... many of you already know that I have a 8 and half wekk old Boxer pup. We picked him him a week and a half ago when my Son was on half term. He is now back to school and I have this week off as well to get the pup settledin. Now he settled in really quickly and is almost sleeping through the night, and not waking till about 6-6.30. This is all great.

This week I have started 'Separation Training' in preparation for me going back to work on Monday. What I have been doing is this:

Wakes at 6-6.30 and goes out into the garden with me for about half and hour playtime. Then I have my breakfast in the kitchen whilst his is soaking. Then he has his and he's back out into the garden until 7.30. I put him back in the kitchen, ignore him and busy myself for a while and then I leave and tell him "be good be quiet" and go upstairs to get ready etc. He takes himself off for a nap... all great so far.

THEN... I have to spend the entire morning going through this separation training where I basically don't talk, touch, or speak to him. I leave him by giving the "be good be quiet", I then busy myself in the lounge where he can see me for a few minutes and then I leave his sight. He's getting better each time I leave him as when I started it was seconds and now it's minutes before he starts whimpering and then another 5 minutes or so before it turns into barking, but I don't generally let him get to that stage. When I think he's about to get stressed I go into the kitchen and busy myself until he calms down and stops following me around, all the while ignoring him completely, which usualy doesn't take very long at all and he takes himself off to his bed. Before he falls asleep I go through the whole process again.

This pattern goes on until 12-12.30 when I will be coming hom for lunch. Si I ignore him again and put his lounch on to soak and prepare my lunch too. I then take him out into the garden and when he's had a wee etc I then praise him for weeing ans lay with him for half an hour or so. We then both have lunch, then back out to the garden for a littlw while.

Then I start the whole process again for the afternoon until 3.30-4 when my Son comes home from school. He ignores him for the first 10 minutes and then takes him out to the garden and they play. Then he can come out of the kitchen for the rest of the day.

I absolutely hate this... I'm trying to remain upbeat as I don't want him to pick up on the fact that I totally hate ignoring him!!! I feel quite heart broken then I can't talk to him and pet him, but I know that I can't as I HAVE to go back to work next week and I ave to get him ready for that, but I wonder if he'll ever forgive me for all this ignoring!! I do feel quite sad about it and wonder whether I'm doing the right thing. I have heard from many sources that separation anxiety is the biggest reason people give up their dogs, but that will never happen to us, we will never give up on our little guy. I just hope he doesn't give up on me for ignoring him so much.

He is better at times than others, sometimes he'll take himself straight off to his crate and sleep and then other times he'll get stressed within seconds, so one minute I think we're doing reallt well and then the next minute I feel like I'm back at square one!!

I leave a stuffed kong and some of his toys in the kitchen with him and he as a chew too, but he just totally ignores them. I can't seem to get him to 'play' on his own... anyone have any tips for this?

Has anyone else had to do this? Am I doing the right thing?

I'm not frantic about it, but I do worry that if he doesn't 'get it' by time I go back to work then he'll be in a totaly frenzie by time I get home!!

We did start this process last week and he has been confined to the kitchen most of the time since we brought him home, so it's not like we've had him with us for a week and then suddenyl started this process, but this week I have been leacing him and been totally out of his sight and hearing.

Oh it's so hard... I dontt want him t get depressed!!

The worst time is when he's woken up from a sleep, he instantly start whimpering.

Any advice is really appreciated.

Thanks

Max

By going back in when he starts to whimper, aren't you teaching him that whimpering brings you back?
I have to say, its quite a long time for such a young pup to be alone, but I do understand that folk have to work (myself included), I don't think its going to be easy for him to settle alone though.

I think Carla is right, even though you aren't speaking to him when you return in his eyes you HAVE returned when he cried so he has learnt the more i cry the more she will return but next week that won't happen.

Don't feel hard on your self for ignoring him, if he got into the habit of requesting and getting your attention when it suited him you may end up in trouble a few years down the line, play time, cuddle time, training time, food time should all stop/start on your terms not his.
Well for me this has worked with my boy, he's a better dog for knowing his limits :)

> The worst time is when he's woken up from a sleep, he instantly start whimpering.
>

He will be telling you that he needs to relieve himself. How else can he?

That is where this will fall down I'm afraid, little pups cant hold their bodily functions for long periods of time and your need to get him ready to be left wont hurry this process up I'm afraid....housetraining will falter.
I dont sell boxer puppies to people who go out to work, I'd only get them back. Housetraining issues, sepatation issues and destructive behaviour problems would most likely get the better of the situation. Plus how would I feel knowing he's going to snivvle and cry for company for long periods of the day, he's only a baby.

Sorry.I'm not suprised you hate this.

Your puppy needs to be let out into the garden after each meal, everytime he wakes and then every 20 minutes or so when he's awake in order to house train him. 
How is this going to happen when you go back to work next week?

I have, only just this morning, refused someone a pup for this very reason.  I did explain that housetraining wouldn't work when the opportunity to toilet wasn't there.  She was happy to go on a waiting list etc.  She was bitterly disappointed, but glad that I had explained my reasons.  I don't know what advice to give you though, so I'm not much help.  Sorry.

I have to say that I would not let a pup go to a home where it would be left these hours on a regular basis...however I too understand that folk have to work (I do) but I work my shifts round my dogs, doing evenings w/ends etc..so they have OH's company.
I think it would be better to follow the steps you are but to acctually leave the house for a while mornings and afternoons and leave pup completly alone. You may be ignoring him but as others have said He knows you are still there and he cannot understand why you are ignoring him! Is it not possible to rearrange work hours? or failing that have someone come in to spend some time with him? The afternoons don't seem to bad, from 1 till 3.30 when your son comes home is not too long but the mornings from 7.30 till 12.30 is a long time for a baby puppy. The other thing that would worry me (Please don't take this persomally as it may not apply to you) is that once the better weather comes, your children may wish to be out with thier friends in the late afternoons, what then? The other concern is the cold wet miserable mornings, I know lots of people who will religously get up and walk dogs at the crack of dawn whatever the weather but there are plenty for whom this novelty soon wears of, you cannot allow that to happen, and the walks at night when you come home from work, tired and just ready to make tea...feed humans...put your feet up and put the dog walk off for a day..then two etc.. Having a dog and working full time is a huge commitment to providing extra care at times when you really may not feel ike it. There are a lot of great owners who put huge amounts of time and energy into it to make it work.(No doubt that is you!) but an equal number who don't...and then the dog pays the price! :-( :-(
I wish you good luck and hope your commitment is steadfast, in your case dog ownership is in many ways harder than for others.
Aileen

Sorry but there is no way on earth you can leave such a young pup for a few hours. He needs to be much older.

I agree that IMO he is too young to be left that long . You can expect to come home to a mess !  Do you have someone who could pop in for a few weeks to break up the day ?

I.m not sure if there is a minimum age as i have never had to use one but maybe you could look into a puppy creche for the mornings, it will help with socialisation aswell

> By going back in when he starts to whimper, aren't you teaching him that whimpering brings you back?
>

I don't go back as soon as he start whimpering, I just go into the kitchen before he gets totally stressed, we have been working on this all and he's better already.

Yes I know 3 hours is a long time for him to be left for such a young boy, but I have to work. He settles down by himself for a sleep quite easily

> Don't feel hard on your self for ignoring him, if he got into the habit of requesting and getting your attention when it suited him you may end up in trouble a few years down the line, play time, cuddle time, training time, food time should all stop/start on your terms not his

Thanks for this Gemma, I will leave him for longer period over this afternoon and the next few days and not return when he whimpers

Hi Max,

you've had some very honest responses - full time work commitments with dogs, but especially pups, is something that doesn't generally work well and is certainly not in the best interests of such a young puppy.

If you're prepared to make sacrifices financially you may be able to improve the situation by reducing your working hours substantially or employing a dog sitter/walker daily.  These are expensive options for most people, even before the credit crunch it can mean a lot of income is lost or swallowed by outlays.

In the immediate term IMO you have to juggle your existing arrangements between yourself and your OH to ensure that over the next few weeks this puppy is left for no longer than a maximum of two hours in any day and even at that I would say once in any day, not mornings plus afternoons.

In order to suitably see to this pup's wellbeing he must have his toilet and dietary needs met regularly as well as dedicated time spent in socialising him which is even more important than concerning yourselves with separation anxiety.  The latter you've been doing anyway and as you already seem to have made a little progress it seems likely that you'll cope in that regard.

I hope this info is taken as trying to help, not judge or criticise, but nevertheless a necessary wake up call to the serious responsibilities of correctly looking after a baby puppy.

regards, Teri

> He will be telling you that he needs to relieve himself. How else can he?
>

He can releave himself in the kitchen. We have set up his crate in there and we've taken the door off of it so he can go in and out as he pleases to releave himself on his puppy pads, which he does quite happily. Her pefers to poo outside, but will go in the kitchen if need be.

We wil continue house traning properly when he's a lot older and I do understand that this will take longer due to him being at home on his own for a while, but we are prepared for that.

I spoke to the breeder about this long before we picked him up and also long before we all agreed that this little guy was going to come home with us and they said that as long as he is going to be crate trained then he'll be fine.

> think it would be better to follow the steps you are but to acctually leave the house for a while mornings and afternoons and leave pup completly alone

I am going to do this this afternoon and keep up with that for the rest of the week for longer and longer period of time.

> but the mornings from 7.30 till 12.30 is a long time for a baby puppy

I can't have made myself very clear. We leave him in the kitchen from 7.30 so we can have showers etc and for this time he's totally fine. I'm then with him again once I'm ready until I leave for work at 9am.

Weather is really not an issues, we are outdoors types and have never been afraid to go out in all terrains!! We wouldn't have got him if were indoors people who are afraid of hard work and adverse weather. Gong out for walks is a joy for us, not a chore.

> I wish you good luck and hope your commitment is steadfast, in your case dog ownership is in many ways harder than for others

Thanks

> You can expect to come home to a mess !

I fully expected this, so it's not a problem. He is in the kitchen and goes on his puppy pads and I clear it up as soon as I come in.

> Do you have someone who could pop in for a few weeks to break up the day ?

Unfortunately not, but my Son will come home at 12 and I at 12.30-1.30, then my Son is back at 3.30 and I at 5.30.

> creche for the mornings, it will help with socialisation aswell

I'll see how things go, but I'll also look into this, thanks

> they said that as long as he is going to be crate trained then he'll be fine

That seems like a worrying statement to me, a baby puppy will not be happy in a crate for long periods of time, It may reduce the damage or mess to you but will do pups mental status no good at all. A crate must be a home..a place of safety not a place to be incarcerated for long times.  You need to contain the crate within a much larger puppy play pen to give him room to play and move round. I also think you will lay down all sorts of confusing issues with "Toilet training later" by which time he will have trained himself to use your home as a toilet..bad habits are very hard to break, good ones much easier to learn if given the right start in life.
I would look at a puppy play school for a while untill he is much older. Dogs are pack animals and to leave them alone for the majority of the day is in my mind unfair to them. They miss the copanionship of thier adopted "Pack" even though dogs know we are not the same we do supply the company that we isolate them from by having them as "Only" dogs, and must give them some form of company to compensate.
Aileen

>We leave him in the kitchen from 7.30 so we can have showers etc and for this time he's totally fine. I'm then with him again once I'm ready until I leave for work at 9am.

Do you take him out in the garden to pee and poo before you leave?

If you're using puppy pads housetraining will take a very very long time. :-( All they do is teach a dog that it's okay to toilet indoors, which is the opposite of what you want. He needs someone to take him outside for every mess - each one indoors is a step back. If the time and effort isn't put in now, while he's a baby, you might never have him 100% reliable.

> you've had some very honest responses

I didn't expect anything less!!

> If you're prepared to make sacrifices financially you may be able to improve the situation by reducing your working hours substantially or employing a dog sitter/walker daily

I can't reduece my working hours I'm afrad.. I wish I could, but I am a single parent and I don't have an other half.

> I hope this info is taken as trying to help, not judge or criticise, but nevertheless a necessary wake up call to the serious responsibilities of correctly looking after a baby puppy

I understand this and I am not taking any of this advice personally, everyone has my Pup's wellbeing at heart. We have booked him into training classes and he'll be going to puppy socialisation classes every week too. We also take him out for 'walks' every day so he can meet new people and expereince new sounds, which he loves. He gets a little fidgety cause he wants to get down, but until he's had all his jabs this can't happen for him!! He does love all the attention though

> Do you take him out in the garden to pee and poo before you leave?
>
>

Yes

> If you're using puppy pads housetraining will take a very very long time

Yes I realise this

> I spoke to the breeder about this long before we picked him up and also long before we all agreed that this little guy was going to come home with us and they said that as long as he is going to be crate trained then he'll be fine.

Was this the breeder that was happy for you to have two puppies? 
Like the other posters I would be very unhappy to see a puppy of mine going to a full time working home.  I am still a little uncertain about your hours.  You mention 3 hours but you are leaving him ignored just now from 7.30 to 12-12.30.  Is this going to be your hours away in the mornings?  In which case that is 4 1/2-5 hours. 
Edited to say I have now seen your futher post regarding this.
Nor am I sure what you mean by house training properly when he is older.  Now is the time to do it and how will you manage it any better when he is older if you are still working full time? 
I do feel you have been very ill advised by this breeder and I also feel you may find it even harder with this particular breed.  My sister bought a boxer many years ago at a time when she was going back to university so she was probably left for less hours than you are planning.  The poor thing destoyed her home and then, when she tried with desperate measure of taking her with her all day in the car, she destroyed the inside of that and burnt out two wiper motors. 

>> You can expect to come home to a mess !
> I fully expected this, so it's not a problem.

I'm afraid it may be to him.  Many dogs get very stressed about soiling their living quarters.

i think she means she is up and around the house until 9 when she leaves. or that is how i read it.

Hi

I remember your early posts about researching a boxer puppy - I've just had a quick look at them again and I can't find mention of you going back to work.  I'm fairly sure that if you had said this is what you were planning then you would have got some clear advice on how to manage the situation in advance rather than with just a few days left to go.  Some experienced breeders will have been able to tell you why they do not place puppies into working families and some owners might have been able to explain what they did in similar circumstances.  You would probably have also received advice telling you not to get a boxer, and still more people advising you not to get a puppy at all.  Although I know that no one who longs for puppy really wants to hear that advice - least of all children.

I'm not trying to be negative but young puppies do need constant attention and if you aren't at home then you could have used some of your research time to make other arrangements.  With regard to toilet training, socialisation and behaviour I won't repeat the warnings about leaving such a young puppy for this length of time...

My question is about the 10 minutes your son ignores the puppy when he comes home - what is the purpose of this?

>He ignores him for the first 10 minutes and then takes him out to the garden and they play.

I would recommend a very calm and quiet approach to prevent over excited greeting behaviours,  but the puppy will be busting to get outside and must be taken into the garden immediately.  As soon as he's relieved himself then your son can say a proper hello, then stay out with the puppy whilst he has a potter about for a bit.  I would caution against vigorous play partly because your pup will experience a feast or famine level of attention that is confusing, and also because young bones, and young puppy minds, will need to develop properly.

As your son is 12, and about to go through the highly disorganised testosterone fueled years, take some time this week to teach him exactly what to do when he gets in.  He will be in charge of the pup for the first half an hour at lunchtime and for 2 hours later in the afternoon.  It's at these excitable times that patterns of behaviour like jumping up, barking, and biting may emerge and your son might struggle to cope.  When you get to your training class if you explain your circumstances to the trainer he/she may be able to help you and son develop some coping strategies. HTH

> I do feel you have been very ill advised by this breeder and I also feel you may find it even harder with this particular breed.  My sister bought a boxer many years ago at a time when she was going back to university so she was probably left for less hours than you are planning.  The poor thing destoyed her home and then, when she tried with desperate measure of taking her with her all day in the car, she destroyed the inside of that and burnt out two wiper motors.

Isabel has hit the nail on the head with the above.
Boxers are fairly imfamous for certain things, dont like being left, making it pretty clear they don't like being left and wrecking your home if you persist in leaving them on on their own.
When reading your " he's pretty good with his pads" re: house training ,I found myself shaking my head and the words " you dont know what you're letting yourself in for"  form in my head.
Give him a few more months and you'll see just what I mean and why I dont let folk in your position have my pups...I would get the puppy  back!

Trust me I do know what I'm talking about.
Please rethink your strategy, you've got the pup now and it will need care in the day.

At the risk of being blasted to kingdom come, can I say -

I have had five puppies come into my life over the years while I have been a full-time worker, and am currently on my sixth, and have never had any problems.  One of these was a Kerry Blue Terrier (came to me aged 8 weeks), two were Border Collies (again came to me aged 8 weeks) and three were Boxers (one came to me aged 8 weeks, one aged 10 weeks and the third, my current one, aged 7 weeks).  Each time I have had a friend or two call in during the day to let out and give 11's, or lunch or whatever.  I have never had a problem with toilet training, nor with destruction, nor with separation anxiety.  All my dogs have grown up to be well-adjusted, well behaved, socialised and pleasant dogs.  Current puppy is 12 weeks on Friday.  He has only peed indoors half a dozen times since I had him, and only pooped once.  By 9 weeks he would sit at the door to ask to go out, unfortunately he didn't quite get the hang of 'telling' me by tapping the door or barking to let me know, he would just sit facing the door, so I just had to keep a keen eye on where he was going, and if he went to the door that was my signal to stop what I was doing and take him out.  I never did any of the paper or pad training with any of my dogs, I believe they should be taught that they are expected to pee and pooh outdoors, never indoors, but if they got it wrong they were never ever reprimanded, I just took them outside (I always went with them) then cleaned up using a scent removing spray.  At bed time he was put into his bed (an ordinary soft bed in the lounge - he would cry and climb in his crate which I thought was dangerous) with a warm hot water bottle in a fleece holder and one of my soft jumpers and a cuddly toy, and I say "Sleepy time" and shut the gate (not a door, a gate so I can hear him).  He cried for a few minutes the first night but that was all, and I ignored him.  I did the same whenever I left him.  He is just now learning how to behave on his lead - three days in he will mostly walk alongside me with no fuss whatsoever.  He has a box full of toys - he picked up one of my slippers the other day and I said firmly "No, mine" and swapped it for one of his toys and said "You chew".   These are the methods I have used for all my dogs.

Littlemissdrago you will have to ensure he really does get enough of YOUR time when you're at home, in the morning, at lunch and in the evening, regardless of whether you actually feel like doing it or not, and regardless of the weather, and you'll have to be consistent and relatively hard about ignoring him, and if he DOES pee or pooh indoors you must realise it's not his fault so don't be cross with him, simply clear up with one of the sprays that get rid of the scent and forget it, but I believe there is no reason at all why this should not work and you end up with a priceless family member.

This is a very sad situation.  I've read your thread asking for advice on which breed to get, and apart from a quip about using a computer at work, the time that the pup would be left wasn't mentioned.  If it was, I'm sure that you would have had very different responses.
I also wouldn't sell a puppy to be brought into this situation and I have a much 'easier' breed than a boxer. :(

Puppy pads are never a good idea.  It's like teaching a child that this is a choo choo, and they then have to relearn that it's actually a train!  A pup needs to taken into the garden on a regular basis, not allowed to soil in the home.

> Was this the breeder that was happy for you to have two puppies?

There was no breeder that said it would be OK to have two puppies, as I hadn't asked them about getting two. I hadn't found a breeder or spoken to one when I was asking the question about getting one or two puppies. It was only after the advice from everyone here that I actually contacted a breeder.

> Nor am I sure what you mean by house training properly when he is older.  Now is the time to do it and how will you manage it any better when he is older if you are still working full time? 
>

What I mean is, when he is old enough to hold it for three hours then we will re-toilet train home outdoors, I know I am going to get attacked for this also, but I have read some wonderful articles about this and there are many people that think this is entirely possible.

The breeder has been wonderful and I don't feel ill advised by them at all. I do appreaciate everyone has a different point of view when it comes to people owning dogs and working full time, and I appreciate that. I wouldn't have taken on this responsibility if I didn't feel this could work. I am more than willing to put in the time and effort, but I have to work, as do a lot of people.

I wish I could stay at home with him all day, but I'm afraid this isn't going to be possible, but please be assured I will and am doing everything I can to make sure his welllbeing comes first.

With all due respect to you all, I appreciate your point of view and I knew when I started writing the original post that I was going to get some honest opinion, but please if you wouldn't I'd like to seek some advise on what I can do, rather than the impossible, such as changing my hours.

I will, howeverr, go and speak to one of my elderly neighbours about popping in on him mid-morning while he is young and see what she says.

Again I thank you all for your advice.

I work full time and I have a dog and i dont see nothing wrong with it, my breed is abit calmer then yours but eventually once there in a routine there fine. My dog when i am at home now sleeps in the day but at about 4 his ready to play, and I think the key thing to remeber when leaving a dog at home is to make sure they have had a good long walk in the morning

> I will, howeverr, go and speak to one of my elderly neighbours about popping in on him mid-morning while he is young and see what she says.

I think that is your very best option.  The reason why you are getting little other suggestions is because little else is possible.  As some poster have pointed out, with a great deal of planning and hard work this may work out, although there are better breeds to attempt it with, but sadly for many more it does not, as a simple perusal of the free ads will show.  It's a gamble and the stakes are very high for the pup that does not settle well.  You comment that you have no alternative but of course there is no imperative to own a dog.

> Littlemissdrago you will have to ensure he really does get enough of YOUR time when you're at home, in the morning, at lunch and in the evening, regardless of whether you actually feel like doing it or not, and regardless of the weather, and you'll have to be consistent and relatively hard about ignoring him, and if he DOES pee or pooh indoors you must realise it's not his fault so don't be cross with him, simply clear up with one of the sprays that get rid of the scent and forget it, but I believe there is no reason at all why this should not work and you end up with a priceless family member.

Thank you so much, I am not seeing approval, I am not asking everyone to tell me I am doing the right thing, I was just asking advice. He certainly does get my time when I'm home and he will get my Son's when he is home too. I will be very consistent with him and I have and never will repremand him for the soiling in the house.

> By 9 weeks he would sit at the door to ask to go out

Jacey

Yes they are terrifically quick at housetraining but just who will this puppy be asking?
All I can add is please OP get third part insurance if you are going to ask elderly neighbours to let your puppy out when he gets to 8-10 months.... as I said when you originally asked advice ( )
           "a boxer is a large lump of moving muscle".

> I will, howeverr, go and speak to one of my elderly neighbours about popping in on him mid-morning while he is young and see what she says.
>

do you have any family or friends close by that don't work or at least don't work the same hours as you that might be willing to baby sit? alternatively you could see about hiring a doggy baby sitter on a website like Gumtree?

> "a boxer is a large lump of moving muscle".

ha ha ha ha bless

> I think the key thing to remeber when leaving a dog at home is to make sure they have had a good long walk in the morning

Yes he certainly will, we are really looking forward to it. When his had his full course of vaccinations we will be taking hin out twice/three times a day forthe correct amount of time for his age and build up the time as he gets older.

>when he is old enough to hold it for three hours then we will re-toilet train home outdoors

I'd imagine your kitchen will be rather smelly and unhygenic if you have a dog freely using it as a toilet (he'll be cocking his leg in a couple of months remember) for months. I'd have thought a secure kennel and run would be safer.

> when leaving a dog at home is to make sure they have had a good long walk in the morning

????    A 9 week old puppy?

I think the key thing to remeber when leaving a dog at home is to make sure they have had a good long walk in the morning

But a 9 week old pup can't HAVE that..........

Hi, im not a boxer owner but just wanted to comment on a few things people have said.......

First and foremost, it is a bit late now saying a boxer was not a good choice etc etc, isnt that shutting the door after the horse has bolted?? Instead could we not give the OP the best advice possible instead of jumping down her throat when she says she is already a little upset.

Secondly, working 3 hours in the morning is hardly working full time and not comparible to expecting a pup to be on its own for 8 hours a day. OK, in the first weeks when a pup is young is not ideal but it is not as awful as some people are making out. It is perfectly manageable as one of the previous posters said. At least this way the pup is going to know from the outset that mornings are a time when he will be on his own.

Every household has its routine. Some people that start work early get up early and walk the dogs before they leave the house, others (like mine) do a bigger walk a lot later at night and dog has a lie in in the mornings. I'm sure the OP will find a routine that works.

With regards to the seperation training, have you tried gathering your things together and leaving the house (as you would if you were going out) and just walking to the end of the street and back. I used to do this when my pup was young. He ws clever and even though i was in a another room he would cry because he knew i was in the house :-) Once i had walked out the door - and sat oin the garden listening to him(!!) he quitened himself down and settle down for a nap becuase he assumed id gone. Obviously you can build up the time so you leave him for a minute then 5 minutes, then half hour, etc. Obviously when you come in give him a treat and praise and the re assurance he needs that you will be coming back :-)

Good Luck.x

> instead of jumping down her throat

I don't think anyone has done that nor do I see any value in  under estimating just what the poster is up against.

>working 3 hours in the morning

and left again in the afternoon.

>I'm sure the OP will find a routine that works.

Who can be sure when so many don't.

What I mean is, when he is old enough to hold it for three hours then we will re-toilet train home outdoors,

It won't actually matter if he can hold it for longer physically, because he will already have learnt NOT to. I have a dog I acquired at 9 mths of age, and she had been crated for too long periods of time so she had (quite apart from now having a dreadful phobia of cages) got used to having no other option but to mess in her crate. It was just as hard work to house train her at 9 months as it would be with a 9 week old pup. No difference at all in the number of times she had to go out. I still, at 2 ½, have to watch her a lot closer than all the other dogs as she still will not hold it as long as those dogs that were house trained as pups. During the day time she is never left for as long as 3 hours in between going out.

Being left for three hours at a time is perfectly acceptable (possible not ideal at a young age though). This is no different to if the OP got a neighbour/friend/relative to come in and let the dog out for a wee and maybe spend 10 minutes playing with him. A lot of people that work full time do this!

> Being left for three hours at a time is perfectly acceptable (possible not ideal at a young age though).

Acceptable to who?

> This is no different to if the OP got a neighbour/friend/relative to come in and let the dog out for a wee and maybe spend 10 minutes playing with him.

Yes it is.  It is the difference between no human company and a little human company.

>A lot of people that work full time do this!

As I keep saying, we have plenty of evidence that for a lot of people it does not work.

i actually agree with freds mum, more constructive advice should be given rather than the fact she has made a mistake, she may or may not have made a mistake with the particular breed and underestimated the time she needed to stay with the pup, but its done now and she is asking for advice. she has the pup now and i doubt she wants to give the pup up so lets help her

She has had constructive advise.  Would you rather that the reader saw only all the positives in this and decided that they too should not hesitate to buy a puppy in a similar position?

> First and foremost, it is a bit late now saying a boxer was not a good choice etc etc, isnt that shutting the door after the horse has bolted?? Instead could we not give the OP the best advice possible instead of jumping down her throat when she says she is already a little upset.

Yes she's upset, her thread title is 'I hate this'.  I hate it too...I'm thinkng of the poor puppy, not this lady's kitchen being used as a toilet.

I dont sell to people in this situation so what would you have me tell her?..." there... there I would never do this but here's how to solve the problem I would not let anyone else get into?
As others have said it's not just 3 hours and much of the responsibilty to let the pup out will fall on a 12 year old boy who is apparently rather wary around dogs!!
Maybe there is no advice for someone in this position.

no, but im sure she is finding it hard, and she has made her decision we should be helping her not everyone jumping on her. this happens in so many threads

If a dog can't be left for 3 hours - what is supposed to happen at night, when people need to sleep?  Does this mean that dog owners can only sleep in short sessions?

> we should be helping her

She is now going to seek help.  Would that have been the case if we had all just said "it'll be fine :-)"?  And what about anyone reading this who may be considering buying a puppy?