Hi have a 10 week old spaniel. We've had him for a couple of weeks now.
Few things I'd like some advice on please if you don't mind.
1. Crate training.
He was in a crate at the breeders so he naturally took to ours. I'm worried I'm leaving him in it too often as I've read that puppies sleep 18hours ish per day. But I'm also worried I'm taking him out to play/pee too often. Here's his average day since the first week which I'd taken off to settle him in so was playing more. I work at home but this week I've had to get back to work and don't have as much time to spend with him.
7am partner wakes up and lets him outside. He never does anything just comes back in and wees and poos the floor.
7.15am back in crate
8.15am I let him outside, doesn't do anything
8.20am back in crate while I take junior to school
9am take him outside for 10-15mins, does his wees/poos, play with him inside for 15mins before starting work
9.15am crate
11.30am Take him outside for 5-10mins
11.45am back in crate
1pm let him outside and allow him to roam the kitchen while I eat my lunch then play with him for 15mins
1.45 back in crate
3pm let him outside
3.10pm back in crate
4pm let him outside
4.15pm back in crate
5.30pm partner comes home and plays says hello then dinner time for us
6pm back in crate
8pm let outside and play with him
8.30pm back in crate
11pm take out and play
11.30pm bed time
19.5 hours in the crate including night time.
Seems he's in his crate forever but I've read that crate training helps with toilet training as he won't soil his own bed. He's not soiled his bed yet.
I've tried giving him half the kitchen and leaving his crate door open the last few days but I still think he's probably lonely and he then wees and poos the floor rather than waiting for me to take him out.
I'm open to adjusting my work day a bit. I'm going to anyway once I can get him out for walks. Would getting a cardboard box and sticking some bedding inside, in my office help him not feel so lonely? Is he bothered about being left in the crate all day? Surely it drives a young energetic puppy insane to be left alone inside a small crate for that long?
On one hand I'm thinking I'm giving him terrible living conditions but then I ask myself what do people who work 9-5 at the office do for their day? If they are travelling to work for an hour each way thats them out of the house and the dog alone for 10hours!
When he is toilet trained he can have the run of my house I don't care it's just until he's toilet trained that I'm unsure of.
Thanks
Few things I'd like some advice on please if you don't mind.
1. Crate training.
He was in a crate at the breeders so he naturally took to ours. I'm worried I'm leaving him in it too often as I've read that puppies sleep 18hours ish per day. But I'm also worried I'm taking him out to play/pee too often. Here's his average day since the first week which I'd taken off to settle him in so was playing more. I work at home but this week I've had to get back to work and don't have as much time to spend with him.
7am partner wakes up and lets him outside. He never does anything just comes back in and wees and poos the floor.
7.15am back in crate
8.15am I let him outside, doesn't do anything
8.20am back in crate while I take junior to school
9am take him outside for 10-15mins, does his wees/poos, play with him inside for 15mins before starting work
9.15am crate
11.30am Take him outside for 5-10mins
11.45am back in crate
1pm let him outside and allow him to roam the kitchen while I eat my lunch then play with him for 15mins
1.45 back in crate
3pm let him outside
3.10pm back in crate
4pm let him outside
4.15pm back in crate
5.30pm partner comes home and plays says hello then dinner time for us
6pm back in crate
8pm let outside and play with him
8.30pm back in crate
11pm take out and play
11.30pm bed time
19.5 hours in the crate including night time.
Seems he's in his crate forever but I've read that crate training helps with toilet training as he won't soil his own bed. He's not soiled his bed yet.
I've tried giving him half the kitchen and leaving his crate door open the last few days but I still think he's probably lonely and he then wees and poos the floor rather than waiting for me to take him out.
I'm open to adjusting my work day a bit. I'm going to anyway once I can get him out for walks. Would getting a cardboard box and sticking some bedding inside, in my office help him not feel so lonely? Is he bothered about being left in the crate all day? Surely it drives a young energetic puppy insane to be left alone inside a small crate for that long?
On one hand I'm thinking I'm giving him terrible living conditions but then I ask myself what do people who work 9-5 at the office do for their day? If they are travelling to work for an hour each way thats them out of the house and the dog alone for 10hours!
When he is toilet trained he can have the run of my house I don't care it's just until he's toilet trained that I'm unsure of.
Thanks
