Time off work is necessary with a new Puppy
I was always glad to have had time off many years ago when I brought home two beagle puppies. No, I didn’t have pawternity leave, but I was working for a temporary agency at the time and simply didn’t accept any job assignments for about two weeks so that I could be home with the pups. It was a LOT of work… especially having two dogs. When one did something, the other had to do it too… So when one peed on the floor, the other followed suit. I can’t tell you how many times I caught the little buggers in the act and went running to the front door with a pup in each hand, and pee running down my legs! During that time off with my pups, I was able to get them comfortable in their new surroundings, teach them what was acceptable in the home and what was not, and, most importantly, potty train them to go outside. Those two weeks with my new puppies were invaluable.
We don’t have pawternity leave at Holiday Barn Pet Resorts, but our leaders are, obviously, very sympathetic to the needs of our pet’s and will work with our schedules to allow us time to care for them. Southside Resort manager, Glenda, has had to take time off work to care for newborn puppies at her home. She says, “The first 72 hours are vital for the survival of a litter… I stay home with them a very minimum of 3 days.” But it’s certainly not over then. Glenda continues, “After 6 weeks of age, weaning begins, and the work of the ‘human’ mom really kicks into gear.” It’s after this time that most pups are introduced to their forever home…. Then the sleepless nights begin and time-off of work becomes even more important.
Good Things Happen in the Crate
Hide treats in the crate and let the puppy find them. Put great toys in the crate. Feed the puppy in the crate (with the door open).
The idea is that the puppy will begin to link the crate to good things.
Only once they’re popping in on their own accord, can you close the door briefly, praise your pup, and then open the door.
Feed your puppy in the crate and briefly close the door. Praise their calm behavior and then open the door.
Gradually extend the length of time the door is closed. Be sure to tell your pup how clever they are for remaining calm.
And here’s the thing… only open the door when they are calm and quiet. This rewards their good behavior, rather than crying.
With your puppy in the closed crate, leave the room for a few seconds. Only return when they are quiet and then let them out and give lots of praise.
Remember, returning or letting a puppy out when they’re crying, rewards bad behavior and tells them that crying gets them what they want. Don’t go there!
Well done! You now have a crate-trained puppy.
Crate training a puppy while at work is great for many reasons:
Where to leave a puppy while at work
Leaving a puppy in a crate while at work is something that many new puppy owners consider doing. If you are out at work for several hours, you can’t leave your puppy in a crate because of the whole bed wetting issue. Nor can you give your tiny puppy the ‘run of the house’. He’ll pee and poop everywhere, and chew up your things.
This means you’ll either need to puppy proof a safe room for him, or provide him with a puppy zone as described above.
Puppies get lonely if left on their own for too long or too soon, and before they feel safe in your house. Puppies that are lonely will often howl, and scream. Small puppies have surprisingly large voices.
Unless your home is separated from your neighbors by a good 50 yards, they will be able to hear your puppy screaming. And they won’t like it. The answer is to limit the time your puppy spends on his own to a reasonable and appropriate amount for his age. And to provide him with entertainment.
If you want to know whether your dog is potentially making a nuisance of himself to your neighbors, or getting upset whilst you are away, you can consider investing in a monitoring system.
Pet Monitors use your WiFi signal to send video of your pet to you on your mobile device or to your computer at work.* You can then make sure that your pet is okay at home. Some have motion detecting, so it only switches on when your dog is moving around.
More comprehensive models even have a two-way microphone so that you can talk to your dog at home. Other’s are fully interactive with treat dispensers and even games. You can find out all about monitoring systems in our in-depth article here.
Small puppies need help with toilet training and socialization, and can become very distressed if isolated for long periods of time in a strange place. Separation anxiety can be very hard to cope with. You need to remember this if you’re raising a puppy when you work full time.
It is important that a puppy is introduced to solitude in a gradual manner, and after he has settled in to his new home. This means you will need to arrange more help in the early months of your puppy’s life, than you will when he is older.
10 Things You’ll Need For Your New Puppy
If you’re thinking about adding a new four-legged friend into your family, you have some prep work ahead of you. But getting ready to bring home a new puppy or rescue dog is only half the equation—the real work begins the second you bring your new dog into your home. To ease the transition, some people take paid (or unpaid) time off work, giving rise to a new term: “pawternity leave.”
Are you about to grow your fur family? Pawternity time is the best way to ease the transition for you and your new puppy pal or rescue dog.