Working and house training a Lab?

My personal opinion is that the crate is a brilliant idea - I would always recommend one.  Will you be taking time off work to begin house training her and get her used to the crate as well as gradually increasing periods of solitude before she is expected to stay on her own while you are at work?

I think that much crate time is too much.  The only time she should be in his crate that long is at night - and even then I think you should get up to let her out to toilet initially.  Otherwise she will be forced to soil her crate which will set the house breaking process back by months.  It will also be very distressing for her.
 
I think leaving her gated in a dog proof, easily cleaned area is a better idea for longer periods of time, but with the crate open inside it so she can go there is she feels lonely or insecure.  (The crate will only help her cope with that if you introduce it slowly and make her love being in there!)

I think this site has some good info on crate training (click on the "crate training" link)

[linkhttp://www.micmartin.co.uk/]http://www.micmartin.co.uk/[/link]

Yes, I would be taking off a week from work to help her get used to everything. Then I guess what I can do is just put up a baby gate and keep her in the kitchen (because it is easy to clen up in there) with her crate and water and toys. Should I put down some pee pee pads or newspaper? I just don't want her to get used to going on paper and not outside. Thanks for the help!

To be perfectly honest, this is not the best time to get a puppy.
 
Puppies need LOTS of attention, and guidance at this crucial point in their lives.
 
Labs especially need lots of constant physical and mental stimulation.
 
The house training won't go so smoothly if you work full time. You can't expect a puppy to hold it that long. There will be accidents in the crate, or the sectioned off area. But remember not to punish the dog when you come home to that.
 
I would hire someone to come in the middle of the day to take the dog out.

Something very very important is to make sure that the first thing you do when the puppy arrives is taking him for a big walk around the neighborhood so he feels he has migrated to a new territory and take the move in easier []
 
Also you have to make sure that different breeds have different energies, labs are a little bit hyper, so if you are a laid back person you wont be able to match that energy and wont be able to make something for your dog to release that hyper activity he has
 
 
This blog talks about what to do when the dog arrives for the first time to your house
[linkhttp://cesarmillaninc.com/blog/Season2ep12.php]http://cesarmillaninc.com/blog/Season2ep12.php[/link]
 
This blog at the end talks about choosing the right dog that matches your level of activity
[linkhttp://cesarmillaninc.com/blog/Season2ep13.php]http://cesarmillaninc.com/blog/Season2ep13.php[/link]
 

While awake, an 8 week old pup can hold it for only about 3 hours.
Can you pay a dog walker for twice a day walks mid-morning, and mid-afternoon, until she gets a bit older?  If not, perhaps this isn't the best time for a puppy. 

Yes, I have done A LOT of research on the breed and have talked to the breeder A LOT. I am going to be getting an English Lab which tends to be a lot less hyper than a feild lab. I feel that this is the right dog for me and my family. Even though myself and my huband work full time (we can't offord not to...like a lot of families)...we are an active family.We love to go to the parks with our 2 year old daughter and go swimming and hiking. I don't see myself ever being able to stop working. I also think that there are a lot of other people who work full time and have puppies/dogs that get just as much love as the puppies/dogs that have owners who work part time or not at all. I have been waiting a long time to get a puppy and I feel that is the right time to get one. I have had a puppy before but at that time I was still in high school and living with my mom. So, I am not clueless when it comes to puppies.  Sorry to go on and on but I don't want people to think that I am an irresponciable person who is rushing into getting a puppy and one who will not take proper care of her.Anyways, I would be comming home during the day and taking her out but I just didn't know if that is enough or would I NEED to hire someone to take her out one more time during the day. I also don't feel too comfortable with a complete stranger going into my home. I just want to know if I do it where I come home once during the day, is it going to hinder her during house training? I would be putting her in the crate at night and taking her out when needed during the night. Does this sound ok or do you think that i really should look into someone coming to take her out once more? I have a sister who gets out from college the first week in May and would be able to take her to the kennel that she works at during the day. What are your thoughts on that?? Thanks again for all the help...and I am sorry that I might have come off a little defensive or rude...I wasn't trying to. it just bothers me when someone makes it seem that if you work, like most people, you shouldn't have a puppy. Thanks again! =)

ORIGINAL: erica_lablover

Yes, I have done A LOT of research on the breed and have talked to the breeder A LOT. I am going to be getting an English Lab which tends to be a lot less hyper than a feild lab. I feel that this is the right dog for me and my family. Even though myself and my huband work full time (we can't offord not to...like a lot of families)...we are an active family.We love to go to the parks with our 2 year old daughter and go swimming and hiking. I don't see myself ever being able to stop working. I also think that there are a lot of other people who work full time and have puppies/dogs that get just as much love as the puppies/dogs that have owners who work part time or not at all. I have been waiting a long time to get a puppy and I feel that is the right time to get one. I have had a puppy before but at that time I was still in high school and living with my mom. So, I am not clueless when it comes to puppies.  Sorry to go on and on but I don't want people to think that I am an irresponciable person who is rushing into getting a puppy and one who will not take proper care of her.Anyways, I would be comming home during the day and taking her out but I just didn't know if that is enough or would I NEED to hire someone to take her out one more time during the day. I also don't feel too comfortable with a complete stranger going into my home. I just want to know if I do it where I come home once during the day, is it going to hinder her during house training? I would be putting her in the crate at night and taking her out when needed during the night. Does this sound ok or do you think that i really should look into someone coming to take her out once more? I have a sister who gets out from college the first week in May and would be able to take her to the kennel that she works at during the day. What are your thoughts on that?? Thanks again for all the help...and I am sorry that I might have come off a little defensive or rude...I wasn't trying to. it just bothers me when someone makes it seem that if you work, like most people, you shouldn't have a puppy. Thanks again! =)

It isn't that if you work, you can't have a puppy.  It's just that a puppy has certain needs that must be met in order to be humane.  If you can get someone to come in for a while, just until her bladder matures a bit, then there should be no problem.  You may be uncomfortable with strangers in your home, but most petsitters that belong to professional organizations are bonded or insured, or both.  You can check with local training centers or vets to see who are the reputable ones in your area.
I wasn't insinuating that you hadn't done your breed research, but as a trainer, I hear plenty of horror stories about pups that are left alone for too long without access to appropriate toileting, and they soil their crates, which becomes an ongoing problem that sometimes ends them up in the shelter (not saying you would do that, but a lot of people do, and I don't know you).  So, I err on the side of caution when advising people about a puppy's bladder capacity, and I think your response to that simple caveat was a bit over the top.  JMHO.

BTW, no one would say you shouldn't have a dog if you work, but it might be better to adopt an adult already housetrained Lab from a rescue, or a retired show dog from a breeder, if you haven't a suitable lifestyle or the means to arrange for proper housetraining.  I have the luxury of having someone at home all day, but before I did, I adopted adults.  One of the best dogs I ever had was one of those - I adopted her at the age of 3, and she just left me in October at 17 1/2.

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

ORIGINAL: erica_lablover

Yes, I have done A LOT of research on the breed and have talked to the breeder A LOT. I am going to be getting an English Lab which tends to be a lot less hyper than a feild lab. I feel that this is the right dog for me and my family. Even though myself and my huband work full time (we can't offord not to...like a lot of families)...we are an active family.We love to go to the parks with our 2 year old daughter and go swimming and hiking. I don't see myself ever being able to stop working. I also think that there are a lot of other people who work full time and have puppies/dogs that get just as much love as the puppies/dogs that have owners who work part time or not at all. I have been waiting a long time to get a puppy and I feel that is the right time to get one. I have had a puppy before but at that time I was still in high school and living with my mom. So, I am not clueless when it comes to puppies.  Sorry to go on and on but I don't want people to think that I am an irresponciable person who is rushing into getting a puppy and one who will not take proper care of her.Anyways, I would be comming home during the day and taking her out but I just didn't know if that is enough or would I NEED to hire someone to take her out one more time during the day. I also don't feel too comfortable with a complete stranger going into my home. I just want to know if I do it where I come home once during the day, is it going to hinder her during house training? I would be putting her in the crate at night and taking her out when needed during the night. Does this sound ok or do you think that i really should look into someone coming to take her out once more? I have a sister who gets out from college the first week in May and would be able to take her to the kennel that she works at during the day. What are your thoughts on that?? Thanks again for all the help...and I am sorry that I might have come off a little defensive or rude...I wasn't trying to. it just bothers me when someone makes it seem that if you work, like most people, you shouldn't have a puppy. Thanks again! =)

It isn't that if you work, you can't have a puppy.  It's just that a puppy has certain needs that must be met in order to be humane.  If you can get someone to come in for a while, just until her bladder matures a bit, then there should be no problem.  You may be uncomfortable with strangers in your home, but most petsitters that belong to professional organizations are bonded or insured, or both.  You can check with local training centers or vets to see who are the reputable ones in your area.
I wasn't insinuating that you hadn't done your breed research, but as a trainer, I hear plenty of horror stories about pups that are left alone for too long without access to appropriate toileting, and they soil their crates, which becomes an ongoing problem that sometimes ends them up in the shelter (not saying you would do that, but a lot of people do, and I don't know you).  So, I err on the side of caution when advising people about a puppy's bladder capacity, and I think your response to that simple caveat was a bit over the top.  JMHO.

BTW, no one would say you shouldn't have a dog if you work, but it might be better to adopt an adult already housetrained Lab from a rescue, or a retired show dog from a breeder, if you haven't a suitable lifestyle or the means to arrange for proper housetraining.  I have the luxury of having someone at home all day, but before I did, I adopted adults.  One of the best dogs I ever had was one of those - I adopted her at the age of 3, and she just left me in October at 17 1/2.

 
 
 
I wasn't really responding to your comment (BTW), so I can see where you would think that I went a little "over the top". I got the impression from another message posted that if you work full time than you shouldn't get  a puppy. I am sorry that you thought I was responding to you. I know that you do not know me and are looking out for the best interest in for the puppy but I just might have took the other person's post the wrong way. Anyways, I think I made my mind up about what to do. I think I will have the breeder keep her for 2 more weeks to start on crate training/house training and then bring her home. Thanks for your help...and sorry to sound so defensive before.

I think you should be able to manage a puppy and FT work(the 2 year old is a bigger concern to me.)

The dog walker would CERTAINLY be best. But since youre not ready to do that, you just have to accept that house training might be a little slower going...but really every pup and every day is different so youll only know once you get going.

As others mentioned, you will need to learn EVERYTHING about crate training..so get reading! But specific to the OP the important points are:

an 8 wk pup can only "hold it" for 3 hours at a time. I know this was already pointed out...but it is so important to remember since

the pup should never ever go to the bathroom in his crate. this is the worst thing that can happen in crate training because it un-does all the instinct that makes crate training effective....the knowledge that you dont poo where you sleep. therefore, if you are going to be gone for MORE than 3 hours at a time

be sure to leave the crate open and confine to the kitchen. but, as i see it, any time puppy is "allowed" to go to the bathroom on the floor, it is like un-doing the times he "goes" outside.

If you are going to be able to come home midday, i would say housetraining will be easier that the other challenges of physical and mental stimulation. But with dedication to making it work, it will and you will have a beautiful fun member of your family! Congrats!!!!

sorry if this sounds know-it-all-y...i am crate training a pup now so i just re-read all these chapters!!!

ORIGINAL: shanmcd

I think you should be able to manage a puppy and FT work(the 2 year old is a bigger concern to me.)

The dog walker would CERTAINLY be best. But since youre not ready to do that, you just have to accept that house training might be a little slower going...but really every pup and every day is different so youll only know once you get going.

As others mentioned, you will need to learn EVERYTHING about crate training..so get reading! But specific to the OP the important points are:

an 8 wk pup can only "hold it" for 3 hours at a time. I know this was already pointed out...but it is so important to remember since

the pup should never ever go to the bathroom in his crate. this is the worst thing that can happen in crate training because it un-does all the instinct that makes crate training effective....the knowledge that you dont poo where you sleep. therefore, if you are going to be gone for MORE than 3 hours at a time

be sure to leave the crate open and confine to the kitchen. but, as i see it, any time puppy is "allowed" to go to the bathroom on the floor, it is like un-doing the times he "goes" outside.

If you are going to be able to come home midday, i would say housetraining will be easier that the other challenges of physical and mental stimulation. But with dedication to making it work, it will and you will have a beautiful fun member of your family! Congrats!!!!

sorry if this sounds know-it-all-y...i am crate training a pup now so i just re-read all these chapters!!!

Trust me when I tell you that I have been reading and reading and reading for about 2 months now! It gets tiring...but I know it will be worth it. Like I said before, I think I will have the breeder keep her and start on house/crate training and take her home when she is 10 weeks old. I want to first see how she will do without hiring someone to come in once a day. If she has a lot of accidents and seems bored I will get someone to come in. Hopefully my sister who works at a kennel (they have doggie daycare there) can start to take her there alomst 5 days out of the week starting in May. I  just a little nervous with the whole kennel thing because I never been to one before. Maybe I should go and check it out...that would help. I am just want the best for this puppy. I want her to be happy and healthy. Thanks for the help!

I can tell your comment was in response to me post.
 
I didn't say you SHOULDN'T have a puppy, what I meant was it isn't the best IDEA at this time, especially if you have a daughter also. But that part isn't my business.
 
The dog should be taken out several times during the day. So that means, YES hire someone inbetween your visits to let the dog out, and romp and play, etc.
 
There are lots of dog walkers, or sitters in your area I'm sure. If they are "legit", they have references, and are Bonded and Insured I believe.
 
If you need help finding one in your area, let me know and I think I can help.

ORIGINAL: Dulce Pit Bull

I can tell your comment was in response to me post.

I didn't say you SHOULDN'T have a puppy, what I meant was it isn't the best IDEA at this time, especially if you have a daughter also. But that part isn't my business.

The dog should be taken out several times during the day. So that means, YES hire someone inbetween your visits to let the dog out, and romp and play, etc.

There are lots of dog walkers, or sitters in your area I'm sure. If they are "legit", they have references, and are Bonded and Insured I believe.

If you need help finding one in your area, let me know and I think I can help.

I understand and know what you are saying about the dog needing to go out serveral times a day. I just need to make up my mind wether or not I will have my sister take her to the kennel that she works at for "doggie daycare" or hire a dog walker. I am not familiar with kennels and I don't know if my puppy staying in a run (inside and outdoor one) will mess up her house training because they end up going in one section of the run. I am sorry if I am confusing. I just want to the puppy to be happy. I also don't want to do anything that will confuse her and stop her from being house trained. As far as my 26 month old daughter, she has been around a lot of different trypes of animals her whole life (not that she has had a really long life so far). She loves dogs, cats, and even our pet snake that we have (who stays in his tank untill I take him out to spend time with him). I will NEVER leave my daughter alone with ANY animal and that includes the puppy for both her safety and the animal's. While I am home and I am doing something like washing dishes, I will have the puppy on a leash and she will stay where I can keep a close eye on her, as long as she's not sleeping of course (but she will be in her crate while sleeping). I see where people might feel a little concearned about me having a child, but I thought everything through and I think if I could handle working full time, going to school at night and weekends and taking care of a baby (when she was younger) like I used to do last year, I think I could handle the stress and work it takes to take care of both my daughter and a puppy. Also, I DO have a husband that is home everynight and will (and does) help me with everything, so its not like I am the only adult in the home. But, thank you all for your help and concearn. Belive me when I say that I LOVE ALL animals just as much as the next person and I would never do anything to hurt them. Oh, I will let you know if I need help finding a trustworthy dog walker in my area (which is CT BTW). Thanks again!

And that's all you'll need for the time being. When I adopted my puppy (she was 4 months, not 2, so I had that working for me) I read up on how long they can hold it and things like that and then I worked with that while she grew. It was not easy. I had to come home a lot but then my sister moved here (finally a sister in my town) and my boyfriend had a more flexible schedule and between the three of us, we survived without one incident in the house. I'm serious. It worked--but it was exhausting.
 
You have time to plan though, and it sounds like you're heading in the right direction.

Here's my take on this....10 weeks is always a better age for a pup to go to a new home for a multitude of reasons.  I won't place a pup before that age....that goes back to when I was breeding and now with foster litters.
 
Instead of leaving the pup gated in the kitchen, I'd suggest an exercise pen (of course a walker would be the BEST idea but in addition to the pen)  What I have done with litters is to use a giant wire crate as their sleeping area and the ex pen attached with the water bowl and a papered area for potty.  This did not confuse the pups and did not make them prone to peeing on any piece of paper they happened to see on the floor.  Not being insane enough to give up sleep all nite every nite, this gave them a place to potty at nite without soiling the crate, and if someone happened to need to go during nap times.  Now and then someone might sneak back in and use the papers instead of the doggy door, but gosh, using the papers instead of the floor was the better choice in my mind.
 
Of course you can have a pup and work full time, but be prepared that it is a tremendous amount of work...even if you are HOME it's a ton of work.  Good luck, and be sure to post pictures!