Dog Community

Need advice on leaving puppy home

Posted : 3/6/2007 1:39:21 PM

Hi all. [

] It's been a while since I posted on these boards. I really need some advice about leaving my 8 month old Shih Tzu at home while my fiance and I are working.

He's the sweetest little boy and we love him dearly. My fiance has been taking him everyday to his parent's house (since it's on his way to work) where they keep him in a playpen. His Mother comes home to walk both of the dogs around lunch time and my dog is able to at least see someone halfway through the day and he still can see the other dog from the playpen.

On Monday, my fiance decided that we should try leaving him home. I think it's too soon. We bought a WebCam so I could see what he does while I'm at work. I keep him in his PlayPen with all of his toys, water and food. For the most part on Monday, he slept. Today, he was more lively and he barked and cried for a few minutes mid-day and then went back to sleep.

My fiance thinks that I'm being overprotective saying that he needs to learn to adjust. I agree, but I still think my puppy is very immature and it's breaking my heart to see how sad he is. I leave my home at 7:50am the latest for work and I don't get home until 5pm. We both love our puppy but I think we're both looking at it from different angles. He loves him but he wants him to adjust and I do, too, but I think he might do better adjusting later. When we first brought him home, we had terrible issues with separation anxiety and he's been so much better since the months progressed. He no longer cries if I leave the room or if I leave to go shopping for an hour or two.

If anyone has some insight, I'd really appreciate it so my fiance and I could sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk about this tonight. Neither of us are experts so perhaps some objective opinions might help.

Thank you so much for reading.

mudpuppy

Posted : 3/6/2007 2:10:25 PM

We've always just left puppies home alone in their pens from day one, with noon potty visits, until noon potty visits were unnecessary. As you observed on your web-cam, properly exercised and stimulated dogs happily sleep all day.

akane

Posted : 3/6/2007 2:15:42 PM

We both work too far away to come home and walk him. [

] If I could make it back and forth in an hour and eat lunch at my desk, I would do anything for that little puppy. I love him with all of my heart.

He can hold his bladder for the 9 hours - I'm more worried about his mental well-being.

Liesje

Posted : 3/6/2007 2:26:41 PM

Are there any kids in the neighborhood that you could pay a small allowance to come let him out after school? Since your dog is so small, as long as you have a fenced yard I think this would be OK. I used to LOVE looking after my neighbor's Shih Tzu.

My in-laws have a 10 year old cocker and while he doesn't like other dogs or strangers and can hold it for almost 24 hours (found this out by accident), if they have to leave for a long day they have a kid come by and let him out.

Or, you could find a doggy day care and take him there once every few days if you can't afford every day.

mudpuppy

Posted : 3/6/2007 2:31:01 PM

if he can hold his bladder, he's fine. Keep in mind he is NOT a baby at 8 months. He is the equivalent of a 16-year-old human. He doesn't need to be baby-sat or coddled at his age, and in fact doing so is not good for him.

akane

Posted : 3/6/2007 2:35:48 PM

Thanks for the responses, I really do appreciate it. I've been sitting here refreshing the forums because I'm so nervous about it.

Unfortunately, we don't have a fenced in yard and we are new to the neighborhood. Maybe we'll meet some new people when the weather warms up a bit.

mudpuppy - You're right. I guess he acts like such a baby that it's difficult to look at it that way. When I get home from an absense, he's shaky and uncontrollable. I'm just very worried about him

WynterandJody

Posted : 3/6/2007 4:47:45 PM

Hi,
I know how you feel its your baby and you feel bad I felt the same way when I left my new 8wk old puppy at home for the first time that whole day at work I worried about her. But before I got her I researched crate training they actually use the crate as their den once they have grown up and have gotten use to the crate they will actually go in on their own. My puppy who is now 4months she goes into her crate with me standing on the other side of the room and all I have to do is snap my fingers and say Jody HOUSE!! she very calmly walks in... sometimes there is hesitation but nothing like it use to be... she sleeps the whole night thru and has no anxiety at all. It is great and saves my house from being torn up and my hair from being torn out!!

Cita

Posted : 3/7/2007 12:52:26 AM

What about mind-stimulating toys like kongs and treat dispensers? Things like that could help keep him occupied while you're at work. Other than that, hiring a dog walker (responsible neighborhood kids can be cheap, I did that when I was younger) might help you feel better, and I'm sure the pup would love a mid-day walk. If you're new to the neighborhood and not shy, you could try just introducing yourself to your closest neighbors or inviting them over for tea or something. Who knows, maybe one of them gets bored at home alone all day and would appreciate a mid-day dog-accompanied stroll! [

]

mudpuppy

Posted : 3/7/2007 2:46:23 PM

I guess he acts like such a baby that it's difficult to look at it that way. When I get home from an absense, he's shaky and uncontrollable. I'm just very worried about him

I think you really need to fix firmly in your head that HE IS NOT A BABY. Dogs try hard to meet their owners expectations, and if you treat an adolescent or adult dog like a helpless baby, guess what, the dog will act like a helpless baby.

Dogs need to learn how to cope when left by themselves, and they can't learn this if they are never left by themselves-- it has nothing to do with their age. All puppies make a fuss and cry and carry on when first left alone, and no dog likes being left alone, but guess what, it's a fact of life that they have to spend some time alone, so they better learn how to deal with it.

You can also "create" separation anxiety by making a big fuss when you leave and when you return. If you come back from an hour trip, and he's upset, and you make a big fuss and pet him and so on, you're encouraging him to be upset next time you come home after an absence. Low key, calm, casual entrances and exits tell the dog nothing special is happening, it's ok.

When you are home, it's a good idea to occasionally "force" him to be by himself and figure out ways to entertain himself-- stick him in a crate with a kong. Shut him into another room with a kong while you do chores elsewhere in the house.

sallya

Posted : 3/7/2007 2:56:06 PM

I kept Trudy in the kitchen with gates until she was almost a year old. I am a stay at home furmom, so I am never gone long. I could not leave a dog in a small crate all day every day. Not much fun to me. If you could find a safe room and have a big comfy bed, toys and water it would be great.

WestieGirl

Posted : 3/8/2007 9:31:19 AM

I agree with Mudpuppy - he's more than likely just fine...I work full time and far enough away from home that going home @ lunch is out of the question. So our dogs have always been left crated for the entire day and there has never been an issue. Admittedly, I do always go through a period of anxiety when I have a new puppy, because I'm convinced they are too little to be left alone that long (even tho I crate the puppies differently than the older dogs - I leave them in a larger area with food, water & paper, but I still worry...I've even left work in the middle of the day b/c I can't stop obsessing about it and guess what--they are always fine![

] In fact, on the rare occasions that I'm at work, but my husband is home during the day, they all go in their crates as soon as I leave (with the doors open) and stay there all day, even tho my DH tries to coax them out, b/c that's their routine - when Mom's gone, this is where we're supposed to be. It's hard for me to believe that if it was such a horrible place that they would put themselves there and stay for the whole day.

I also know that when I work from home, they are of course out with me and they sleep the entire day - which is I'm sure what they do while I'm gone to work all day. I just think it's about routine and what they are used to - mine are used to the fact that evenings are their rowdy times and I think they expend all of their energy then and are perfectly content to lounge during the day.

akane

Posted : 3/8/2007 11:03:45 AM

I really appreciate all the responses and kind words you all have extended to me. Maybe Cocoa isn't the one with the problem - it might be just me overreacting. I've been watching him on the WebCam again today - and he's doing just that, sleeping.

Maybe I do coddle him a bit but I don't think that makes me a bad Mommy, does it? I made it a point when his separation anxiety was much worse to ignore him until he quieted down and now he doesn't bark/cry/whine when I leave the house anymore. I think he knows now that we're leaving but we will be back for him! I don't make a fuss when I leave but I admit it, I do make a little bit of a fuss when I get home. He's not barking as I approach him but his tail sure is wagging! I love him very much and I just want to do what's best for him, even if that means a heart-broken, overprotective first-time Mommy. [

]

I bought him a Puppy Kong at one point but he really doesn't like hard toys too much. I bought him a few terry-cloth squeaky toys and he goes absolutely crazy for them. I think everyone is right here that he'll be sleeping all day - he's a very coach potato type and loves to sleep.