My little four-legged bundle of fur isn't here yet, which is exactly why I'm asking so many questions – I want to make sure I'm doing my best for him once he arrives.
I was planning on taking some annual leave to be with him during the first few days (1 or 2 weeks), but a few people I know have told me that suddenly heading off to work once he's used to having me there would be even worse.
Just to clarify, when I go to work I'll be away for a maximum of 4-5 hours in the morning and the same in the afternoon. I plan on coming home at lunchtime to take him out (we live in a flat), and if for whatever reason I'm stuck at work (meetings or something else), my boyfriend can pop back instead.
What do you think? What did you do when you first brought your puppy home? How did you handle going back to work?
Thanks for your replies! :)
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Mind you, puppies are all different and can be "ready" at different times; it really varies. Ideally, the breeder should be able to assess all that and rehome the pups at just the right time.
From the only litter of kittens I’ve ever raised, I saw the progress first-hand; at two months they definitely weren’t ready, but by three months they were. So I imagine it’s the same with a litter of puppies, and the breeder, who’s with them every day, is in the best position to know how they’re getting on. I certainly saw it with my kittens and I reckon it’s the same for pups: a week is a long time and it can make all the difference.
Personally, my kittens went from being clingy, hyper-dependent little nursers to independent mini-felines in just a fortnight ^^ and I’d never have rehomed them while they were still at that nursing stage – you’ve got to respect nature a bit.
Is there anything in particular I should keep an eye on, given that he's a bit younger?
I must admit, when we realised he was ten weeks old instead of twelve, I didn't think “actually, this isn't a good idea, I won't take him”. I just assumed another family would have probably snapped him up at exactly eight weeks anyway, and I’d already completely fallen for him.
Maybe it was a mistake on my part, I don't know. But I really hope leaving home a bit early won’t make him too unhappy...
Right, you’ve definitely reassured me that booking some time off was the right call! And it’s a really good idea to gradually build up the time he's left alone while also getting him into a walking routine as if I were actually at work.
Oh, definitely—I’ve planned for much more than just 15-minute walks. Eventually, I’d love to take him out with me when I’m exercising once he’s old enough to keep up ^^ on top of his regular walks, of course! :)
He won’t be 3 months old, no 😔. Originally, I was supposed to get him at exactly 8 weeks, but I managed to negotiate an extra fortnight with the breeder so he could stay with his mum a bit longer.
You’re absolutely right to take a few days off work to welcome the puppy. Not only will it make it a bit easier for him to leave familiar surroundings and faces, but you’ll also be exhausted from taking him out, training him, and so on. A lot is going to change for you, and you’ll learn a lot too.
To get him used to being alone, try doing several "practice runs" a day: 5 minutes to go to the postbox, taking the bins out, 15 minutes to pop out for some bread, 30 minutes for the shopping, etc. Jingle your keys at the door, and don't fuss over him or play with him for 5 minutes before you leave—make it seem completely normal. When you come back and he’s excited, ignore him until he settles down.
Start getting him into a regular routine as if you were going to work every day. For example, if you need to take him out at 7 am, 12 pm, 5 pm, and 9 pm—bearing in mind that a puppy needs to go out roughly every 3 hours for house-training.
And I see you’re getting a Golden Retriever—they're such an energetic breed! As he grows, his needs will increase and 15-minute walks won't be enough. He’ll need long walks later on to burn off some energy, so that he’s tired while you’re out and stays calm or sleeps.
Will the puppy be at least 3 months old when you get him?
I agree with @Noaaron and @Be cool; that’s exactly how I went about it when welcoming a new dog.
I usually take a few days off work and leave them alone for a bit longer each time, and it’s worked out perfectly every time. The first time was with a puppy, my first dog as an adult, and the second was my current dog who I adopted from a rescue when she was 18 months old. She’s fifteen and a half now. When I first got her, she’d been abandoned on the street—a terrified little thing weighing less than 11 lbs who was trying to scavenge from bins. Nobody knew anything about her past, not even her name. As soon as I put her in the car, I talked to her the whole way home to get her used to my voice and the name I’d chosen for her. From the second she arrived at my place, all she wanted to do was stay. She picked up her name really quickly and understood how the house worked. Even though I live alone, she realised she had nothing to fear when I left because she was safe and knew I’d always come back. In the beginning, I’d come home at a regular time straight after work, but gradually that stopped being an issue because she knew for sure that I’d be coming home.
I agree with Noaaron and Be cool; that’s exactly how I went about it when welcoming a new dog.
I take a few days off work and leave them alone for a bit longer each time, and it’s gone well every single time. The first was a puppy, my first dog as an adult; the second was my current girl, who I adopted from a rescue centre at 18 months old. She’s 15 and a half now. When I got her, she’d been abandoned on the streets—a terrified little scrap weighing less than 11 lbs, trying to scavenge from bins. Nobody knew a thing about her past, not even her name.
From the moment I put her in the car, I talked to her for the whole journey to get her used to my voice and the name I’d picked for her. As soon as she arrived home, all she wanted to do was stay. She responded to her name really quickly and soon understood how the house worked. She realised that even when I went out (I live on my own), she had nothing to worry about because she was safe and knew I’d always come back. At the start, I’d come home at regular times as soon as I finished work, but gradually that stopped being so important because she knew I’d be back.
I think the best approach is to find a balance between the two factors.
So, definitely take some time off work to be there for the little one. He’s going to find himself in a strange new place without his mum and littermates, so he’ll be feeling a bit disorientated.
But during your time off, as Noraaron mentioned, you shouldn't be spending every second of the day together. You should use the time to gradually leave him on his own for longer and longer periods. That way, when you head back to work, he won’t be completely distraught at being left alone for the first time.
Taking some time off is a great shout; it’ll let you get him used to being on his own gradually rather than all at once. It’s better to leave him for 5 minutes and slowly build it up to a few hours.
