14 week Labrador in kennel

[Helmsdale]

Sorry, but I think leaving a young puppy for 8 or 9 hours alone OR putting it in a car and visiting very couple of hours are both out of order. Just my view.

[Stacia]

I wouldn't like to leave a pup in a crate for 8-9 hours a day!

Jelinga

[Allyson]

Can you not take your dog to work with you? Even if you cannot take her in, you could keep her in the car and go out and potty the dog every couple of hours, that is what I did when my current dog was 7 weeks........

Cripes, what's worse, the kennel with a run or the car?

When I last had a new 12 week pup, I used a dog creche while I was at work. It's worth thinking about for a few months, if you can afford it. The dog creche business I used is registered, licensed and properly insured - check that out if you decide to use one.

As an aside, now there's a business for would-be entrepreneurs with dog handling skills! Especially active retired people,I reckon. Just do the sums: it cost me £26 a day - £28 now, I think - and the dog owner has to supply the dog's food (my grandkids loved the idea of my pup going off to the creche every day with his lunchbox!)

The creche I used was in residential accommodation, albeit with a reasonably sized, paved garden and kept very clean. The proprietor had turned the whole of her downstairs area over to the dog care business, and she lived upstairs. Officially she was licensed to take 8 dogs a day from 8 am to 6 pm, Mon-Fri, but there were times when I know she had 10 dogs, and often took dogs on Saturday too - I'm not sure how much the tax man knew;) Also, she took my pup for overnight stays when business called me away, and that obviously cost more. She's got a purpose-converted, temperature controlled Transit-sized van with travelling dog cages built in, and as part of the deal she walks the dogs every day. One benefit for my puppy was socialising with other dogs. Also, I had a lot of confidence in the proprietor, and felt completely at ease leaving my dog there.

The last time I asked her to look after a dog for a day, she said she was fully booked and had a long waiting list, and was only interested in taking long-term daily boarders. So there you go, an in-demand business with at least £62.5k+ p.a. turnover and low overheads, just doing what you're probably going to do anyway... look after dogs. I'd do it myself, if I didn't have to work!

I used a dog creche with my previous dog, my job changed so that I spend a great deal of time on the road. My current dog (aged 8) has travelled with me in the car since he was 7 weeks old.

Now I realise it may not be "ideal" in many ways but in others it was excellent as my dog was used to eating, peeing, pooping and training in a different place every day; he got to meet loads of people and was exposed to lots of different environmental stimuli growing up into a confident, competent adult with a rock solid temperament (temperament tested "excellent" as well as passing the KCGCDS, IPO temperament testing etc).

(Amazing how many dogs who live at home full time with their owners appear to still need socialisation even just on this very forum)

He also was a very successful competition dog at National Level and is used for demos now.

He was not left alone to his own devices for more than two hours at a time when he was then given 15 minute training sessions, toilet breaks etc so that he was content to do what most puppies do (when given sufficient mental and physical stimulation) conk out the rest of the time until the next session.

No whining, no barking, no howling, no destruction and a dog that spends a lot of time in hotels with me (as he is at the moment)

There is no ONE RIGHT WAY to rear puppies any more than there is ONE RIGHT WAY to train them.

I appreciate it may not be to everyone's taste but if he is anything to go by I will have no hesitation in repeating this with my next puppy which I hope to get this year.

Everyone of course is entitled to their opinion.

[Cynic]

Up to what age would people not leave a puppy for 8-9 hours out of interest!!!!

Do people not do that every night when they goto bed?

[Bruneval3]

Up to what age would people not leave a puppy for 8-9 hours out of interest!!!!

Do people not do that every night when they goto bed?

I personally don't leave my adult dogs for more than 4-5 hrs, sort my shifts around my dogs. As for my young pup (15 wks) she is left no more than 2-3 hrs. Just my way, not saying it is right, but to me you should not be taking a pup on of it is going to be left for such long periods. I would not let anyone take one of my pups if all parties were at work full time office hours. JMO.

PS yes we do leave animals through the night, but some people must be getting a lot of sleep if they are not up sorting their dogs out early doors!

[Nonehpets]

I wouldn't like to leave a pup in a crate for 8-9 hours a day!

Jelinga

... if that relates to my previous post neither would I but I was trying to offer something practical to the poster who is now between a rock and a hard place having asked the question and to be clear I do not mean a crate with room for bed only - I use an adult size with bed at back and free space at front. Giving a 14 week old pup the run of the kennel is asking for the same issues as leaving an uncrated puppy home alone and wondering why it is destructive.

@cynic - my 16 week old pup has just stopped eating lunch; I have had to phase out lunch first on a practical level so I can return to work and he can adapt to longer periods in his crate over the coming weeks. Yes of course a pup is in it's crate overnight but generally it's people are around to ensure it remains content and settled. For the next month or so he will have varying amounts of time in his crate on his own - but to date the longest he has been left is 3 hours. I also have a dog who will be here with the pup so he will not be left home alone.

When my dog was a pup I was lucky enough to work 10 minutes walk from home and to have an understanding employer who allowed me to work flexi to take two breaks a day to pop home and then my daughter was home from school so from 12 weeks until around 5 months the most he was alone and crated at any one stretch was 3 hours during the day. Then we built up from there. He has never been a destructive dog, is now left with run of parts of the house and when I am working that can be for the full day BUT at 9 he will still try to get in his old crate which the pup now has, at every opportunity.

Cathy

[Miff]

As said previously, the owner is now between a rock and a hard place. Perhaps should have thought all this through before getting the pup but, the situation is at it is and in my opinion the pup would be much better off with the owner. In the car (secure cage so that the boot can be left open in warm weather) but by the time we get warm (whats that?) weather the dog may be able to accompany owner to work. Many pups are brought up to go with the owner wherever owner goes. It has its advantages too. I think this is the answer in this particular case. My car cage is locked to the body of the car with bicycle locks; the cage is then bolted and secured with padlock. This may even be safer than leaving the pup in a kennel at home. In this particular case this is what I think should happen.
Even though I am not working I take my young pups everywhere with me. Very good for them. Do hope you can find a good solution to your problem but leaving a pup for so long on its own in a kennel is not good.

[Tjpippa]

I have four dogs. When Ive got a new pup Ive taken a week off work to settle it in then back to work. Can be anything between someone being at home all day to no one being there for8 hours...more if Im forced to do overtime.
Yes its easier with other dogs to occupy them. I would suggest that you give him some mental and physical exercise before going to work and then give him things to have to stimulate him during the day as already suggested. Kongs filled nature diet work well. Antlers and nylabone's are also good. Ber in mind that you have only had the pup 6 weeks. Exercise and stimulation is far more important before you go to work!

[brettguise]

My lab was in the kennel sleeping from 8 weeks the day we had her. She was also kennelled whilst at work. For the first month I would have somebody come to give her a meal at lunchtime but she would still be kennelled from 9:00 - 6:00 every day. When she got to about 14/16 weeks I cut that out completely and left her home all day. she's turning out to be a cracking dog and loves her kennel.

Whilst its not ideal we have to work and id say at 14 weeks the dog should be ok to be left all day just leave her with things to do. My lab hasn't chewed anything out of boredom either just give them a bone or two and some rope toys.

[Cockerman]

In my opinion working dogs spend alot more that 8 to 9 hours a day in a kennel.
Take a gamekeeper, the ones I know do not have the time to take every dog they own out every day, and certainly not young dogs.
Take a beater, takes 2 dogs out 1 day beating , then takes another 2 dogs out the next day
I am sure picker up are the same. Maybe it not the correct thing to say, but its true
they are left a lot longer than 8,9 hours, of course the kennels are cleaned and the dogs feed.
I also think some trial people leave there dogs in kennels before a trial. may be they could answer that ?
Or maybe what I have said above is not true and every dog is out every day
So I think you are being a liitle bit harsh with your comments?
Dave