Please tell me about life with a puppy.

[vanillacourage]

We're thinking about getting a dog around the holidays, and the dog would be a young puppy (long story, don't want to bog the post down w/details or debate. Just go with the premise.)

We've had a dog before but adopted him at 6 months old, and he was already housebroken. I have never had a puppy before.

DH and I both work demanding jobs. We're out of the house from 7am to 5pm M-F. Our last dog was fine in a crate for that time span but obviously a puppy would not.

Tell me about house training, puppy neediness, etc.

[sharknado]

Puppies suck, we go with older dogs.

[vanillacourage]

Oct 24, 2014 11:43:13 GMT -5 mp said:

And you left a 6 month old puppy in a crate for 10 hours a day? Was there a break in between with a dog walker or did someone stop home to let him out?

This was 10 years ago, we had different jobs then.

[dexteroni]

I wouldn't get a puppy with two demanding jobs and being away from the house for 10 hours a day. I know people do it, but I don't think it's fair to the puppy. The potty break, socialization, and exercise needs just don't work with that schedule IMO.

There are tons of older dogs who are housebroken and would be thrilled to chill in your house all day while you're at work. I strongly urge you to go that direction instead. It will make your dog-getting experience so much smoother, and will be a better fit for the dog.

[Deleted]

I don't know what the weather is like where you live, but training a young pup in the cold winter is not my idea of a good time. The holidays are stressful enough on their own without adding a puppy to the mix.

If you plan to have the puppy in the cage all day, he will relieve himself in there several times through the course of the day. It's not fair to the puppy IMO and is a ton of work for you to clean up on a daily basis.

Other issues...puppies are mischievous and will chew a lot. Anything and everything could be a tempting chew toy, so keep that in mind. I watched my dog like a hawk when she was a puppy because it takes just a few minutes for them to chew up cords, rugs, pillows, baseboards, etc. I'm not trying to scare you, just saying it's a lot of work.

Puppies need to go out first thing in the morning, right after eating, right after playing, right after sleeping. If you do decide to get a pup, make sure you start proper leash walking right away. Also, it's really important that you hang around the pup while he eats. Even put your hands in his/her food bowl, so he doesn't develop food aggression.  Socializing the puppy with other dogs and people right away is also very important. 

[sequins]

We got our puppy at 8 weeks and she needed to be taken for a walk every hour almost. They don't know to call for potty till about 4 months and after that they will call you every few hours anyway. I strongly recommend an older dog.

[cbwm1]

We're gone 10 hours a day, but Sheldon goes to doggy daycare M-F, and has since he was 9 weeks old.

Is that an option?

[vanillacourage]

This is all good info I need to hear, thank you! Trust me I'm not getting "squee!" and getting new-puppy blinders on. They sound like a ton of work and I don't know if that's right for us right now.

[So_Fetch]

If you want a puppy and are not available to let it out multiple times a day - another option is to look into doggy daycare. My Daisy got a lot out of daycare. We can trust her with different people, different dogs/situations. She's very social. It was a really great thing for her.

[dexteroni]

I think I'm the only person I know who kind of enjoys the puppy stage. It was hard at first with Quincy because he was our first puppy, plus Dexter was old and we had to keep Q from being too rough around him. But once he calmed down a bit, it was great. And the puppy stage was a blast with Sadie. I love seeing them learn and grasp stuff. And they're so fun and goofy, and puppy kisses, puppy breath, puppy bellies, etc. are the best. And it's so rewarding when they finally calm the F down.

You just have to be willing to be with them and watching them at all times so you can teach potty training, appropriate chewing, and bite inhibition. For their first 6 months, Quincy and Sadie were either with one of us or in their crates. And you can't leave them in the crate for too long, so they were mostly with us.

For us the trickiest part was ensuring proper socialization early, but without exposing them to disease before they had all their shots. We managed it, but it took a lot of effort.

[So_Fetch]

Oct 24, 2014 12:02:55 GMT -5 mp said:

Oct 24, 2014 12:00:26 GMT -5 cbwm1 said:

We're gone 10 hours a day, but Sheldon goes to doggy daycare M-F, and has since he was 9 weeks old.

Is that an option?

I'm surprised you could take yours to doggy daycare before the full series of shots were complete!

Good point.  Daisy had all her shots (have to be 4 months for rabies, I believe. plus bordatella).

[cbwm1]

Oct 24, 2014 12:02:55 GMT -5 mp said:

Oct 24, 2014 12:00:26 GMT -5 cbwm1 said:

We're gone 10 hours a day, but Sheldon goes to doggy daycare M-F, and has since he was 9 weeks old.

Is that an option?

I'm surprised you could take yours to doggy daycare before the full series of shots were complete!

They kept him in a smaller area by himself and kept a close eye on him until he was fully vaccinated. :-) they do that for all new puppies!

Our doggy daycare is legit amazing

[Deleted]

Our puppy is turning 11 months in a few weeks. We adopted her at 2 months. Here is how we handled it.

-First thing is potty training, she was previously semi potty trained but when we got her home she seemed to forget. We took her out every two hours to throw the ball in our yard and get her used to going outside. She has been crated at night from day one. During the day we used baby gates to lock her in the kitchen area of our house which is tile until she was completely trained. DH works from home so this was easy for us. On days when he had to meetings, etc.. I hired a lady in my neighborhood to come over and let her out and play with her.

-Once she was potty trained then we started to work on leash training. This was an hour every night in the backyard. We also signed her up for obedience lessons every Saturday at Petsmart. We did these for 12 weeks I believe. Once we got her leash trained then I started walking her EVERY DAY at 6:30 a.m.. Rain or shine we have gone out for two miles every day. The morning walk really helps to tire her out and she then naps until lunchtime. DH would then take her to the dog park at lunchtime and exercise her some more. In the evenings we take her on a shorter walk with more play time in the yard. She is A LOT of work. Due to her breed she needs to have constant work to do. I have a ton of Kongs I am constantly rotating with peanut butter and other treats. And the chewing. This is not the time to buy a new couch or any new furniture. My dog is a huge chewer and I once was keeping a tab on all the shoes and misc items that have been destroyed. Let's just say I've lost count. We have only found ONE toy that she can't destroy in a day. We are on auto ship with amazon with dog toys (no joke) she goes through them like water but we need them to keep her busy.

On days when DH is oot and I have to go to work it is hard. I have to juggle coming at home at lunch, exercising her in the back yard before DS is awake and before the sun is up. I have to coordinate with my neighbor to let her out and exercise her.She can go longer in her crate now (up to six hours) but she is a huge ball of destructive energy when she gets out.

With all that said she is my second baby, she is a 50 lb lap dog that sleeps with her arm over me every night. I bathe her once a month in the tub and brush her teeth at night when DS brushes his. In some ways she is more work than my 5 year old but we love her to pieces.

Thoroughly research the breed of dog you are looking to adopt and make sure you have the time / resources to take care of the dog. It will make your life easier in the log run. If you have to be out of the house for long periods of time you will need to find someone to take the puppy out and exercise her until she has her full shots. Once she is fixed and fully vaccinated then you could take her to a doggy daycare until she is older and can stay in her crate longer.
    

[aliciar6]

I will never again get a puppy. We are away for long periods during the day, we leave at 445 AM and get back around 345 PM. It always made for a cleanup when we got home and a bath for the puppy, even with puppy pads, which he would shred. I was so happy that by 9 months he could hold it all day until we got home, but some days we might still have a mess. Until he could hold it he was crated, then we spent a rediculous amount of money on a huge kennel that he and the other dog are in so they have more space.

Like a PP mentioned about cold weather and puppies, we got ours in November, and there were a lot of long walks around our yard in the middle of the night, in snow storms, rain, you name it. It's not fun to potty train a puppy in winter.

[darkling_glory]

I'm on my second "older" dog and it's awesome. I got both my Frenchies when they were five years old. They were both house broken. Dozer came knowing lots of tricks, but all Lexi knows is her name, lol.

Still, they are amazing dogs and my husband and I always say that we'll stick with older dogs! Puppies are so much work. It is like having a baby in the house.

[darkling_glory]

Oct 24, 2014 13:03:29 GMT -5 tillie said:

Oct 24, 2014 12:53:01 GMT -5 darkling_glory said:

I'm on my second "older" dog and it's awesome. I got both my Frenchies when they were five years old. They were both house broken. Dozer came knowing lots of tricks, but all Lexi knows is her name, lol.

Still, they are amazing dogs and my husband and I always say that we'll stick with older dogs! Puppies are so much work. It is like having a baby in the house.

  My puppy is a Frenchie too!  (I also have a Boston Terrier).  They are both just loves!!!! 

PIP please! ;D

[darkling_glory]

Oct 24, 2014 13:12:12 GMT -5 tillie said:

Well, if you insist  . .

So squishy! Eeeee!

[circa1978]

We had two puppies, approx. a year apart. Both were about 12 weeks old when they came home. (Our first was a rescue, so I don't know his exact DOB.) I was a SAHW the first time. I loved it. We used the tether method with him, did a ton of socialization and classes. He potty trained like a pro. I was working close to home the second time and even though we were able to come home every two to three hours, that puppy took a LONG time to PT. Like, a really long time. She's a doll and very well socialized as well, but I wouldn't do it again unless I was working from home.

[revolution]

Oct 24, 2014 12:01:18 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

This is all good info I need to hear, thank you! Trust me I'm not getting "squee!" and getting new-puppy blinders on. They sound like a ton of work and I don't know if that's right for us right now.

FWIW, we just got a 9 year old beagle a month ago.  She's a doll and an older dog fits our lifestyle.   (We also have a 7 year old Golden Retriever).  If you want a dog, you may want to look into an adult.  

[revolution]

Oct 24, 2014 13:22:49 GMT -5 letsgetweird said:

How long can an older dog be left alone?

Our 2 dogs are 7 and 9.  We are gone for about 10 hours a day.  They seem fine.  They actually seem annoyed if we have a long weekend/vacation and are around the house more than a couple of days all day long.  They seem to enjoy the quiet time to sleep all day long.  

[hamster]

I don't think I'll ever go the puppy route again. Even if I were home all day long, the sheer terror and chaos isn't worth the cute. It was absolutely exhausting. Hell, it still is at a year and a half

[cookie510]

I also would never get a puppy again. We got our dog in the winter when she was 8 weeks and it was such a pain bringing her out in cold/snow every 2-3 hours. Ugh and the nipping and chewing everything in sight, she had so much energy it really was exhausting.

Also, I feel like with an older dog you can judge their personality better. Our dog has serious issues and I have no idea what went wrong!

[vanillacourage]

tillie and @darkling_glory, would it change your mind if I told you the potential puppy in question is a French Bulldog?

Thanks all, we've decided not to move forward with the puppy. What some of you have posted sounds like the fifth ring of hell to me right now, lol

However, I do have an email in to a local rescue asking for the age of this adult dog. Pic attached.

Pudge is a little snuggle bug and not afraid to climb in your lap at any given moment, otherwise he can be pretty shy and would do best in a home with other dogs.

Don't let the picture fool you, this guy isn't into working out (he just looks like a beefcake), so he won't need extensive exercise. A quick walk to the end of the block and some play time inside is enough for Pudge to stay fit and happy.

Lazy snuggle bug? PERFECT.

[darkling_glory]

Oct 24, 2014 13:45:20 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

tillie and @darkling_glory, would it change your mind if I told you the potential puppy in question is a French Bulldog?

Thanks all, we've decided not to move forward with the puppy. What some of you have posted sounds like the fifth ring of hell to me right now, lol

However, I do have an email in to a local rescue asking for the age of this adult dog. Pic attached.

Pudge is a little snuggle bug and not afraid to climb in your lap at any given moment, otherwise he can be pretty shy and would do best in a home with other dogs.

Don't let the picture fool you, this guy isn't into working out (he just looks like a beefcake), so he won't need extensive exercise. A quick walk to the end of the block and some play time inside is enough for Pudge to stay fit and happy.

Lazy snuggle bug? PERFECT.

Pudge! I'm dead!

I think we talked about Frenchies last year? That was you, right?

Frenchies are stubborn dogs, no doubt.

Ultimately, though, puppies are a HUGE time suck for at least a year. If you can handle that is up to you. I am biased to older dogs, though.

[vanillacourage]

Oct 24, 2014 13:49:07 GMT -5 darkling_glory said:

Oct 24, 2014 13:45:20 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

tillie and @darkling_glory, would it change your mind if I told you the potential puppy in question is a French Bulldog?

Thanks all, we've decided not to move forward with the puppy. What some of you have posted sounds like the fifth ring of hell to me right now, lol

However, I do have an email in to a local rescue asking for the age of this adult dog. Pic attached.

Lazy snuggle bug? PERFECT.

Pudge! I'm dead!

I think we talked about Frenchies last year? That was you, right?

Frenchies are stubborn dogs, no doubt.

Ultimately, though, puppies are a HUGE time suck for at least a year. If you can handle that is up to you. I am biased to older dogs, though.

Yes, that was me. I still think the breed itself is a good fit for our family, I just don't want to deal with a puppy.

[midnightmare81]

Oct 24, 2014 13:22:49 GMT -5 letsgetweird said:

How long can an older dog be left alone?

The rule of thumb is 1 hour per month of age for the first few months. Then it's kinda dog and bladder size specific after that. Our dog has a bladder of steel and goes from about 9pm till 10am or later when we finally drag him up to go out. He would probably go longer if we let him. He goes out once in the am and then not again until 7pm or later if we wait for him to ask to go out.

[zoomzoom]

Is that an English Bulldog? Those dogs have great temperaments, need little exercise, but also look into their maintenance. Their nose folds and ears need to be cleaned often. And the folds need to stay dry or they can get a yeast infection in there. They are lovable, loyal, make a great guard dog but they are also super stubborn. Pudge is adorable.

[thecatinthehat]

I haven't read all the replies but for the first week or two we woke up 2-3 in the middle of the night in the freezing cold to let him out It was hard but we got through it. DH has a week off and worked from home half of the time. He was barely left alone for more than 5 hours. Our second dog was not a puppy because I just was not ready to do that again. I am open to getting a puppy in the future when the kid is older. Doggy daycare was a lifesaver and he started at 12 weeks.

[verypunny]

One thing to remember is puppies need tons of socialization while young. If she doesn't get adequate attention and access to people and experiences, there will be an increased risk for behavior problems.

We got a puppy last week, she is adorable and fun but so so so much work. We crate her at night and while I run errands and go to the gym, maybe an hour or two a day, spread out. She always has to go right when I take her out, I camt imagine going much longer.

[katietornado]

Oct 24, 2014 13:22:49 GMT -5 letsgetweird said:

How long can an older dog be left alone?

We have two dogs (a 65-pound Kelpie and a 92-pound greyhound) and if we are out of the house for a full workday, we have a dog walker stop by at lunch time to let them out in the yard.

Overnight, they go 10+ hours.  During the day, usually no more than 5.