I am a student, and I've always thought that this time of life is the best time for raising a puppy. I have got plenty of time, living only five min walk from the university, and the puppy will never be left alone in my apartment for more than 2-3 hours.

But when the time is getting closer (I am picking up the puppy when it's 8 weeks old from the breeder) I find myself thinking that it might not be enough.
When my family had puppies before, my mother was at home all day with them. And now I am wondering if it is really too long for a puppy to be by itself for 3 hours?

I am used to dogs, as my family always had one, so I am not worried about that.
Do anyone have experience with leaving young puppies at home during the day?
And if I can do it, what is the best way to do it so the puppy doesn't harm itself or gets itself into mischief?

Thanks a lot:)
Elisabeth:confused:

Crate the puppy when your not home. 3 hours tis not too much time to leave it alone. Sounds like you are good to raise a puppy to me. I left mine for 4 hours at a time, but did take 2 weeks off to train him when I first got him.

A lot of your question will be dependent on the BREED of puppy you choose. Some need more "people" time than others. Some are easier to train than others and some simply DESPISE being left alone. As well as the facilities you have to keep a puppy: do you have a yard or kennel; a "safe" room such as a bathroom, laundry room or other place that can be gated off and won't be destroyed by puppy while learning potty training; access to open space for puppy to run and play?

I raised Shelties for nearly 15 years and they are one of the breeds that is relatively happy being left alone for several hours at a time, whereas my purebred Boxer had separation anxiety and couldn't STAND being alone for ANY amount of time. We now raise Weimaraners, and they require A LOT of "people" time, or become shy and anxious.

Do your research, talk to breeders, talk to others that have the same breed as what you plan on getting, ask the breeder for references... make an informed choice.

A puppy is just as much responsibility as a baby, sometimes more so! They are expensive as you'll need food, toys, a crate, leash, collar, etc. And, be prepared for all the trials and tribulations of losing one of your favorite shoes to gnawing, your plants being "tasted", cleaning and cleaning and cleaning! It's certainly worth it when the day comes and suddenly your puppy is potty trained and sits on command!

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Originally Posted by skatvedt

I am a student, and I've always thought that this time of life is the best time for raising a puppy. I have got plenty of time, living only five min walk from the university, and the puppy will never be left alone in my apartment for more than 2-3 hours.

But when the time is getting closer (I am picking up the puppy when it's 8 weeks old from the breeder) I find myself thinking that it might not be enough.
When my family had puppies before, my mother was at home all day with them. And now I am wondering if it is really too long for a puppy to be by itself for 3 hours?

I am used to dogs, as my family always had one, so I am not worried about that.
Do anyone have experience with leaving young puppies at home during the day?
And if I can do it, what is the best way to do it so the puppy doesn't harm itself or gets itself into mischief?

Thanks a lot:)
Elisabeth:confused:

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I cannot urge you strongly enough DON'T DO IT! For a very young dog, 3 hours is a long time to be alone, it could result in real behavior problems. If you decide you really want a dog, visit the pound for a young adult. They are usually housetrained, calm and very appreciative... it makes all the difference!

But as a student... I wonder if you can guarantee providing a home for the next ten years? What if you want to travel overseas for a month? What if you want to move in with a partner who is allergic?

Also, you mentioned a breeder... I have been around dogs all my life, and purebreds almost always have health or behavior issues. Again, I say, get an adult from the pound... save a deserving life!

Don't DO IT!! DO NOT DO IT!!

Unless you have ALL day EVERY day to be with the puppy it would be a horrible idea. Also, if you do want to have a dog. I would highly recommend getting an older dog, like 1 year or maybe like 6 months. It would be much easier to take care of also it would be okay to leave alone for longer. Also it would give you more experience raising a dog before you commit to a puppy!

ALSO ALSO,

Please consider rescuing a dog. There are way to many perfect dog in shelters that will be put down with out even being given a chance. Also most shelters will do free microchipping and spay/ neutering.

Lindsay

If you keep backing out, there is a reason for it. Don't push yourself into a responsibility that you are not ready for. Rehoming a dog is hard on the owner but harder on the dog. Please wait until you are sure and you have the time to devot to a puppy.

I disagree with those who tell you that you may not have time for a puppy.

You just got to make time for it.

I'm a college student (4 classes) with 2 part time jobs... and I did my research and got a puppy last year.

At first, it was a little difficult (I had to come home every 2 - 3 hours to spend time with it)... but after 2 - 3 months, it was able to be left alone at home for 5 - 6 hours at a time without a problem.

You do need to do the legwork in research and figure out costs (I knew a puppy cost a lot... but I didn't expect THAT much with vet visits... roughly $150-200 a month for the first year).

Also, look at your 5-year plan. Does it include room for a dog?

A dog brings much joy (if you're like me and you live in a big @ss 1-bedroom apartment in the city) but it also takes up a lot of your time (I wake up at 730 every morning to walk/feed my dog... and have to be home at 1pm to walk my dog... and have to be home everyday at 6pm to walk/feed my dog... then spend a lot of nights playing with my dog).

If you want a more laid back life, shelter/adoption/rescue is the best way to go.

I lean more toward agreeing with Isneeze
People say you shouldn't leave a puppy alone more than an hour or two
But in reality MANY people leave their puppies in a crate 8 to 10 hours a day 5 days a week so they can go to work. Many even leave them in their crate when the family IS home.
You just might give the pup a better home than the one that would get it if you don't.
I would get a medium sized dog that is content when alone.
Little dogs are high strung and bark a lot
Large dogs can be a lot to handle
Some breeds are more likely to have separation anxiety disorder.
My Lab Huskie had separation anxiety really bad

I had a medium sized Choux and she was great whether she was alone or with people.
A Collie might work out for you too.

So while I would say what you need to consider may be narrow keep in mind all these things and all your other concerns and eventually you will find the right dog at the right time.

Please update us with what you decided!

I only stayed home for 2 days after getting my puppy, after that my job allowed me to come home and check on him every few hours. It seems as though you are able to be home withyour puppy other than a few hours, but for those who can't, maybe a friend or a neighbor could, or there is doggy daycares, which I think are great for socializing and getting rid of some energy with other dogs.

I took everything you said into account, talked to a vet and a dog-trainer, and got a lovely Tervueren puppy from a friend who's a breeder. (So the Collie idea wasn't very far off.. )
She's been here for some weeks now, and I arranged for her to never be alone the 3 first weeks. I got her during easter, so that worked out well, and then my sis came to stay here with us for 2 weeks, so my Liska (the puppy) had company while I was at uni.

She is doing very well, we go for a lot of walks during the day, and she got the idea about doing her business outside after just one week:) That was yay, and so much faster that expected!
I'm definitely not going to regret getting her. Thanks for helping me decide, everyone. I got a lot of good and important pointers here!

And one more thing; many of you seem be convinced that no other than unemployed people should be having dogs. But I got to disagree.
I was doing agility on a quite advanced level with my last dog, and doing that, you meet all kinds of dogs and people - I have met very few owners who actually stay home 24-7, but at the same time I've seen a lot of well-adjusted, happy dogs!

In an ideal dog-world, humans would not work but spend all day out on the fields with their happy dogs. But even though one lack the possibility of making that reality, one can still make a great home for a dog, big or small. The latter just depends on how many hours a day you'll spend on exercize.
For me and Liska, it'll probably be well over three hours a day in the fields. I'm hoping we'll both be happy with that.

You did get a good pick. That is what is important. Collies, Chous and some others are easier to train and don't bark or need all the fuss and attention like little Pom's and other dogs.
Sounds like you are off to a good start.