# Can I leave my 10 week old puppy in a crate while I'm at work?



## bad_news07 (May 23, 2011)

So my puppy plays too rough with my Maltese so I was told to place him in a crate while I'm at work... is this a good idea since his bladder is probably still small?


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## suzzyq01 (Feb 15, 2011)

Get a small crate with enough room for your puppy to stand and move around comfortably. Any extra room could be potential bathroom space.

I would start out with your puppy staying in the crate for an hour or two while your out and see how he does. As soon as you get home open the crate and say "outside" or whatever your command is for giong out to go to the bathroom. (make this act happen quickly!!! No time to spare or him might pee on the floor!) Go directly outside and wait until your puppy goes potty. Praise "GOOD BOY!!! *love love love*." Make the time a little long each day. Your puppy MIGHT have a couple accidents in the crate, but most dogs do not light to sh*t where they sleep so they will hold it. 

I would also put something for your puppy with do while in the crate (ie bone, filled kong, etc.) no blanket/bed because it can be messy if they do mess in their crate. 

No water or food in the crate until the puppy is old enough to hold it for the whole time your gone. Bones and chews are ok, it will take them a while to get through them. 

Good luck!


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

Will you be able to come let the pup out to potty or have someone else do it?


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

Assuming you work a full work day plus travel time, a 10 week old puppy cannot go that long without a potty break. Dogs do not like to soil their bedding so if/when they do it's because they can't hold it any longer.

I've never gotten the 'smaller crate' so they don't have a place to go theory. Before I became a telecommuter and had a young puppy I kept it in a normal adult size crate. I put bedding in the back part and newspaper in the front part. When the puppy had to go he would go on the paper and keep his bedding clean. Pick up the wet papers, dispose, and replace.

Because they do not like dirty areas as soon as they are physcially able to hold it they will (they have small bladders). It will only take a couple of weeks.

It is better, however, if someone can let them out in the day, let them potty and play a bit.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

If you do not want to crate, you can leave the puppy in a room that the puppy can not hurt anything or itself. If no one can come and let the puppy out for you untill you get home you could put some papers down for it to go potty on. It would really be better to crate, that way you know that the puppy is secure and if you use the larger size crate you will have one that will fit the puppy when it grows up. Just use the divider to make the crate area that the puppy is going to be in just big enough for him to stretch and move around in a little. Good luck with your new puppy and welcome.


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## dazedtrucker (May 2, 2011)

It is hard to work and raise a pup. You didn't say what you do, but any chance he could go with you? Keep a crate in an out of the way area, so you can take him out on breaks? I'm a spoiled rotten pup mom, mine rides in the truck with me all day, but I have had to deal with this. My 1st GSD I enrolled in a training school, it wasn't too expensive...I dropped her off on the way in and picked her up on the way home. Kinda a doggy day care with training. She turned out awesome from this. I used my tax refund to pay for it, worth every penny.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

find a sitter, puppy/dog day care or someone that can
come in and give the pup several breaks.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Please don't take a ten week old puppy to a doggy day care. It is NOT fully vaccinated, and even if the dogs in the day care ARE vaccinated for parvo and distemper and rabies, they are NOT vaccinated for every communicable disease under the sun, and puppies have an undeveloped immune system. Also, a puppy can be bullied or even hurt by older dogs. 

Don't close the puppy in a room -- that isolates him. Use a baby gate in a secure room, like a laundry type room, and make sure EVERYTHING is out of there, or up, way up outta the way. Give him a location to potty, some wood chips, or newspapers -- but I found puppies like to play and tear up newspapers, wood chips are a little better. Clean it daily. 

Put up a kennel in a basement or garage, and provide something for the pup to rest on, like cot. 

if you can, and you must crate, find a bonded dog walker to take the puppy out once or twice in the day time. 

A puppy can usually hold it 1 hour more then however old he is: ten weeks = 2 months, he can last 3 hours,


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## dazedtrucker (May 2, 2011)

selzer said:


> Please don't take a ten week old puppy to a doggy day care. It is NOT fully vaccinated, and even if the dogs in the day care ARE vaccinated for parvo and distemper and rabies, they are NOT vaccinated for every communicable disease under the sun, and puppies have an undeveloped immune system. Also, a puppy can be bullied or even hurt by older dogs.
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> ...


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