Puppy alone in a bare room for a max of 6 hours?

Question

I work different hours daily so in the day there are a couple hours the puppy will be alone until my friend comes home to take care of her too. I'm wondering if it's best to keep her in a crate or in a bare room? I'm hoping to paper train her. But I figure if I keep her in a crate she'll go potty on herself but she won't chew up a puppy pad or perhaps try to eat the paint. So what should I do? Puppy crate or bare bedroom with a water bowl, toys, and puppy pad?

Answer 1

Bare puppy crate, no water in there...If a towel is in the crate she might pee on it , thinking its a piddle mat

but 6 hrs a day so young?!?

can you hold your "movements" that long?

Answer 2

Depending on how old the pup is, rule of thumb is they can "hold it" for the number of hours equal to the months old they are plus one.  (for example, an 8 week old puppy is 2 months old, so 2 hours +1 = 3 hours.)  

Crating is best according to a potty training class I just took.  Pup won't want to have to lie in its mess.  Crate must be just the right size, with enough room to stand up, lie down with outstretched legs, and turn around.  Any bigger won't work.  

If you have some neighboring retirees or other friends that could come let the puppy out more often if younger than 5 months would be great.  

A larger, 'bare' room will just let her go potty without any real consequences,

We are paper training 3 on the porch now, because too many to be in the house.  It is hard because they don't have to try to "hold it" whatsoever.  At least it somewhat contains the extent of the cleanup.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

Poor puppy.

Dont put her in a crate please. They get disorientated. You can leave her a few toys. you might want to get one of those toys where you put the food in it and she has to play with it in order to get them out. They keep them busy for hours. Might want to have two.

Also to encourage her to sleep get an old teddy and stuff a clock in there. It will be like a heart and the pup will think it is its mother. It will sleep. make sure its a warm teddy though.

Lots of water and paper would be good.  

Answer 4

get a play pen and put some pads a bed some toys and food and water. she should be fine.  

Answer 5

you wont ever get her housebroken that way.

She cannot be crated 6 hours at a time.. she will potty on herself

Leaving her loose and unattended is not safe either.

Find someone who can let her out inbetween.  She should not be crated more than 3 hours without a potty break.