planning for a new puppy

[nira rajavasireddy]

Hi everyone,

I'd love to get some advice from all of you, we'll be bringing our pup home in April, she'll be 9 weeks old. I'm planning on taking a week off from work, to get her adjusted to our home. But after that is when I have questions. My husband or my son will probably wake up with her, let her out for a potty break, feed her and then put her in her crate. As I work nights, I'll be home by 8.45, another potty break, play time then back in the crate. My kids wont get home until 3.30 from school. She'll be in the crate 51/2 hours. Should I not crate her on the days that I'm working( I only work 3 nights a week), maybe put her in a play pen with some pee pads? After she's older, I'm planning on sending her to half day day care, but that's only after 16 weeks. I definitely don't want to get a dog walker, Any advice?

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I'm curious as to why you don't want to get a dog walker.  There is no way that  a 9 week old puppy to hold it for 5.5 hours.  Using a puppy pad will only tell your pup that it is ok to go in the house and it be confusing to try and teach it to potty outside if it is allowed to go in the house.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Amy is right. When we brought our puppies home, we took them out almost every 30 minutes in the beginning. You have to take them out after they play hard, eat, drink, wake up from a nap....it is endless in the beginning. Putting her in a play pen for 5-1/2 hours and letting her go potty in the play pen is going to confuse her even more and make potty training all the harder. Usually, puppies also have to go out in the middle of the night.

[Star and Goldie]

I say no to the pee pads. I personally don't like them because I feel like it gives them mixed messages. It makes it hard for them to understand why sometimes it's ok that they go in the house and sometimes it isn't. As for the crate... Will she be in it from 8:45-3:30 because you will be sleeping during that time? If so, you have two options- A.set an alarm and get up to let her out or B. enlist the help of a friend, neighbor or official dog walker.

Can I ask why you are opposed to a dog walker? The reason I ask is because, I too, was VERY opposed to a dog walker (you can see this in my past discussions) but after getting feedback from other DK members, I took the plunge and never looked back. It truly is in the pups best interest to not be left alone that long.  If they can't hold it then they have no choice but to lay around in their business and then they will try to force themselves to hold it when their bladder isn't capable of doing so and it could lead to other health concerns.

If you have a plan for what to do at 16 weeks then you are really only looking at an alternate plan for 7 weeks. So for those 7 weeks I really think option A or B would work just fine but definitely NO to the pee pads.

And congrats on your little baby! Post pics when you get her!!!

[nira rajavasireddy]

Thanks for your responses. I guess I'm against a dog walker because the whole idea of someone having a key to my house, coming in while I'm sleeping....freaks me out. I think I'll set an alarm, wake up, puppy potty break and then go back to sleep. That's actually a great idea, because once she gets all her shots, it'll be doggie daycare so it's just really a few weeks before that.

[Jen and Annie]

The good news for you too, is when they are that small, they sleep ALOT because their bodies are growing hard.  If you wake up to set alarm to let puppy out to pee at say, 12:00, you may have to stay up with puppy for 15 minutes or so, and then back to sleep for both of you. 

[Enid Ferner]

Personally I think 5 1/2 hours is a long time for a puppy (or dog) to be in a crate. Any time I've had to leave a pup alone I've just left it in a closed off room with a bed, some toys, a chew bone and some newspaper for peeing on. It's not too long before they can hold it until you get home... I just don't agree with confining a puppy like that for long periods of time.
Just my opinion though.

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

Enid, how do you teach your puppy NOT to pee on newspaper when he/she is older?  How does he learn to hold it if he doesn't have to?  Just curious.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

teach him how to read the newspaper so he won't want to pee on it?  lol

 

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

LMAO Amy...my point exactly.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Okay, that says it all.  PERFECT! I'm saving this picture. 

Pads?  I can't help but think they were made for people who live on the 22nd floor in NYC but otherwise--don't use these things

[nira rajavasireddy]

That's what I was thinking too, I thought a large play pen connected to her crate in our family room, with some toys and water, but I guess the poor thing will get confused as far as where to pee. On the pads, some of the days and outside on other days? Luckily, I'm an RN and I only work 3 nights a week, so I'll have the rest of the time to be with her.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Nira,

I know night shift is a real bear to deal with and I sympathize.  But, even working day shift, when my pup was small ( for the first two months) I got up 2 hours early for work.  I only worked a half day at the time, but I would get up, walk my dog a mile (that is a lot for a baby), get him pottied, and in his crate for 4 hours.  I thought that was a long time.

So, you may just have to set an alarm and get up for a few months.  It passes.

Having baby puppies, sometimes, is no different than having a small human baby.  Lots of lost sleep until things settle into a routine.

It sounds as if, the problem lies with the day shift hours, three days per week.  I really think you may be able to work on this but it might be some loss of sleep until that puppy physically matures enough to be able to last a bit longer in a crate ( 2 months)

Can you get up midway through your sleep?  Ugh. I know, tough but it may be a good option. 

Have the crate right near your bed. 

Do not use PADS!!   Crate train and pad training well you will certainly confuse the pup and prolong its training.