leaving puppy alone for a long period of time

M

melbell

Forums Enthusiast
Hi everyone,
With this holiday weekend coming up, my fiance's aunt and brother are coming in town and since we currently live an hour from VA beach they want to spend some time there. Our little boy will be 11 weeks tomorrow, and of course can barely hold it 4-5 hours... of course for some reason my fiance thinks he can (he hasn't had to clean up the poo painting mess when he goes in his crate before I make it home on my lunch break). Anyways, we currently keep him in a crate that is perfect for his current size. We recently bought a new crate (mainly because of our land lords wanted our dogs crated for a day so they could come in and inspect everything) which will fit him when he's all grown (it's 23inches tall, he's set to grow at least 17 inches like his mother).

My question is... should I keep him in his little crate (15 inches) if I know for a fact we'll be gone for over 6 hours (possibly 8-9 hours) or should I put him in the big one, hoping he would use one side as bathroom and one as a place for him? (I say this because when he does go in his crate, he ends up COVERED in it along with everything in his crate and his actual crate).

I know this is not the best option for him; however, I'm being ganged up on and even though I don't want to leave him this long, I'm going to have to. :(
 
I'm going to New York for the day on the ninth, My bus leaves at 11:30 am and I'm planning to take Beau out for his first walk as usual, bring him home and feed him and then take him out for a long second walk. Now, I know Beau can hold, but, I'm planning to have a Dog walker that I know come and take him out for an afternoon walk just to alleviate my guilt. It will cost me about 17 dollars but its well worth it for me.
 
See, I don't know anyone here (I just moved here in Sept. and sadly between working and dogs, I legit have no life) and all my co-workers are older (I work in a central office of a school district) and I would NEVER trust me dogs with another person that I don't know 100% esp. if the dogs were to escape seeing how that's when a lot of dogs go missing.
 
You know the situation is not ideal, but you have to make the best of it. I'd leave him in the larger crate so he has room to move around and hopefully, not make too much of a mess. He may surprise you! Leave him water in a dish attached to the crate, so he doesn't spill it, some blankets or towels, and nothing in the crate he could choke on. Leave a radio playing or the TV on.

If he goes through the night without soiling his crate, he might make it through the day. Let us know what happens!
 
Shelby was about that age when we had a family emergency and unfortunately had to leave her home alone for a long time. About 12 hours. We didn't want too but had no choice. We fully expected a mess when we got home but to our surprise she didn't mess at all. Some times things beyond our control happen.

If he was a little older maybe he could go to doggie day care for the day. We do that if we plan a day trip and don't want to leave her home all day. It is a little pricey, $24.00 but it is worth it. I know she is OK (they have cameras and I do watch) and we have a very tired puppy when we get home.
 
Ann said:
You know the situation is not ideal, but you have to make the best of it. I'd leave him in the larger crate so he has room to move around and hopefully, not make too much of a mess. He may surprise you! Leave him water in a dish attached to the crate, so he doesn't spill it, some blankets or towels, and nothing in the crate he could choke on. Leave a radio playing or the TV on.

If he goes through the night without soiling his crate, he might make it through the day. Let us know what happens!
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thanks Ann, that is what I was thinking as well. We already leave the radio on during the day time, so will def do it when we leave him again. He makes it between 4-6 hours at night so I don't know... of course, I fully expect the worse, but you're right he might surprise me.
 
Sorry, I have to disagree with Ann.

Keep him in the small crate. If you give him a bigger crate to poop in then you are just going to set your training schedule behind.

Any chance that you can bring him with you with the crate? That would be best. You can crate him while at your family, and he won't be alone entirely, so you can check on him.

If not, then keep to the size he is used to to, and hope for the best. 6 hours is not impossible for an 11 week old dog. But if you give him more room, then for you will likely start a scenario where pooping/peeing in crate is ok.

The only other concern I have is lack of water for 6 hours.

Personally, if it was me, I would not leave an 11 week old pup alone for that long. Just saying.
 
I would set up an ex-pen. You can put his crate on one side, and some newspapers on the other. That's what we did with Lexi when she was a puppy and we coudn't get home at lunch time to let her out.
 
BarbV said:
Sorry, I have to disagree with Ann.

Keep him in the small crate. If you give him a bigger crate to poop in then you are just going to set your training schedule behind.

Any chance that you can bring him with you with the crate? That would be best. You can crate him while at your family, and he won't be alone entirely, so you can check on him.

If not, then keep to the size he is used to to, and hope for the best. 6 hours is not impossible for an 11 week old dog. But if you give him more room, then for you will likely start a scenario where pooping/peeing in crate is ok.

The only other concern I have is lack of water for 6 hours.

Personally, if it was me, I would not leave an 11 week old pup alone for that long. Just saying.
Click to expand...

I can't bring him with me.. unless he stays in the car... which obviously I would not do to him. I don't want to leave him, but at the same time, I'll get VERY rude comments from my fiance's aunt if I don't. I'll def be giving him water in his crate
 
corbinam said:
I would set up an ex-pen. You can put his crate on one side, and some newspapers on the other. That's what we did with Lexi when she was a puppy and we coudn't get home at lunch time to let her out.
Click to expand...

I don't have an ex-pen unfortunately... we do have a gate which is meant for him to be kept in the kitchen...but.. my lovely puppy figured out how to climb over it when he was 8 1/2 weeks old.. and it's a high gate. Apparently his mom climbs out of ex pens, gates, and crates.. to this day the only way they keep her in a crate is if it's duck taped.. love how I get this news afterwards! but, I wouldn't trade him. At least he hasn't figured out how to break his crate to get out yet.
 
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