Hi, we have both become recently employed, so our 17-wk-old puppy must now stay at home all day.  She can hold her bladder all day while in her crate, but she gets very bored.  Today she dug through the crate pad and tore out and shredded the foam.  She doesn't enjoy plain Kongs without stuffing, and I am afriad to giver her anything edible because she eats quickly and has choked before.  I can't give her a stuffed animals because she tears through those very quickly and will eat the stuffing. 

Does anytone have any ideas to keep her occupied?  Or, what does your puppy do while you are gone at work during the day?  Thanks for any ideas.

Hello,

My boy is 20 months old now and I wouldn't leave him for 8 hours a day.  I know things happen and it cannot be helped but at 17 weeks old, I remember mine, he was constantly looking for things to do.  Could you get someone to come in for an hour or take him out for you during the day.  When I had a dog years ago, we were at work, then we had to move and he was about 2 years old we had to leave him during the day, I would leave my garden door open all day, my neighbour used to pop over to see him.  I hated leaving him but circumstances forced us.  It is very sad. 

I work full time but come home every lunch hour to see the dogs and play with them. Can one of you get home in your lunch hour? If not, then I would agree, look into finding someone who can pop in for a bit or take them out for a quick run. It's a long time for a dog to be alone. You could also get him some stuffed Kongs, he shouldn't be able to choke on the paste stuffing?

You really shouldn't be leaving any dog for 8 hours during the day on it's own, especially a puppy. Are you able to pop home at lunchtime or get somebody to come in and let your puppy out and play with them for an hour or so?

I also work fulltime and have two dog walkers come in to walk my dog, yes it does cost money but I feel alot happier knowing he gets a walk in the middle of day and late afternoon. When you buy a puppy you really have to think of all of these issues if they arise.

Apart from Kong type of toys I can't think of any other suitable toys you can leave your puppy with.

Leaving your puppy all day is really going to effect your relationship and training with your puppy, please please try to pop home at lunchtime or get somebody in even a neighbour.

Hi.

I know its not ideal,but what about another family member whose not too far away who doesn't work or  very little perhaps watch the puppy until you get yourselves sorted out.Or a member of family/friend check on pup 2/3 times during thst 8hr period?

Just my opinion but leaving a puppy for 8 hrs a day I  think definately not on ,even comming in for an hour I think is still far too long leave any *puppy* for 8hrs a day (personally I wouldn't like to see adult dog left this long on a *regular* basis)with just seeing somebody for 1 hour even if it does get a walk,but agree sometimes needs must but is not ideal ,but is more accertable than leaving a puppy .

How far away is the breeder? maybe in a position to help out??

Briony :-)

Hi,

Definately 8hrs in a crate no matter how large is far too long crates were not designed for dogs/puppies to be left in them all day.  1hr possibly 2 hrs for adult dog.

They are great for hanging out washing and you need to crate pup while your back is turned,for sick /poorly pups/dogs,pop out to the shops but your not going to be long ,using crate for very busy periods of day while kids getting ready for school /mealtimes for family ,making  important phonecalls pop puppy in crate so your not distracted and pup not up to know good.I'm sure the leaflets do not recommend all day contiuous use.

I use a wooden playpen for my baby but wouldn't stick him in all day goes in it 20 mins max,or if i have to go out into garden ,make a phonecall or answer the door I know his safe and a crate shold use on tsimilar principle for your puppy they are designed to be a metal  dogsitter.

There is always an answer somewhere I wish you good luck hopefully you be able to get somebody in few times a day :-)

Briony :-)

Hi,

post should read* not* designed to be a metal dogsitter.

The reason she's holding herself is she's trying to be clean and not have to sit in her own wee for 8 hours. Leaving a dog let alone a puppy for this long and especially in a cage is honestly being cruel.
Maybe this wasn't the best time to get a pup if you were both out of work and knew you were going into employment but didn't know where.
The dog is quite frankly not going to have much of a life as things stands.
As previous replies say, is there not a neighbour, friend or even you or your partner who could get home at lunchtime to let her out and let her stretch her legs.
I work an eight hour day but I go home every lunchtime and they have a half an hour run then a kind neighbour let's them out for me in the afternoon. I also work in a rural location and can bring my dogs to work with me.  I'm not lucky, I took all of this into consideration before I got a dog.
No toy on the market will compensate for the company that puppy wants right now and in the future.
I'm not wishing to be negative, but look at your lives now realistically and ask yourself can you give that dog the time, companionship that it needs?
Evenings and weekends won't do it.

Megan has summed the situation up very well I think.
Many years ago I was in similar circumstances.  We installed a dog flap to give access to the garden but we knew this was no substitute for us not being around.  After a while the guilt became unbearable so we changed our working arrangements.  I would never recommend this kind of isolated life for either a pup or an adult dog. 
I hope you are able to find a solution.

This makes me very, very angry. So you wanted a toy, not a dog?  How selfish of you!  You should rehome your puppy immediately.  Gets bored, does she?  Oooh, I wonder why!  Let someone have her who can give her love, attention and training.  What EVERYONE getting a dog should bear in mind is that the RSPCA won't home to anyone who works away from the family home each day. That should speak volumes. 

Thanks Tingalay. I was feeling exactly the same but didn't have your guts to say it.
If you can't get home or make other arrangements for your pup, be realistic and do the right thing for her. Take the pup back to the breeder and explain your circumstances have changed. Get him rehomed now while he's still young.

Hi Megan.  I'm the same as you - I work full-time but I take my dog out for a 20 min run each morning before work and on the very rare occasions she can't go to my Mum (who walks her twice during the day), I am able to bring her into the office with me and take her for "wee" walks twice a day and a long run at lunchtime, as I am relatively rural too.  There is no way I would be cruel enough to have a dog if I had to leave it for more than a very few hours at a time.  I got my dog as an adult - I don't have the time for a puppy, so it would be wrong to get one.  If people were more realistic about dog ownership, there would be less dogs in rescue kennels.  Maybe there will be a "right time" for the lady who posted this to get a dog - winning the Lottery would be good for me! 

I'm afraid this is what happens when people are given the message that they have a 'right' to have a dog and that dogs survive if they're left alone all day. Adults maybe learn to cope, but with puppies I'm afraid it's pure neglect. :( But if you're bold enough to even suggest that people wait until they're in a position to give a dog the conditions it deserves you're accused of snobbery. :rolleyes:

Tingalay....it appears that you are very lucky that you are able to take your dog to work with you, however i am in the same position as the original poster but am fortunate enough to go home at lunch times.  However my 6 month old loves her crate and even asks to go into it at night time when SHE is ready for bed, in saying that we always make sure she has toys especially a ball with holes in to be able to insert dog biscuits and no she isnt overfed.  Sorry i apologize if i sound a little aggrieved its not personal.....

Well done tingalay, no point in pussyfooting about the bush!  Sometimes people are too polite, I am no advocator for a dog being left all day whilst it's owners are at work. (Unless someone can come in to walk and feed the dog at the very most within 4 hours of it being left.) And never should a pup be left longer that 2 hours tops.  There have been many posts on this site about this topic and I am always so surprised at the amount of people who think it is ok!!

This poor pup will probably suffer from bladder and bowl problems in later life, holding it's poor self for this amount of time, it is an absloute angel to do so, and deserves a much better quality of life.

Booyah - Get someone in to care for it, change your work schedules, or please re-home your pup.

Obviously at only 17 weeks she's still on 3 meals a day, and won't be mature enough to drop to 2 meals a day for another couple of months. Can't the person who feeds her at lunchtime take her out for a walk?

Have you thought that her destructiveness in the crate may be distress at needing to relieve herself and is unable to leave her bed? By allowing this to continue you could be creating worse problems for the future.

Poor puppy. 8 hours is far too long for any dog to be left, especially a puppy. Before we got our puppies we made sure we could survive on my husbands wages, so that I can be at home for them while they are growing up.
I hope you get this sorted out quickly.

Hi

You asked the opinions of the board and most people without a shadow of doubt think your being extremely unfair on your puppy and expecting far too much of a puppy to be on its own 8 hrs everyday.

If you are unable to find someone willingly to come into the pup at 3 times/day the best and kindest thing you can do is phone up your breeder explain what the situation is and ask for their help in Re-homing they might not be best pleased which is rightly so, but at least your doing the right thing now and your thinking of your pup and her/his needs are far more important right now.
Your puppy will be happier,if the puppy is not from a reputable breeder and is unwilling or unable to help ring one of the rescue centres and a suitable home can be found soon if the pup is a pedigree please look up one of the breed rescue clubs/centres.
Most importantly get back in touch with the original breeder no matter how cross *you think* they might be ,they will want to know where all their puppies that they bred are so they can carefully rehome .
I would dread if one of my puppies turned up in a rescue centre and i would far sooner sort any problems out with the current owner and would always take the puppy back and rehome ourselves and I think most breeders here
would offer the same.

Briony

I wouldn't dream about having a puppy if I couldn't get home during the day. When we got ours when she was 12 weeks old, I would come home for 20 mins and knew that this wasn't long enough but knew that we would be moving house  soon after and I could be with her for a full hour. I never left her in a crate but had a playpen where she had room to move and play with her toys. If I could not get home, then a neighbour or my sister would come in to play with her. Older dogs are okay to be left all day, but not at this age. She is now 7 months and I still come home every day toplay with her for an hour and my hubby is home by 4pm. Although we have another dog in the house, at this age, I wouldn't dream about leaving them in the same room together, but my pup has a room all to herself and not a crate.

Can someone come in for you during the day?

Hi,

Personally speaking even for an older dog I think its unfair to go 8hrs *regularly* on its own even if its see some one for an hour at lunchtime.

Briony   

At risk of making myself unpopular (I don't care if I do, by the way), older dogs are NOT okay to be left all day.  They may not mess in the house or chew the place up but they need company and the opportunity to go outside when they want to.  If you have to leave your dog for more than 3-4 hours each day, you shouldn't have a dog, no matter how much you want one and how much you kid yourself they don't mind being on their own.  They DO mind - they are pack animals.  The day a dog is happy to be left all day on its own is the day its given up on life.  I know all the excuses people trot out and I also know that true dog lovers would wish like anything that they only worked part-time or not at all so they could give their dogs the lives they deserve, however, it is harsh but true that if you have a dog, it should only be left on rare occasions.  I don't even think that a lunchtime visit is good enough or people popping in a few times each day - how confusing for the dog and how unfair to build up it's hopes that it's going to have someone around for the rest of the day.  If I am ever unable to bring my dog to work, I will have to go without myself and get a good dog minder to pick her up for the day.  Yes, it costs.  That's the way it is with responsibility.

mmmmm tingalay. you are entitled to your opinion :)
i do disagree though.Dogs do adapt to many situations if introduced properally.
how i would love to only work for 4 hours aday :(
one of mine comes to work,the other two stay at home,there are people popping in & out, & they are more than happy to settle down when by themselves.

You have a unique situation - and you leave two together - that's not one on it's own!  A solitary dog is a sad dog. As I said, they are pack animals and I wouldn't disapprove of two left together, especially if you have a dog flap so they can stretch their legs and wee when they want to.

Its a bit like the ad where the child is in the orphanage. He doesn't cry because he knows no one will come. A bit like a dog really. You think they accept whatever situation you give them but what else can they do? I have been home this week with my 2 dogs and although they sleep a lot I know they love me being there. I work 4 hrs 4 days a week but I have one day off in between. I agree with everyone who has said as sad as it is for the owner the kindest thing would be to rehome the dog if working full time is the only option.

i can leave them for half a hour or 4hours & their reaction to my return is exactly the same.
ive been thinking about this ALOT today,& actually think flynn coming to work is more for MY benefit &company than his,maybe he would benefit positivley by NOT always been with me.
i dont know they cant talk can they,all i can go by is that i three happy well adjusted dogs. one of which is always with me,two of which are left during the day. (they have run of the house)

Thats your opinion and I respect that, but my last dog was more than happy to be at home while I was at work. He was 4 years old when I got him and I took a couple of weeks off when he came home. He was given such quality time when I was there, my social life came 2nd to him as it should do to an extent. My evenings and weekends were always with him and if I went to friends, then he would come with me. I have never know a happier dog than him. Even when we had a 2nd older dog, one would be downstairs and the other upstairs, they wouldn't lie together that often, think he prefered the cats.

Every dog is different, but to say that you shouldn't have a dog if you can't be with him for 20 hours a day is a little unfair. If I could afford to work for only 3-4 hours, I would, as would many others here. My life without him would not have been the same and we both had 8 wonderful years together.

hi,8 hours IS too long to leave a pup in a crate.
here are some options as im sure you dont want to rehome your pup.

Come home at lunch time. EVEN better if you BOTH came home on different lunch hours.if this was a problem i would ask to take a unpaid break in the  middle of the day.

are either of you in a position to take the puppy to work with you?i do this!

pay/bribe someone to come & let the pup out in the garden,& to give some company for two hours in the middle of the day.

see if there is any "doggy day care" in your area that will have the pup in the day.

good luck ui think you know that what you are doing isnt right,hence your post.
dont be cross with the puppy for being destructive,as its not the pups fault.

Where about do you live there may be a member on here that can help you out?

Yes it is too long to leave a pup mine is only 20 weeks and she is left at the longest 2 hours a day but she does have company of another dog.

If you put the area where you are there are a lot of members on here that can help instead of shouting you down and offer some help to you at this time.

From reading this post it seems like you have only taken up full time employment so you got the puppy when you were at home for a bit in the day? am I right?

Yes circumstances change and I can feel for you with the financial climate as it is and having to go back to full time employment to pay the bills etc.

I am sure it will work itself out but you have to ask for help.

if you click on Booyah's name, you will see she lives in Texas.  Too far for me, I'm afraid.  I know there are lots of Doggy Day Care centres in the States.  Maybe one near the trailer park?  I'm guessing that if they have BOTH had to find employment, they were both, what we Brits would call "on the dole".  I'm not casting aspersions but if you can barely afford to feed yourselves, maybe getting a dog ain't a good idea - unless, like the woman I met in the vet's on Monday, you are macabre enough to encourage your dogs to kill their own rabbits then take them home, skin 'em and boil 'em (the rabbits, not the dogs).

They could of course also have been students. 

Daycare of some kind is the only fair thing for this puppy. 

It seems to be a cultural thing but crating dogs for the working day seems to be very common practice in the USA. :(

Unfortunately poster lives in Texax, US so chances of member in the area would be slim.
People have been helpful on this thread, but no way are people going to wrap these owners up in cotton wool. As previous reply has said, credit that they have asked the question on here in the first place, but they are slightly missing the point that leaving a dog on it's own for 8 hours in a crate (let alone on it's own) is totally unfair to the dog. And there are NO excuses. Sorry but both of them didn't have a job when they got the puppy and now both have one. Therefore two incomes were necessary, therefore they knew that pup would be left on it's own. They did not think about this and don't even get it with their post. They think a toy will solve everything when people on here have looked at the more important bigger picture.
Sorry but sometimes the truth does hurt. My work, car, even buying my new house last year all reflect upon the need of my dogs.
I've always wanted a dog since yeh high.  I got my first one when I was 31 as I finally had a job that would accomodate it. I didn't get my second until I had moved house. The location of my new house relied upon the fact I could have a good hour at home with the dogs. I changed my car from a hatchback to a estate to safely transport them. Maybe I make my dogs too much of a priority but they give me their love and trust in return. So I reckon i'm getting a good deal.

Yay Megan.  I'm with you.  I drive about in a tatty old Suzuki Vitara estate and it smells disgusting.  But I have a totally clear conscience where my dog is concerned.  I do my best to make her life a really good one - I live by the old "do as you would be done unto" motto - shame more don't. 

Tingalay.
Don't tar me with the same brush. My car smells heavenly actually. Have some pride (six air fresheners just about works, gets you high so you forget about the smell of two soaking wet BCs) ;)

Sorry, but I think this is disgusting.

Are you saying that, when you got her a couple of months ago, you had no idea you both might get jobs very soon??? 

Sorry but I don't believe that.  This is yet another instance of treating dogs as though they are consumer products in a throw-away world.

Hey come on guys circumstances change and be a little bit more sympathetic towards this member, I think she has got the answer and realises her mistake, but we must now try and help her solve her problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think she's got a nerve to even MENTION that the pup has been chewing in her crate!  If I "suddenly" had such a drastic change in circumstances, I would have rehomed straight away!  Does she really deserve sympathy for neglecting a poor little pup?  Hello?

Why's it disgusting? Some people are un employed , you expect them to be unemployed there whole life and still support there dogs? All my boys are home 5-7 hours alone , the 3 older ones basically sleep through the day and so does our 6 month old puppy in his crate. When i get home they get a 2 hour run at the dog park and that seems like enough to get them way through the night and they are all still tired for there morning and evening walks. How are you going to tell someone like me that they neglect there dog by leaving em home if i'm freezing cold at the dog park rain/shine/snow/thunderstorm when i know most people just leave the dogs in the yard.

Best thing to do is tire her out , maybe a long morning walk.

I don't know how long you all work but i work 5-7 hours a day , maybe some of you are stay at home parents? You can't expect someone to have a dog and NOT work like come-on.

The OP is asking for ways to beat the boredome , not ways to rehome her puppy you morons.

Congratulations on walking your dogs when you get home.  What an angel you are.  I expect they are very grateful.  Is this honestly the life you WANT for your dogs?  Would you not prefer it if they had company during the day with play time and love and walks at all hours?  And by virtue of the fact you go out in inclement weather, the fact you possibly neglect your dogs is not negated.  I have said in another posting that leaving more than one on it's own is nothing like as bad, and leaving them for 6 hours (I'm adding in half-an-hour to get to and from work) is better than 9 hours, however, be honest, is this the way you think it should be?  I look at it differently to you - I wanted a dog but wouldn't get one all the time it meant the dog would have long periods on it's own - it's like having a baby - I know some people just have them without a thought but I'm old-fashioned and think Mum's should be at home for as long as possible with their kids and be able to afford to have them - same with dogs.  If you take on a new life, you need to be there for it.

Sorry i already put much training into all my dogs , they'd much rather play with eachother then with a geezer like me. Of course they like me around which i am when im NOT WORKING but i tire them out with there own hours of runs at the park so they tire out and are full of energy when i AM home.

And i am in the same situtation , hello did you not see "6 month old puppy in crate 5-7 hours" he sleeps sleeps and sleeps because i make an effort to tire him out while i aint home!

>Sorry i already put much training into all my dogs , they'd much rather play with eachother then with a geezer like >me. Of course they like me around which i am when im NOT WORKING but i tire them out with there own hours of >runs at the park so they tire out and are full of energy when i AM home.

1. If your dogs would much rather play with each other than with YOU, doesn't that TELL you something? I know mine would chose me above anything else any time.

2. Just tiring a dog out with running isn't good enough, they need mental stimulation too.

3. As has already been said to you many a time before, a 6 months old pup should NOT have hours of running in the park.....

>they'd much rather play with eachother then with a geezer like me

That's because they don't reckon you're part of their gang! ;)

>"6 month old puppy in crate 5-7 hours" he sleeps sleeps and sleeps

As opposed to reading a book, or learning bricklaying, I suppose! :rolleyes:

Steaady on Tingalay I can see a vein ready to burst.
I do totally agree with you again though.
Manny G, I notice you live in Toronto. I have to say I know of noone that leaves their dogs in the yard all day over here and I think I speak for the majority that 7 hours leaving a dog on it's own and a six month puppy in a crate is deemed as being unkind.
If you read this thread completely you will see that a lot of us work the same hours as you but we made provisions for our dogs in one way or another.
You also say that these people are entitled to be unemployed and have a dog. This is not the issue. These people choose/have to work and they should have thought a bit more about getting a puppy if this was their intention.

Nope and nope , when i read this thread i see everyone telling the OP she should rehome. Nothing else is the reason why i am so disgusted.

Only a minority have done that, and only if they can't/won't make adequate provision for the pup to be cared for during the day.

probably because you assume she can't come home at lunch etc , the OP hasn't even MADE another post and yall are rudely putting words into her mouth.

No assumptions being made just taking what the poster has written "Hi, we have both become recently employed, so our 17-wk-old puppy must now stay at home all day.  She can hold her bladder all day while in her crate, "

MannyG it is just plain cruel to leave any dog in a crate for 5 TO 7 HOURS A DAY!!! No matter how much you run them at the park, you also should not be giving a 6 MONTH OLD PUPPY a two hour run at the park.

You are been very very cruel! I don't care what you say it is CRUEL!!!!!!!

Can I just say that if every owner who left their dog during the day to go to work who used to go home every lunchtime to it, and had people popping in and out during the day gave their dogs up to rescue then rescues would be over run with no suitable homes.

I don't think its fair to say that people who have their dogs in a routine which works around going to work are neglecting their dogs. 

What would you rather?  The dogs be put into rescue?  The dogs put down? 

I agree that 8 hours a day is unacceptable but if they are well treated members of the family who are in a routine that works and with all the love and attention on them when the owners are at home then for many people this is the best solution.

Have another look MannyG. Have not most of us said. "can you get home at lunch" Can a neighbour/member of the family ANYONE!!! let the dog out?" Is there a dog creche or someone in the area?"
If the response to this is nope and nope and nope, then the suggestion is to look again at whether to have a dog.
You think it's perfectly acceptable to leave dogs for long lengths of time everyday on their own and that's your opinion.
Most people are just voicing their opinion that over here it's not acceptable.
The poster has not chosen to reply back, so we can all only comment on the information they have given us.

So you choose to ignore the posts suggesting daycare; that a friend, relative or neighbour comes in at lunchtime to feed (after all this pup needs a meal at lunchtime - the OP makes no mention of how this is provided) and walk the pup; that the owners themselves come home at lunchtime ...