Is It Cruel To Leave Pup Alone Like This?

[katylil]

I have a twelve week old border collie cross pup. She's just beautiful and I love her to pieces. I've had two border collies before her, however I got them as adults so she is the first border pup I've ever had.

I work eight hours a day, five days a week. I spend a solid hour with her in the morning before work playing and obedience training. She is then left alone for five hours until lunch time, when I come back and spend another hour with her playing. I then leave her alone for another three hours while at work, then when I'm finished I spend at least two hours with her playing and training.

While I'm at work she's kept in a secure dog enclosoure that I bought for her, with plenty of toys (kongs and other chew toys, i try to find toys that will occupy her mind while I'm gone). It's quite roomy (3 m x 3m) and very secure so that she cannot escape or dig out. I do have a large fenced backyard but I don't want to leave her in the backyard alone when she's young.

I've been reassured by my vet that it is not inhumane to leave her alone for this length of time provided I make the effort to spend sufficient time with her when I'm home and give her plenty of mental stimulation. But I still feel so guilty when I leave her . It's been eating away at me, even though she doesn't seem distressed when I leave. She normally just sleeps or lays down and chews on her toys.

Is it cruel to do this to a pup?

Edited May 23, 2015 by katylil

[Bundyburger]

It is not cruel, if we all thought it was, working people would never get puppies. You are lucky you can go home at lunch, my pup was alone 9 hours a day (but not often, only on shift overlaps) when quite young. Hes now a well adjusted 6yo.

[The Spotted Devil]

She sounds like a lucky pup to me! Puppies sleep a LOT! My "rule" is that pup is up and active for 2 hours prior to me leaving - following me around, walk, training, food - and they will happily sleep for several hours after that. Normally I come home and they're rubbing their eyes as they wake up!

[DeltaCharlie]

IMO quality time is more important than quantity. As long as the time you spend together is well spent, playing, training, hanging out together then I have no issues with leaving a pup. If you get home and ignore her then that is a different story.

I'd be making sure she has plenty of things to keep her amused while you are gone. Frozen Kong's, toys, etc to give her stimulation. You can hide bits of kibble around so she has to search for it. If you are really adventurous a small kids pool filled with sand and bury her toys.

[katylil]

IMO quality time is more important than quantity. As long as the time you spend together is well spent, playing, training, hanging out together then I have no issues with leaving a pup. If you get home and ignore her then that is a different story.

I'd be making sure she has plenty of things to keep her amused while you are gone. Frozen Kong's, toys, etc to give her stimulation. You can hide bits of kibble around so she has to search for it. If you are really adventurous a small kids pool filled with sand and bury her toys.

Thanks for your response! Are there any other stimulating toys you would recommend for her? I've got her two kongs which I freeze, and also a Kong wobbler and a variety of rubber toys/balls/chew ropes. But I'm on the lookout for some other toys that would keep her stimulated.

[huski]

Sounds like a great set up. IMO it's not good for pups to have 24/7 access to their owners, they need to learn to self settle and relax on their own.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Don't believe what PETA says - they don't want anyone to have a pet at all.

From your puppy's point of view - what you're doing is outrageously cruel. But puppies (and children including teenagers) don't always understand what's in their best interests. Eg food choices.

But I think your puppy is getting a great deal. If you don't work you can't feed and house your puppy and you are doing all the right things by way of exercise and training.

Tho one thing - herding dogs are crap at knowing when to stop. Unless you make them - they won't stop. So my mum's rule of thumb she'd heard for puppy exercise was 5 minutes of exercise per month of puppy age so you don't risk damaging joints long term. So at 12 weeks old - that might be 15 minutes of exercise - not a "SOLID HOUR" ouch.

I guess what I'd be looking to do is one to five mins of training then a bit of a play break then another training session then a bit of a play break then another training session - totalling about 15 minutes then snooze / calm time (or you can try training a sit stay - tho impulse control games do tire a dog's brain out - not sure if that's good or bad - think how you feel after an all day training session where you're learning new things you're really interested in).

Impulse control games that aren't very physical (ie things you can do for the other 45 minutes)...

collar grab game

sit stay game

drop stay game

its yer choice

and maybe a bit of perch work (body awareness games)

Others might have some better informed ideas on this. Like where the balance is between exercise and best joint development.

[ness]

I have a now 5 month old BC baby who I came home at 8 weeks. She had 2 days of me at home over a weekend and then as of the Monday I was back to work. I had somebody call in on that first full day to walk her but aside from that she is home in her pen.

I work an 8 hour day (usually gone from about 7:30 till 4:30 including travel) and she spends her days in a pen while I am not home. She gets a run/training session before I leave in the morning and is then left with a stuffed kong and some sort of chew in her pen plus a small selection of toys. When I am home she isn't in her pen however she is also crated overnight. She gets another walk and some training in the evening. Some nights its club training other nights its a trip to the local shops where we do a little bit of training outside.

So long as they seem happy and well adjusted I wouldn't have any problem with it. My girl seems to cope with it super well and she certainly isn't a low drive BC. She races into her pen in the morning when I ask her to go in and while keen to see me when I get home isn't all over me either.

Where I can I occasionally arrange for somebody to stop by and walk her or have a play with her around lunch time but if that doesn't happen she doesn't seem to worried.

I have another BC so I am not prepared to leave the youngster to free run when I am not around to supervise the interactions. Mostly a worry for joints and them playing all day.

I should add we normally we only go out for half an hour in the morning but she is loose/free for about an hour and a half max depending what time we all wake up. Again in the evening the amount of walking etc we do is half an hour to 45 min max of free running with about 5 min of leash walking. The rest of the time she is free at home to play outside/inside or whatever.

Edited May 23, 2015 by ness

[OSoSwift]

Sounds just fine to me :) Stop stressing

[charlottearmstrong]

I think its fine, many people have to do that. Maybe send her/him one day a week to a doggie daycare for some social time. We sent our pup from when she was 3.5 months old and loved it.

[Rascalmyshadow]

Sounds like you have everything under control to raise a well adjusted dog, I would stop worrying.

Personally I don't even leave my adult dogs for eight hours but I have set my working and home life up so I never have to, funny none of my dogs have separation anxiety when I do leave and they are normally with me 24/7.

[westiemum]

I think its fine - but if you want to check up could you set up one of those puppy cam things? I suspect you may be surprised at how many hours she is asleep