reisende

#1:
ok, so Moonshine is more or less housebroken (fingers crossed). he can even last the night for more than 9+hours, no problem. but as I stay in an apartment and it is extremely hot in the morning, I wonder if it's possible to combine his usual TWICE morning pottys into one. currently, when we wake, he is taken down for potty/short walk; and after 1.5hours after breakfast, he is taken down again. what do you do with your pup for the morning schedule? do you feed first thing in morning then potty, or potty first no matter what, then food, then potty again?

#2:
I believe most of us here, with the arrival of a puppy, would take days off to take care of the puppy, and there are also many of us here not working, or work from home, etc, so a lot of time is spent at home with pet dobes. I used to never leave him for more than 4 hours alone.

now that Moonshine is eight months + old, and with an extra commitment, I wonder if it's ok to leave moonshine for 4 hours in the morning, followed by potty and play time at noon, then another 4.5hours alone time in afternoon, and by evening time I'll be home to take him for offleash run, play, exercise, and rest of night time together. is that ok? or is he still too young for me to do this? what is your schedule with your pup?

changa

#1
I take my pup outside for potty immediately when we wake up. I then give him his breakfast, we play a bit, and then he goes back out to potty. This all lasts for about an hour and then he goes in the crate while I go to the gym.

#2
I've still got a few weeks left with my puppy before school starts, but once I go back our schedule will be much like yours and he'll be over 4 months by then. In the morning, he'll be at home for like 4.5 hours, then out for an hour at lunch, and then at home for 3 hours until I get home. I believe I saw on here that pups can hold it 1 hour per their age in months (some people say plus one hour). Going by that, your pup should be fine.

Lexxsmom

I always let lexx out first thing, then walks, then food then let him out again before I leave.

I think that your proposed schedule will be just fine. When lexx was 9-10 months he was sometimes left for 6 hours at a time. We try never to leave him alone if possible, but with both of us working, sometimes it just happens. He hasn't died yet!

Just be ready for bouncy energy filled pup when you get home!!

__________________
Leanne and Lexx


Dragon Slaying Dobermans Incorporated, member #001, President.
" I don't need to sit for the cookie, I hunt dragons all day dammit!"
Lexxington's blog: http://lexxslife.blogspot.com/

dobermansrule

up at 5:00AM, off to off leash park for hour to exercise. He pees/poops there.

Breakfast at 6:30AM.
While I am getting ready for work, he access to backyard to go pee some more and wake the neighbors up.
7:45AM - I am off to work and leave quincy alone downstairs. The Mrs may or may not be up yet. If she is up, she plays or whatever with quincy. But when she leaves, he is left out downstairs.
Noon: one of us takes him for a walk. He normally poops at noon. Will always pee on a walk on about every tree and/or vertical object.
4:30PM - he starts showing signs to the wife of being hungry. Feed dinner between 4:30PM-5PM.
After dinner, a longish walk, will pee/poop.
8:30PM or so, off with daddy for biking/exercise. He'll normally poop during this time.
10PM to bed after going out in backyard to pee.

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reisende

ah, so there REALLY is the twice in the morning potty!


and as for leaving him in two stretches in the day, I can only hope I learn not to feel guilty.. somehow I always do, you know, when they give you that face when you close the door on them. argh!

changa

I know what you mean, I don't look forward to it, either. I saw a good idea on here recently though. I've noticed my pup tends to just sleep mostly in the morning and isn't really fully awake until after his lunch. Once I start back to work, I'll probably just put toys in his crate (like I'm doing now) in the morning, out and lunch at noon, and for the afternoon stretch throw a frozen Kong in there for him to play with until I get home.

dobermansrule

well... I have found out that a male dog as he gets older - I don't know if its an intact male thing or not - holds an infinite amount of urine for outside 'marking' and peeing. He would probably get by with one pee in the morning, but at lunch he will fire hose about every tree in the neighborhood. Just when you think he squeezed out the last drop - oh, that favorite sign post - more pee.

But anyway, for the younger ones, better safe than sorry - two pees in the morning, the last one right before crating up.

And don't feel bad or guilty about leaving for the two stretches during the day. They just sleep or whatever and your anxiety can make them anxious about it.

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reisende

LOL that is true! infinite amount of pee is right. when we go for a long walk he still wants to squeeze out whatever drop of pee he still has. it's hilarious.

other than my two morning pottys, I also have one lunch potty/short walk, and then the long evening walk/exercise, followed by one last very short walk/potty before bedtime. so it is quite a lot of walks..

Lexxsmom

that is a lot of walks but you live in an appartment don't you? So its a little different, plus.. more walks is better!

__________________
Leanne and Lexx


Dragon Slaying Dobermans Incorporated, member #001, President.
" I don't need to sit for the cookie, I hunt dragons all day dammit!"
Lexxington's blog: http://lexxslife.blogspot.com/