need some nonjudgemental advice...

kettlenic

need advice -puppy is 3 months and we need to work. Now we have a area for her - conservatory and kitchen - all tiled. She has a bed and fleece blanket- also a hot water bottle under her bed's pillow. we are going to leave the heating on low for her intially. She as chew toys and food and water. There is a flap in the door to go out but she has not mastered it as she is too short still....there is news paper at the door too. I am so worried I am being mean leaving her at home. I can nip home for 15 mins or so at Lunch but not everyday. so she would be alone from 8-5:45 potentially?? We are looking for a walker but she needs shots first before hanging around the other dogs....anyone with experience have any thoughts?

ps: it breaks me heart leaving her but we MUST work and my parents used to do this so I know I am not a monster...

rising_from_the_ashes

Trying not to be judgemental so please bear with me ......

What had you planned to do with her during the day before you got her?

You must surely have thought about this beforehand?

I'm afraid at 3 months, she is far too young to be left for that period of time without someone going in to check on her, let her out for the toilet and she will also need feed at lunchtimes for a wee while yet! Also .... training - she will never master going outside properly if she's left to her own devices.

Like many, I have a dog which is left during the day but it's taken a long time to build her up to it, I pop home at lunchtimes 2 days / week and have a dog walker pop in the other 2 days ......

There is no reason why she can't be left once an adult (especially if she has been brought up that way) and a lot of dogs are happy in that routine but she's too young to be left that long atm .... sorry but you need to find someone to pop in on her - 10 hours is way too long for a pup to be left.

kettlenic

ok will speak to my neighbours - she gets her shots tonight so we can then arrange for a dog walker - OH can work from home 1/2 days a week so he is going to ensure that happens. I will make sure I pop home at lunch to see her and feed her again...on the days he is not home...

This was always the plan - just did not think how much it would break my heart - her little face is so cute!!

virgin_moneysaver

I agree with above & this was a major consideration before you got the pup, being left alone for such a long time will cause stress to the animal, I wouldn't leave a fully grown dog that long let alone a youngster - you need a plan B I'm afraid because plan A is a non-starter - you yourself introduced the word 'nonjudgemental' which suggests you realise its not fair to the puppy - sincerely hope you do whats best for the pup, even though it maybe hard on you both

kittypimms

Absolutley agree with the above - you cannot leave a 3MO puppy (or any dog!) alone for that long. I take it you work 5 days a week? I really do suggest that a puppy is not for you. At that age she will still be very homeable, and suggest you contact a rescue immediatley. May I ask where you got her from, as no reputable breeder would sell a puppy to a FT worker who had not made allowances. This may be seen as harsh, but you are leaving yourself open to chewing, destruction, longer toilet training periods, boredom, and a lack of socialisation. These issues are difficult to rectify without a lot of patience, time spent with the dog, and money spent on behaviourists. I should know; I have a dog like this from a rescue who still (after 3 years) displays the scars of bad ownership.

My 3 are left during the day; I work full time. However I see them for 45 mins at lunch, they get an hours walk before work and an hour after. 3 days a week they also go out with my dogwalker for 45 mins during the day. We play games in evenings to ensure they settle. They are used to this arrangement, and at ages 15, 6 and 3 have passed the important socialisation time period. This arrangement is not ideal, but gives them the level of care they need.

I do hope you manage to get something sorted.

moggymutt

A working day is a very long time for a little puppy on its own. 2 would be company, but being so young, when left, chaos could ensue!

kettlenic

We are walking up an hour earlier to play/walk her and I am arragning to get a puppy service to come round during the day to play with her at lunch when I cant get home or OH is not working at home. Then when I get home at night we will walk her again and play with her.

I will not rehome her and I am also booking her into a puppy training socialisation class for a 6 week period.

Thanks for the advice

rising_from_the_ashes

Is tonight her 1st shot?

If so, after the other one in a fortnight, there's no reason why the dog walker shouldn't be able to start taking her out - so it's really just the next couple of weeks that you need to come home every day ..... doable.

Best of luck with her - it's very hard work (and even harder if you work FT as you need to fit training / exercise / socialisation etc into such a short time frame) but very rewarding.

kettlenic

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Is tonight her 1st shot?

If so, after the other one in a fortnight, there's no reason why the dog walker shouldn't be able to start taking her out - so it's really just the next couple of weeks that you need to come home every day ..... doable.

Best of luck with her - it's very hard work (and even harder if you work FT as you need to fit training / exercise / socialisation etc into such a short time frame) but very rewarding.

Thank you - I look forward to it all the hard work and cant wait to walk her !! we have a 90ft garden so once she can master the flap she will be able to run up and down all day should she wish - at the moment she can only seem to run in circles!! very funny.. I have arranged for her to meet a friends dog this weekend as we will 'dog sit' for each other when on holiday etc. and I have invited people round to meet/play with her incl some kids

krlyr

I would be very wary about having a dog flap. Dog thefts are on the rise - not only are there sickos who will hold a dog ransom (you're struggling to leave her at home for a few hours, imagine how much you would be willing to pay if she was stolen!) but also stolen to order to sell on via freeads etc.
Aside from that, there are increased risks outside because you will have less control over what she's exposed to. A neighbourhood tomcat coming in and attacking a small puppy wouldn't be unheard of, bitter neighbours throwing in poisoned meat (in response to, say, the dog barking a lot - which you cannot control because you are not there to see it or stop it), choking on a stick fallen from a tree in the garden, etc.
I may seem like I'm scaremongering but I do not see the benefit of a dog flap - when the dog is this young with such a small bladder it needs plenty of visits home to have you take it out anyway as part of the toilet training regime, and then once it's older with a stronger bladder, it should be fine to go from a morning pee break, toileting on its lunchtime walk, and then being let out as soon as you're home anyway. Mine cope fine with this and I have the reassurance that they're locked up safely in a warm home, only exposed to what I choose to expose them to, and not causing a nuisance by barking at birds, squirrels, etc. in the garden.

coinxoperated

Hi,

Don't worry - it's not all doom and gloom.

I got my pup when I was in a role where I worked from home the majority of the time. 2 weeks later, I was made redundant and had to take a full time 9 to 5 position. It was extremely heartbreaking leaving my pup on his own for such long periods of time. But, I think I actually suffered more than he did!

He was around 6 months old when I had to leave him for long periods of time. I made sure I spent at least an hour in the morning walking / playing with him and interacting with him. I went off to work at 8:45am and came back at 1pm to let him out for a wee and to play a little. He then went back to bed at 1:45pm and I got home at about 5:15pm each day.

To be honest, were 3 years on, and its certainly not done him any harm. I've even recorded him for days on a webcam so that I can ensure he is not showing signs of distress and he really does just potter about, have some food and sleep!

I think it depends on how you do this. I was extremely lucky that he didn't develop any sort of anxiety / stress related issues and seems quite content.

I'm working from home today, and since around 9am he's just slept in his bed! He's a happy, healthy loved dog.

The only issue I had was toilet training, because even at 6 months, its just too long for them to go without a wee. I moved his food to mainly dry so that he had less need to go for a number 2. Even now, 4 years on, he still has 'accidents'. It's just important that you don't punish them for this and understand that is actually your fault they are like that. Where I live now, I have a tiled floor and he doesn't have access to carpeted areas, so clean ups are simple.

He's very attached to me and definitely see me as the 'pack leader' or whatever you want to call it, but also, when I go on holiday and he stays with the dog sitter, also seems perfectly fine there. He's a very adaptable dog. Many wouldn't be.

You just need to be in tune with your dog. If you think they may be stressed or miserable, they probably are. What breed is your pup?