More questions about getting a puppy

[julesjoy]

What do other people do when you get a new puppy in terms of being at home with them, if you work most of the day, until pup is old enough to be left for 3-4 hours? Does your company allow you to work from home for a period? Do you take as much holiday as possible (how much?) Feeling very confused. Sorry if this is a ridiculous question.

 

[Morwenna]

I took two weeks annual leave when I first got my puppy and my very lovely boss let me work from home for a few more weeks after that. I’m only in the office two days a week anyway and have someone who looks after her on those days.

 

[misst]

If you are getting a small puppy you will need a few weeks at least to be home to do house training and just generally not leave her much. Ours were never left more than 2 hours (in a crate fro safety) whilst we went shopping etc. Taking to the office sounds good but puppies can be distracting and need regular toilet outings etc. If you can work from home that would be better. Otherwise you will need to arrange some regular proper company for her at home if you are out for long hours. My OH and I did opposite shifts. He is self employed so worked around me. I work part time so one of us was home almost all the time until she was at least 6 months.

 

[julesjoy]

Thank you, I know they need basically permanent company and attention for the first six ish months, just trying to get my head around how that works for people in the real world in case there's an option I hadn't thought of!

 

[Clodagh]

I’m lucky as OH is usually around, so I only took a week off when they come. After that they were shuttled around grannies as necessary.
We also only ever got them at a time of year that worked for us.

 

[blackcob]

I took two weeks holiday, then my partner took two weeks holiday, then I took a further week. After that we went home at lunch times. Now WFH and have the opposite problem of having to fabricate reasons to go out and leave the dog alone for a bit.

 

[julesjoy]

This looks like I don't need to be at home full time for quite as long as I was expecting, this is good news. Although I do want a wfh job, but that's for another thread in the clubhouse!

 

[Clodagh]

This looks like I don't need to be at home full time for quite as long as I was expecting, this is good news. Although I do want a wfh job, but that's for another thread in the clubhouse!

What are your plans after a month or so as regards leaving pup?

 

[julesjoy]

It's only 1-3 days a week that nobody is home all day and on those i would be out of the house for 6 hours. I was planning on someone coming in to play/walk (age dependant) them halfway through on those. I just thought I'd need to wait quite a few more months, nearer 6 months of age, till that would be possible without causing accidents or stressing pup out? Happy to be told that's not the case and I'm over thinking!

 

[AmyMay]

6 hours is a long time for a puppy to be left alone.

 

[Clodagh]

I think 3 hours would be doable then you could have a half hour visit half way through? As pup will need feeding then too. Tbh ours have always just had to deal with what life throws at them.

 

[julesjoy]

Hence, as said above, I was planning someone to come in halfway through to spend time with it.

 

[julesjoy]

Thanks Clodagh.

 

[Clodagh]

Maybe rather than caged make a larger safe space, puppy pen or something?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Sounds exciting! And if you have something planned for mid way through the day even better… what kind of puppy are you looking to get ?

 

[blackcob]

I think it will rather depend on the pup - mine was fine with that kind of set-up by 14/15 weeks but he was a remarkably easy puppy, house trained early and had other dogs for company (although penned separately at first). I absolutely could not have done it with my first, who was a screaming devil in a furry dog suit. Can your halfway person be reliable and flexible in case of disaster?

 

[satinbaze]

I went back to work as soon as puppy arrived. Work was full time but I was able to get home for my lunch hour. TBH it never caused a problem, all puppies house trained within 2-3 weeks and were very used to being left home alone. Once I was home dogs have 100% of my time including going to training classes and walks etc.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I wouldn't want to leave a single pup on its own for 3 hours until long after 6 months old, except in an emergency. This is why I have almost always had 2 pups together.

 

[julesjoy]

I was planning a penned area in the kitchen, with a crate within to provide more space. Obvious that it may depend somewhat on the puppy's personality - I guess the breeder can give some guidance on that when we choose?

Fwiw I've just turned down a brilliantly bred/tested etc puppy because I don't feel ready, very sad but I'd rather over think everything for another year.

 

[sarah.oxford]

I planned for Arthur to go to my friend's house while I was working for the first few weeks until his toilet training was established. I was also cutting my hours so 3 days a week I would be home.
However things changed when I got covid, and as this was before vaccines were available, I was obliged to take at least 10 days off.
This was a blessing in disguise although it didn't feel like it at the time, trying to toilet train a pup in November while feeling dreadful.
However once I was okay to return to work the T.T. was done and I managed after that with help from my son who was still at home, and popping home at regular intervals (I drive locally for a living so am lucky in that sense).

 

[Morwenna]

I made sure I left her every day, at different times and for varying lengths of time (not long at first but building up). I still make a conscious effort to leave her most days when I’m working from home. Mine hated being in a puppy pen and would try to climb out but was fine in her crate. She’s still crated while I’m out for her safety and so I have a house left to come home to. She was left for 5 hours at the weekend which is the longest I’ve left her for and she was fine (she’s 5 months old now). I don’t make a habit of leaving her for that long but sometimes needs must.

 

[Moobli]

A lot will depend on the breed you’re considering. What breed are you looking to get?
I am now fortunate to be at home all the time so my pups are only left for very short periods of time to get them used to it.
When I lived alone and worked full time (9-5) I took two weeks off to get the puppy settled in, came home at lunchtime for an hour to see to pup and all time outside work was dedicated to my dogs. I never raised a pup in a single dog household though as I think it’s important they have company. Obviously that’s not possible for everyone so getting someone to come in 2/3 times while you’re at work is a good idea, and when they are older getting home midway through your working day to exercise/let them out to toilet etc is advisable. I actually moved from a job I loved to one that wasn’t nearly as enjoyable so I was closer to home to enable me to get home at lunch etc. It was 20 years ago now and before the days of unlimited pro dog walkers etc (although not sure I’d have trusted anyone with my dogs anyway). Mine have always been working breeds so need lots of interaction, exercise, training etc so it meant very little time for anything other than dogs outside of work - but it was my choice to get them and it’s all I wanted to do in any event.

 

[SAujla]

If its a larger breed (larger bladder) you might be able to leave it for longer but 3 hours is a but much for a pup I think. It does depend on what they get used too and if they have alone time early on then that's what they will think is their normal. The suggestion above of a play area above a crate is a good one as well.

Don't waste too much money on toys in case your pup doesn't like them and just prefers teddies, I learned that the expensive way.

 

[CorvusCorax]

When I got my most recent pup I was taking her out every 30-60 minutes for the first couple of weeks. I was on reduced days, two a week and was the only one in the office so was able to take her with me as there's a back yard. Then built up in increments to longer periods and a walk in the park at lunchtime. At about 9-12 months I could leave her at home in a run and pop back at lunchtime for walks (there are dogs in runs beside her) and then at about 18-24 months I could leave her all day (again, with other dogs there).
But even at that I made sure there were periods where she was alone, to teach her to cope with that, especially as she was from a large litter and left a bit too young (her dam was fed up).

But like others, my time outside work is pretty much structured around dogs.
Like Clodagh, they just have to adapt to whatever and like Moobli, I changed job/location to accommodate my dogs and I have what I consider to be a quite resilient type.

And I must bring that crate home that's been sitting in the store room since 2020 ?

 

[SilverLinings]

Thank you, I know they need basically permanent company and attention for the first six ish months, just trying to get my head around how that works for people in the real world in case there's an option I hadn't thought of!

I think the problem is that unfortunately in reality an awful lot of people who buy puppies don't put the dog's needs first (and often don't have much knowledge of dog behaviour, needs and welfare), so gaily go off to work for full days shortly after buying said dog (I don't mean you JJ). Or they use an unsuitable dog walker or dog day care where the puppy is easily overwhelmed.

Before I lost my last dog 18 months ago I had a good set-up; my mother would have my dog and her dog together on the days I was at the office, and on the days I was at home I had both dogs. This meant the dogs had company (they were besotted with each other), and were never left for more than 3hrs as adults (far less as puppies). I no longer live near my mother so as difficult as I am finding it, I have had to accept that I can't have another dog(s) at the moment, as it wouldn't be fair on them.

I think it is a lot easier for people who don't live on their own (or if you have reliable friends/relatives very nearby who will help regularly), or if you have an older dog when introducing the puppy. I won't get another until I am in a position to take longer than two weeks off work in one go, and don't work 14 hour days for a start. Financially I can't afford to sacrifice the demands of my job, and emotionally I'm not prepared to sacrifice the needs of the dog.

 

[SilverLinings]

At about 9-12 months I could leave her at home in a run and pop back at lunchtime for walks (there are dogs in runs beside her) and then at about 18-24 months I could leave her all day (again, with other dogs there).

One of the main requirements in my next house will be the space for a heated kennel and run so that I can leave my (future) dogs with some freedom- and the ability to go to the toilet- when I am out at work. That, and there being a decent, reliable dog walker in the area

 

[CorvusCorax]

One of the main requirements in my next house will be the space for a heated kennel and run so that I can leave my (future) dogs with some freedom- and the ability to go to the toilet- when I am out at work. That, and there being a decent, reliable dog walker in the area

No toileting in our runs lol, I'm lucky to have a clean bunch here! But I'm a big fan of runs, we always had them.

 

[maisie06]

I went back to work as soon as puppy arrived. Work was full time but I was able to get home for my lunch hour. TBH it never caused a problem, all puppies house trained within 2-3 weeks and were very used to being left home alone. Once I was home dogs have 100% of my time including going to training classes and walks etc.

This - 3rd pup settled well into the routine, toilet trained quickly and seems to deal with whatever life throws at him!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

We found a very good dog walker (had to filter out an awful lot of unsuitable quite frankly odd people) for ours quite early on as Aunty B was not well enough to do the usual take them to hers and look after them all day. We were extremely fortunate to have her for so long. It's expensive but worth it, particularly now they're able to do woods walks and she takes them. Our dogwalker came in twice a day when they were really little, but we only needed her 2/3 days a month. Having an older dog around is very helpful, even if he isn't keen on them!

 

[julesjoy]

Thank you very much for the realistic views. You are probably right, many puppies probably don't get ideal homes which skews what we see happening. Maybe when my youngest starts school with those silly half days for weeks at a time would be a good time to get one, two birds one stone and all that!