Help! We Need Advice About Leaving A Pup While Going To Work!

[Jrad]

Hello and thanks for reading!!

My partner and I just got an English bulldog pup called knuckles! We haven't picked him up yet but we can at the 8 week mark in a few weeks.

we have been doing soo much research so we can give this little dude the best life!!

Now while doing research we hit a question that gets a lot of criticism. what do we do when we go to work and how do we leave him?

Lucky for us when we get the little dude we will both be on holidays and get 4 weeks roughly to settle him in!

but after that we will be going back to work and he will spend roughly 8 hours by himself. I thought this kind of thing was normal, I mean we all go to work yeah? And people have been pet owners forever..

When I asked social media this everyone told me leaving him was cruel and I shouldn't get that kind of dog and I'm this and that.. I mean really...

kids are not an option for us so this little dude will get kinda spoiled as we already have over 30 chew toys(a lot of them you can stick snacks in them how cool is that!!) a rad bed! And other fun looking stuff

Ok this is what we were thinking, please let us know your tips and if we are going in the right direction or are we over thinking this too much!

So he will be an inside dog most of the time toilet training him to go outside and when we go to work leave him outside.. how will this work? we are starting to toss up the idea of maybe keeping him inside but we don't want to screw up the toilet traing routine..

We have also found out that the heat is bad for these guys so we got some cooling chew toys, a cooling gel mat but we're after some ideas for other things we can do.

So what I really want to know is what should we do when it comes time to go back to work and leave him behind until we return

And how do we go about the heat side of things

Any advice would be muchly appreciated!!

Once again thank for reading

Jarrod and Brittney.

[RuralPug]

An indoor play or baby gates to confine your puppy to one room while you are at work is probably the best way to go. Also handy to pop puppy in while you are too busy to watch him!

Your breeder should be able to recommend a good style and size of playpen and should also be able to recommend to you methods for keeping your baby cool. :)

[Mjosa]

Bulldogs, I have French bulldogs for the past 34 years, cannot be left outside in the heat, they must be inside with all the cooling things that you have bought also with air conditioning on on low.

Because of their facial structure, the British would be worse than Frenchies, their breathing apparatus is compromised in the first place add heat to that and in no time at all they start getting heat stressed and that quickly leads to death, sorry to be so blunt but that is the truth of the matter, definitely the wrong sort of breed to have and leave for eight hours a day especially in summer.

Other breeds of dogs with the "normal" length of muzzle, we also have an Italian Greyhound, she copes extremely well with the heat even covers herself over with a blanket when the airconditioning is on, would be much better adapted to being left but certainly with access to the house through a doggy door perhaps in the laundry.

[karen15]

I'd also recommend a dog door into a room where you can leave a fan on. I'll never forget the day a girl I worked with got home to a dead dog, from over heating. It was a staffy or staffy cross.

I was paranoid about my staffy as their build can make them prone to over heating. He always had a clam shell with water in summer and an extremely well shaded yard. Wet cement is a good option if it's in the shade all day or fill half a clam with sand, wet it and put it somewhere out of the sun.

In his later years, I bought my own place and gave him a doggy door. Always have the fan on all day inside, even when I'm at work, and on really bad days the pets get aircon. My place is very well insulated and stays around 25/26 most days, so aircon isn't needed on normal days. I live in Brisbane, so it can get quite hot.

I'd be inclined to leave him inside, initially, while you're at work. I like mine to be 3-4 months old before I leave them for long periods outside. You can set up an inside toilet station so he has a designated place to go. That can be helpful for emergencies when they're young. My westie decided the toilet was his emergency spot, which was helpful.

I like dogs to have company, be it another dog or a cat. I got a second dog for the westie pup. She was just turning 3, which is a nice age. She has been very good with him. The reason I like a companion is that I think it stops them getting bored, making trouble and going on the search for a play mate. A friend has an only dog and takes turns with her neighbour to have their dog come all day for play dates. That works well for both of them.

Someone had posted the best puppy area and activities they'd set up, possibly in the main forum. I can't remember the posters' name unfortunately.

Edited November 28, 2016 by karen15

[persephone]

THIS THREAD contains a lot of discussion for you to read :)

Unfortunately, it doesn't deal with a brachy dog and hot weather ...

yes, it is VITAL that your pup be kept cool - and remember - cooling gel mats are terrific..but an unsupervised pup will probably chew it .

With your toys etc too, remember , your pup will have a flatter face , and may not be able to use/work some of them as well :)

[Jrad]

You people are the best thanks everyone who posted!! Keep them coming!!!

[Papillon Kisses]

Someone had posted the best puppy area and activities they'd set up, possibly in the main forum. I can't remember the posters' name unfortunately.

I think it may have been Roova? ????

ETA I found it! Check out the General Dog Discussion forum. :)

"New Puppy When Adults Are Working?"

Edited November 28, 2016 by Papillon Kisses

[Animal House]

This is the post that may be helpful that PK was talking about

Are you able to set up an exercise area as opposed to crating for hours? It gives the pup more options to move around, do things and expend the energy a growing pup has.

Not sure of your setup but as an example, I put together a pen with chicken wire, cable ties and star pickets which let pup go down one side of the house then half way under our verandah. I had as much as I could think for a pup to keep busy in there. A large meaty bone regularly (nothing she could chew off), tub of balls which I'd throw treats in,a small cardboard box taped up with treats inside, a tub of damp sand for digging or lying in, a container of dry leaves, a plank on bricks, a container near it she could jump on to and then off again, a kids pool with an inch of water and floating balls, a tug toy tied off the clothes line, a kids tunnel with a tarp across the top, a small kong stuffed with dry food and another frozen with stock, vegies and dry food in it etc.

This meant she was separate from my other dog but had access to sunshine, grass and shelter which I think is important to a young animal. At times she would run completely mental through everything including throwing herself at the side of the tunnel and bouncing off which was hilarious. I increased her time alone from day one but separation anxiety was never an issue because she had so much to do I doubt she realised I was gone!

When I was happy letting both dogs stay together through the day she came and went from the house with our other dog via our sliding door bolted open just wide enough to let them through (lucky we have two small dogs). The older Frenchie has to suck her gut in a little to get through but it doesn't stop her doing it at a run lol . Toilet training was never an issue as she could always access outside and I took her out through the night too.

Anyway, food for though and good luck with your new pup!