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First time dog owner - puppy question

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in this thread:
  • rebeccab275
  • Luna
  • samwhitaker1985
  • Cleo
  • ryma
  • Mikel
rebeccab275
2 posts

Hello,

I’m considering getting a dog for the first time. At the moment we’re thinking a labrador puppy. However, I have a question which I’m hoping someone will be able to answer for me! The main one is about leaving the puppy alone. I go to uni a couple days a week (will prob be about 3 days starting late Sept) and I’m usually there for about 2-3 hours. My sister is also in the same situation so there will usually be someone home. I thnk this’ll be fine once the puppy is used to be alone but my concern is in first month or so of us getting the puppy. If we were to get one I should be home for the first couple weeks. However, after this I will obviously have to go to uni, my sister to college and my mum to work. Do you think that this will be OK? I’m not sure how long young puppies can be left alone for. I’ve been researching and have found one site saying 2 hours for pups under 3 months. But would up to 3 hours be OK do you think? I just want to be definately sure that the puppy will be happy and not stressed as obviously I don’t want that at all. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Luna
118 posts

I am assuming you will be crating your puppy, and the rule is 1 hour per month of age (but no more than 4 hours at the time). So if your puppy is 3 months by the time you need to go to school, 3 hours would be acceptable. However, you will need to work on the puppy liking and feeling comfortable in the crate and on housebreaking. Good Luck!
rebeccab275
2 posts

Yes I will definately be using a crate. Thanks for your reply!
samwhitaker1985
125 posts

Some people worry that crate confinement is cruel, but if you do it right, your dog won’t see it that way at all. His crate can be a cozy den where he retreats from household chaos or just relaxes. And once he’s housetrained, your dog will have the run of the house as well as a nice little den of his own—just leave the door open for him.


Here’s more info:

http://dogtime.com/housetraining-crate-training…
Cleo
8 posts

Most importantly make sure the dog is comfortable in the crate! If you are thinking of keeping it in there for a long time. Get it used to the crate. Maybe put some dog toys [not rawhide or fragile plastic] in the crate. Have the puppy even sleep or just rest inside the crate as a way to get it used to it.
ryma
69 posts

Before leaving your puppy for long periods, you should teach him how to amuse himself appropriately when left alone, such as by chewing stuffed chewtoys, and learning how to enjoy his own company without becoming anxious or stressed.

Check out this article to train your puppy to be home alone:

http://dogtime.com/puppy-training-home-alone-du…


You might also be interested to see the list of dogs who are at ease at being home alone:

http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/characteristic/ea…
Mikel
155 posts

A lab puppy is definitely a great choice. but the question is are you really prepared to have one? Consider first your lifestyle before deciding to get one. These links will help you find answers. Good luck!


http://dogtime.com/dog-ready

http://dogtime.com/find-dog
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