While it is definitely more of a challenge to raise a new dog or puppy while you're working full time, it isn't impossible. Puppies have a lot of needs, so you need to be able to make adjusts to your lifestyle and routine to successfully raise the new dog.
To keep your puppy healthy and happy while you're away, follow this general rule: Puppies younger than 6 months: Leave them alone for 2 hours max at a time. Puppies older than 6 months: Leave them alone for 4 hours max at a time.
In general, the minimum amount of interaction time for a puppy to be happy and healthy is two to three hours per day. This will give you enough time for training, play, cuddling, and feeding.
In general, you can leave a healthy puppy home alone when they are over 10 weeks old. However, this doesn't mean letting puppies roam free around your home. Before your puppy reaches this age, you can start crate training. This helps ensure that your puppy will be ready to handle being in a crate while you're at work.
According to the American Kennel Club, puppies younger than 10 weeks cannot be left alone for more than an hour. From 3-6 months, they should not be left longer than their age in months (for example, 3-month-old puppies cannot be alone for longer than 3 hours).
While you'd think that helplessness would make it harder to raise a baby than a puppy, the opposite is true. That helplessness is exactly what makes babies so comparatively easy to raise. The job isn't, in the grand scheme of things, as hard as people would have you believe. For starters, babies are immobile.
With regard to companionship, it suggests that dogs should not be left alone for more than four hours a day depending on their age. However the survey revealed that 23% of respondents left their dog alone for more than five hours a day on a typical weekday.
Begin by closing your puppy in the confinement area with a chew toy or other constructive activity, then quietly walk out of the room. Return immediately and reward them with praise and a treat. Repeat the process, slowly increasing how long you're away each time.
Separation anxiety is a serious condition that creates high levels of stress for your puppy and often results in abnormal behaviour when left alone. Puppies may cry a little when you leave the house, but separation anxiety is usually explained by more extreme behaviours, such as: Destructive or disruptive behaviour.
Be sure to not let them run around the entire house for the first few weeks to avoid any unwanted behaviors. Baby gates are a great way to block off a smaller area of your home for your puppy to explore. If you have other pets, have their first interactions be in a controlled environment.
According to the AKC, a good rule of thumb is to use your puppy's age as a guide. Experts say you can usually leave your puppy alone for an hour for each month they've been alive after three months of age. For example, at five months of age, your puppy will probably be just fine for five hours.
11 to 12 Weeks is Fine for Some Breeds
A few more weeks with their mother and littermates, as well as the people they know in their family, is often best for them. Larger puppies, however, shouldn't wait this long to go to their new homes. Nine to ten weeks of age is fine but any older could be problematic.
Most experts agree you shouldn't leave your adult dog alone for more than eight to 10 hours, but some dogs (especially ones with small bladders) can't last that long. DO prepare your dog before you go.
Time passes
Owners often wonder if dogs have a sense of time passing and if our dogs miss us when we are gone. Well, the answer to that is a definite yes. When dogs in one study were left home alone for varying periods of time, they responded with differing levels of enthusiasm on their owner's return.
So if I had to boil the question down to one simple, concise answer… Your puppy should only have as much freedom as you're willing to allow destruction and other problem behaviors to occur.
It's normal to feel guilty about leaving your furry friend alone. But, as long as you're still getting their exercise in (especially before you leave) and don't make a big deal about leaving, then your canine companion should do just fine.
Perhaps the biggest challenge will be getting every member of the household to follow the same rules and routines with a puppy. The only way dogs really learn rules is through consistency. It is easy for a puppy to never quite get the training down when different family members treat the puppy differently.
No matter how cute your little rascal is, puppy-wrangling can be absolutely exhausting. While it's true that adopting a puppy can bring a much-needed source of joy and unconditional love into your life, it can also bring stress, anxiety, exhaustion, and frustration (often called the “puppy blues”).
Crate training is necessary for when your canine is a puppy—sleeping in a crate at night teaches puppies how to control their bladder and bowels since they don't like to relieve themselves in the same space that they sleep. Kennels are also excellent for the times that no one can be home to supervise your new puppy.
Young puppies under six months shouldn't really be left alone for more than two hours. And it's a good idea to build up the time they spend alone gradually to prevent separation anxiety from setting in. When you do leave your puppy alone, it's a good idea to crate train them, or leave them in a puppy-proofed room.
Many people use a puppy-pen but you can use a small room, like your bathroom, as well. If possible, it's best to give him a space that you can gradually expand, an area that will be his for the long term. The space should have a comfortable bed, a few toys and something with your scent on it — old clothing works great.