Attention/crate training

HakuTheDoberman

Notable member
Hi guys, I feel like I make a lot of forums asking a bunch of stuff and I’m sorry aha! Just wanna make sure I’m doing the right things since it’s my first time raising a puppy.

I had a couple questions and opinions regarding my puppy.

So we got him March 5th and between me and my spouse we had the whole month off to get him adjusted to his new home train him a bit and so on.

We are back to work this week. And we both work 9-5 mon-fri. I work about 5 min drive from the house to I come over at lunch and spend around 40 mins with him to take him potty, give him lunch, and give him some exercise.

He is crate trained, although he does cry every now and then. We leave him with a kong, teething toys, and his stuff sheep that he loves to suckle on aha.

When we get home we take him out right away, give him some exercise, then dinner and then he plays a bit with us and then by himself and then takes a nap and then we take him out for a walk before bed.

We only really go out on weekends and to do maybe some grocery’s in the week days if needed. And when we do go out on weekends we keep is short about 2-3 hours max anything else we do we try to bring him with ( to get him used to car rides, once he gets his final shots all are outdoor plans he will be coming, such as parks, walks, beaches, trails, camping, cottage, etc)

Does this sound reasonable? As far as his day to day life goes or am I being a bad dog mom:(



Another question is for a puppy how much attention should be giving him. I always wanna be with him and entertain him but I don’t want him to develop separation anxiety. I give him some time to himself .. although it Dosent go do it willingly it’s only after he cries while I’m in the same room with him but ignoring him long enough that he goes and chews on a toy or something.

Sorry for the lengthy post! If you have any input or advice please let me know

Overall he’s been a joy and is a very good boy, he knows sit, stay, down, come, paw, shake and speak on command and the training will be forever ongoing!

He’s about 12 weeks if that helps as well and another note is we have a cam set up by his crate with sound so I can see how much he cries when we aren’t around.
 

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How old was he when you got him?
You say you got him on March 5th. If he was 8wks when you brought him home, then that would put him at 20wks now (5mo).
As far as their bladders I believe they are 1hr per month of age. So at 5mo he can hold it (supposedly) for 4-5hrs.
Someone correct me if that calculation is incorrect.
 
How old was he when you got him?
You say you got him on March 5th. If he was 8wks when you brought him home, then that would put him at 20wks now (5mo).
As far as their bladders I believe they are 1hr per month of age. So at 5mo he can hold it (supposedly) for 4-5hrs.
Someone correct me if that calculation is incorrect.

Ahaha noooo I’m sorry I just had a brain fart. I meant to say he was born March 4th and we brought him home may 5th >.<
 
Ahaha noooo I’m sorry I just had a brain fart. I meant to say he was born March 4th and we brought him home may 5th >.<
Oh ok. Then 3 hrs would be the max he should be crated without a potty break.
Is he peeing in his crate at all before you let him out at lunch? If not he is doing great.
I would play a lot of mental games with him after potty trip on your lunch break. That will tire him out faster than physical activity. Leash walks on hard surfaces is considered forced exercise and should be kept to a very minimum until he turns 18mos at which time the long bones have closed and there will be less chance of injuries to the bones. Not easy to do with their high energy level but makes you creative in ways to mentally tire them out and with structured training. These guys are so smart and are a dream to train. Keep training sessions short 10-15min multiple times a day and always finish with something they know well. That will create positive experiences for them with training. If you start getting frustrated just stop the training session with a command they know and give a release command. They can tell when you get frustrated and they will rebel.
 
Oh ok. Then 3 hrs would be the max he should be crated without a potty break.
Is he peeing in his crate at all before you let him out at lunch? If not he is doing great.
I would play a lot of mental games with him after potty trip on your lunch break. That will tire him out faster than physical activity. Leash walks on hard surfaces is considered forced exercise and should be kept to a very minimum until he turns 18mos at which time the long bones have closed and there will be less chance of injuries to the bones. Not easy to do with their high energy level but makes you creative in ways to mentally tire them out and with structured training. These guys are so smart and are a dream to train. Keep training sessions short 10-15min multiple times a day and always finish with something they know well. That will create positive experiences for them with training. If you start getting frustrated just stop the training session with a command they know and give a release command. They can tell when you get frustrated and they will rebel.


No accidents (hasn’t once had an accident in the crate but the first couple weeks we had him he had a bunch of accidents in the house. Last 3 weeks he hasn’t) he waits till we take him out! Which is good, I think he maybe had a pee accident once last week but that was all and it was most likely my fault, I don’t get mad at him for his accidents either. Not his fault he can’t hold his bladder welll at that point.


He runs around the grass on the backyard a lot and we do some training out there. From the time of 5-11pm (since we get home from work around 5:10) how much playing and exercise do you think would be good? Just worried I’m giving him too much or too little attention. I read 20 mins in the morning and evening of exercise for a puppy and then like you said 10-15 mins in training throughout the day.
 
If he is running and playing in the yard, they will generally stop activity when tired. I allowed my twins to burn up energy as much as they wanted, then they were ready to go in their crates for a nap, after which we would do short training sessions.
Your boy is doing great with holding it.
 
You’re doing just fine by him :)

I agree with Bri 3hrs, possibly 4hrs max in the crate before he needs to relieve himself. At his age they have such small stomachs and even smaller bladders. Add in undeveloped muscle control and it would be unfair on him to hold it longer.
Naturally they like to keep their ‘dens’ clean. If the amount of time spent alone in the crate is prolonged it’ll put him in an unnatural situation where he’ll soil
his ‘den.’ That wouldn’t be fair. Because you are coming home at lunchtimes and giving him appropriate exercise, time for toilet, feeding...you are doing just fine. Like Bri’s already mentioned add in some mental stimulation, too. A tired brain is just as good as a tired body.

As for attention, do not give him attention when he demands it. Instead, give it to him when you want to and are able. There is nothing wrong with ignoring his attention-seeking behavior when you have other things to get done.
 
When we had to crate our guy when we went to work I always did, and still do find myself feeling guilty. I also also would much rather just stay and hang out with him so that probably only adds to it haha. We both work a minimum of 30 minutes away and can't come home for lunch so we have a dog Walker. Red now goes for walks but in the beginning they would just take him outside to play in the yard just like you do at lunch. He has his approved toys in there with him now, no more beds because at about 4 months he decided that he would start shedding them out of boredom during the day. He gets a walk/ jog in the morning before I leave, he gets a little walk mid day, and then Mommy always does some training or outdoor activity when I get home at night after dinner. We also have a camera and during the day we find that he just chills out in his crate and watches out the window.

I feel guilty leaving him during the day in there but he's proven that if left out he will get into things that could hurt him so he's safer in there. On the weekends we go on adventures and he's only crated if we go on errands just like you guys do. Our guy doesn't exhibit about stress or anxiety about being crated during the day, he actually races us and the dog Walker to the crate when it's time because he know that means treats.

In my long response im just trying to say that it sounds like you guys are working on a schedule that would be best for him and that you aren't alone in your feeling of guilt <3
 
You’re doing just fine by him :)

I agree with Bri 3hrs, possibly 4hrs max in the crate before he needs to relieve himself. At his age they have such small stomachs and even smaller bladders. Add in undeveloped muscle control and it would be unfair on him to hold it longer.
Naturally they like to keep their ‘dens’ clean. If the amount of time spent alone in the crate is prolonged it’ll put him in an unnatural situation where he’ll soil
his ‘den.’ That wouldn’t be fair. Because you are coming home at lunchtimes and giving him appropriate exercise, time for toilet, feeding...you are doing just fine. Like Bri’s already mentioned add in some mental stimulation, too. A tired brain is just as good as a tired body.

As for attention, do not give him attention when he demands it. Instead, give it to him when you want to and are able. There is nothing wrong with ignoring his attention-seeking behavior when you have other things to get done.


Yeah max 4 hours he would wait till I come home for lunch and he’s never had any accidents in the cate which is good!

Thank you I was hoping I was doing okay! Aha all new to me raising a puppy.

I’ve been ignoring him when he cries at me while I’m the same room till he goes off and plays with a toy (makes me feel bad) but I can’t play with him 24/7 aha.

Also when we go to bed at night he cries to let us know he needs out which wakes me up (I’m a light sleeper) when we got him he needed to go every 2-3 hours but the last week or so he’s been sleeping from 12-7am then wakes me up at 7am. You said 4 hours max and he’s sleeping straight till 7. Should I be waking him up then to take him out around 4am even though he’s sleeping?
 
When we had to crate our guy when we went to work I always did, and still do find myself feeling guilty. I also also would much rather just stay and hang out with him so that probably only adds to it haha. We both work a minimum of 30 minutes away and can't come home for lunch so we have a dog Walker. Red now goes for walks but in the beginning they would just take him outside to play in the yard just like you do at lunch. He has his approved toys in there with him now, no more beds because at about 4 months he decided that he would start shedding them out of boredom during the day. He gets a walk/ jog in the morning before I leave, he gets a little walk mid day, and then Mommy always does some training or outdoor activity when I get home at night after dinner. We also have a camera and during the day we find that he just chills out in his crate and watches out the window.

I feel guilty leaving him during the day in there but he's proven that if left out he will get into things that could hurt him so he's safer in there. On the weekends we go on adventures and he's only crated if we go on errands just like you guys do. Our guy doesn't exhibit about stress or anxiety about being crated during the day, he actually races us and the dog Walker to the crate when it's time because he know that means treats.

In my long response im just trying to say that it sounds like you guys are working on a schedule that would be best for him and that you aren't alone in your feeling of guilt <3

Thank you it does make me feel better knowing I’m not alone with the guilt! Aha so hard to leave them at home when they are so cute and you love them to death.

Hoping my boy well get to like his crate as much as yours ! Aha he Dosent hate it but he would much rather not be in it.

He cries occasionally while in it when we are gone, but then gives up and either sleeps or plays with a toy.

I’ve let him have the whole bedroom and closed the door one day while at work, he didn’t seem to cause any harm and the most he did was jump on the door and cry. So I’m unsure which would make him more happy/comfortable. The crate only or crate plus bedroom. But I’ve read too much space can give a puppy more anxiety aha
 
Yeah max 4 hours he would wait till I come home for lunch and he’s never had any accidents in the cate which is good!

Thank you I was hoping I was doing okay! Aha all new to me raising a puppy.

I’ve been ignoring him when he cries at me while I’m the same room till he goes off and plays with a toy (makes me feel bad) but I can’t play with him 24/7 aha.

Also when we go to bed at night he cries to let us know he needs out which wakes me up (I’m a light sleeper) when we got him he needed to go every 2-3 hours but the last week or so he’s been sleeping from 12-7am then wakes me up at 7am. You said 4 hours max and he’s sleeping straight till 7. Should I be waking him up then to take him out around 4am even though he’s sleeping?

If Haku is sleeping those 7 hours then by all means let him sleep.

Ezri was sleeping throughout the night at a very young age as well. Now flood gates open and when she wakes up you are on the clock to get her outside....
 
Thank you it does make me feel better knowing I’m not alone with the guilt! Aha so hard to leave them at home when they are so cute and you love them to death.

Hoping my boy well get to like his crate as much as yours ! Aha he Dosent hate it but he would much rather not be in it.

He cries occasionally while in it when we are gone, but then gives up and either sleeps or plays with a toy.

I’ve let him have the whole bedroom and closed the door one day while at work, he didn’t seem to cause any harm and the most he did was jump on the door and cry. So I’m unsure which would make him more happy/comfortable. The crate only or crate plus bedroom. But I’ve read too much space can give a puppy more anxiety aha
Some days our guy does great while we run errands and leave him out for 30 minutes and other days we come home to different plastic things being chewed which is definitely a risk if they eat something that could harm them. The last thing you want is for your pup to eat something that is toxic or to eat something that causes a blockage. Our guy didn't start this, I'm bored I need to get into things, phase until he was about 6 months. All pups are different so yours may never go through it but I think the guilt if he got into something that hurts him would be worse than the guilt of him being in his crate during the day.

We hope that one day he can be given free range of the house while we are gone but at a 11 month's we have a ways to go until that's when a possibility.

And I agree its so hard leaving him. The upside is I get a lot more exercise in the morning and night since I do more things to stimulate him before and after work haha
 
another note is we have a cam set up by his crate with sound so I can see how much he cries when we aren’t around.

We also have a camera and during the day we find that he just chills out in his crate and watches out the window.

Gotta love cameras! I love technology and the use of cameras both inside and out of your house, can be a godsend when you are away. (Or even when you are home! ;) ) Being able to see that your puppy is doing well, even sitting in a crate, can really set your mind at ease. :thumbsup:
 
Some days our guy does great while we run errands and leave him out for 30 minutes and other days we come home to different plastic things being chewed which is definitely a risk if they eat something that could harm them. The last thing you want is for your pup to eat something that is toxic or to eat something that causes a blockage. Our guy didn't start this, I'm bored I need to get into things, phase until he was about 6 months. All pups are different so yours may never go through it but I think the guilt if he got into something that hurts him would be worse than the guilt of him being in his crate during the day.

We hope that one day he can be given free range of the house while we are gone but at a 11 month's we have a ways to go until that's when a possibility.

And I agree its so hard leaving him. The upside is I get a lot more exercise in the morning and night since I do more things to stimulate him before and after work haha

Agreed aha! I’d have to admit I’m out of shape but he’s definitely helping me get back into it.

Yeah I’ll keep him in the crate for now I’d like to give him free range too but worried about getting into things he shouldn’t and we also have two cats. Who he’s good with ( sometimes tries to chase but is stopped and corrected on the spot) so I’d be worried about rough housing with them.
 

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Gotta love cameras! I love technology and the use of cameras both inside and out of your house, can be a godsend when you are away. (Or even when you are home! ;) ) Being able to see that your puppy is doing well, even sitting in a crate, can really set your mind at ease. :thumbsup:

Yes! It helps me put my mind at ease that’s for sure ! And it allows me to see if his crying time is going down each day and he’s getting used to his new routine. The camera sends us sound and movement alerts which is helpful!
 
If Haku is sleeping those 7 hours then by all means let him sleep.

Ezri was sleeping throughout the night at a very young age as well. Now flood gates open and when she wakes up you are on the clock to get her outside....

Ahah ya a couple weeks ago the flood gates would come right when we got to the stairs to go outside and he would let it go. So close but so far I then learned if he slept that long and when it came time to let him out I picked him up and ran him to the door and hed make it outside.

Luckily now (last week or so) even after the 7 hours of sleep he’s been able to make till he’s outside and on the grass. Aha
 
Ahah ya a couple weeks ago the flood gates would come right when we got to the stairs to go outside and he would let it go. So close but so far I then learned if he slept that long and when it came time to let him out I picked him up and ran him to the door and hed make it outside.

Luckily now (last week or so) even after the 7 hours of sleep he’s been able to make till he’s outside and on the grass. Aha

I did the same picking up the Dobergirl and rushing her outside.

I only have been peed on once doing that....
 
Should I be waking him up then to take him out around 4am even though he’s sleeping?

No, let him sleep. He’s building bladder control and if he can sleep through a 7hr period then that’s great! If you start waking him you could be making a rod to fit your own back. If he wakes you up, then that’s different. Take him potty but don’t make any fuss. If possible don’t turn on any lights, no talking and just simply let him go toilet, straight in and back to bed.
 
No, let him sleep. He’s building bladder control and if he can sleep through a 7hr period then that’s great! If you start waking him you could be making a rod to fit your own back. If he wakes you up, then that’s different. Take him potty but don’t make any fuss. If possible don’t turn on any lights, no talking and just simply let him go toilet, straight in and back to bed.

Will do! Wasn’t sure if him holding it for 7 hours willingly would cause an infection or sorts but I’ll continue to let him sleep from 12-7 like he usually does.

I usually stay up once he’s woken my up to go out at 7 and that’s when I start my day. Take him potty give him breakfast, get ready myself and then take him to the backyard for about 40 mins to train play and run around a bit then crate time and we leave for work. Aha
 
Should I be waking him up then to take him out around 4am even though he’s sleeping?
I like the old adage of letting a sleeping dog sleep. Lol
I cut off water intake at 7pm and my two would go outside a couple times before crate time. If he sleeps through the night just let him be and get him out first thing in the morning like you have been.
He is a great puppy!
 

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