Getting my puppy in a week. Will initially be taking a week of but want to know how to house train him when I work 9 to 5. I will have a crate for him and was thinking about putting pee pads in it. My theory is that as he grows he will have more control over his bladder and he will also be taking up more room in the crate so he will not want to relieve himself where he sleeps. Does anybody think this will work. I'm not too keen on an ex pen as when I stop using the crate I think he will be used to having the space to relieve himself in.

Pee pads are evil. (Read some of the threads on this site. No dog expert endorses them. And paper training is in the same boat.) A puppy needs to go out to do his business every few hours. His bladder just isn't big enough to hold it all day while you are at work.

Why on earth are you getting a puppy that will need lots of work and attention? How about getting a beautiful, trained adult dog a few years old who needs a home and is waiting for you at the local shelter? Or maybe a couple of self-sufficient cats?

There are people that have done it before and it has worked perfectly. I am just wondering how they have done it. Also when I have been to the shelters they have said that I am unable to adopt as the dog will be left for more than 4 hours.

Can you get someone in to let the dog out while you are at work. Puppies can not last longer than 2 hours for bathroom breaks. That is a fact. Also pee pads and papers teach them anything on the floor they can go on. They see no difference between them and a carpet or newspaper.
It is very important to train a puppy correctly from the start so you don't end up with issues. As soon as they wake up outside until they pee or poop, 1/2 hour after eating the same. You need to watch them all the time for their signs of going .

I could possibly have someone check in on him around mid day for an hour. Do you think that would be enough?

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Originally Posted by gsd3592

i could possibly have someone check in on him around mid day for an hour. do you think that would be enough?

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No, that won't be enough.

Have you already paid for this puppy and reserved him?

When I was training Owen (my dog) I was lucky as they are like babies with the sleeping and going to bathroom. Hubby works nights and I was off work. Someone was always around. I think it will be every two hours. Can you take off a week or two and then have someone come in to watch him? I just don't want you to get your bundle of joy and find it hard to train him/ her due to working. That is why Wondergirl suggested adopting. Would they allow you to adopt if you put the dog into doggy day care? You can not do that with the pup until s/he has had all of their shots.
I will say this as I did not know this. Do not take him out in public UNTIL he has had all of his shots. Parvo can be deadly to pups. As soon as you get him take him to a vet and follow his/her recommendations.
Pssst we love to see pics.

I can take 2 weeks off work and can come home at lunch time for an hour at half 12. I only work 5 minutes away so will have a good 50 minutes to feed him, let him go to the toilet and play with him.

I am not sure if that is doable . One of the more experienced dog experts can give you exact advice if that is enough time. I don't want to steer you wrong as you and your pup deserve the best advice

Tell us more about the puppy. How old will he be when you get him? Is he paid for already? Is he coming from a friend's litter or a local backyard breeder or a registered breeder? What kind or breed of dog is he?

Or are you just thinking about it?

Have you ever owned a dog before?

(Sorry for the 3rd degree, but am asking questions I am sure the dog experts will be happy to know the answers to. Thanks for your patience.)

He's a 16 week old labrador. I have put down a 50 pound deposit.hes coming from a registered breeder. When speaking to the breeder about my case he said that he was originally in the same position as me a while ago and went through it fine. I just wanted some other opinions. I have previously owned a labrador which I rescued. Just wanted a puppy this time as I haven't owned one.

At 16 weeks of age, 4 months, he can spend up to four hours in the crate at a time. That's the rule of thumb, one hour for each month of age.

I have to agree that putting puppy pads in the crate is a very bad idea. In fact, the use of puppy pads period is a bad idea. It's like putting a pull up on a toddler. It doesn't work.

I would suggest coming home during lunch, letting him potty, giving him some exercise. Ask a neighbor if they can come and relieve him during the day. Don't feed or water the puppy for at least an hour before you leave for work, which means that you'll have to get up a bit earlier to let him eat, drink, and then potty, before you leave. When you come home for lunch potty break immediately, then feed and water, then potty again before you leave.

It's not always ideal to have a puppy when you work full time, but many people have done it successfully. I did. As long as you can come home during the day, your pup should be fine, but don't use the pee pads, please, that will only confuse your puppy. It's not natural for a dog to pee or poo in the crate. Introducing puppy pads in the crate will only encourage a behavior that's not natural for the dog. The crate is his den. In the wild even newborn puppies don't pee or poo in the den. Mom takes them outside to potty, and they learn very quickly to potty outdoors.

At 4 months of age your dog should learn to potty fairly quickly. Be consistent, take him outside, choose a potty word, and when he potties tons of praise and a treat. A pee pad encourages peeing indoors, and a carpet, lino, wood flooring, or even your clothes, will become a target. The dog can't differentiate between a pee pad and other materials.

Labs are very smart dogs, and great. I love the breed. I can't wait to see pictures of your new baby. :)

Edit: This is how I trained my newest addition, a border collie cross, now 10 months old. He now stays home all day without my having to come to relieve him during lunch (I only get 30 minutes and it wasn't easy to rush home every day, but I did). He hasn't had an accident in a long time, and he never potties in his crate. His crate is his safe place, and he goes in it willingly. :)

Thanks for your help. I will definitely get some pictures up here asap.

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Originally Posted by gsd3592

thanks for your help. i will definately get some pictures up here asap.

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Keep me posted on how things go. I miss having a lab in my life, my 16 year old lab passed away a little over a year ago. He was the easiest dog I've ever owned, very smart, very obedient, just a pure joy. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time with your new fur baby. :)

Will do, sorry to hear about your lab. Can't wait to see him grow up and all the fun times to come. Thanks again.

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Originally Posted by gsd3592

will do, sorry to hear about your lab. can't wait to see him grow up and all the fun times to come. thanks again.

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Thanks. He had a very long life. He was 16, and sadly we had to make the tough decision every pet lover dreads. He could no longer walk on his own, couldn't even get up on his own, and his life was no longer a joy for him. It was time.

Sadly, 5 months after he passed our border collie cross became ill. He went from a very healthy 10 year old, to a very sick dog less than a week later. Multiple trips to the vet, and no solution. When it became clear that he was not only in pain, but that we couldn't help him, we had to put him down as well.

We have our 4 year old beagle that went from a 3 dog home to an only dog home in 5 months, so we got our puppy. Not a replacement, because you can't replace a loved one, but a new family member, someone to put a smile on our faces, to fill the void left in our hearts. And boy has he done that. He's a little stinker. :)

I won't tell you my lab stories, they may scare you. ;) Actually Indy (my lab) was a wonderful dog, but like all dogs, he did get into his fair share of mischief. I'm sure your pup will as well. :)

If you could take off work two weeks instead of one, it might help you and the pup transition to your work schedule.

The first week should be the beginnings of house training and bonding. The second week should consist of prolonged crate time so that way the puppy gets use to being alone while you are still there.

The biggest thing that you need to avoid with a puppy being alone for long hours at a time is creating a dog with separation anxiety. Dogs are pack animals, they enjoy and relish in the company of others. Being alone for 8+ hours a day is very taxing on the pups and separation anxiety can and will develop. And trust me, you do not want separation anxiety.. and unfortunately, high energy dogs are prone to it.

As everyone else has said.. potty pads are a nightmare. It basically teaches your dog to pee and poo in the house. That is very hard to re-train once the dog is older. If you want your puppy to pee and poo outside, than start with that type of house training right out the running gate. Also, putting the potty pads in the crate itself is working against what your puppy with naturally do.. keep his sleeping space clean.

Once your puppy has the required vaccinations, find a doggy daycare. Have him go to it once or twice a week. That will take off a lot of pressure on you to constantly entertain your pup. I know of a lot of working people who rely on doggy daycare to help them out while their dog is young.

People who work a full day have successfully raised healthy happy puppies. It does take a lot of work. But you seem like you are ready for this, and I wish you luck. Please.. if you have any problems or questions, come back here! We're all more than happy to help!

Great post Hattie.

I do have to say, I think we succeeded in working full time with a new puppy, mainly because we also have another dog. The two of them are a pack, and they're together all day.

At first we had Rascal (the puppy) in the crate when I went to work. He was little and I was concerned that he'd get into something while I was gone.

He's now 10 months old, and I no longer crate him when I work. I block off access to certain areas (the kitchen, just in case someone left something in the garbage that can hurt him, the bathroom, and the spare room and basement). He has access to my room (which is puppy proofed), the family room, and front foyer. It's been going very well. This way he and Chewy (our beagle) can be together during the day. Rascal and Chewy are both fine when we leave. My neighbor checked on them for me when we first decided to let him have free reign of the house during the day. Every time she came to check, they were both sleeping on the couch together. She ended up leaving, not disturbing them. I do have to say, makes me a bit worried. Guard dogs they aren't. ;)

Maybe the solution to this is two puppies? Just saying. :)