Bentleysmom- bonded dog walkers are the way to go in that situation. Still a risk, but they are bonded.

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Meet Yogi! http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...tion-yogi.html

I agree about trust issues of letting a complete stranger have access to my animals AND home! We also have a cat, but he doesn't care who it is as long as they pet him (he likes dogs too).

Truthfully I am seriously debating setting up a nanny cam for the dog sitter. My boyfriend rolled his eyes at me when I suggested it, but I don't care if he thinks I'm paranoid. You just never know, right?

My pup is 15 weeks and we got him at 7 weeks old. I went through the exact same thing as you. I was downright depressed and second guessed my decision to get a puppy. I struggled with it right up until I saw his cute little face.

My husband and I are both out of the house for 10 hours during the week days. We weighed (and purchased) crate vs. a playpen with wee pads or newspaper. We ended up hiring a dogwalker. I really didn't want to given the high cost in my area. The day I had to go back to work I knew I'd spend whatever I had to to make sure he was safe and taken care of. Our walker came three times a day for one month and we are now down to 2 visits a day. It is so worth it. I met my walker first, and she is bonded. She even sent me pictures and updates in the first few weeks because I was worried about leaving him. She leaves a note after each visit letting me know whether he went potty, ate, drank water, etc. Des is crated when we aren't there and between visits and he has never had an accident in his crate

I think it's really the way to go! The peace of mind on that first day was great too. I hadn't anticipated how anxious I would feel leaving him. Good luck!

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Eleven years ago my neighbor had to put down her springer spaniel. We did not know each other very well but I noticed she was out and about without her dog. Long story short I offered to watch a pup for her if she chose to get another. She worked 5 days a week 3 of those days were usually 12 hour days. She also had to work on call so many times a month. She eventually got herself her pup. I have watched her springer 5 days a week (unless I was on vacation) for the last eleven years. The springer is in my signature. She thinks she lives here as much as she lives at home. When she signed her up for puppy classes I went too. When she went to basic classes I went too. I take her to the groomer, the park, she goes to visit my relatives with me and my family. She will be here all through the Thanksgiving Holiday so her mom can go visit her brother out in Colorado. I love her as much as I love my own dog Helie.
I go and pick her up daily. Many days I take her home but sometimes her mom comes and gets her.
In fact going off to puppy school with Murphy and her Mom sent me down the road to become a trainer.

Eleven years ago pet sitters were not as popular as they are today. Do your homework, check references and definately do interviews. There is someone out there that will be right for you and your dog.

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I just wanted to report back that I spoke to my vet and they said that it's not a concern that diseases are transferred from dogs to humans to dogs because animal diseases generally don't work that way. It's really a concern if the dog sitter were bringing OTHER dogs with them when taking care of our pup, which we will be very firm that no other dogs will be allowed in our home whatsoever.

That's really good to hear. I was concerned that the walker would pick up bugs from a dog on hands or clothing, bring them over to the puppy's house, then plant them right on the puppy from petting or other contact. Don't know why that can't happen, but glad to hear your vet doesn't think it can. That's something I've been curious about because I'm about to get a puppy, too!

I assume it's because humans can't be carriers for the majority of animal diseases, but you can be assured I'll ask my vet in more detail about this anyway when I go to take our pup in for the first evaluation (as per our breeder's contract, if you wish to have a pup examined by your vet for anything bad you must have it done within 48 hours of getting the pup from the breeder).

And congratulations on your soon to be newest addition to the family

I also recommend a dog walker, bonded and insured as everyone else has said. We have some great dog walkers in our area.. My sister in Ct, however, had a dog walker that found her way into the drug cabinet. When they figured out that medications were disappearing faster then they should, they fired the dog walker and changed the locks. They got another dog walker, no problems. My sister and her husband are both working professionals and have made their schedule work and raise four dogs. I,am lucky as I can bring the pup to work... At work, at four months of age, she goes easily for four hours in the company of her mom in a run. Not a fan of daycare as I just see too many injuries, diseases, etc....

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Janice and The Celebration Gang -
"Samantha, George, Tiki, Emily, Mick and Basil" Gone but not forgotten, Sally(Windjammer's Ima Country Girl CDX CGC), Laney(Mandell Marlenes Celebration UD RA CGC), and Cookie(Starseeker's Kissmas Cookie CDX RE CGC).

I think you've gotten some great advice. Just want to wish you luck on your new adventure. Puppies are so much fun....and so much work, lol. I think the next time I get a puppy, I'll schedule at least two or three weeks off work. I know that sounds crazy, but I was a zombie...working full time, and awake with the puppy much of the night. It's only temporary though...in a few months, you have a potty trained dog with a much larger bladder.

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Maybe I missed it but I didn't notice anyone suggesting that if you know you are going to be gone for a while you can also regulate feeding timing and the amount of water the dog has.

Do you plan on feeding 1x, 2x or 3x's a day.

I know the needs of a puppy are different from a mature dog. But giving the puppy a light breakfast and a good walk in the morning might make it easier for the puppy to control his elimination during the day. This might make him more comfortable in your absence. And the dog walker might provide a small snack as an afternoon treat. That way the little guy won't be famished by dinner time.

And some books recommend withholding water at night to reduce the number of nightime pee accidents. I'm hesitant to suggest you leave the puppy without access to any water... but you could limit it to 1 or 2 cups. Unless you live in a hot climate, that should be enough to get the puppy through a half-day.

Our senior golden used to self-regulate her intake of food and water whenever we went on a road trip. Often she would skip the morning offering and wait until dinnertime when we had set up our tent and unrolled the sleeping bags. My point is that controlling when and how much they eat or drink isn't an undue hardship... sometimes it can be a kindness.