# Most Important Training, Housebreaking and Separation Anxiety when Working Full-Time



## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Maybe someone can correct me on this but I always thought 8 hours is the longest an adult dog would be able to hold it. In 10 hours it is likely a dog would have to pee twice (without having to uncomfortably hold it for too long) and poop once. 

I think the most practical solution would be to change your work hours and hire a dog walker. Or at least have someone come and let her out. It would also be great for your dog to get some sort of socialization during the day.


----------



## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

I'm no expert, but I'll throw some ideas out there since I'm bored sitting in a hotel room...

Paper training seems like it would make the whole house training process slower. If I were you, I might think of shortening the time the dog is alone with your flex-time. The second idea is, instead of doggy daycare, take that money and hire a good dog walker to come twice per day initially, and then once per day as the pup gets older.

It is still a lot of time for a puppy to be alone though, so you will get a lot of suggestions for an older dog. Potty training is only part of the issue you need to solve. Good luck!


----------



## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

I will probably get flamed for this but my pit bull Mikado came to work with me and stayed in the car. I live in MN and if it was way to hot or way to cold he stayed home but his SA was so horrible that even tho my son was home Mikado ate through doors and walls hence me taking him with. I had 2 15minute breaks and 30minute lunch I would go out and check on him let him walk around and make sure he had his water dish full. Mikado was 2yrs old when I did this.


----------



## TXGolden (Jul 29, 2012)

I don't have a ton of experience with puppies, but I will offer my two cents. 
1. If you are going to keep the puppy (or adult dog) home all day without a mid-afternoon break, I would walk it in the morning as well as the evening. That's what I do with my dog on the days he is going to be crated longer than usual. And by walking, I don't mean around the block. At least a 30-45 minute brisk paced walk to help the pup burn off some energy. 
2. As far as an older dog is concerned, I would seriously look at breeders that may have an adult dog available. Sometimes they have great dogs that are not show quality (but still make perfect pets). Or dogs that have to be returned to the breeder due to a change in situation. It may take a little longer to find your dog that way, but if you really want a dog it will be worth it. 
Honestly, if it were me, I would go with the adult dog. My sister has a great dane and when she was a puppy I was close enough to go over to her apartment every day to let her dog out for her. When I got my dog, I didn't have anyone that could come let a puppy out midday and a dog sitter was too expensive. I went with an older dog (he just turned 1) and he was house trained and crate trained. It has been so nice!


----------



## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

General V said:


> I will probably get flamed for this but my pit bull Mikado came to work with me and stayed in the car. I live in MN and if it was way to hot or way to cold he stayed home but his SA was so horrible that even tho my son was home Mikado ate through doors and walls hence me taking him with. I had 2 15minute breaks and 30minute lunch I would go out and check on him let him walk around and make sure he had his water dish full. Mikado was 2yrs old when I did this.


It's interesting that a lot of dogs that don't do well being left home alone are fine with being left in the car alone for extended periods of time such as Mikado. Woody is this way as well...if I leave him home alone to visit a neighbor I hear from him in a very short period of time...but if he's in the car he's fine. This doesn't happen very often cause normally he's always with me.

But there is something about the car that says it's going to be okay...no need to bark or worry. I wonder why this is?

Pete


----------



## Chaya (Aug 18, 2012)

Hi, my husband and I were in a similar situation when we first got Chaya as a little baby pup. We hired a college student through sittercity.com (you can probably google other databases where sitters come with references), and met her before Chaya ever came home. Then off to work we went, and for the first month or so, the sitter came 2x a day for 30-60 minutes each time. College students tend to charge WAY LESS than professional dog walkers, and if you find someone who loves dogs, you'll be fine. 

I believe dogs can get the bordetella shot pretty early, because Chaya got it around 3 months along with the rest of her shots (it was a requirement for puppy kindergarten and daycare, which we started around that time)

I be honest, I really liked the doggy daycare. With the sitter coming 2x a day, the time in between is still very long for a puppy to be alone. Chaya actually had continuous UTI's for a while because she had to hold it longer than most puppies should. At the daycare, she learned to socialize with other dogs, and came home tired and happy. The cost was about the same either way. We realized that if we tried to save money by skimping on her day to day care, we were going to pay back it many times more in vet bills and behavioral problems.

Please check with your vet regarding the bordetella vaccination. Most daycares don't accept very young puppies anyways, so hopefully you can get your dog in one ASAP. 

Nowadays, Chaya's 3yr old, and I still don't let her go more than 6-7 hours during the day without a pee break. It's not only for their bladder, but I also feel that it's important for them to have interactions during their day, as they are very social animals and can deteriorate mentally if left alone for too long rountinely.

Good luck and please let us know what you decide!


----------

