Question on introducing puppy to our home

[Chelsea and her doodle Piper]

We are scheduled to get our long awaited new puppy next week! I am wondering how you suggest we introduce our home to the puppy. I read in Caesar's new book about puppies (yes, I have read the debate on him :o) that he recommends keeping the dog in a very small space like a hallway for a month or 2. I can hardly bear to do that, but I don't want to overwhelm the puppy, I am am a stay at home mom, so I figured that it could just be near me around during the days, even as a puppy. Am I wrong here? Thanks!

[Libby & Bentley]

when we brought our pup home initially we kept him gated off on hard floors..but stayed there with him for most of the time...then we allowed him on carpeted areas, only when we could directly supervise him...very shortly after, he was allowed on either of the 1st 2 floors..not the 3rd floor where our bedrooms are unless we take him up there...and then is kenneled overnight.

he is part of our family, so i wouldnt want to section him off to an area..but i do keep watchful eye on him as he still finds trouble every once and awhile!

[F, Calla & Luca]

When you can't be with the puppy crate it. Otherwise I think keeping him near you with vigilant supervision is fine. some people tether pups to them so where they go he pup goes.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I agree. We kept our puppy with us all the time for the first two months. Otherwise, he was in his crate. We were home with him so it wasn't that hard. I used baby gates to keep him in the room with me for the most part. That made housebreaking so much easier. I could catch him before he "went", and bring him right outside. As a result, he caught on very quickly. It also became a habit. Now he has the run of the house when we're home, but for the most part he chooses to stay with us.

[Adina P]

Congratulations! You're about to have so much fun with a dab of madness (be sure to join our Puppy Madness group if you haven't...LOTS of excellent discussions just up your alley to peruse!).

I think there is merit to limiting a puppy's freedom initially...but that doesn't mean they MUST be confined to a hallway 24/7 minus potty breaks. The purpose of limiting freedom is because most puppies are curious, get into everything they shouldn't, pee anywhere, chew things up, and can be adorable little trouble makers.

#1 for me is to have a crate...maybe two. Crate time is ANYTIME you cannot keep BOTH eyes glued to puppy or at least keep puppy leashed to YOU. Any time puppy can't be vigilantly supervised, he/she should be crated. The crate is safe place where puppy cannot get into trouble, swallow something dangerous, destroy something valuable, or otherwise learn bad habits while out of eyesight. The crate is also an excellent "cool off" zone for when puppy's exhuberance is just too much and he/she gets to that 'overly tired' zone that even toddlers experience. And when you need some time to yourself or need to leave the house...the crate is also very useful then. Don't get me wrong...puppy should not be crated all day long...but I believe wholeheartedly in overnight crating as well as for short bursts during the day. I took off a week from work when my Rosco came home so I could work on potty training, get him used to time in my home, etc. But even during that week I made a point to leave him alone, crated, a few times a day (for 1-2 hours MAX) so he could get used to being alone and not become excessively needy or fearful when I had to leave him alone. More info/discussions on crate training found throughout this site. Just go to the Main forum page and type in crate or 'crate training' into the search box and you'll find a plethora of past tips/discussion on this topic.

The rest of the time if you, when you don't want puppy crated, I would keep a leash attached to your belt and keep him attached to the leash. This will aid in bonding, keep him close to you so he can't get into trouble, and usually prevents accidents as pups don't like to poo or pee in a confined small area. You'll still have to take him out for potty every 30 minutes (or less) at first, but at least he'll be NEAR you and not finding secret potty spots through the house. I would not use a whole hallway just yet because that gives puppy too much room for pottying in the house. Buy a crate that is made for his adult size that comes with a divider. Then position that divider so he only has enough room to stand up, turn around, and lie down...that will prevent him, usually, from going potty in the crate. Then as he shows he has earned more freedom...you can make his space bigger in the crate. But I wouldn't give full freedom to wander the house (even if I was home) until puppy is about 6 months old.

[Chelsea and her doodle Piper]

Thanks for all the info! We do have a dividable crate that we will definitely be using at night, while we are gone and at times during the day. I am planning on getting a handful of baby gates this week, and I like the idea of just having him on a leash near me at times when I can't keep both eyes on him. I have had dogs, but never puppies! This is a new experience for sure, but have been doing lots of reading and DK has been a big help!

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Oh dont keep her segregated. Definitely let her hang out with you. In my case we can close our family room/kitchen/dining area off from the rest of the house, and the backyard door is right there. I took them out for potty every 20 minutes while training. I spend all my time here anyways and the pups were always with me in this puppy proofed area. I only crated them at night (I made a cozy bed out of the crate) and kept it beside my bed to sleep at night. When I had to leave the house I left them blocked in the nook area with a portable freestanding gate system with a kong stuffed with peanut butter and chewies to keep them busy. If you want to keep a crate with you that you could stick the puppy in to keep her out from underfoot when you need her in a safe spot that is fine. But dont confine her for extended preiods.

And that was my 2 cents.

[Laura & Chewie]

When Chewie first came home, we kept him in the same room, took him out for frequent potty breaks and crated him at night and when we weren't there. We also have an ex-pen where we would put him while we were home, but couldn't keep a careful eye on him or for litte time-outs as he needed them. This way I felt I wasn't sticking him in and out of the crate all day long. It worked great for us and we still use it (he's 5 months) although not as frequently.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Ditto Adina's suggestions. If you keep your puppy crated or tied to you everything is going to be easier potty training, bonding, chewing etc. The rope or lead should be very lightweight and about 15 feet long. Don't drag him about with it, coax him to follow and then when you get where you are going he stays within your sight. Crating gives him a safe place to really sleep while you enjoy some time off. Puppies like their crates, even if it does not seem so at first.
Enjoy, enjoy enjoy puppies are so fun.