At what age can...

... a dog be left alone in the house?

Here is my dilemma. We have a 3 month old Poo-Chi. I am a stay at home mom, but when I do have to leave, I have been locking my puppy up in the bathroom. It's a hassle to puppy proof the bathroom every time I want to leave. We have to pick up the throw rugs, put the trash on the counter, take the toilet paper off the holder (found that out the hard way!) and make sure the toilet lid is closed. We even had to remove the caps that cover the bolts that hold the toilet down. She even removed one of the bolts! (Obviously it was broken first!)

We have tried baby gates. One in the hallway, but she knocked the gate down. The opening is kind of wide, so the gate obviously couldn't get tight enough. We tried baby gates in the kitchen too and she escaped. Not sure how, but I am assuming she climbed -- or she is a jumper. Both times she was roaming the house alone while we were gone and did fine, thankfully!

So, I'm trying to decide if I should buy a crate. She has a soft crate that she sleeps in at night, but it wouldn't work for when I am gone. She could move it all over the house. Or, if I should just keep using the bathroom until the time comes.

Any ideas on how long it will be?

Thanks

 

It really depends on the individual dog. I don't think I'd leave her alone until she is at least fully potty trained...you will have to puppy proof the entire house then though. I think you'd be better off just getting a crate that she can stay in while your gone.
I allowed Natalie free roam once she was 6 months old. She was completely house trained and had lost her puppy teeth by then and was no longer chewing excessively and I felt I could trust her to be alone...she did well.

 

Hi, I had the same problem with my puppy, I went and bought a crate.
It keeps her safe and my house in tact while I am gone. If I am gone for over 2 to 3 hours I get a baby sitter for her. If I can't get a baby sitter I take her and the crate with me in the car! lol No really I would invest in a good crate for her while she is a puppy. Mine likes to chew right now and I keep alot of toys for her to chew on and if I see her chewing on something that she shouldn;t I tell her no and I give her one of her toys.
It is like having a baby in the house. She does go with me a lot of the time and she does really good in the car like while I am in a store she cant go in to. I got my crate at wal-mart for like 30 bucks and it has been the best thing. I kept reading about crate training and I was using paper and It has really helped and making house training alot easier. She is going on 5 months now and she goes out side and she will let me know when she needs to go. She will patiently sit at the back door and wait. I hope this helps..

 

I agree, a crate is the only thing that will ensure her safety. They rant and have their tizzy party about it, but they do get used to it. Mine did. I bring her crate to work, on some days I can let her have free roam and at times she will go and sleep in there with the door open.

 

Do you mean always or just when she is a puppy?

 

Until she is trustable. Then again some people have dogs that don't always get along, in cases like that one should be separated either in another room or crated. While you are out that is.

 

sorry for coming in late

I just saw this post. Year's ago with my Aussie Shep's when they were about 5 to 6 mo's old I decided to try a little experiment. I wanted to see how they would be left out if I was not home. I deliberately left, locking the door etc. I went around the far side of the house and watched them thru the bay window. They were fine for about 1/2 hour but then puppy curiosity took over. I reprimanded them thru the window. It worked. I did this over a few week period to the point that I finally was able to leave them out and they believed that I was still there watching them. I have done this with my Pin's and it has worked on them also. The have a tendancy to get a rowdy play started shortly after I leave. I am able to just say "knock if off" and immediately the barking quits and they now believe I am outside. I can leave come back and it is still quiet.

 

I think a crate is a good idea, i think that after a while the puppy will get used to it and it will be like his very own room and when he wants some privacy he can go to his crate on his own.

 

I crate trained my yorkie and it worked. But my thing is Im leaving for Vegas this weekend and I might have a babysitter. What do you guys do when you go out of town with your puppies or dogs? Do you take them to a doggie day care or beg a family member to watch the dog for the weekend? This is my first time away from Dreamer

 

real difficult to leave

I have 10 Min Pins and 11 cats, very difficult to leave in general. My family thinks I am nuts as is and have thought so for many years due to my animals.

 

Luther generally comes with me, but Dale stays at home. If Luther doesn't come with me, my mother in law used to watch him, but now that I have moved back all my friends beg me to watch him. I have only kenneled him once at the vet.

 

When we went on vacation, my mom watched our maltipoo, but we did a sleep over first, to help with the separation (for puppy and me). Winnie did cry the first night with my mom for a couple of hours, then she was fine. When we left for vacation, Winnie was comfortable at my mom's and did just fine.

 

It worked for me

When I got my poodle she was 10 weeks old. I went out and got a crate the same day and started crate training her. She was fine taking naps in there during the day, but would wine at night when she would be locked in. It was my first puppy so of course I would lay on the floor with my hand through the cate so she could feel me by her. DONT DO THAT! IT TAKES LONGER TO TRAIN! She eventually got used to the crate. Not only is it good to help keep your house in order while your gone, but it help in the potty training process. My Angel would not go potty in her crate while I was gone so she learned to hold it till someone got home. Depending on the age depends on how long you can leave them in the crate. Until my puppy was 5 months I would only leave her in her crate for 2-3 hrs then made sure I can home to let her out and play. Around 6 months was when I could leave her out of the crate but she still made a mess sometimes I just disciplined her and over time she had turned into a great dog. It wasnt until about a year old that she was fully potty trained so things take time.