Hey guys, I dont know if this question has been asked yet but...heres the story:

So I currently got a new job, and what I thought would be only 5 hours, since it was part time, is actually a 7 hour shift. About 4 times a week, I work most of the time 7 hours. Normally I wouldnt have much to complain about, except that around Dec 20th or Dec 6th Im planning on bringing a pup home! Im going to be a Husky owner, and I want to make sure I have plentl of time to spend with it and train it and make sure nothing goes wrong and such. The days I work, the 7 or 6 hour shift, I will have to leave my pup home alone.

How long are you guys away from your husky? Did it cause problems or make them less attached to you? What are your suggestions?

Leave him in the cage and get a friend to stop by to only let him out to go to the bathroom and feed him, then bring him back in the cage?

Should I leave the pup be free of the cage and walk around the basement. He will have someone to take him to the bathroom when the time is needed, but I was affraid of the possibility of him chewing something that is dangerous, poop or pee on the floor, to which my dad will have a fit if he is the one that has to clean it. Any ideas?

Note: This only lasts a month. For example, I am not currently in school, so work has got me working lots of hours and days, so once I sign up for classes, which starts in January, I will have less hours and more time with my pup! So again, this problem is only going to be for the very first month I have the pup. After that, It wont be bad. Im just worried if its too unfair to have a pups first month at my house mainly watching me come and go and spending not as much time as I wanted -_-

Im really worried about this. Any ideas?

The rule of thumb with puppies is that they can hold it for about an hour per month they are in age, but the younger the puppy the less control they have. My personal recommendation would be to keep him crated and have someone come by every couple hours to let him out. The crate will not only keep him from getting into things he shouldn't, but it will also help him learn potty training. He shouldn't have too much room in the crate, and they generally won't go where they sleep. As he gets a little older and has all his shots, doggy daycare is a great option as well. Good luck!

We have two pups 10 and 13 weeks old, they are home alone for 8-9 hours a day while we're at work and love us none the less. We're in Australia and crating isn't really the done thing here, so we don't have a crate they just are in the lino areas and blocked off from carpet rooms - which while messy is working fine will we're building a dog run for them. Honestly you have to work, you need to work around it, we don't have anyone that calls around to let them out during the day and they do fine, but I think you need to realise they will go to the toilet a LOT, unless you have someone coming around 6 times while your away it wouldn't be a viable option for us. just my 2cents

When we got Onyx he was in his crate between 7-8 hours a day starting at 10 weeks. We had no issues with him going in his crate (but get them out quick because they do have to go) and to this day he wouldn't trade us for anything (except maybe a chewy or a bone ) We also haven't had any health issues because of his holding it.

When I first got Kota I she was 8 weeks old. We started potty training as soon as we brought her home. The worse part about it was that I worked a 8-5 job Monday through Friday meaning that my new girl was crated for about 9 hours a day. I felt terrible but I really had no choise till my fiance was back as we were in the middle of moving from NC, to Ohio. Kota did great, she hated her crate but was ONLY crated while I was working. She stayed in bed with me at night because I felt terrible about crating her for so long. She did good and never once had an accident in the bed because she always woke me up. I was lucky with that.

Though I did have to come home and wash her blankets every evening I couldn't be mad because I understood she was a puppy and there was no way she was holding it that long. She had an extra large crate from the begining so she had room if she pee/pooped that she still could move around without even coming close to touching it. It was safer to clean up a mess in her crate than leaving her out unattended. Too many things she could get into.

I would say crate your new baby, and just take the chance of a mess and clean it up and continue potty training. I had no set back with Kota because of the pottying in her crate. She didn't "assume" that her crate was where she was supposed to potty because we enforced outside pottying whenever we were home! Kota is now almost 10 months and somtimes has to pull a 12 hour day in her crate, which is no offten but when my husband and my scheduals cross we have no choice. She has plently to do/eat/play with in her crate is fine, and gets a nice long walk/run/play when either one of us gets home. I know it sounds terrible but in today society WE have to work, and you just have to figure out which you would rather. Clean up a mess in you pups crate or her end up eating something she shouldnt, or getting into something she shouldnt.

Congrat on getting your new baby though.

I crate trained both my pups, and have not had many problems leaving them alone.


I had both of them since they were 8 weeks old, and I also work 8-5 M-F. However I do come home for lunch at noon, so they are left in the crate for at most 4 hours at a time.

For a new puppy, they won’t be able to hold it as long, so you will need to have someone let the pup out to potty during the time your gone. Even at 8 weeks my pup was able to hold it for 4-5 hours, but no longer than that. Generally they say 1 hour per month of age plus one, so 2 mos old = 3 horus, etc. However I find they can hold it a bit longer. That being said, I would not give them access to water in their crate, and don’t let them drink a lot right before going in the crate. Make sure they potty before they go in, and take them right outside when you get back. I usually carry him so he does not stop and pee along the way.

I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Many people work and leave their dogs in crates. As long as they get plenty of exercise they will be fine.