Where to put my puppy when I go to work?

Comments

• kwyld

  October 2008 edited October 2008

  My Dutch Shepherd was in day care from the time he was probably 12 weeks old, the lady that owned him before me owned a day care facility. I believe it helped him immensely regarding socialization, he is awesome with other dogs. If you find the RIGHT day care facility for you and your Shikoku, it would definitely help with socialization with other dogs. Make sure you interview the facility and feel comfortable with leaving your dog there first though.
  
  I could not leave him home, crated, for longer than 8-10 hours until he was close to 1 year of age, he couldn't hold it longer than that. Every dog is different though.
  
  I would take a few days off work to bond with your puppy. When I got News he was 7 months old. I tethered him to me(leash to my belt loop) and had him with me around the house everywhere I went for about a week, fed him from my hand, moved his crate next to my bed and basically had him stick to me like glue.
• Jack Bimble

  October 2008 edited November -1

  I deff not to ever leave my dog some where I dont feel there safe. I was plainning on taking at least a week off from work but i would really want more time off especially if i getr him when he/she is only 10 weeks old or so. I was also thinking of setting up a play pen type of thing like leave him/her in a fenced off area of the kitchen where they could walk around and play a bit but also put some newspaper down along with those pee mats and have her crate in there so they would have room to more around and a place for shelter and a bathroom spot.
• Sangmort

  October 2008 edited November -1

  What I'm about to say here might seem a little harsh, but I feel lit's something that has to be said. Please just don't take this as a personal attack
  
  A dog, particularly a puppy, is a HUGE commitment. Much akin to raising a child.
  
  Let's say hypothetically, you work a 10 hour shift + 2 hours driving. That's 12 hours that you are away from your pup. In that time your pup must be walked, at least twice, for 45minutes-1 hour each day. [ Especially in an energetic breed like a Shikoku , note I say at LEAST ] as well as Fed & Watered twice a day. Bare mind at the puppy stage you'll be feeding 3 times a day & taking the pup out to do his business when he wakes up, every time after he eats, & before he sleeps, if that. [ probably more ] Counter in playing with the pup, training with the pup, YOU sleeping, YOU eating, &/or hanging out with your friends...I don't think it'll be physically possible, at least without your pup suffering from severe separation anxiety &/or other health & mental issues from lack of exercise & stimulation.
  
  Plus, keeping a dog created for more than a 4-5hours a day on a regular basis is very cruel. Can you imagine if you were locked up in your room only allowed out of it to use the bathroom? That is how your dog will feel. [ only worse, remember, dogs are sensitive creatures ]
  
  To be honest, if you are leaving your pup at your friends house / at day car / hiring someone to watch him...then who will really be raising your pup? When will you have time to enjoy him?
  
  I'm sorry, if this is something you are only going to do once a week...it's understandable. But if this is your regular job that you go to four / five days out of a week, I do not think your lifestyle allows you to have a dog, especially a breed like the Shikoku. [ who requires heavy socialization, constant attention, obedience, & much exercise. They are a working breed, after all. ]
  
  As I said before, I don't want you to feel like I'm attacking you, I just want you to look at the facts objectively. There are 24 hours in a day, & you will be gone for [ at a minimum ] 12 hours a day, calculate 8 hours sleeping, & that brings you down to 4 left for your pup. If you're working in the day, your pup is not going to be able to just walk & play at night...after all, that's when they sleep.
  
  If anything, I highly urge you to contact Katja [ of Akashima ] or Peggy [ of Ikon ] & they can assist you more on this matter.
  
  If you have any more questions, please let us know. We're all here to help each other & give our honest advice. ~
• Jack Bimble

  October 2008 edited November -1

  I understand that right now I dont have the time for a pup and i dont plan on putting my name on a waiting list for at least a two years or more. So in the mean time im trying to get as much information as i can. The job i have right now is not something that you can make a career out of, just something to keep the money coming in. i would like something closer to home but i am looking to move. So would it be safe to say that its okay to put your dog in day care once maybe twice a week. and that you should spend at least 6 to 8 hours a day with them, so they can get everything that they need to be happy.
• dlroberts

  October 2008 edited November -1

  Each dog is unique, and there are some that would thrive being in daycare 7 days a week and some that couldn't handle it even once a week. When I was chatting with Joey's behaviorist, she told me that they are in the middle of a study where they have found that certain high strung dogs like border collies end up developing strange behavioral problems from too much daycare. Since they can't relax with so much action going on around them, they get increasingly nervous and it manifests itself in seemingly unrelated behavioral issues after they get back home. So, in general, its pretty safe to say that 1-2 days a week of daycare is safe for most dogs, but I wouldn't bank on it because you just don't know how your dog will react. Also, it very much depends on the particular daycare place. Things like the dog to handler ratio, density of dogs in the space, and the number of nap times they get can all play a role. One thing is for sure, if it isn't a reputable daycare place then it will not work out at all. Make sure you take your time to find the right place. I looked at 6 different places before I found the one I was least unhappy with. Notice I didn't say happy with. There is no perfect place out there.
  
  As for time spent with your pup, just spending time with them won't make them happy. Its what you do with that time that makes them happy. Being a graduate student, I can (and frequently do) work from home. Even though I'm sometimes with my dogs for 24 hours a day, if I'm really busy and sitting at my computer for 18 of those hours they aren't getting any benefit out of it. Spending fewer hours with them doing something like taking a long walk or some sort of positive reinforcement training will serve you much better than just being around them for a longer period of time.
  
  I have to agree with Osy though, your current setup of being gone for 12 hours a day is not conducive to raising a happy, healthy, well adjusted, and closely bonded puppy.
• zoiegirl

  October 2008 edited November -1

  I would try hiring a very trustworthy person for dog walking and playtime for at list an hour a day. i recommend an older dog because potty training is tough maybe you should rescue because that sounds like it would fit your situation better