going back to work

ive made sure ive got a few weeks off with axl but in 3 weeks time i'll be back at work i only work weekends so its only 3 weekends a month alone i'll be working leaveing home 7:10am and getting back home at 1:45 and then when his older i wont be getting home till 4:45 just wanted some tips for leaving him as at the moment he whines alot being alonely his got a crate i dont know weather to leave him in that or section off a room with his crate inside i dont know what to do getting worried about him being upset

I am sure you will get some great advice on here, but when ever I go out I always leave the radio ( or tv!! ) on for some background noise or music..
Plenty of toys to play with ... I would be inclined to leave Axl in a room with the crate in a corner so he can go in or out it, as I think it is just too long to leave him locked in a crate. Does he wee or poo on paper? Just put some in another corner of the room ..my pup sleeps in a room off the kitchen that is tiled..he always goes to the loo on the paper if he has to. Maybe drape a blanket over his crate so it is like a cave for him.. they seem to love that. I can understand why you are getting upset worrying about him.. but hopefully it will all go well for you both.

yeah ive been thinking about leavin a radio on for him ive not been puttin paper down for him apart from in his crate at night just incase i dont get up in time to run him in the garden but when im at work id leave some down to mayb in the kitchen and keep him there, should i seperate him from my other dog until his a bit older as well when there alone? thanks

I would definitely keep them seperate while you aren't home. Winston is 13 weeks old, Jethro is 12 years and I never leave them alone together if I am not home. I have heard too many horror stories and I am just not prepared to take the risk. Someone at the vet told me they had an old staffy and got a pup like we did . When the pup was bigger and stronger and about a year old, they left them together and went out.. when they got back the younger dog had jumped on the older one and broken it's back! How sad... it wouldn't have meant to hurt it, but staffys can play pretty rough!!
Wherever you leave Axl just do a check that there aren't too many things he can get at and destroy... staffies can be very destructive too!

I just thought of something else too.. leave an old shirt or something with your scent on it for him to snuggle up to as well..

yea id deff seperate just 2 be safe would not want nothin to happen to either of them and the t shirt is a great idea to hopefully settle him better. btw your lilttle one is so cute and the older one is v handsome

I've got 2 pups, one at 15 wks and one at 7wks so almost at the same level your 8wk pup is at. I definitely separate mine when I'm out as the older of my 2 gets a bit too excited and after a while the younger one just wants some alone time while the older one is still playing which he dislikes.

I like what Vanessa has suggested with the crate being open and also covered so he can go in and out as he pleases. I'd also leave some regular toys, some chewing toys and possibly some foraging toys out for him and section an area off for the paper to go which is as far away from the food/water bowls as possible. And of course leave the radio/TV on as already suggested.

Also, not sure where you intend keeping him but see if it is puppy safe... i.e. no electric cables to chew on, no kitchen detergent bottles in which he might chew and swallow etc. Maybe more any wood furniture too in case he chews it, etc.

Hope that helps. Good luck. I'm sure it will work out absolutely fine for you.

been thinking about leave him in the kitchen with a baby gate at the door and his crate covering the doors of the cupboard where the cleaning stuff is so he cant get in there will have a move about in there tomoro to c if its gonna work ok

when i first got woody i also had time off (only a week though) and was dreading going back to work and leaving him.

i would leave for work at 7am and take an early lunch and go home at 11am for an hour and then go back home again at 4pm meaning he only ever had 4 hours alone i had very understanding boss as she had also just got a puppy - he was fine in his crate for the 4 hours and then as he got older i started extending the time i went home for lunch by half an hour. with one or 2 minor accidents, when i reduced back again, he can now go all day waiting for me to get home.

wish i lived closer to my job so i could do that but i work 20mins away just hoping that buy the time im at work in 3 weeks time he will b more settled about being alone and more quiet i know 6 hrs is quiet a bit on his own but hoping cuz its only 2 days a week he will b ok, how long did it take for woody to wait happliy 4 u to get home

just thought of something else... maybe a bit of play time or a run around the yard before you leave for work to wear out little Axl abit.

well i get up for work at 6:40 so if i get up at 6:20 ish i can run around with him for 20mins then feed him b4 i go to work and hopefully he can slep 4 a gd

axlbaby wrote:wish i lived closer to my job so i could do that but i work 20mins away just hoping that buy the time im at work in 3 weeks time he will b more settled about being alone and more quiet i know 6 hrs is quiet a bit on his own but hoping cuz its only 2 days a week he will b ok, how long did it take for woody to wait happliy 4 u to get home

i would practice whilst you have the 3 weeks off or he will get used to you being there all the time. it took a couple of months, and he is in his crate for that entire time. he seems to prefer it, i tried giving him a "safe" room to himself whilst i was at work and he reverted back to toiletting in the house, which he hadnt done for over 6 months. aslong as i take him out for a good long walk/run when i get home he seems contentwith life.