Preparing A Puppy To Be Alone While I'm At Work

[Artstitches]

I have been trying to prepare our new puppy (9 week old weimaraner) for being left alone when we both go to work and she doesn't like it one bit! She doesn't want to be alone - she wants to be wherever we are!

Over the past week we've been introducing her to the laundry where she'll spend the day by feeding her there, playing games and her favourite - cuddles. It's all set up with her bed and toys and the smelly shirts (the ones we left with the breeder and has the scent of her mum and littermates on it) and today I moved her crate in there so that she could go in there if she wanted to. The first days were reasonalbly successful because she was tired when I put her there and after a bit of whinging, fell asleep. I opened the door whilst she was asleep and let her come out when she was ready.

Then we made it a bit longer and that's the hard part. She cries and howls and scratches and yells!! Eventually she falls asleep but when she wakes up it all starts up again! We try to wait until she's settled a bit before letting her out, and when we do we ignore her for a bit as though nothing has happened so she doesn't get too excited.

Am I going about this the right way? I feel so cruel letting her cry like that. I hate that I need to leave her and that she's in there unhappy and I'm out here sad because of it.

The other thing is there is normally only one day per week that we're both at work, but I'm worried that if we only put her in the laundry once a week it will become quite an ordeal and will become anxious on that day. Should we put her in there on other days as well so that she gets used to it?

Thanks in advance.

[persephone]

but I'm worried that if we only put her in the laundry once a week it will become quite an ordeal and will become anxious on that day. Should we put her in there on other days as well so that she gets used to it?

An answer? YES!!

I would be having her sleep in there at night...so she sees it as 'her space'

She sleeps in there, with her toys etc, and it becomes her own liittle secure spot.

I guess, tho..you have her sleeping with you??

Hmm..some very noisy times ahead

[Artstitches]

No she sleeps in her crate which is in the living area (family room/dining room and kitchen - all linked). She's pretty god about with the crate after already, even though she's been with us less than a week. She wakes during the night and plays and might make a little noise but settles herself and goes back to sleep. I put the crate into the laundry to try to make it her home but the crate is a bit big to be there all the time.

I will do as you suggest and leave the crate in the laundry and let her sleep there - hopefully that will help her to accept it as her place rather than somewhere we put her when we go out.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Edited April 27, 2008 by Artstitches

[NoodleNut]

No she sleeps in her crate which is in the living area (family room/dining room and kitchen - all linked). She's pretty god about with the crate after already, even though she's been with us less than a week. She wakes during the night and plays and might make a little noise but settles herself and goes back to sleep. I put the crate into the laundry to try to make it her home but the crate is a bit big to be there all the time.

I will do as you suggest and leave the crate in the laundry and let her sleep there - hopefully that will help her to accept it as her place rather than somewhere we put her when we go out.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Hi! What about leaving the crate in the kitchen/family room/dining room and purchasing a pen to go around the crate?

We did this with Noodle when she was that young and it worked fine. Noodle is now 5 mths and outside during the day if we are at work/out and only in the crate in the evening in the kitchen/lounge area like you.

A pen can be useful if you need to introduce your pup to outside slowly and if you need to 'pen' the washing, need to pen the pup if you have workmen at the house, go camping while pup is still ittle.

[Danois]

Try one of those soft teddies with the ticking/ heart beat to soothe her.

I am wondering about leaving the things with her littermate/ mum's smell on it - would this not be confusing her - can smell them but not there. Better leaving your scent with her.

They get used to it quickly. Try do a short training session with her in the morning to tire her out and also leave her with interactive toys like kongs, treat balls etc.

[sjl79]

but I'm worried that if we only put her in the laundry once a week it will become quite an ordeal and will become anxious on that day. Should we put her in there on other days as well so that she gets used to it?

An answer? YES!!

I would be having her sleep in there at night...so she sees it as 'her space'

She sleeps in there, with her toys etc, and it becomes her own liittle secure spot.

I guess, tho..you have her sleeping with you??

Hmm..some very noisy times ahead

Our puppy who is now 22 weeks started sleeping with us around the 16 week mark (previously crated in our room) and we have noticed a marked difference in his attitude to be left alone. We used to pop him into the bathroom (our laundry was too small) with his Pet Loo, toys, open doored crate, water etc. He would whine a little - never much, but was VERY excited when we got home. Submissive wees, lowered so low to the ground he was practically crawliong. We followed trainer's advice and ignored him (just a quick hello) for 10 mins or so until he was calmer.

Once he started sleeping in our bed, we started leaving him in our room, with access to our outdoor enclosed balcony via a door in our room. We came home to find him snoozing comfortably on our bed and not overly fussed to see us. This behaviour has continued, it's almosty as though he knows that this is where he and his pack sleep, so we must be coming home soon so there's no need to stress.

Our dog won't be getting much bigger than 3kg though, and we are committed to 15 years plus of him snuggling with us, so it works well here.

Just a thought re dogs in bed.

[Artstitches]

Thanks for your ideas everyone.

We put her to bed in the crate in the laundry last night and had a very noisy night indeed!!

We did leave her today in the laundry and was quiet when I came home - until she heard me in the house that is. I didn't go in to her straight away but got changed first and then let her out into the yard to go to the toilet. I haven't made a fuss even though she's been trying REALLY hard to get my attention.

Eventually we'd like to be able to leave her in the backyard while we're out, but at the moment because she's so little we want to keep her secure.

sjl79 I'd love to have her in the bed, but we won't because she'll grow into a large dog quite quickly (20kg+) and she needs to know her place in the pack and by letting her into our bed (if she'd even fit) would let her climb the ladder to the top FAR too quickly.

[sjl79]

Thanks for your ideas everyone.

We put her to bed in the crate in the laundry last night and had a very noisy night indeed!!

We did leave her today in the laundry and was quiet when I came home - until she heard me in the house that is. I didn't go in to her straight away but got changed first and then let her out into the yard to go to the toilet. I haven't made a fuss even though she's been trying REALLY hard to get my attention.

Eventually we'd like to be able to leave her in the backyard while we're out, but at the moment because she's so little we want to keep her secure.

sjl79 I'd love to have her in the bed, but we won't because she'll grow into a large dog quite quickly (20kg+) and she needs to know her place in the pack and by letting her into our bed (if she'd even fit) would let her climb the ladder to the top FAR too quickly.

Oh we are in a different situation given Timmy's size. No way coluld I share the bed with a big dog! A cat would even be a bit big!

It's funny, we are on the lookout for signs of pack climbing, but he still hops off when told and snuggles at the bottom of the bed rather than the pillows. I think being so little he's just happy to have guaranteed warmth, even in his crate he was chilly.

Keep us posted on your progress.