Puppy being left alone... is it ok?

[Ashley]

Hi there,

Well as some of you will already know I will be bringing home a 13 week old cavalier spaniel in 2 weeks and was wondering about the times I will be out of the house...

I have read a bit about dog crating, including the post on here regarding crating puppies, and to be honest, before I read that I thought it was a horrible idea but it actually makes sense. I want her to be used to having to spend some time on her own. I'm self-employed so I don't 'have' to go to work some days, but others I do. She would only ever be left for no more than 5 hours and I could get someone to pop in on her.... but I don't want her to get separation anxiety etc.

How do I go about getting her used to being on her own? We have been thinking about a dog crate, but we could also leave her in the kitchen - nothing she could get into, a big enough space to run around, no cables she could get at. I'm not sure which idea is better! I hate the thought that we will need to leave her sometimes and then I kick myself for thinking that.
Sometimes I think owners like to feel they are needed by their dogs, and well, thats where the problems start I think.

I know I've went on a bit of a ramble here, but how on earth do people do it? How and where do you leave a puppy in on its own?

Hope you guys can help out a first time puppy owner

xxx
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Ashley with Holly & Murphy.
I hope to one day be as great as my dog thinks I am right now!!

[marcella]

It is entirely normal that you as 'pack leader' will be expected to leave and return to a puppy as and when you choose. The sooner you leave the puppy to her own devices the less likely she will suffer separation anxiety. If you pander to a new puppy, for example run to check on her every time she whimpers or cries, they very quickly learn how to manipulate you! They are very clever little creatures!!!!
Be firm from the start, dog psychology is so different from human psychology. What you think is being 'kind' to a puppy very often can do more damage than good.
Have a look at the 'pack order' section on the website .............. some simple steps you can take that will help you along the way to having a happy and contented wee doggie!

oh .............. and get her a crate! She'll love it. Never use it as a punishment! Only this afternoon both my boys at some point wandered in and lay down in their crates ....... doors open. They choose to go in their 'own wee space'. Dogs like the feeling of security and a crate gives them just that!
I can understand why you thought it was 'horrible' so did we until we had no choice but to limit Diesels movement when he developed displacia ......... then we discovered that dogs in fact really like them!!!!!!!

[Enid]

I think a crate is essential, Ashley, if only to shut her in when you are cooking, for example, as she might get under your feet when you are carrying hot things, or if you ironing and she is playing with the flex!!! You can talk to her and she'll be close to you but safe.

Whether you close it up at night is up to you, (I never did) but it will help with house training as she won't want to soil her bed. Even if you buy one that seems big for her just now, you can shut off part of it with cardboard to make it a cosy size.

Personally I don't close crates when I am out in case I am delayed. It's just a personal fear I have.

Enjoy your pup - we are all envious, you know!
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"My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet" - Edith Wharton

[Ashley]

Yes, I think I will get one. I think for leaving her alone I'll use the crate (door open) in the kitchen. That way she has an enclosed space overall, but also has the crate there where she can feel safe.

Where will I find a dog crate?

Working was one of the things that put us off getting a dog, but then we thought "well how on earth can most homes own dogs and not earn a living?"....

Thanks Marcella and Enid

xx
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Ashley with Holly & Murphy.
I hope to one day be as great as my dog thinks I am right now!!

[John Thomson]

We found Ebay to be the cheapest when we got our crates..........do a search and pay attention to seller feedback.

John
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John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[Nicola]

I'll second what Marcella says, Ashley. Don't pander to her and be firm from the start otherwise you'll have a spoilt brat to contend with! There is also a lot of good information on this site regarding raising puppies, looking after dogs etc, so have a good browse, i'm sure you'll find it useful.

A very important fact is to socialise your puppy from day 1. Roads, traffic, trains, busses, supermarkets and other dogs (after vaccinations are complete) is something you will have to introduce your puppy to instantly for her to become a well adjusted dog.

Good luck with raising your puppy.

[John Thomson]

[Ashley]

What kind of crate am I looking for? Size wise? I've had a little scooch around eBay but not too sure whats good and whats not. The thing I am completely unsure about is the size.

I know it may seem a silly question, and I'm not even sure what else to ask about crates as I feel a bit stupid since its just a... well, crate haha

Over-precocious... i know
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Ashley with Holly & Murphy.
I hope to one day be as great as my dog thinks I am right now!!

[Nicola]

Something big enough that she can stretch out in, stand up and turn around in when she's fully grown. Possibly around 4feet by 2feet. Your local pet shop or Pets at Home should be able to help you aswell.

[Nicola]

Also, at night, I put a single duvet cover over and around the crate which definately helped my dog Molly settle and also kept her cosy and warm and free from any drafts. I also put a bit of vet bedding in the bottom of the crate, along with a thick blanket, and at the bottom of the vetbedding and blanket was a thick layer of newspaper. I only used my crate when Molly was a puppy while she was being housetrained. You can read about that in other posts.

I didn't put any water in it with her either incase of accidents be it a spillage or toileting (both at night and during the day when she was in it). Molly wasn't left for more than a few hours at a time in her crate, so she got water and food outside of the crate as puppies usually want to toilet after they have drank and eaten and if she eats or drink when she's in the crate she will very likely toilet in it, and that's what you don't want. Whereas if she's eaten when she's out of her crate and you're there, you can take her outside straight away after she's finished.

Be careful what you put in with her. When she's so young, she'll probably chew toys as she's teething, so don't leave toys in with her, like soft toys, as she could swallow them and, of course, that is hazardous.

Don't ever put chew sticks or bones etc in the crate with her when she's unsupervised. She should be ok to have them in the crate if she's being supervised.

[Janice]

If your looking for a crate we did well at this site www.doghealth.co.uk I found them on ebay originally and their crates seem quite good.
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Janice and Dale

[kirsty]

You are worried about leaving the pup. From the very beginning leave the puppy for a few mins regularly, even if you dont need to go out, go out into the garden for 10 mins. The dog will learn quickly that you always come back.

If you follow strick pack order, which is difficult when you will have a cute puppy trying it on, wot is cute in a little pup is not so funny and even dangerous in a fully grown dog, the pup will realise you are the pack leader and will not feel responsible for you. a theory is that dogs get separation anxiety because when they do not feel that the owner is the pact leader, they feel they have to be in charge and when you leave them they are not able to protect you, they feel like a parent whos two year old child goes out of the house and locks them in. The become frantic and this is wot causes the anxiety.

So really the dog is not upset over you leaving it - it upset that it cant protect you

of course a little puppy will be frightened at being left at first, this is why it is important to leave it regularly for very short periods.

[Janice]

On the subject of crates we still have a 36'' one going spare. We used it for Dale when he was smaller but he kept growing so got a bigger one. If anyone wants it let me know. Its in good condition with a divider and water bowl. Three doors, one of which is 'up and over'. Its supposed to be big enough for a labrador ,but I suppose it depends if the dog wants to lie curled up or stretched out.
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Janice and Dale

[Ashley]

Would that be big enough for a pup? And for when she gets a little bigger? *tries to measure out 36" using thumbs*

xx
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Ashley with Holly & Murphy.
I hope to one day be as great as my dog thinks I am right now!!

[kendal]

cavaliers are generally small dogs.
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microchiping and grooming www.chipnclip.co.uk