If I have to leave my pup alone for 8-9 hours, is it best to give him some room or leave him in a crate?

Question

My pup is about 9 weeks old and seems to do well about not eliminating inside his crate. I don't think crate is a good idea but what is better? Thanks.

Answer 1

9 hours is way too long for a puppy to be in a crate.  He cannot hold it that long and will start to go in his crate creating other problems.  

Use an exercise pen.  Put his crate in the pen with the door either open or removed.  toys, food and water and a place to go potty.  you can use potty pads or even get a piece of sod set inside of a pan of some sort. If you use the sod it helps to teach the puppy to go on grass.

Answer 2

you could try using a room and placing a baby gate across the doorway.

Answer 3

My dog is litterbox trained because she can't always go outside (if it's too cold. She's only an Italian Greyhound!)  When we first got her, we kept her in a crate to prevent her from making a lot of messes. Now that she's better trained, we give her the entire house because it's more comfortable for her. Her food's in the kitchen, she sleeps on a heating pad in the living room, she goes on my bed when the sun shines on it, etc. You just need to decide what's more convenient for you.

Answer 4

You can't leave a puppy alone that long. Get a puppy sitter (a friend or family member) or take your puppy to a doggie daycare in your city for the time you will be away from home that day.

Answer 5

Hi! :)

You can put him in a "puppy safe room" blocked by baby gates with lots of toys (indestructible ones), a bed, blanket, and all that (if you think he is fully house trained, that is a long time to expect a puppy especially that young to hold their potty).  A crate is good not only because of house training but for the fact the puppy doesn't get into poisonous stuff, electric cords, and so on.  When your puppy gets older and your sure everything is dog safe you can leave him out though if you want.

Answer 6

A dog, any dog, should never be crated for more than 3-4 hours. If you want, put the crate in a room, like a laundry room or kitchen (something with tile floors basically, but make sure chemicals and other stuff are put away so the dog can't reach) and leave the crate door open. That way it's like a dog house.

And the dog isn't going in it's crate, because dogs are smart enough not to go where they sleep or eat, but it's still mean to leave a dog that young with no place to go. They have little bladders just like human babies/toddlers.

Answer 7

Leave him in a crate.

however I would recommend getting some friends or family to letting him out at least every 3 hours so that you don't have a big mess to clean up after

Answer 8

Why are you leaving a nine week old puppy alone for that long to begin with? You're going to come home to one big mess, no matter what you do. Nine hours at a time is waaaay too long for a little puppy to be alone. If you really have to, I'd say leave him in, say, the bathroom - the easiest place to clean up. Once again, rethink this - you shouldn't leave a puppy alone for that long.

Answer 9

You can't leave a tiny baby puppy all alone stuffed in a crate for 9 hours. That's just plain cruel...

But if you have to, put him in a room.  

Answer 10

that's to long to be created, l'd leave the puppy in the kitchen or a room where you can use potty pads,gate it off and it can't chew alot up.  Above all make it a safe place.

Answer 11

Don't leave him in the crate.

At his age he can only hold it for 3 hours, MAX.  He'll soil himself and the crate, and in turn learn that it's okay to go there and in the house in general, if only because he was forced to.

You should find a doggy day care or sitter to spend the day with him.  If you can't, you need to leave him in a room with his crate and some potty pads to go on.  Potty pads aren't good either, but it's better to give him a designated place in the house than his crate and all over the place.

Answer 12

puppies cannot be left in a crate for 9 hrs.  he will start to potty in the crate because he can't hold it, he is a baby after all.  i would get a puppy expen.  they come in different sizes depending on the size of the puppy, are portable and a great training tool next to the crate.  

you can set it up on a tile or linoleum floor, put in his bed,food,water and lot's of toys and leave a radio or t.v. on low for company for him.

Answer 13

A dog that young needs to be let out to do his buisness every 3-4 hours. If you crate him, or leave him out, you will more then likely come home to a mess. They are too young to hold their bladders at that age!

Crate training is good to start, but when the pup is a bit older. With training the will learn that the crate is their 'safe haven' and will be happy to be in it and will not go to the bathroom in it.