The Challenges of Raising a Puppy When You Work Full Time
Regardless of whether you work full time in an office, work from home or are unemployed, raising a puppy can be hard work.
By their nature, puppies need a little more care and attention than older dogs to make sure they develop correctly, don’t get lonely and don’t mature with any behavioral problems.
Here are a few issues that most new puppy owners are concerned with, and the major challenges you’ll most likely face if you’re working full time.
Just like with human children, puppies are prone to ‘little accidents’ when they’re very young.
Their bladders are much smaller than adult dogs and they often won’t be able to hold in their urine if they’re left for more than an hour at a time.
Obviously, for full-time workers, it’s simply not practical to come home every hour or so to let your dog out into the garden to relieve themselves.
It can also be a strain on family and friends to pop in so often throughout the day.
One way that most new puppy owners manage this problem is by paper training or using puppy pads that absorb the mess and odor when your pup goes to the toilet.
While puppy pads are very useful for containing those inevitable little messes in the first few months of your puppy’s life, you don’t want your dog to develop a habit of using them to go to the toilet instead of waiting until they’re let outside.
The best way to avoid this is to make sure that someone can pop in on your dog every few hours or so to take them outside. This way, the puppy pads are simply a back-up to their regular toilet training.
You’ll find that somewhere between the 12 to 24-week mark, your puppy should be able to hold their bladder for around 3 to 4 hours.
At this point, you should be able to do away with the puppy pads and just have someone drop in once or twice during the day.
It’s imperative that you spend lots of time with your puppy when you first bring them home to ensure that you properly bond and that they feel comfortable in their new home.
Most new owners opt to take a week or so off from work so they can settle their pup into their new surroundings.
Of course, most of us at some point will have to go back to work — it’s simply not practical to take six months off to fully train and assimilate a new puppy!
It may be difficult, however, for your dog to go from having you around 24/7 to just in the mornings and evenings.
When left alone, some puppies will get lonely and anxious which can cause problems. Separation anxiety is a common problem with dogs left home alone and has the following symptoms:
Aside from potentially wrecking your home, a puppy suffering from separation anxiety can cause problems with your neighbors as well!
The best way to avoid separation anxiety with your Lab puppy is to introduce them to ‘alone time’ gradually, so they don’t go from enjoying 24/7 attention straight to being left alone for 7 hours at a time.
Accessories like chew toys, familiar blankets, and even pet monitors can also make the transition easier for your pup — we’ll cover all of these later.
How to Potty Train a Stubborn Puppy
It is scientifically proven that the biggest hurdle is potty training. When you’re home, you’re able to walk your puppy outside every half an hour. But this isn’t possible when raising a puppy while you work full time. So how to potty train a puppy when you work?
You have two options:
A puppy that regularly soils themselves will stop trying to hold on. Down this path lies the dog that is not house trained.
If you can’t rely on people popping in, then use the puppy pen method.
The solution is to keep your puppy safe within a playpen, but in an area that’s large enough to hold their bed, toys, and a corner for puppy pads.
Encourage and praise the puppy to use the pads as a toilet. Then when left alone, when given a choice of soiling their bed or the pads, they’ll head for the pads (and you reinforce this behavior with praise via your Petcube!).
Done well, crate training gives the puppy a den or a fun place for them to call home.
Done badly, a crate is a prison and a place that a puppy will hate spending time in.
How to potty train a puppy with a crate?
Tip #2: Use Your Resources
It is clear your dog will need to be let out during the day. They need breaks whether it is from you or someone your hire to help. You can come home for breaks during the day or ask a friend or neighbor with a different schedule to let your dog out. Other options include hiring a dog walker or dog sitter to come to your home at certain times to let your dog out. With apps like Rover or Wag, it is very easy for you to find reliable people to take care of your pup. Enrolling your pup in some kind of doggie daycare is another option if you can’t find someone during the day, or want an option that may also help train your dog.
Take Your Puppy to Work Tips – Puppy’s First Day at the Office
Across the country, workers are returning to their offices and other in-person workplaces—and many pet parents are wondering if they can bring their dog to work, too. Studies have shown there are many benefits to having dogs at work, like improved morale and job satisfaction.
Bringing your dog to work can help keep you both happy and healthy, but there’s more to it than showing up with your pup in tow. From your pet’s level of training to their attitude toward strangers to your workplace’s office policies, there’s a lot to consider. Let’s get you off to a great start.
Your employer may require you to carry liability insurance to cover damages in the event that your dog destroys property or causes harm to another employee or dog. You may already be covered by your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance for this type of liability, so check your current coverage.