jamo

Thanks for the input. I guess its one thing to read all this stuff and another to apply it. Unfortunately your comments are really telling what I already know but don't want to hear - that I'm really leaving her alone too long and that its probably not a great situation moving forward. Realistically she is going to get left for 10 or 11 hours a day some time in the near future. I think we have a difficult decision to make while she is still young.

How big's the pen? And why is she kept penned up? Seems like a lot of hours either penned up or crated. Di The pen is about 6m square. The longest she is in it at the moment is 5 hours. She currently gets exercised for at least half an hour during the day. In the morning and night she is basically exercised until she decides to settle down herself. The reason for confining her is primarily for toilet training, minimize damage and for her own safety. I was of the understanding that puppies sleep 16 to 20 hours a day. We certainly keep her on her toes when she isn't confined. Most of what I have read suggests that if you intend to leave a dog alone for a working day when it is an adult, you should start this routine as soon as possible. Cheers.

Hi all, My first post. I was just hoping to get a bit of input on my puppy housebreaking / training schedule as this is all very new to me. Ive been reading the before/after you get a puppy books for guidance. Also looking at some web pages which have seriously confused the hell out of me (particularly with respect to how long dogs should be left alone). The pup is an 11 week old Whippet which we have had for about 2 weeks now. Small backyard, high fences and covered area. Dog is currently kept inside except when supervised. On weekdays her schedule is as follows: -Sleeps in a crate from 11pm till 6am. -6am to 8am food and exercise. -8am till 6pm long term confinement in a pen with food, chew toys, toilet etc. At this stage someone is dropping in for an hour every day to break up this period however in the long run we would like to phase this out. -6pm to 11pm food, exercise, crate, exercise etc. On weekends we keep things similar but obviously spend a bit more time playing/training etc. I'm quite concerned about the period of time we are leaving her during the day as she gets separation anxiety - yelping / barking / chewing bars. There's no issue keeping up the midday visit for the next month or so but I cant keep doing it indefinitely. At some stage she will need to be left alone for 10 hours. Any input / guidance would be appreciated! Cheers