Working & Puppy training

Here is a post and a book on housetraining:
 
[linkhttp://forum.dog.com/discus/messages/48/117345.html#POST400222][color=#000000]http://forum.dog.com/discus/messages/48/117345.html#POST400222[/link]
 [/color]
[font=verdana][size=3]McConnell, Patricia
Way To Go!, How to Housetrain a Dog of Any Age, 10/2003, booklet
[linkhttp://tinyurl.com/5g8qa]http://tinyurl.com/5g8qa[/link]
 

[font=verdana][size=3]I heard that letting the dog go in the house on wee wee pads makes it more difficult to train him to go outside. 

[/size][/font]
Lots of dogs make this transition without a problem.  One benefit of using wee wee pads is that they can be used if it is not possible to take the dog outside (storm, illness, etc.)
 

[font=verdana][size=3]Should I invest in a dog walker?  What's an age where a dog walker won't be needed? 

[/size][/font]
I would at least have someone come over once or twice during the day to play with the puppy.  He is a baby after all.
 
Take the pup's age in months and add one.  That is the number of hours that most pups can go without peeing.
 

[font=verdana][size=3]I wanted to also do crate training, but being out of the house so long is out of the question?

[/size][/font]
During the day you can put the crate into a puppy pen that is completely papered with wee wee pads.  The pup should only have enough room in the crate to lay down and turn around.
 
If you use the method in the above post at night and the puppy pen during the day, you are teaching the pup that there are two places where it is OK to eliminate. 

Brandy76, now that I have answered your question, may I ask you one.  Why do you want a puppy?  There are lots of young dogs in shelters that need a home.[/size][/font]

Here is a book you should get:
 
Dunbar, Ian, Before & After Getting Your Puppy:The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, … Dog,5/2004
[linkhttp://tinyurl.com/4d5pz]http://tinyurl.com/4d5pz[/link]
 

Does it make sense to consider getting an adult dog instead of a puppy in this case?

Brandy wants a puppy becauise she had a bad experience with an older rescue. Hey Brandy, IMO, all dogs are not the same.

A pup CAN usually hold it for it's age in months plus one.... but not all pups can, and even those who can don't do it unless specifically taught to go outside and given LOTS (and I mean LOTS!!) of help.  Some dogs need to be let out on a 4 or 5 hour schedule throughout their lives, others can "hold it" for 8 or even 10hours with no problems. Bear in mind he may need a dogwalker permanently!

• Take time off work to bond with the puppy, watch him closely and take him outside frequently especially at times he is likely to need to go. 
  
• Reward him VERY well for going in the right place and ignore accidents. 
  
• Confine him safely if you can't supervise to minimise accidents.  A crate can be good for this for short stretches as most puppies will not want to soil their bed. 
  
• The crate can also be used to teach him to accept short periods of solitude as a good thing - build up gradually and ensure the crate is introduced sensitively early on (do a forum search).
  
• It also prevents the pup getting into the habit of chewing ANYTHING excpet those things that are safe and OK for him to have.

I am not really in favor of having a dog when one must leave the dog alone for 10 hrs. on a regular basis. It can be done, but then one must be able to spend lots of time with the puppy and and have enough energy to wear the dog out with exercise and training, but a lot of people just don't have the energy to mess with a dog once they get home.

A couple of our friends love dogs, but realize they won't have the time to properly take care of a dog, and getting one would be purely for selfish reasons.

Because I work from 7:30 and get home at 4:30 - getting a puppy presented too many problems and the biggest one was that i would not be around to shape its behavior into what I wanted.  And, I think leaving a puppy/infant dog home alone all those hours is not right.  So, I adopted a 2 year old female Cavalier Spaniel - she is young enough to have lots of fun with, yet old enough to be past the chewing and potty problem stage.  I did have to do some housebreaking work with her as my set up was far different than where she came from.  She is doing great on a lead, comes when called, sits and downs (afer 3 weeks).  I am sure that there are a lot of young adult dogs out there looking for a home - a puppy spending the whole day alone - not a good thing.  Lastly, I have to young cats that keep the dog company during the day.
 
Hope you make a good decision for you and the dog!
 
dianeg

do you have a particular reason why you want a puppy? most people who just want a pet would be much happier getting an adult dog.  Puppies are work. Hard work. You'll spend the first few weeks walking around in a daze of sleep deprivation, and just when you think the worst is over guess what, the puppy will become an obnoxious adolescent and enter the "detructo dog" phase of life.

I had bad experiences with rescue dogs and want a dog that I can shape from the beginning. 
 
If I do get a puppy, I'm getting a dog walker & found one that isn't too expensive $270month which inlcudes a 45 minute visit.  So at most the pup will be left alone for 4-5 hours.  The only thing I won't be able to do is crate train, instead I will have to use an expen.

Thanks for the book suggestions, I will check them out. I've been reading the book "Puppies for dummies" by Sarah Hodgson a dog trainer.  It's been very helpful as it covers all aspects of properly raising a dog.
 
I plan on taking a week or 2weeks off work when I get the pup, but I heard conflicting views on this.  One person said that you have to get the dog accustomed to your daily schedule, but then others say to spend extra time.  For me I can't see getting a dog one day & then going to work the next!