought it was his own carribean island.

That said, my pup did come to my work place & the pup even went to hubbies. Though, not a good idea with starting a new job.

I have both a cat and a dog, and I think I could leave the cat alone for a week at a time and she''d be ok. As a matter of fact, sometimes when she goes out, she doesn''t come back for three or four days. The first couple of times she did that, I worried myself sick about her. Now I just know she will come back when she''s good and ready. The dog, on the other hand, is much more of a "people person" and would get lonely if we left her alone for more than a few hours at a time. She doesn''t mind being confined as much as she hates being alone.

 

[sjz]

Date: 5/12/2005 7:03:07 PM
Author: JessesGrl
Here she is...I am so upset I feel like I am going to puke...I wish the breeder would have said something about leaving her...I have never owned a puppy before and neither has my FI. I just e-mailed the breeder to see what he says, reading the posts is very contradictory...some make me feel better, some a lot worse. I am an animal lover and I do not want to be selfish and keep her b/c WE will be happier, I rather the pup be happy. I too have always had cats but FI is allergic and we really wanted a pet..I love her after a few days...god this is a shi*tty circumstance!!!!! I am afraid the breeder us going to tell me that it''s cruel but not want to give us our money back. We are willing to take a loss but not 650 dollars, we are a young couple just starting out and that is not a feasible loss to us. I am sick over this... look at her pic..she is the sweetest thing!!! Thanks for everyones responses

Your puppy is adorable!!!! I wish I lived nearby, I''d puppy sit her for you in a HEARTBEAT! I think you should take advantage of these weeks before you have to start work and keep on crate training her. She will learn quickly. If you have a laundry room or an area in the house where you can fence off for her and leave some toys and water for her while you are at work, I think she will be fine. Be sure and leave her crate in the confined area with the door open so that she can go there when she wants to sleep or feel "secure". You might even consider leaving a radio or TV on while you are gone so she doesn''t get deafened by the silence when you are away. I''d also really seriously consider trying to find a dog walker to come by around mid day and take her out for a walk and spend a few minutes with her. At least for the first few weeks after you go back to work to sort of transition her into being alone. I honestly think she will do fine once you have a routine established and she''s old enough to be left a lone for the day. Dogs are very smart and adapt much better than we humans do...

Before you leave for work each day, I''d set aside 20-30 minutes to take her for a walk and spend some time playing with her and being around her. Do the same thing as soon as you come home each evening. That way, she will not feel abandoned and neglected when you have to leave. My dog has a stuffed animal that she loves to play with and curl up with when she naps and sleeps. We call it her "woobie". Can you get your puppy a woobie to keep her company when you are not around? Sleep with the toy yourself for a night or two so that it gets your scent, and that will be a HUGE comfort to your puppy when you are not at home.

I know how you feel. Pets can become just like kids. They are so trusting and innocent! Think long and hard before you give her back!

 

[AndyRosse]

I should mention, just as I know Jennifer has in previous forums, that "first time moms" can be very, very scared!!

While my dogs have always been family dogs, my cat was MY first pet, and let me just tell you, I was scared to death when that little kitten wouldn''t stop meowing at me. And for days I just wondered if I had made a mistake, and what should I do...argh, the questions kept going through my head.

But don''t worry, you love that dog, and that is the most important thing!! Everything will work out, just sit back, take a deep breath, and realize that first time moms, whether it''s chiildren, dogs, cats, etc., are going to be scared, but this nothing you can''t get over!!

 

[mrssalvo]

Dave, Your dog is simply GORGEOUS!!!

 

[sjz]

Date: 5/12/2005 8:05:24 PM
Author: crankydave
Jennifer,

I crate trained all my dogs.

Here''s the man of the house... Jake

Dave,

Jake is probably the most HANDSOME dog I''ve ever seen! Such a sweet face!

 

[sjz]

Jenny is beautiful as well!

 

[Kaleigh]

Dave,
You''re dogs are just beautiful, and happy too!!!

 

[Jennifer5973]

Whether you believe in crate training or not, you cannot get a puppy and leave it for 8 hours. Period. Puppies are a LOT of work and need to be let out every few hours as their bladder develops, eventually being able to last a whole work day. Puppies are cute, adorable, loving, fun, AND a gigantic commitment.

Both my rescue dogs were out of young puppyhood and 100% trained when I got them. Perhaps this is yet another great reason to go rescue.

 

[sjz]

Date: 5/12/2005 8:55:00 PM
Author: Jennifer5973
Whether you believe in crate training or not, you cannot get a puppy and leave it for 8 hours. Period. Puppies are a LOT of work and need to be let out every few hours as their bladder develops, eventually being able to last a whole work day. Puppies are cute, adorable, loving, fun, AND a gigantic commitment.

Both my rescue dogs were out of young puppyhood and 100% trained when I got them. Perhspd this is yet another great reason to go rescue.

Agreed, Jennifer. Puppies and kittens are like human babies. They need a lot of time and attention in addition to the training. But unlike human babies, they do grow up and mature quite a bit faster. By the time a puppy is 6 months old or so, she should be able to be left in a safe environment with access to water and someplace to go potty as long as she''s been properly trained.

People who want a dog, but are unable to be with the dog for the majority of the time in the first several months need to be aware of this and either get a rescue dog like you suggest, or at least a full grown dog. I know that lots of breeders will sell or put up for adoption their retired breeders. These animals make wonderful pets. The other option if a person really has their heart set on a puppy is to make sure that they make arrangements to have someone, whether it be a friend, neighbor, dog walker, or whatever available to walk the dog until she is old enough to be left alone for 8 hours at a time.

 

[JessesGrl]

Thanks!!! Your dogs are soooooooo beautiful!!!!! I love collies!!!!

 

[moremoremore]

Leave it to you JFo to say in a few words what I''ve been trying to say....eloquent as usual...!

BTW, beautiful pix of these puppies...really wonderful!

And F&I, there actually was the FUNNIEST web site about cats called CatsAreFromMars... it demonstrated how cats are aliens...very funny....I loved my german shep..was a wonderful dog, but now have kitties b/c I''m in the city now...Believe it or not, cats also like small, confined areas...I''ll open up the carrier and they''ll sit in it happily...

Oh no SJZ, letting cats outside is another can of worms...! But I;ll refrain from my rant

...

 

[bluedawg]

Dave, your dogs are all just gorgeous! What a smart breed, too.

 

[Diachi]

style="WIDTH: 98.93%; HEIGHT: 87px">Date: 5/12/2005 3:37:23 PM
Author: crankydave

While I agree crating your dog can be misused or abused, I''m certainly not going to claim to be an expert dog trainer. Dave

Well, then one of is and one of us isn''t-although every time I think I have the training of a dog figured out, he/she finds a way to throw me for a loop, LOL!

I think the info you provided is a great rule of thumb Dave, I just hate when people come to me for suggestions on housebreaking a young puppy to not go potty in its crate. 9 times out of 10, they are leaving it in the crate for an entire day and that is just TOO long for them to physically hold it!

And I love your Shelties, Dave! Are you active in obedience or agility with them? I can''t wait to get into a "proper" housing situation to get a larger-breed for obedience (and conformation) again...I''m thinking English Cocker Spaniel but it will be a while!

WARNING-Stepping onto my soapbox

I don''t agree with the statement "Physically (according to my vet & all trainers), a pup at 12 weeks should be able to hold its urine for 8 hours." I have worked as a dog walker, a veterinarian assistant, both a dog and horse trainer, paid to show dogs for clients, and now in a marketing position for a very well-know doggy business that has 32 stores across the country and growing, I have never heard that it is okay to leave an 8-12 week old puppy in a confinded area like a crate without relief for 8 hours or more-just my opinion but I do think I have a pretty wide range of experience to justify it-Stepping OFF of soapbox now and going to drool over everyone''s diamonds AND dog pictures!!!

 

[Mara]

I wanted to chime in once more and reiterate to Jesse's Girl not to panic.

There are tons of people out there who have full time jobs and get puppies, take a few weeks off, and then go back to work and manage to raise a great dog. You don't have to be a stay-at-home puppy mom to raise a happy dog. You will figure it out. I think a great thing to do in the meantime while the pup is growing is to continue to train her to hold it....and then when you go back to work, get the dog walker or similar, or MIL to come for 30 minutes and take the dog for a quick walk, a poddee break etc. It may be a temporary fix until she is old enough to be on her own for longer periods of time.

You will be shocked at how fast they grow and how quickly you become adept at figuring out for yourself what is best for her. This is all advice from various people, myself included, on what has worked or not worked for them...but the best advice is trial and error and patience!

Good luck and you will figure it out. There were times the first month of having Portia that I wanted to pull my hair out but I would never give up those puppy memories for anything. They are priceless!

 

[JessesGrl]

Thanks Mara...
Dave- sorry I called your "shelties", "collies"....they are beautiful none the less!!!!!

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 5/13/2005 3:00:13 AM
Author: Mara
I wanted to chime in once more and reiterate to Jesse''s Girl not to panic.

There are tons of people out there who have full time jobs and get puppies, take a few weeks off, and then go back to work and manage to raise a great dog. You don''t have to be a stay-at-home puppy mom to raise a happy dog. You will figure it out. I think a great thing to do in the meantime while the pup is growing is to continue to train her to hold it....and then when you go back to work, get the dog walker or similar, or MIL to come for 30 minutes and take the dog for a quick walk, a poddee break etc. It may be a temporary fix until she is old enough to be on her own for longer periods of time.

You will be shocked at how fast they grow and how quickly you become adept at figuring out for yourself what is best for her. This is all advice from various people, myself included, on what has worked or not worked for them...but the best advice is trial and error and patience!

Good luck and you will figure it out. There were times the first month of having Portia that I wanted to pull my hair out but I would never give up those puppy memories for anything. They are priceless!

And don''t forget the puppy breath!

This is just insanity. Quite frankly, in my dog rescue, we considered some of the "stay at home mom''s" to be UNFIT. They couldn''t handle the dog hair - DUH! relugated the dog to the back yard & threw dog food out the door. The time you spend with the dog isn''t as important as the quality of care you give it. Dogs just want to be loved. They don''t put you on the clock.

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 5/12/2005 11:59:59 PM
Author: Diachi

style="WIDTH: 98.93%; HEIGHT: 87px">Date: 5/12/2005 3:37:23 PM
Author: crankydave

While I agree crating your dog can be misused or abused, I''m certainly not going to claim to be an expert dog trainer. Dave

I don''t agree with the statement ''Physically (according to my vet & all trainers), a pup at 12 weeks should be able to hold its urine for 8 hours.'' I have worked as a dog walker, a veterinarian assistant, both a dog and horse trainer, paid to show dogs for clients, and now in a marketing position for a very well-know doggy business that has 32 stores across the country and growing, I have never heard that it is okay to leave an 8-12 week old puppy in a confinded area like a crate without relief for 8 hours or more-just my opinion but I do think I have a pretty wide range of experience to justify it-Stepping OFF of soapbox now and going to drool over everyone''s diamonds AND dog pictures!!!

A pup of 8 weeks is NOT a pup of 12 weeks. I''m not even going into my range of experience. I just trust what my vet says. Is it recommended - no. Can it be done - probably - depends on the dog.

My advice to Jessegrl is talk to your vet, to your breeder and/or a trainer. Honestly, no one on a diamond board can assess your particular situation & it sounds like quite a bit of chicken little is going on. Also, join the shitzu board (yahoo probably has one).

Not talking puppies here - but dogs can hold their urine for more than a day. That is even a more serious situation.

I still vote for trying to hire a petsitter. It''s really *quite* common. Call your vet or breeder (if they are near you) and they will have plenty of referals. For us, it wasn''t finding someone. It was choosing from many the right one. Honestly, why put yourself through this if a solution to your dilema is an easy one. If you can afford $650.00 for a dog, than $10-15 dollars a day for piece of mind should be easy.


To DAVE - I think Aljedewey has one of these Sheltie she-devils

 

[MsP]

Not too educated on diamonds, but I thought I''d chime in on this.

I have two doggies... a lab and a white german shepherd. When the shep was a puppy we did the whole dog walker thing but now they stay in an indoor/outdoor dog run during the day(normally 10 hours) I think we''ve created an ideal situation for them. In our basement(fully finnished... not a cold moist dungeon, LOL) they have a chain link pen(about 8x with a dog door to an outside 6x12 chain link pen. We started with crating them but felt really bad having them all cramped up all day. At about 18 months old we tried to let them have the run of the house but the shep would chew on things and just race around the house knocking stuff over. It just wasn''t going to work. He goes on a two mile walk each morning before being "caged"(more like a doggie palace) and then is in there normally from 7:30am til 6pm. We found that now that he isn''t cramped up in a small crate he isn''t so wound up when we get home. Moral of the story is that you may have to make some adjustments in your house/life but it CAN work.

I would consult your vet and the call around to get some second opinions from trainers and such. I know a woman who has her dog litterbox trained. I don''t know anything about that but maybe you could look into it. If you can''t(or would prefer not to) spend the money on a "professional" dog walker, maybe finding a responsible teenager in your area to stop by each day and let your doggie out, walk her a bit, and play with her would be a more affordable option. I know my neighbors pay one of the local stay at home moms to stop in each day to let their dog out in the yard to play ball for like 30 minutes. It''s great fun for her kids and works perfectly for the doggie''s parents.

Good luck!

 

[Angel7]

Jesse-My bf just got a puppy and we are in the same situation. We do not live together but on occassion he can''t make it home right after work so I try to head over there. She is left alone for about 6-8 hours. He has a small laundry room and we put a big pillow and some toys in there and just sits there all day with a baby gate up. Yes she whines and has accidents but she''s only 8 weeks and can''t walk around the backyard by herself quite yet.1. Don''t want her to get stolen. 2. Not all the way fenced.
It''s still an adjustment but it seems to be working. We''re trying to get her to see the laundry room as a safe place to go and on occassion when we''re on the couch she will go in there and lay on her pillow so that''s a start. Don''t give up the pup, she/he is just TOO cute! Is it sad to think of your pup alone for 8 hours? Yes of course but that just means some more attention when you get home!
Good Luck!

 

[ursulawrite]

Crate training is fine -- I chose not to do it myself because I work at home -- but you cannot leave a dog alone for eight hours. Never mind the having-to-use-the-bathroom thing; a pup needs stimulation and exercise and to leave it alone for so long, on an everyday basis, is not right IMO.

You definitely need to get a walker in.

 

[Kaleigh]

FYI,
Jesse gave the puppy back to the breeder. She decided it was best for the puppy.

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

Date: 5/12/2005 9:54:58 AM
Author:JessesGrl
My fiance and I got a wonderful shih tzu puppy on saturday, she is almost 11 weeks old. I have her on a strict schedual of crate, pee and poo outside, 20 minute ''play time'' and back in the crate. At night she sleeps in a smaller crate, wakes up around 5-5:30, goes out to pee and poo and then goes back in crate until 7am. We walk her at 10Pm-11pm each night before bed. She is doing really well....very few accidents. When she does pee inside, it is usually on the designated paper area we set up.
I am off from working for 3 1/2 weeks and am starting a new job the 2nd week in June. I will work 8-4, fiance works 9-6 ( sometimes later). She will be home alone from 8:30 until 4:30 every afternoon. I am going to BEG my FMIL to come over around 2pm to let her out so that it will hopefully only be 5.5 hours alone for now. She will be 4 months when I start work.
I am doing really well w/her now being home all day but I am REALLY worried about her well being when I go back to work.
I am torn between crating her, puting her in the bathroom w/ a baby gate or getting a puppy play pen. The play pen and bathroom option w/have a designated pee pee, poo area and a bed which I feel will be more accomodating. once she is old enough and housebroken, fiance and I hope to leave her ''free'' in the apartment.
Any advice, suggestions, words of encourgment???? Does anyone else work full time and leave dog alone all day???
FI and I both will be working too far from home to come home at lunch so that is not an option.

I am a fan of crate training as well. Both of my Poms have crates (made for a Great Dane!) and when they were puppies they were crated for 5 hours a day. In our experiences it had made them easier to potty train, matter of fact they were just more traineable overall because they were not running around when we weren''t home to get into things that we were not able to repremand then for at the moment. At first I had a hard time leaving either one of them by themselves as puppies, but then I began to notice that even when we were home if they wanted to sleep they would go in their crates, if they wanted some time away from each other they go in their crates, their crate is the equivalent of a bedroom. Once your puppy is trained you can put all sorts of toys and a nice comfy bed for her and trust me she will grow accustomed to it and it will become her safe haven. Now that my boys are older we leave the crate doors open and they bring their toys in and out as they please and we don''t have to worry about them knocking down the trash, pottying in the house or pulling out all the toliet paper because we were physically there to stop them when they attempted the first few times. I think crate training is a great thing!!!

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

Date: 5/25/2005 5:56:06 PM
Author: kaleigh
FYI,
Jesse gave the puppy back to the breeder. She decided it was best for the puppy.

Kaleigh I just read that

Guess I was too late!