Advice please - to crate or not

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MyBoyChe

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As you know we have a new pup. I have been home all his week and am back to work next week, 1 - 5.30pm Mon-Fri. I only work a 2 minute walk through the village. Pup sleeps in her crate at night next to my bed and during the day has been happy to sleep on a cushion in the lounge. She is sleeping for about 2 hrs, then awake for 2, then back to sleep again and so on. She is such a clean pup, already running to the patio door and running out to the lawn to the toilet. Now Im wondering what will be best to do when I go back to work, should I crate her so I know she is safe (2 older dogs who are quite accepting of her but havent been left alone for more than a few minutes so far). My boss will let me pop home half way through the afternoon to check her, although this may be more unsettling than good. I suppose I could crate her till about 3 then pop home and leave her in the lounge til I get in at 530. My worry with crating her is that it will upset her toilet training to have to go in the crate. If I leave her in the lounge Im a bit worried she might get hurt, climb and fall or get sat on by a large IWS:( What would you all do. Sorry to sound dim, I have had pups before but find myself more anxious now, must be that age thing again. I seem to remember before I just left them to get on with it and never had any casualties!
 
If I bring the crate downstairs and leave it open under the dining table she quite happily walks into it when she wants to fall asleep, (shes in there now as I type). My worry is that just over 4 hours is a long time to leave her unsupervised in a crate, would she be more likely to get distressed closed in than with the run of the lounge. I have just had another idea, what about a childs playpen, its a big bigger and should be safe, has anyone used one for a pup.
 
I personally would crate her, I have my rescue cockalier in, and when I leave to go anywhere she is crated, she is only 13 weeks and she is fully house trained now, I doubt the crate will upset her toilet training, and 4 hours is not bad, it the max but not bad, I would rather know my pup is safe and contained than out, they usually curl up and sleep, atleast if you crate now during the day if she becomes destructive you do not then have to introduce one, she could then create holy hell, and your neighbours will be non to happy, I will also say her toilet training is more likely to become spolit if she is left out.
As long as you tire her out and leave her some goodies, my pup gets her pigs ear and those bones with marrow in, which I can then stuff with what I like when empty, but she is always asleep when I return from anyhwhere anyway.

Trust me, it's always better to start small and increase, so even if it's a month in the crate then month with door open, then gradually do away with it if u like, I persoanlly wont take a pup out of a crate when unsupervised until they are at the least 12 months.
 
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