Looking for opinions on raising a sheltie, specifically potty training to go outside, if you both work full time so the dog will be home alone for 8 hours a day during the week. I also worry about the high energy. From what I’ve read online (Ian Dunbar’s website mostly) it can be done but it is not easy. Instead of a small cage you need to create a larger pen. An area for play, sleep (small cage) and bathroom (since puppies can’t hold it all day), but still have this confined so the puppy doesn’t get into trouble. Has anyone done this method with a sheltie? How big was the area and how did it go? Any advice? Some days we could find someone to let it out throughout the days but there would be days it would go the full 8 hours during the week. Nights and weekend we would be home the entire time for training and to take it outside every hour like Ian suggests. Thanks in advance.
Can you raise a Sheltie puppy if work full time
- Thread starter mf123
- Start date
Piper's mom
Moderator
When Piper was a puppy I'd say from about 14 weeks I had to return to work, I would come home (or I'd get someone to let him out) usually 4 hours later for a pee. As he got a little older I kept his crate open but had an x-pen around his crate ( probably 4-5 months old) and he would have to stay in there for the full 8 hours. I continued doing this (I just expanded his area) until he was well over a year (he actually didn't get freedom until almost 2).
Its quite doable but would be better if you could (or someone else) take the puppy outside after a few hours, or use an x-pen in place of a crate so the puppy has room to move around a bit.
Its quite doable but would be better if you could (or someone else) take the puppy outside after a few hours, or use an x-pen in place of a crate so the puppy has room to move around a bit.
Thanks for the reply. I’ve been reading many many posts on this forum over the past few weeks. It is so informative. I stumbled across a post from 2016 where someone posted this picture of their x-pen setup. This is what I had in mind since the little puppy would need a bathroom area and play area during the day. I just want make sure this is a fair way to raise a sheltie. We would play with it at night and weekend and make sure it gets lots of training and excercise then. I just don’t want to stunt any development or create bad habits by keeping it locked up all day
take4roll10
Moderator
With an adult dog, no problem, but definitely more difficult with a young puppy. I think if you're okay with first training the puppy to potty on pads, it's more doable. But I suggest hiring a dogwalker/relative/neighbor to come by once or twice a day. 8 hours alone is a long time for an 8-16 week old puppy.
corbinam
Moderator
I did the crate in an ex-pen set up for one of my puppies because my husband and I both worked full time. We did have someone come in a few days a week to let him out, train him, and play with him.
On the days she didn't come by, we had a potty pad in one corner and the crate in the other. He never used it, and once he tore it up once I was like "well, I guess that's what he thinks about that". And we never used it again.
(Not the greatest photo but you get the idea)
On the days she didn't come by, we had a potty pad in one corner and the crate in the other. He never used it, and once he tore it up once I was like "well, I guess that's what he thinks about that". And we never used it again.
(Not the greatest photo but you get the idea)
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Thanks.
@corbinam on the days you could have someone stop in did he just go on the floor? You said he never used the pad. Our situation would be similar to yours I think. Some days we would be able to a walker and some days we wouldn’t. Did he learn to go outside or was it confusing for him being inside so much and still trying to teach to go to the bathroom outside. Thanks again.
@corbinam on the days you could have someone stop in did he just go on the floor? You said he never used the pad. Our situation would be similar to yours I think. Some days we would be able to a walker and some days we wouldn’t. Did he learn to go outside or was it confusing for him being inside so much and still trying to teach to go to the bathroom outside. Thanks again.
KarenCurtis
Forums Sage
Is I the possible to have someone come in o take the puppy out? That would be the quickest way puppy would learn to always go outside to pee and poop.
Not sure if we could get a neighbor to do it everyday that’s why I was asking if it would be alright on it’s own.
Cindy
Premium Member
Gavin's potty training was not affected by his using a puppy potty inside.
It was a plastic tray with a plastic grate over a pad; the plain pad holders just meant 'lets tear up the pad'
He never used it when I was home.
He always wanted to go outside
It was a plastic tray with a plastic grate over a pad; the plain pad holders just meant 'lets tear up the pad'
He never used it when I was home.
He always wanted to go outside
Caro
Moderator
Deska was really hard to toilet train - and I'm pretty sure it was because the breeder had him going on puppy pads inside. I worked part time initially when Deska was young and full-time with Tully.
For Tully I made a pee tray - got a container lid and put kitty litter in (with a bit of dirt mingled in so it smelt like dirt) and then some fake grass over the top. I left it in the garage and she was happy to use it and it was easy to clean and re-use (I had 2 pieces of grass and rotated them). I see now you can buy a piece of turf and I guess if I had to do it again for a puppy I'd use the turf instead of fake grass. I also ended up putting in a dog door.
For Tully I made a pee tray - got a container lid and put kitty litter in (with a bit of dirt mingled in so it smelt like dirt) and then some fake grass over the top. I left it in the garage and she was happy to use it and it was easy to clean and re-use (I had 2 pieces of grass and rotated them). I see now you can buy a piece of turf and I guess if I had to do it again for a puppy I'd use the turf instead of fake grass. I also ended up putting in a dog door.