# Home Alone



## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

We've had our ten week old puppy for just a week now and he has been wonderful, cooperative, and joyful in every way. That said, we've spent the week at home with him and his life has been pretty stress free. He has an x pen in the kitchen with food bools and a piddle pad and I can leave him some toys there, but I'm still a wreck thinking of going out for an hour for the first time. It will be right after his dinner when we usually play, and he'll probably just sleep, but what do you all think? SHould we go another week before we leave him for a while to be sure he's really secure and ready for separation (I clearly am not). Please advise and many thanks.


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## HannahBearsMom (Jul 31, 2011)

I got Maccabee 11 days ago.

I work outside the house three days per week and I work from home 2 days. When I'm working from home, I take frequent breaks to play with him and I'll even hold him on my lap while I work. When I go into the office, I leave him with a stuffed Kong, plenty of toys, and whatever breakfast he did not finish before I left for work. I generally leave the TV on for him (on PetTV ) 

Maccabee seems no different in the evenings, on the days he was home alone versus the days I've been home with him. We spend a lot of time playing in the evenings and he lounges on my lap while I read or watch tv, after my daughter is in bed. I also spend time playing/training with him before I leave for work.

I think you should be fine leaving your little guy alone for a short while.


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

*How old is Macabe?*

Thanks Laurie. How old is Macabee? Did you leave him alone from the start?


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## HannahBearsMom (Jul 31, 2011)

Maccabee is 12 weeks old. I stayed home with him for the first several days, but then had to go back to work.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I agree, your puppy will be fine! I think I stayed home with Kodi for 2 weeks, but it was summer time, so it was easy. Then I started leaving him for grocery trips and things like that. He always seemed happy to see me when I got home, but he never showed any signs of stress. I am SURE I worried more than he did!


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

I always tried to make a point to leave the house every day when mine were puppies just so they got used to us being gone. Even if it was just to go to the convenience store, we would leave for 15 minutes. I would start leaving now. He will be fine. I always leave the tv on and give them a treat when I leave.


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I think he'll be fine.


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## luv2bmomof4 (Feb 29, 2012)

I think I left Bella for the first time around 9 or 10 weeks, I did the same as the others and would leave the TV on water down and a pee pad and her kennel in the kitchen with the door open. It was just for about 30 min the first time when I came home she was in her kennel sitting up and she peed on the floor next to the pee pad. After a few days of doing that I would go a little longer I think by the time she was 12 weeks I was up to about 2 hrs for her, I no longer left the pee pad down because she was able to hold her pee but shredding up the pad...lol She is 16 weeks and the longest I have had to leave her is about 3.5 hrs but I think she would do fine if I had to leave her a little longer. I think as long as you take them out to potty first leave a pee pad if you use those, leave some toys down and fresh water and a place to rest he will be fine. Good Luck he is a cutie!!


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

Thanks all. We're going to do it.....tomorrow. I think I'm the velcro in this relationship.


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## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

HAHA even if you just go outside of you house for a while, take a little walk or clean out the car or whatever. It will help you both to try short separation. Are you going to have to go to work eventually or are you retired?


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## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

Forgot to say your pup is adorable! Yeah NH I'm in VT!


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## anaacosta (Sep 1, 2011)

Leyla is alone from about 10am til 6:30pm weekdays. That's been her schedule since I got her at 3months, and she's now nine months old. My days are as follows: first, she has a 3x3 pen in my bedroom with her bed and wee pad. She wakes up when my alarm clock goes off. She knows she has to pee and poop in order for me to let her out. When she's done both, I play with her and then start getting ready for work. When it's time fore me to go, I grab a Greenies and she follows me (runs) over to her space in the living room, sits excitedly, then grabs the Greenies and bounces to her pad. I close her in her area and simply walk out the door. No hugs, kisses or verbal goodbyes; I simply leave. She's got about 5ft x 3ft of space, weewee pad, water, small crate with door always open, toys and I leave the TV on (on NatGeoWild with the Dog Whisperer lol). She's done very well and i'm very confortable leaving her on her own.


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

Thanks Atticus am sure you are right. We are both retired but had not intended to devote our new tires to a little puppy, no matter how wonderful. I'll recover from my separation anxiety I'm sure.


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

Atticus said:


> Forgot to say your pup is adorable! Yeah NH I'm in VT!


Hey VT. Mud season is going to be endless bath time.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Alcibides said:


> Thanks Atticus am sure you are right. We are both retired but had not intended to devote our new tires to a little puppy, no matter how wonderful. I'll recover from my separation anxiety I'm sure.


Sometimes I think it is even harder for those of us who are home all the time to leave them! Usually one of us is here so we very seldom have to leave them and when we do I worry about them the whole time! Our youngest is a year now so we leave them in their crates for a few hours now for a dr. appt. out of town. If we're going to be gone long then my son comes over and lets them outside for a while.


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

Just to let you know we went out to dinner in town. Okay, so we were home in less than an hour BUT Lucky did just fine. He loves his xpen and goes in there on his own for naps and of course that's where he eats (there is a piddle pad there but he only used it the first day-prefers the pad across the kitchen) and I noticed the next day he was a little wary that I might close the pen's gate (think he forgot we could and of course I did when we left) BUT we came home to the same sleeping dog we'd left. Signs of his moving the toys I'd left into his bed area but no signs of any stress. Thanks for all your encouragement and help. This was a big important step.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Yay, Lucky!:whoo:


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Lucky is going to have the best life with such a caring mom Can you please take some more pictures. I want to see more of him .He is so darn cute.


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

He'll be fine. We started experimenting after the first day or two. He'll probably sleep through it!


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

glad Lucky did well for the hour you were gone.
The fist time I left Henry it was for 20 minutes and I could not wait to get back!


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## Rita Nelson (Jul 13, 2009)

Glad to see Lucky did well while y'all were out and y'all survived as well. It was hard for us to leave Tucker the first time also. I truly believe we were the ones stressed out.


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