Architectural Designs

Leaving a dog/puppy alone, is this a good idea?

I have had a dog for a few years now and love her to bits but she doesn't like to walk/play or anything and I would like a dog that did, I am planning on getting a Cavalier king charles spaniel and I have thought long and hard about it and decided even though I am out quite a big part of the day that it would still work out and a dog would rather have a home and be left alone a lot but get walked, fed and loved, rather than nobody adopting it and it gets put in a shelter. I would be getting up in the morning and taking the dog out for a 20 minute walk then chuck it a few balls etc whilst I get ready for school. The, it would be left alone (with access to the back garden by a dog flap) Our garden is completely enclosed with NO way the dog can get out or anyone else can get in) It would have the whole run of the house (for various reasons we can't confine it to one room or a crate), I would then get back and take the dog for a 30min-1 hour walk, I would also be chucking it balls and stuff whilst doing homework and I have lots of free time in the evening and it would also go for another 5 minute walk to the shop and back. It would then be put in a crate to go to bed about 10 o clock and when it is a puppy we would let it out a few times during the night but as it gets older he will eventually last the whole night. E.g first week-4 times a night second week-3 times a night third week-2 times a night 4th week-2 times a night 5th week-1 time a night 6th week-1 time every other night 7th week-no times unless he whines and needs to. When he is a puppy it would be during the summer holidays For the first two days we would settle him in and play with him I, for these two days, would be at home all the time but shut the dog in one room by itself for 5 minute intervals at various times of the day For the next four days I would also stay at home with him but shut him in a room for various 10-15 minute intervals. When I let him out he would be rewarded with a treat each time to say well done as long as he didn't rip anything up. For the next two days I would leave him in one room for 25 minutes then take him out, reward him, then pop out to the shop, leaving him with the run of the house with my other dog there too for 10 minutes. Gradually, we would build it up until he is left alone for the full 8 hours (with somebody checking on him during the day)probably me) Fussing over him, then rewarding him, then leaving him again. Ok, sorry it is so long I just want to be sure it is ok! Any tips welcome (: If what I have said isn't clear, please just ask what I have meant when I have said whatever isn't clear. And my dog would be there the whole day every day, and somebody would check on it I mean my current dog would be there all day every day. And that somebody, once a day would come and check in and make a quick fuss of the dog, then reward it, then leave again. Also, the dog would have loads of toys to play with and a basket to lay in. We couldn't have baby gates or anything |(due to various reasons) But if we could keep the dog downstairs by training him that he is not allowed upstairs then that is what we would do but if not, he would just have to have the whole run of the house! The crate is too small to keep him in for the day. Only big enough for him to sleep in.

Public Comments

1. It sounds ok but I would never give a puppy free run of a house. He needs to have a confined space for a while. Make it a crate or a small room. If you can not do that, I would not get the puppy.
2. sounds fine
3. leaving a puppy alone can be dangerous to the puppy because he could possibly swallow something that would choke him or maybe chew on something dangerous like an electrical cord.
4. Your potty training schedule may not work, they generally hold their potty for an hour per month of life. Another thing you keep saying you can't confine him for various reasons, but then say crate for bedtime, why can't you use the crate during the day while you are out? It would really be safer for the puppy than letting him have the run of the house. Your last statement tells me that your won't be training the puppy at all, you decide where the puppy is allowed, not him. If he isn't allowed upstairs, then he should be trained to stay downstairs.