# First time leaving puppy alone all afternoon



## Cobalt (Jul 27, 2007)

Luna is 13 weeks old. She goes into her crate throughout the day for naps and sleeps in her crate at night. My daughter's are home for the summer so she hasn't been alone all day to this point. When we go to work we put her in her crate and the girls get up when she wakes after a few hours. 

Thursday will be the first day that Luna will be alone all day. I will come home for an hour at lunch but then will have to put her back in her crate. Do you think she'd be better in a gated area with her crate door open? 

We do have a 1 yr old dog, Mia and I suppose if Luna whines Mia will go by her crate and that may help. Too bad they can't be left out together yet.

We do leave the radio on and give kongs.

Am I worrying needlessly??


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

Expecting that the dog can stay dry for anything more than about 3 hours might be unreasonable. But it doesn't mean that everything is going to fall apart. If this is just for one day I'd live with cleaning up the mess and move on. However, if the girls are back in school from now on you may need someone to come over and let the dog out more frequently than just lunch time. On the other hand you may get a pleasant surprise and find that your dog can wait that long. 

There are pros/cons to either the crate or gating the dog. If you leave the dog in the crate and he urinates or defecates you may have a big clean up of both dog and crate in addition to feeding and pottying the dog all on your lunch hour. However if you leave the dog gated in a room then you may have to clean an uncontained mess and some dogs have a habit of walking through it or otherwise spreading it all over the area.


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## Cobalt (Jul 27, 2007)

She does go all night, well, 6 hours and my daughter just said she does sleep for 4 hours sometimes. 

I think I'll arrange to go home at 11 and 2. I work 8-4:30. 

The college kids go back in September but one is going to live at home since she only has a semester, maybe 2 left. She will be home 3 days a week at 2. That will help and by then she'll be 4 1/2 months. 

Thanks, I am so nervous! lol We didn't leave Mia, she went to doggy daycare but kept getting sick. So, we don't want to use it until Luna is older if at all. We have 2 dogs so we have our own doggy daycare!


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## eonblue (Jul 30, 2008)

We are in _exactly_ the same boat.....well....actually we could only take 5 days vacation off to acclimate her to her new home. We introduced her crate in the kitchen very slowly. She got to the point where she would go in there to sleep without us putting her in there. So, last night we had to have the big discussion on whether to gate her in the bathroom with her crate door open or crate her for the duration. Problem is, she will be left at 8 and we can't come home for lunch till 12....then I get home from work at 4. So, that means she would have to hold it for 4-4.5 hours if we crated her. Also, with crating, they obviously can't romp around.

Well, I am home alone with her today for the last day till we leave her alone. We decided to gate her in the master bathroom with her crate. I have been checking in on her periodically. She generally whines for about 3 minutes then goes to sleep or chews her bone. She did however pee right at the gate(which daddy stepped right in  ), but she downed a whole lot of water before I put her in there. 

In the end we made the decision because we wanted her to be able to run a bit and wanted to maintain the crate as a place of comfort for when we travel and whatnot. I hope its the right decision

Hope everything turns out alright.


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## Cobalt (Jul 27, 2007)

eonblue, good luck! It was smart to do a trial run today while you were home. 
I agree with your choice. I can't leave mine out because I have another dog who is 1 and she is out. I don't want them playing too rough while I am gone. 

I am freezing her kong with peanut butter and leaving a radio on.

If it gets really tuff, you could do half day doggy daycare a few days a week if you have one near you. We loved it for Mia.

Honestly, they do sleep a lot so we shouldn't feel too guilty!


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## eonblue (Jul 30, 2008)

Cobalt said:


> eonblue, good luck! It was smart to do a trial run today while you were home.
> I agree with your choice. I can't leave mine out because I have another dog who is 1 and she is out. I don't want them playing too rough while I am gone.
> 
> I am freezing her kong with peanut butter and leaving a radio on.
> ...



Its hard not to feel guilty!!  But, they do sleep a lot. Perhaps Im sadistic(not really) but I made myself sit in there and listen to her until she stopped crying. Do you know how bad I wanted to go snatch her up and comfort her? Tough to do, but I figured that I owed it to her to fully realize her psychological reaction to the situation. 

Thanks, btw, for reminding me that doggy daycare is an option. She is only 10 weeks and isnt fully immunized yet. I would assume thats an issue right?

All in all she did well yesterday. She is 10 weeks today and she is learning well!!!! She has learned "sit" with clicker training and almost has "down"! 

Anyway, let me know how it went?

Btw, Stephanie, my wife, said Rigby mauled her when she came home yesterday.......with KISSES!!!


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## Gryff'sMom (Aug 5, 2008)

I'm about to go through this-my 9 week old golden/lab mix has been with us for about three weeks. We crate him at night, and hengets to go to the office with me during the day. The problem-in 2 weeks I'll be teaching classes for 4 days from 9-5, and won't be able to bring him with me. So he's going to go from always being with me to being alone most of the day. 

We have a tie down in the back yard with lots of grass and shade, so I'm goig to leave him back there with food and water and then come home for lunch and check on him.

Is this ok? Is it wierd that I'm so freaked out about this? I'm even dreeaming about it!


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## Cobalt (Jul 27, 2007)

That is normal! Will the puppy be in a safe place? If other animals or people can get to your puppy then he is better off in his crate. Or, you could gate him in a small area with his crate door open and the radio on. I would worry less about him having an accident than having him outside. What if it thunder stormed? They do sleep a lot. Do you have a kong that you could put peanut butter in and freeze? A stuffed animal? Luna has a pretty big stuffed dog that she sleeps on. 

Good luck!


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## parvus (Jul 30, 2008)

Gryff'sMom said:


> I'm about to go through this-my 9 week old golden/lab mix has been with us for about three weeks. We crate him at night, and hengets to go to the office with me during the day. The problem-in 2 weeks I'll be teaching classes for 4 days from 9-5, and won't be able to bring him with me. So he's going to go from always being with me to being alone most of the day.
> 
> We have a tie down in the back yard with lots of grass and shade, so I'm goig to leave him back there with food and water and then come home for lunch and check on him.
> 
> Is this ok? Is it wierd that I'm so freaked out about this? I'm even dreeaming about it!


In my opinion, it's not ok. I wouldn't leave a young puppy like that for eight hours. I recommend you to get a dog sitter.


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## Gryff'sMom (Aug 5, 2008)

We live in the high desert, so rain is relatively mild even with the monsoons. Besdies, he's such a water dog that he goes out in the yard when it rains anyway!
I'm more cosered about-don't laugh-long term psychologocal effects. I don't want him to feel abandoned or afraid.


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## Cobalt (Jul 27, 2007)

I wouldn't laugh! At that age, that is a real concern. If something really scares him now, it can cause a problem for life. My first dog was afraid of cutting boards, thunder, other dogs, vacuum etc etc! It was a pain. So this time I am carefully exposing Luna to things. 

I still think he'd be better and feel safer in a room of your house with the radio on. In his crate would be better if you come home for lunch. Even if he pees in it, he's safe. 

I would like to move west but I fear creepy crawly things and larger animals around my dogs. We don't really have things that I need to worry about in WI. Maybe a skunk but not where I am and nothing with big teeth or venom! 

Remember, they sleep a lot and your puppy is lucky to have someone who cares so much!


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## Gryff'sMom (Aug 5, 2008)

Thanks! It's wondeful to have this forum, even if it's just to try to assuage the obligatory new mommy guilt!!

He's been so good about not going in the house, I'd hate for him to not be able to hold it and go inside. Doesn't this set us back with housetraining? I mean, how does he make sense out of it if I scold him for going inside, but then I don't scold him when he goes inside?

We do have some pretty impressive critters out here. Skunks too!

Sorry about Favre...that must be wierd for you guys! It's very un-natural seeing him in a Jets jersey.


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## Cobalt (Jul 27, 2007)

At his age I don't think it will cause any big set back. That is why some leave them in a room and not in the crate if they know they can't make it for as long as you have to be away. Luna is doing great but when I left her on friday outside of her crate she did go on the tile floor on a little rug that I left for that purpose. This weekend she is back to no accidents. 

I am 30 miles from Green Bay and people are insane. There are people at work that are in mourning! It will be fun to watch him play for the Jets, he's still fun to watch.


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

Gryff'sMom said:


> He's been so good about not going in the house, I'd hate for him to not be able to hold it and go inside. Doesn't this set us back with housetraining? I mean, how does he make sense out of it if I scold him for going inside, but then I don't scold him when he goes inside?


Yes, it will set him back with housetraining a little. But in my opinion, the dangers of leaving him outside on a tie-out far outweigh the housetraining setbacks. The weather could go bad, there are animals he can't defend himself against, he could be nabbed or poisoned by somebody else. (It happens.) Also, left to his own devices on a tie-out for 8 hours, there's a very strong likelihood of him chewing on the tie-out and either getting through it or getting completely entangled in it and choking. (This almost happened to my dog once when I left her leashed to a post for a couple of hours; I have never, ever left either of my dogs tied out since.)

Besides the dangers posed to his life, leaving him tied out for that long is also going to deprive him of very valuable socialisation and training that should happen during these formative periods. I wouldn't worry about any psychological trauma of feeling lonely or abandoned, but I would worry about him spending his most valuable socialisation period completely alone, tied up in a yard. At this age, he needs to be exposed to as much novelty as possible; a very important part of this is being able to interact with other humans and dogs so he learns not to be wary of them in the future.

If I were you, I would explore options of a dogsitter or a doggy daycare. How long are you going to be teaching the 9-5 classes? At his age, he should ideally be taken out to potty every two to three hours, and obviously you won't be able to do that while you're teaching. Leaving him crated or indoors for 8 hours once or twice isn't ideal, but if it's every day for a couple of weeks or more then that will definitely destroy the housetraining process. A dogsitter or a daycare will be able to keep up the housetraining programme, while ensuring he gets the doggy and human socialisation that he needs.


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## Gryff'sMom (Aug 5, 2008)

Oh,no-this teaching thing will only be for four days, not long term. And as far as socialization, he hasn't been alone/not stimulated since we met! Office mates,friends,neighbors and their corresponding pets are all in his daily routine. It is just going to be for those four days, but because he has so much nomally going on during his days it is going to seem like a huge shock for him (I fear).


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

Oh, okay. Sorry, I thought it was a new job or something. That should be fine -- I would still look into daycare or something similar, just to keep him occupied, but it's not as crucial as I made it seem in my last post. 

I still wouldn't leave him tied out for the reasons that I and others have already provided, but I think leaving him indoors, with his crate in a playpen/small room with newspapers, should solve things.


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## Gryff'sMom (Aug 5, 2008)

Thanks! I'll see what I can come up with.


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

Gryff'sMom - Don't forget to leave him lots of things to occupy his mind with. Toys like Nylabones and bully sticks are a must for chewing but interactive toys like Kongs and Buster Cubes will also stimulate his mind and keep him from getting bored too quickly.


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## DogsforMe (Mar 11, 2007)

I would leave him in what Ian Dunbar calls a long term confinement area.
http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/BEFORE You Get Your Puppy.pdf 
See a diagram on page 11.


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## parvus (Jul 30, 2008)

Gryff'sMom said:


> Oh,no-this teaching thing will only be for four days, not long term. And as far as socialization, he hasn't been alone/not stimulated since we met! Office mates,friends,neighbors and their corresponding pets are all in his daily routine. It is just going to be for those four days, but because he has so much nomally going on during his days it is going to seem like a huge shock for him (I fear).


Even if it's only for four days, you should get a dog sitter or put him in a daycare. I certainly hope leaving a young puppy for eight hours is not "normal".


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## JuliusCaesar (Apr 1, 2013)

I am kind of in the same situation! I will be leaving Corra alone for the first time for about 2.5/3hours.. She uses/ the wee pad really well. So i think i am going to gate the living room where she has been spending most of her time and leave crate open where her bed and water are located (her little den). 

I been told leaving t.v. on helps keep puppies calm and covering the crate with a sheet helps calm them.. 

I am trying to get her on a eating schedule so i am thinking of taking her food and water out of the crate while i am away..


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