Gun Dog Forum

Hi Folks, I have a newbie question for you wich may have already been covered;
I am getting a DK pup on Friday and am trying to decide on what to do with him during the day while I'm at work. I thought I would have been out of a job by now but it seems that I won't be laid off for a few more weeks. I work a 9-5 job and work about 25 minutes from home.
I have ordered a drahthaar puppy manual and the NAVHDA green book wich I know will help answer a lot of questions but they're taking a bit longer to make their way to Canada than I thought. I'm hoping to have everything set up for the dog this weekend.

Here are the options I have;
1- Leave the puppy in it's crate all day and have a friend come by to let him out to go to the washroom twice during the day, or I could come home during my lunch break.
2 - Fence in a large area of the yard and let him roam free and a dog house to sleep in.
3 - Give him a room in my house to roam free with a crate to sleep in.
4 - Bring him to my parents house on the way to work and she can look after him and he can play with her 2 french bulldogs.
5 - try and convince the boss to let me take him to work and keep him in a crate at work. (not shure if this option will work but I think it's the best)

What are your thoughts?

Cheers, AL

taking with you is a good idea if you have the place and time to contend with pup during the day

taking to your parents with other dogs is also good for socialization

if you have to leave at home a large pen area with safe toys can work has done for many dogs but besure when you get home to have good social time which is constructed very important not to reward the hyper excited stage of mind when you first get home or you can indirectly teach separation anxiety..as the pup learns hype jumping and excessive excited behavior is where they get rewarded by pets and attention

let the pup calm before saying hi very hard to do with cute pups but by setting that pattern that calmness gets rewarded and hyper gets ignored it will help set a better calmer future

Force the issue at work - take the pup and "bleep" the boss. You might have lots of free time real soon. (Note to pointer owners - that was a little light humor.)

I'm living with the same situation but my commute is much shorter - across the driveway - but still need to address the same issues. I have a crate in the office, can let him out for exercise whenever I want, which helps. I like the idea of mom's house and two more dogs to interact with, though. Maybe a little of each will build you a well-socialized, anxiety-free pup. Good luck. Join NAVHDA. Work toward the tests and you will have a great dog.

#5 is best but probably unlikely.

#1 I would choose this.
#2 I had a dog stolen doing that. Thieves know you are gone all day.
#3 Pup will pee and poo everywhere.
#4 Pup will learn bad habits from different folks' training style etc.

Thanks for the replies,
I agree that it's best to take him to work with me. I work in an office so it's a little harder to do. The Owner does it with his Lab, but it's totally different with a puppy. Plus, I don't own the place. I'm also worried about him whining while he's in the crate because I'll be right by him.

I'm not really the biggest fan of taking it to my parents house all day. Her dogs aren't the best behaved dogs and I don't see the pup getting anything good out of it, besides socialization.
We also have 3 dogs that live at the other house on the property so I'm not worried about socialization, He'll be getting lots of it.

I think I'll crate him for a little while and when he gets older I'll let him roam free in the yard, if I still have a job by then.

AL

The places I have worked through my life would not consider allowing me to bring the dog to work every day. Especially a puppy, that needs to go outside several times during the work day...to take care of business. Personally, I think an outside pen, or fenced in section of the yard makes sense...a lot of sense. Enough room to play, stretch, lay out, walk around. Sure beats a crate all day, every day...who would want that? I think it's important for a dog to learn to be alone and out of human contact for periods of time. If they get used to being penned - then when you have to leave them at a boarding kennel - it's not a big deal. And it's much easier to find friends to come by and check on the pup when it's in a pen - than expect them to take it home and keep it inside with them.

Outside in the pen when you're gone. Bring him in the house with you when you're home.


gerry

I'd take him to your folks place during the day. After he gets some age on him, the crate/neighbor let him out during the day would be OK.

gerryrt4 wrote:The places I have worked through my life would not consider allowing me to bring the dog to work every day. Especially a puppy, that needs to go outside several times during the work day...to take care of business. Personally, I think an outside pen, or fenced in section of the yard makes sense...a lot of sense. Enough room to play, stretch, lay out, walk around. Sure beats a crate all day, every day...who would want that? I think it's important for a dog to learn to be alone and out of human contact for periods of time. If they get used to being penned - then when you have to leave them at a boarding kennel - it's not a big deal. And it's much easier to find friends to come by and check on the pup when it's in a pen - than expect them to take it home and keep it inside with them.

Outside in the pen when you're gone. Bring him in the house with you when you're home.


gerry

Agreed. Going to the folks would be Ok but I have always thought kennels with a run is great and that is why practically all of us have them. Thats where all of ours grew up over the years and even now with just the three they still stay in the rum most of the day and are crated in the basement at night. Works really well.

Ezzy

I think I'm going to set up an electric fence around about a 1/4 acre to let the dog run around in and a dog house for it to sleep. There's enough rabbits around these days to keep him busy during the day. I'll properly wire fence in an area eventually.
I'll bring him by my parents house once or twice a week for socialization.

He comes home tomorrow!!

Thanks for your advice guys

You may want to consider hiring a professional pet sitter to check on him each day. They could exercise him if needed. It gets a little costly, but may be helpful if you have no other choice. Go to www.petsit.com, click on the locate a pet sitter tab and enter your zip code. Maybe you have one in your area. Professional pet sitters are insured and bonded.

mijinkal wrote:I think I'm going to set up an electric fence around about a 1/4 acre to let the dog run around in and a dog house for it to sleep. There's enough rabbits around these days to keep him busy during the day. I'll properly wire fence in an area eventually.
I'll bring him by my parents house once or twice a week for socialization.

He comes home tomorrow!!

Thanks for your advice guys

Are you talking an electric livestock type fence or invisible pet fence? I'm not sure either, what a young pups cognitive abilities are, when it comes to recognizing that type fence and it's borders. Maybe someone else can address that. With an electric livestock fencer, I'd worry about a power outage, the amount of shock given, and the chance that the pup chases one of those rabbits, hits the fence, and ends up on the wrong side confused. With the invisible pet fence, I'd worry about a stray dog/predator/or thief coming in and taking/killing the pup. I'd much prefer a 5 x 10 or 10 x 10 kennel for the safety of the pup at that age.

Good luck with the pup and post some photos.

mijinkal wrote:I think I'm going to set up an electric fence around about a 1/4 acre to let the dog run around in and a dog house for it to sleep. There's enough rabbits around these days to keep him busy during the day. I'll properly wire fence in an area eventually.

Iwems2371 is right. If your pup is chasing a rabbit and can't (or forgets to) stop in time to avoid crossing your electric fence barrier , he will not be able to get back in. Also, electric fences will not keep out (and thus protect him from) other dogs, coyotes or bad people.

Electric fences sound good in theory, but they have definite negatives.