Leaving New Puppy

[Karalea]

I feel like the worse person in the world. We got a Boston Terrier Puppy last week. Isabella is 8 weeks old.

I had to leave her home alone today and go back to work. I feel so guilty. I fixed up a nice area in the master bathroom - bed, potty pads, water bowl, and lots of toys. However, she was still whining and crying when I left. My head tells me she will stop crying and spend most of the morning asleep. My heart is breaking. I feel so bad i actually cried a little in the car on the way to work.

I will be going home at lunch to check on her.

Please tell me it will get easier.

 

[tennisfan]

It does get easier, the puppy is still trying to settle into to her new environment. Could you leave an old blanket with you scent on & maybe leave a radio on when you go out, it may help to settle her better.

Photos would be great on of your new pup

 

[abdmom]

I would suggest getting a crate for her. That way, she's not confined to an unfamiliar area. My mom once tried confining one of dogs to a bathroom. It was not a pretty sight when we returned.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think you are going to have a heck of a time housebreaking her if she's left alone all day with a wee-wee pad. I had a small puppy, and worked, at even though my roommate lost her job a month after we got her, she was never fully trained (when she was 3, I was a SAHM, but the damage was done). I tried crating, but her little bladder was just too small to hold it all day (I did come home at lunch - I worked close by).

Small dogs are much harder to housebreak, especially if you are not on top of them all of the time.

 

[threecrazykids]

I would strongly suggest getting a crate for the new puppy. I know it seems "mean" to crate a dog all day but my vet explained to me how animals feel MUCH safer in a crate until they are older. If you give a puppy free reign all day even in a confined area they will find things to get into.

The vet told me "honey...PLEASE do not let your dog out of a crate until he's MUCH older...if I could give you the names of all the people who've brought in puppies/young dogs who have died from being curious and getting into things they shouldn't while the owners were away I promise you, you are doing him much more justice by keeping him safe".

That was all it took for me. He told me about a little puppy who was in a bathroom and had chewed on the side of the vanity...little teeny shards of the wood got in his tummy and he died on the 2nd day they had him.

He went on about several other stories of things puppies "play with" that a human would think were completely harmless only to come home to a very sick puppy.

Think of it more about keeping the puppy safe, rather than how it's mean.

 

[onelilspark]

We keep ours crated, it breaks my heart when he starts crying, but I know it's best for him. Overnight he's happy to go in his crate now (Oh...here's a tip we learned after a week of having him: if you have him in a crate and he won't stop crying through the night, place a towel or blanket over the crate. It makes it more "den-like" for the pup. I was amazed, we did that the night we heard of it and he only cried for 5 minutes and hasn't cried at night since then!!) I do eventually want to get to a point where we just leave him in the kitchen when we're gone. Tried it a few times when we first got him and he just peed everywhere (I think he was scared, it was cold by the time I cleaned it up.) So we've just kept him in his crate when we're gone. My boyfriend keeps reminding me that he doesn't mind the crate nearly as much as I do!

I promise it'll get better. She'll still cry when you leave, but it really doesn't last long. Just like a baby, sometimes puppies just need to cry it out!

 

[Karalea]

She does have a crate but the door has been removed so she can go in and out for now. Everything I have read advises not leaving a puppy in a crate at this age for extended periods of time. Their little bladders are so small there is no way they can be expected to hold it for hours at a time. Peeing in the crate while make it more difficult to housebreak her in the long run.

The book I have by the National Dog Trainers Network actually only recommends 30-60 minutes at a time unless over night until she is over 10 weeks old.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

Is there anyone that you can get a neighbor or local pet sitter to come in and let the puppy out in the morning and afternoon? At least for the next couple of weeks until the puppy gets a little bigger and can hold it longer?

I agree with the previous posters who suggested keeping the puppy in the crate when no one is there. I have a 16 week old puppy who loves to chew power cords. So far we have been lucky in that the two cords he has chewed up were not plugged into an electrical outlet. I can't imagine what kind of trouble he could get into if he were left alone for several hours out of his crate.

 

[dzorn]

Get a crate. The worse thing you can do is give them to much food, water and a large area to relieve themselves.

Denise in MI

 

[threecrazykids]

She does have a crate but the door has been removed so she can go in and out for now. Everything I have read advises not leaving a puppy in a crate at this age for extended periods of time. Their little bladders are so small there is no way they can be expected to hold it for hours at a time. Peeing in the crate while make it more difficult to housebreak her in the long run.

The book I have by the National Dog Trainers Network actually only recommends 30-60 minutes at a time unless over night until she is over 10 weeks old.

Yes, I will agree with you on this one...they may NOT be able to hold it for extended periods of time as a little puppy. If you're speaking of 8 hours I'm guessing the puppy won't hold it that long (right now anyway). Is there a neighbor who can maybe come over and let the puppy out quick for just a few weeks? Our vet told us 6 hours as a puppy isn't unreasonable. I just warn against puppy pads because once they figure out that they are "ok" to go there, you'll have a hard time breaking them of going in the house.

Most puppies won't go where they sleep...so you can't have a huge cage either. Only enough for them to get up and turn around. Ugh...I know it sounds sooo mean but it really isn't.

 

[postesf]

I would agree with crating him. We crated our puppy. We had a crate that a removable piece inside to make it larger or smaller. The first few nights we had him he whimpered but otherwise he's been ok. Also we had a pillow in there at night for him but during the day would remove it because he would chew it and tear it up. He's never gone in his crate. He is now 19mo old and we keep his crate in the kitchen. He goes in it during the day to nap so that reinforces the fact that he does like it in there. Crating him also helped with house training him.

As a side note... We hung a bell on the door and that was the key for house training our Max. We struggled for a few weeks and as soon as we hung up the bell he got it. We touched his nose to it and said "be quick" and then took him outside and again repeated the command. Within 2 days he was ringing it himself.

We were told that they can hold their bladders for 1 hour per month of age... So 2 months old means they can hold it 2 hours. Max was able to go longer but each dog is different.

It will get better. Good luck w/ your puppy!!!

 

[FQ fan]

Our 9 mo BT, Miles, cries in his crate for a while when we leave. (I sleep in on my days off so DH gets up and takes him out then puts him back in.) However, I would never leave him out. I have heard way too many terrible stories. At 8 weeks, I would not worry about her peeing/pooping in the crate. She will not like to do it, and will pick a place to go away from her bedding.

Just keep in mind the BTs are stubborn and need strong guidance for potty training, etc. Our boys are wonderful, but it took us at least a year for the older one to get everything down pat. (DH is a softie )

We also found a great BT message board with lots of great health and training info, I'll PM you!

 

[Magic Mom]

I would suggest getting a crate for her. That way, she's not confined to an unfamiliar area. My mom once tried confining one of dogs to a bathroom. It was not a pretty sight when we returned.

I agree, when we got my dog, I tried keeping him in the bathroom when I went to work. What a mistke. He freaked out and tried to chew his way out of the door trim. The door was repairable, but he must have been terrified. I left him out to roam the house after that, and I have nver had a problem with him. Now he was 2 when we got him, not a puppy, so you won't be able to leave yours free to roam yet, but at least leave him crated in the main living area so he can see what's going on in the house.