New Puppy Arrangement

[dupressdsu]

Where do you all let/make your puppy sleep? I will be bringing home a 9 week old tonight and I would like to have him sleep in bed with me, but don't want a bathroom problem. I don't mind him as he grows older sleeping on the bed either, to eliminate that. Also I am away for a good portion of the day so as much time as possible to spend with the dog I would want.

Also let me ask you this: I leave for work around 7am and am gone until about 6pm, I usually take a walk at night so that would be puppy time as well as any time before I go to bed. Currently I plan on the puppy either having run of the kitchen, tile floor, with newspaper laid down (He knows to go there already pretty well) or enclosing a smaller area with a fence in the kitchen. Eventually once he over the SA and is a little older I want to move him into the backyard while I'm away. I don't have a problem with the dog being inside when I'm home or when they are much older. Sound like a workable plan?

Also how long do you wait before bringing your puppy around other dogs. He has had the 1st set of shots already. When is safe to bring around other dogs, supervised?

Thank you in advance

 

[Dempseysmama]

okay, this may not be the "correct" way of things, but this is how it is at my house:

Dempsey sleeps in bed with me, always has. I am a light sleeper, so light that the sound of his collar awakes me. For a while I slept with clothes on so that as soon as I heard him stir, out we went. If you do not awak, I would suggest setting an alarm to avoid accidents. They WILL wake in the middle of the night, so it's better if you catch it before the accident, not after

Next, I would strongly suggest crate-training. If not then gating a SMALL area in kitchen is okay (I think, I'm no expert). If the area is small, they are less likely to relieve themseves. As for outside, Boxers are not outdoor animals. They cannot tolerate heat or cold. You best leaving them inside for their own saftey. Not to mention they are high jumpers and escape artists

Finally, socialization is very important. Without all shots, only allow him to be around dogs you KNOW have their shots. Once all shots are administered, I suggest taking him everywhere you can with you and enrolling in puppy classes!!

Good luck with you baby, hope someone can help more!!

 

[Anna Begins]

Luka has slept with me since the day he came home. He's never had a bathroom issue. The first night, he slept right thru. Only ince or twice has ne needed to go outside in the middle of the night and he woke me up to let him out.
I would discorage using any indoor paper training, it makes it so much more difficult. There is no way a puppy should be alone unsupervised from 7a-6p... in the house and ESPECIALLY the backyard. Have you had a puppy before? It is amazing how many things they will get into/ swallow, etc.
You should crate train your pup and either come home at lunch yourself or arrange for a pet sitter, friend or family member to come let the pup out.

 

[dupressdsu]

OK, as far as outdoors is concerned...I should have clarified, I live in Southern California, its 65-75 outside during the day here everyday all year Except outlier days in summer when it gets hot. Half of my yard is covered too to help with elements/exposure, even though SoCal doesn't have weather, really.

I have a larger crate, that I will crate train in. My background is hunting dogs (bird dogs) which I have trained a few, so I'm not a newbie to training really(Though none at the house)...I just presume there to be some distinct differences bewteen the breeds and how they respond.

I am a pretty light sleeper too, so perhaps I'll start with that, as long as he moves that shouldn't be a problem for taking him outside either. However, I'd assume that will make going to the crate even harder later, currently he sleeps in a crate, so perhaps I keep it that way.

 

[Anna Begins]

However, I'd assume that will make going to the crate even harder later, currently he sleeps in a crate, so perhaps I keep it that way.

yes, once you start, they won't let you forget that's where they belong! Luka shocked me the other night, I was cleaning the kitchen, talking to my mom on the phone and she asked what Luka was doing (he had just spend all day running at the park) and I called and called him- no Luka. So, I go into the bedroom and he's all curled up IN BED!
Usually I make him wait til he's invited (nothing in life is free method), but I gues he was just too tired
I'm sure others will chime in about the crate- for us it didn't work as a house training aid, his breeder allowed him to use the bathroom in a raised crate when he was with his littermates. It took months to get him to stop going to the bathroom in his crate.
However, it sure kept him out of things when I wasn't home. Invaluable to me in that reguard. I started phasing him out of it when he was about 7 months, giving him full run by 9 months. He still goesin his crate a few times a day. Plus, it gives me piece of mind that if he needs to be crated in an emergency, at the vet, on a trip, etc he'll br prepared.
The thing with training with paper and a place in the house is it is very hard for the pup to figure out- ok, I'm not supposed to go in the house, but it's ok if I do it here? But I should really be going outside? This paper if ok to go on-but what about that magazine laying on the floor? The newspaper someone is still reading?
Pups catch on pretty quickly if you give lots of praise when they "go" outside. I'd also sugest putting the pup on a leash and taking it outside, so you can be sure it goes to the bathroom- and praise- it will also help the pup know biz means biz when the leash is on and you go to a designated area of the yard. I also taught Luka the "bathroom" command- very handy when in a hurry :D
Good Luck!

 

[dupressdsu]

Have I raised puppies before...yes. They were/are Irish Setters, never had a problem with them being alone...did they get into mischief, yes; alot, no. If the puppy is gated/kenneled how is being away going to let them get into anything? All I'm asking for here is for some suggestions or help. I know people here have raised boxers/puppies before not having the luxury of being home 24/7 and had them turn out fine. I'd like to hear from you all if you're out there listening.

 

[dupressdsu]

I didn't intend on sounding offensive but I don't want my situation to be made into: 'Not home enough = bad puppy home'. Thats all.

 

[boxerchick12]

A lot of us here work full time and are unable to make it home during the day (at lunch) to let them out. Does this make it more difficult to train/housebreak, yes it does, is it impossible, NO. My job requires me to work LONG hours after any storms. And, whatever lack of "crazy weather" you guys have in So. California, we make up for it in Northeast North Carolina!! :rolleyes: so, sometimes I am gone for 10+ hours, on a normal day, I'm away for about 8 1/2 or so. Crate training is invaluable for long hours, they will not soil as quickly in a smaller crate area, they consider the crate "theirs" and don't want to mess it up. Boxers are naturally clean animals. But, a 9 week old puppy does not have the physical capabilities to hold it for that long. so, your guy will have accidents. Also, remember that a puppy only remembers his last act. So, if you come home, find poop, call him and he comes to you and then you discipline him, he will associate coming to you as BAD. It is so frustrating, but all you can do is clean it up. Eventually, he will come around, but you are going to have A LOT of long days coming home to find "surprises". I would suggest leaving him inside, though, boxers really don't make good outside dogs, with their short muzzles, they cannot tolerate extreme temperatures at all. Good luck, and remember, puppies love us and need us, they rely on us for guidance and LOVE!

 

[lovemygracie]

I don't think anyone was going so far as to say that you will give your puppy a bad home.

Eleven hour stretches are really long for a young puppy to be alone though. When I got my puppy, my work hours and my boyfriend's work hours suffered for a while--we both took time off throughout the day to go home to let the puppy out and give her some human companionship. Inconvenient, yes--extremely, but it doesn't go on forever! If you work too far from home, maybe a neighbor, friend, or family member can pop in at lunch and say hi to your pup/let him or her out? Another option is hiring a dog walking/sitting service to stop in mid day(temporarily while your pup is young).

I invited a couple of friends and their dogs over during the first couple weeks I had Gracie (I got her at 8 wks) so she could meet some other dogs without leaving the house and possibly being exposed to anything nasty before she had all her shots. I knew the dogs were vaccinated, healthy and good with puppies. I didn't take her out in public (unless I was carrying her) until she had all of her shots, although we did go to puppy classes (everyone had to show proof of shots) starting a little before she was three months. We started going to the dog park when she was 4 months old.
She grew up to be a very confident and friendly dog--I think the early socialization really helped.

Best of luck with your puppy...I miss the puppy days

 

[jenjones28]

dupressdsu, Bindi slept in our bed with us from the very beginning. I wanted to have her close in case she need to go out. I'm a light enough sleeper that just her moving around woke me up to take her out. As far as leaving the puppy alone during the day, closing off the kitchen and puppy proofing it sounds like a workable plan, and that is what we did with Bindi when we weren't home and she was too little to crate for the amount of time we were gone.

The one concern I would have about leaving a boxer outside wouldn't be the weather where you are since you live in a nice climate, but boxers are a very "high theft" type dog. That might be something that you want to consider if you decide to leave your dog outside during the day. And like someone else mentioned, boxers have a very uncanny ability to escape from any fence you can think up, so a microchip and ID tags might be a good idea, though it won't keep them from getting hit by a car if they do get out. Please don't think I'm nagging about the outside choice; but boxers are unique in some ways. That being said, it sounds like you have some good plans worked out for your new pup!