Tips on leaving puppy alone once I go back to work?

[Jess & Stewart]

I'm really trying to stick to a schedule with Stew, we do breakfast, lunch & dinner at the same time each day. I'm also trying to stay with the same night times to be put in his crate for the night (10:30) and I figure I should get him up around 5 to have enough time with him before I leave for work at 7:45. But last night we both fell asleep. I fell asleep at 10:00 & woke up at 11:30. Stew was by my feet chewing on a toy & didn't pee or poop anywhere. I took him out & he peed. We played a little, then he pooped. I put him in his crate at 12, thinking it was only 6 hours until 5 am so he'd only get up once.

He got up at 1 & 4 am, I waited until he was quiet. He's never really quiet for a long time but I try to wait until it's at least 30 secs-1 minute. He peed both times, then right back into the crate & settled down. We got up at 5, he peed & popped. He played with some toys, then fell asleep again until 6. He woke up, ate breakfast, then I did some training & play. He's been sleeping off & on most of the day.

Meals are 6 am, 12 pm & 6 pm. I've been taking water up at 8 pm also.

He sleeps ALOT & when he has bursts of energy I feel like he should have more energy. He does play fetch & I usually sort of chase him when he has some toys so it gets him running. I want to know that I'm really tiring him out & don't want him not getting enough exercise.

If you see my other post, I'm going to start from scratch with crate training. I'm feeling nervous about going back to work & that he'll just scream & scream in the crate. He doesn't really go in it during the day & prefers to sleep on the floor or his dog bed, there's no problem going in at night. Should I be really firm at night & not get up when he whines? I figured I don't want to ignore him if he does have to go. Should I wait for him to be quiet longer? I hope he doesn't associate that he's getting out of the crate when he whines.

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

When I was crate training my doodles and going to work I would pick up the water at 8 pm then put it out again when I first got up at 4:30 am, then about a hour before I left I would pick it up again and take them out right before I left for work.  They never had one accident in the crate.  I also only fed them at 6 a.m. and 6 pm and still do to this day and they are 3 1/2 and 4 yrs old.  They sleep most of the day, when I worked from home due to hurricane Sandy for 5 months I realized this.

My doodles never fussed when they were in their crates so I really can't offer any help but from what I understand you must wait until they quite before you tend to them.   Good luck and I know you will do fine!

[Breanna]

Crush was 4 months old when I went back to work and I don't work full 8 hour days so I might not be as useful. I also didn't have her crated because she did well in the bathroom behind a baby gate (she is crated now after tearing up the bathroom.) Since she is older and fully potty trained I don't have to be as careful about her water intake. I get up with her at 6:00 a.m and am ready by 6:30. She eats breakfast and goes outside to potty on her own. I play with her in the kitchen while I make breakfast (toss the toy around the house). I take her on a 10-15 minute walk before I leave the house and put her in bed with my boyfriend. He doesn't leave for work until later. I have the crate ready for him to put her in. I leave a small bowl of food and a bowl of water. I fill her kong with peanut butter and freeze it the night before so it lasts longer. I leave a hard toy bone that I know doesn't fall apart. I don't leave any soft toys, tennis balls, or anything else that I feel she could break off and swallow/choke on. She has a towel and her baby blanket in the crate with her as well. I recently got a job promotion so I will be working an hour more a day and she will be left for about 6 1/2 hours a day, five days a week. I don't like it but I have to work!

[Jess & Stewart]

I will work from 7:45-11:45 and then 1-4:45. I think I'm just nervous about leaving him!

[Breanna]

That's not too bad! I was a nervous wreck the first time I left her for 5 hours so you aren't alone. I will tell you, it is not easy to leave again after a lunch break. (I've done this on days when I have an all-day training at work). She is super excited that I am home and then I have to leave again. Stew will probably get used to the routine of that, though. I just spent those lunch breaks trying to burn her energy again. 

[Jaime + Oliver]

Oliver was 12 weeks old when we went back to work.  I worried and worried so I know how you feel.  But you'll be ok!  He was & is still a puppy that likes to sprawl out on the floor so a few weeks in to crate training we started to expand the size of the crate (with the barrier) to allow him to flop like he would outside of the crate.  This was a risk to make sure he wasn't overspaced so we adjusted the space every week, but he never had an accident in the crate.  Because he was so little we limited his crate time even during our first few weeks at work.  He'd go in at 9, get a break at 12.  In again at 1, out again with a drop-in dogwalker at 3.  In at 3:30, out for good at 5.  It was a little complicated but it helped us feel like he got enough interaction, exercise & out of the crate time, as well as bathroom breaks to help prevent any mistakes.

Oliver is also guilty of throwing temper tantrums in the crate sometimes.  We did the same thing by waiting 30seconds or so of silence before opening the crate.  From what I read that seems to be a good starting point.  Early on we gave him the benefit of the doubt and took him outside to potty.  Now that he's 6 months and we know he's empty we practice some tough love and ignore him.  It's hard but he settles very quickly once he realizes that the barking isn't effective.  He's not a dog that loves the crate but he tolerates it.

Good luck, you'll be ok!

[Jess & Stewart]

Tonight was a test for Stew in the crate. I had class from 4:30 until 7. He was in the crate from 4-7:15. Luckily for me, he had the crazies from 3:30 until just before 4 pm. He was running around, nipping my jeans, chasing toys & then I later fetch & ran around with him to get him to chase me. Earlier in the day, I put his snuggle puppy, some training treats & his favorite toy (frozen knotted washcloth!). I put him by his crate & he went in by himself, but that could have been due to the treats. When he was in, I gave him a greenies treat (he'd never one before). When he was occupied by the treat, I closed the crate door & left.

When I got back, I didn't hear any barking or crying. I put my things down, then went to Stew. He started whimpering when he saw me so I waited until he was quiet. I only made it 20 seconds with him quiet though. His face was wet & he's messed up the blanket over top of the crate, but he came out fine. He didn't even really rush out to me either. He ate right away, then peed & pooped right away.

Of course after getting some belly rubs & playing for about 15 minutes, he curled up next to me. Of course, he's been asleep for the past hour-when I was ready for play! I guess puppies really do sleep most of the day & at night!