AboutNicole Expertise I will offer assistance to anyone needing help with general Basset Hound care, health and behavior/training.
I do not, however, assist those who have bred their pet. If you are responsibly breeding, you shouldn't have simple questions as your mentor should be providing you all the instruction you need.
Experience I currently own a 5 year old Basset Hound and his 6 non-basset siblings...(a mutt and 5 Boxers). I have studied dog behavior and training extensively and train my own dogs.
Organizations Buckeye Boxer Rescue
Education/Credentials I was a certified obedience instructor and a certified potty-training instructor with Petsmart and studied under a canine behaviorist.
Question QUESTION: Hi! I have a 9 week old female basset. I've had her a little over a week. The breeder started her crate training before I got her and I have continued it since she's been here. She is doing really good sleeping through the night. I'm concerned about daytime though, as my husband and I both work. I'm able to check in on her during my lunch hour, but I worry about leaving her in her crate for 4 hours at a time at her young age. Is this too long to be in the crate home alone? She has done "okay" so far - she is usually fine in the mornings, but sometimes has accidents in the afternoon.
I've read the pros and cons of using puppy pads, but if I'm not able to be there to let her out, is it fair to her to leave her in the crate for 4 hours at a time? I do have a small exercise pen I can use with the puppy pads if I have to.
Thanks so much for your input!
ANSWER: Hi Tara,
Congrats on your new puppy! Bassets are the BEST! :)
That's both surprising and good news that the breeder started crate-training, most don't bother. I'm happy to hear it.
Your girl has just begun to develop actual physical control over her bladder, accidents are to be expected if you're leaving her for extended periods of time. Make sure that you aren't locking her up with a full belly (either water OR food).
Because you've already read the pros and cons, I won't go into a tremendous amount of detail (much of which you'll already have read). My personal opinion is that pads are counter-productive. If she's doing ok, I'd continue with the path your on.
Dogs have a natural instinct not to soil their den. By putting puppy pads in a crate or a pen, you'd only be encouraging her to 'go', thus damaging that natural instinct. House training will be that much harder because you are essentially giving her permission to use the house as her toilet. Trying to use both methods (pads and outside training) can be incredibly confusing and frustrating for a puppy.
What I would suggest, even though you're able to come home for lunch, is to place an add for a dog walker or find one on the internet. If you google for dog walkers in your State, you may find one or several in your area that you didn't know about. You can also google dog sitter. I've seen some cost as little as $20 an hour and some much more expensive, you'd just have to see. Even if you can only afford a couple days a week, it would still give her a break. Another thing to look for would be a doggy daycare you could take her to once or twice a week. :)
Good luck!
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks so much for your input! The breeder is my cousin, so I'm sure he started crate training for my benefit, bless his heart! :)
I do have a follow up question. Let's say I'm able to either be home more often or hire a dog walker. Without puppy pads in an ex-pen and only using her sleeping crate, how often should I plan to let her out of her crate at 9 weeks old? Every 2 hours? Every 3 hours?
Again, thanks so much!
Answer You're welcome :)
2 would be ideal, 3 would be fine. Assuming you work the same schedule every day, and you're home 4 hours in, I'd have the dog walker come about 2 hours between in the morning.
Let's say you leave at 8
745 in the crate
8 you leave
10 dog walker
12 home for lunch
4 home for the day
I'd choose the morning for the break because she'd already been locked in her crate for the night. :)
