I'm just struggling with working around my work schedule. I can't leave him unattended indoors as he will turn my home upside down. If I leave him in his crate or pen I will return to a equally stressed dog and probably one that has spread his mess around his toys / bed and self.
He SEEMS to be doing fairly well outside during the day. We have him using the restroom in one area, when I come home and stay quiet to observe him he is usually just sleeping peacefully in his dog house, sometimes I can even get out the door before he wakes up. I fully plan on socializing him and getting him some intro training classes. Because he's so young I've just been inviting people over for him to meet, he's quite skittish initially but warms up quick. He seems to hate the animated "dog talkers" that approach him with too much enthusiasm.
In the evening he stays inside with us, we play with him until he's completely exhausted (and so are we) drop him off in his crate and wait for him to wake us up for his potty breaks. We are trying to establish a routine that he can count on. I'm encouraged by the news that he can be perfectly happy w/o a large amount of space. However now I have a new issue with his inability to be left outside or alone for long periods of time. It won't happen everyday of the week but there will certainly be days that both myself and my wife will be gone for 8-9 hrs.
He does have some separation issues but only indoors... if we leave him unattended in his indoor pen while we are at home he throws a fit, if I set him outside he actually will stay quiet long enough for me to cook dinner or take a shower etc. It is incredible to me just how much he wants to be attached to me at all times especially if I'm in sight.
Anyway, I came on this site to get some feedback as this is no easy decision to make and I thank you all for your input. I'm still undecided on which direction I will go but I will certainly take steps to make sure he ends up in a good situation.
Training is the operative word - :2smile:. who is training who. Not trying to sound mean. Speaking from a position of having been there. You would end up with a much better puppy and dog if you for example tethered the puppy to you while you went about house chores, cooking.. teach him to stay with you, teach him to be quiet, teach him to sit/stay and watch you. It's a lot of work. Crate training - there are good books, google brings up good articles about it, there are good posts here about it. We learned from a book, I don't recall the title off top of my head and I'm almost embarrassed to bring it up because it was kind of corny how the author addressed it, but, it worked like a charm for us. Our dobe leanred to love his crate, he'd sit in it door open and watch us cook, he'd watch us do chores, he'd put himself to bed when he got tired of TV. It took a while to get there. Initially we crated him anytime we left. He was never crated unattended more than 6 hours or so. Eventually he earned his freedom and had run of the house when we were gone and he did nothing but lay in his open crate and watch TV.
editing to add thoughts about crate training: I know, unsolicitied by you, but I'm bored, I'm a blowhard windbag and it sounds like you would greatly benefit from crate training the pup if you keep him.
- the crate should be large enough for him to stand up move around, that's it. Ok to buy a large one looking ahead to his adult size, but get the type you can cordon off to smaller size. We used a Vari Kennel XLarge airline style plastic crate.
- the crate should never be used for punishment. It has to be a happy place for the puppy to be.
- part of crate training is making the crate a happy place for the pup to be. Different approaches to this. The book we read, the author used "happy routines" - I know, corny. But happy routines got our puppy to love the crate within hours, and it got our puppy to love Oregon rain in the heart of the heavy rainy season.
- it involves hiding treats in the crate, say in happy voice crate up, toss in treat, he goes in, then finds the other treats - everybody is happy and praises, out he comes happy, rinse repeat. Next stage is crate up, he enters, close door, be happy.. eventually closing door no big thing. Next phase leaving room, leavning house, etc.. no separation anxiety.
- ok, you didn't ask - happy routine to like the rain... mom and dad go outside in backyard in a heavy rain no umbrellas just like we expect him to like, he's standing in the doorway watching us dance around happy.. next thing he has to be part of the fun and we are all out in the rain. Rain conquered.
- consistency as to crate hours, especially when they are young, to establish potty tolerance, etc. despite what you read, yes, a dog will go where they sleep if they have no other choice.
just some initial thoughts about the crate.