Hello All - I'm new - need advice regarding new puppy please

Hello Everyone! I am getting a lab puppy in the next few weeks and need advice and help on crate training and also - I want this puppy but I'm going back to work and feel it's not fair to have puppy home alone all day - I did this before 7 years ago with my beloved Kobi - who just passed 2 months ago - but the guilt is setting in - should I reconsider getting a puppy - I turning to you all - the experts - so I can let the breeder know - yes or no! Thanks so much!

[C & C's Mom]

My humble opinion....a puppy should not be crated all day.

If nobody can let it out a couple of times during the day, maybe you should reconsider.

[jdog]

Originally Posted by C & C's Mom

My humble opinion....a puppy should not be crated all day.

If nobody can let it out a couple of times during the day, maybe you should reconsider.

I agree

[LadyBuckeye]

Agree with above...maybe consider adopting from a reputable rescue a senior or mature dog. No reason to go through the crazy puppy and teenager years!

[Mizzy]

Originally Posted by cherylharding

Hello Everyone! I am getting a lab puppy in the next few weeks and need advice and help on crate training and also - I want this puppy but I'm going back to work and feel it's not fair to have puppy home alone all day - I did this before 7 years ago with my beloved Kobi - who just passed 2 months ago - but the guilt is setting in - should I reconsider getting a puppy - I turning to you all - the experts - so I can let the breeder know - yes or no! Thanks so much!

I can only speak from my own experience...I adopted a 10 week old puppy about 6 weeks ago and when I applied the rescue told me they would only send her to owners who could take her out every 2 - 3 hours. I thought they were exegerating, BUT, she really did have to go use the bathroom every 2 - 3 hours. So, i don't think it would be fair to make a puppy stay in the crate all day...

[Mokhahouse]

Maybe consider an older dog. We adopted Molly at a year of age and she was already housetrained and past some of the young puppy issues, such as mouthing and needing to pee every couple of hours. There are so many wonderful older dogs who need homes you could still have the love of a dog without the guilt of leaving a pup in a crate all day.

[Rocky911]

If you can get home or get someone else to let the puppy out to pee once or twice a day that wouldn't be bad. Sure we all wish we could be at home more but most of us work full time. But the puppy will definately not last 8hrs in a crate without a pee break.

Alternatively, and this will likely delay houge training, but leave the puppy in a larger area where she has room to pee in oe spot and sleep in another.

good luck in your decision. If you do choose to pass on a puppy, you can still get a young dog, just one able to hold it in for the full period of time you are gone.

There is nothing wrong with skipping the puppy months/years. I adopted an 18 month old dog as I was afraid of the responsibility of a puppy (they scared me LOL) and wanted a dog to run with me (labs can't run until they are older). There are lots of great dogs even starting at 5mts when people realize dogs need alot of time they don't have!

[whipperton]

the suggestions of getting a slightly older dog are good ones. does your breeder perhaps have any available? or could you check with other breeders? that way you could still have a well-bred dog, but like everyone else said, skip the "holy terror-i gotta pee every ten minutes" stage. just a thought.

[rawill1]

I wanted to get a puppy for my 2 boys but was also conflicted about crating during the day. I found a college student in our neighborhood who comes by twice a day to feed the puppy and let her out. Scout got used to the crate very quickly - it's actually the only place that she will sleep now. I walk her in the morning before I go to work and again at night before bed. I still feel guilty about her being in the crate during the day but she doesn't seem to mind (she doesn't cry or bark), plus she has a good home with a family that lovers her. In a perfect world, it'd be great if she didn't have to be crated, but I know that she will settle down at some point and she will have free range of the house.

[Bailey's_Mom]

You've gotten some great advice, and good for you!!! for looking for advice here! There are lots and lots of great people on this board that can offer awesome suggestions to you!

A puppy definitely needs frequent potty breaks as well as just interaction with their person. If you go the puppy route, can you create a flexible work schedule? I was pretty much able to create my own hours when I was working (now a full-time grad student) and thus, I set my schedule up to work for a few hours, come home for an hour to be with Bailey, go back to work for a few hours, rinse repeat. It made for long days, but it was worth it. When she was itty bitty, I left her for 2-3 hours at a time, as she got older I slowly spread that time out.

If that isn't a possibility, it might be wise to consider adopting a bit older dog. There are many wonderful dogs that need homes and already house and crate trained is definitely a perk.