Leaving puppy outside during work hours

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum so hello!

We have just picked up a 9 week old female staffy named Chi.

My husband is with her this week, but from next week we will both be back at work full time (7am- 4.30pm). Unfortunately she will need to be kept in the backyard while we are at work and we don't have a dog door to the laundry.

We will have a kennel and blankets for her along with plenty of toys to occupy her, but I'm hoping someone with a similar experience could assist with anything else we can do?

She cried for about an hour the first night we bought her home and last night she was good and only cried early this morning.

thank you for any help/ advise!

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Hi & Welcome to the Forum from Flo and me

I can't offer you advice as my girl is a daytime sofa dweller here in the UK but we do have a moderator here that does exactly as you describe in Aus so hopefully she'll be able to offer some good advice

thank you that would be much appreciated!

Hi, welcome from Koda & I in Sydney !

Congrats on your latest addition, puppies are hard work but so much fun and the rewards tremendous ! I got my boy at 8 weeks and we both work full-time so in a similar boat to you.

My initial advice is this week begin leaving her on her own for an hour or two here & there, and gradually extend that time - unfortunately this will be a real challenge given the situation needs to change next week. Make sure your yard is entirely secure (you'd be suprised how resourceful they can be with digging their way out!), btw I am assuming she is chipped on the off chance she gets out and someone responsible takes her to the Vet !, leave warm bedding (especially at the mo!!) in a safe, dry place that is weather proofed, a few toys & rotate the selection of toys daily to keep interest, and treats ie stuffed Kong (I stuff mine with BBQ steak/sausages or cheese, and peanut butter). Stag bars (deer antlers) have been a god send as they love to chew (& nip! ) at that age. Don't make a big fuss when you leave but fuss over her every minute you're home. If you trust your neighbours just let them know the situation so they are tolerant if she is whining initially as she gets into a routine with you. Oh and the key is to remove anything you don't want her chewing - this will eventually include things like screen doors & outdoor furniture !!! Good luck and keep us posted how you are all settling in together, remember we're always here for advice or if you need to have a rant, welcome to the SBT family !

Sorry one more thing ! When she is old enough to be walked take her twice a day for as much as she can tolerate, my biggest piece of advice I received and learnt from quickly is a tired dog is a good dog !!

thanks so much Aussiestaff, when you had an 8 week old, were you able to stay at home, or did you go back to fulltime work?
I could possibly come home at lunchtime for a week or two, but only for 10-15 minutes. Our yard is quite secure, we have bark and small stones in the yard, but we will have to trust that she'll be fine with them.

Hi from me & Katy, Bek has given great advise, hope your pup settles into your routine easily Katy comes to work with me mostly & when she cant she's a sofa girl too

You're welcome

I was fortunate to be able to time it to pick him up at 8 weeks only 10 days before Xmas which means we had 4 weeks to settle him into being home alone during the work week. He was very destructive to be honest until we worked out what caused it (for us small yard, many temptations & not enough exercise). It was very testing but hes so fab now (mostly! :lol). Back then he was often alone 10hrs a day, hubby would come & go but i worked 70km away. If you can get home during lunch thats fab espesh at the start to help settle.

Hi and welcome from me and mine!

Just one more thought to add to Bek's advice, might you be able to get a dog walker to come and and play with Chi for half an hour or so in the middle of the day? Even if you only do it for a while, it might help break the day up and ease her into the routine more.

Great suggestion Liz! Sorry i always foeget that as wasnt an option for me living rural.

I might be able to, but not as a regular thing though. Would that still be okay do you think?

Every bit will help Where in Oz are you?

Sorry another critical thing i forgot, food & plenty of water left out too of course!!

Hiya from me and Vinnie

Hello and a warm welcome to the forum

thank you all!

@AussieStaff we are in Canberra, hence the panic at leaving her outside. We put a woollen jacket on her today and put her outside for 10 minutes, not a happy camper. We can't leave her where she can't see us, without her yelping.
Last night was particularly bad, she tipped her water over in the laundry, but we only noticed after an hour of crying when I finally caved in and checked on her. I felt so bad When the rain freaked her, so I ended up sleeping on the couch with her.

Oh no, a rough night for all. It does get better, I promise !! People used to say this to me and I used to think 'yeh right', but I promise it does !! So many hair tearing out moments but got through them all, tears in between ! Hang in there.

It's a real tough one for you as she really is too young to be spend a whole day alone day after day at the moment as presumably she has been with her Mum all day until you got her, so I would expect some whining. I think you can only really try and ease her into it with an hour here or there (we used to pretend to go out ie put him outside, give him treats + toys, say goodbye etc. then would hide inside and watch him - heartbreaking but at least we knew he was safe and we weren't actually away from home if something did happen or we weren't out and freaking out as to how he was doing). I really do feel for you all as you have some very tough days ahead !! You should be able to get a dog walker/sitter to spend even half an hour in the middle of the day, I would think ?

yeah I think I'm going to have too

If its an option it's a great option, it will give you total peace of mind & keep pup stimulated. ! x

Is there any reason she can't sleep with you? I just wonder if it might not help the overall picture. Staffies are such people orientated dogs that giving her as much time with you as possible when you are at home might help the periods you're not.

Definitely agree! & she'll end up sleeping on your bed permanently anyway (speaking from experience)

the last two nights I've had her on the couch with me, so that we can all get enough sleep.

A friend is taking over the adoption, they already have a dog and a more secure yard than ours. This way we can still see her when we like and she won't be lonely. I'm petrified if we keep her we'll damage her by not giving her enough time, and I'm not concentrating on anything but she 24/7

I'm sorry it didn't work out for you but this does sound like a good solution for her. Lovely that you'll still be able to see her.

What a shame but i think you've made the right decision for the pup. Enjoy your visits

Just caught up with this thread, also sorry that it didn't work out but it does sound like the best thing for her. At that age she is like a little sponge and right in the middle of a vital socialisation period. Being left alone all day every day she would be missing out on vital learning and socialisation and would probably also develop bad/unhealthy habits to occupy and soothe herself.

Some dogs do adapt well to being alone for long periods as they age, but I couldn't say that many, if any, really enjoy it. Bug was left full time hours when I adopted her, but I have worked to fix that so that she is now only left for half a day a few days a week. The difference in her behavioural and overall demeanour is so positive, as mentioned they LOVE their people and being busy.

all the best for the future hope the pup will.be ewually as happy with their new family

Hi and welcome to the forum from me and the zoo xx

Hi and welcome from us and Suki

Hi from Una and me. That's must have been a hard decision to make, but excellent that you know she's going to have a doggy friend, a secure yard and you get to see her grow up and receive your share of staffy kisses and ear nibbles

hia from me and Sasha i hope all is going well with your new pup