Then it isn't secure enough. I agree if you don't have a safe and secure yard it would not be a good idea.

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Sorry ....I have not figured out how to cut & paste. Seagoddess ....I use an ex pen for Loki & he is now just a few days off five months old & he is a big fellow. Even when he jumps up & down with excitement when I am opening the door, he is nowhere near being able to get over the top .....also, I think some pens can have a top attached to them, but I don't know how that works. I would think that Loki will be able to use his ex pen for at least another couple of months, by which time he should then be fine to leave in the kitchen with our papillon, as nothing he can really get into. A gated room works well too ...we did that with our two Maremmas.

I looked into those too, but they are pretty big and we dont have a good spot to put one without it being in the way or on carpet. We will just use the baby gate since we have one. Once she gets older, potty trained and I trust her not to chew things up I will let her roam the house while we are gone.

Crate!

To many opportunities for undesired outcomes leaving a puppy in the yard unattended.

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"You own what you condone." ~ Mike Lardy

Hey guys!

Thanks for your replies. Good to hear from your experience.


Puppy will be 8 weeks when we bring him home tomorrow. Our schedules are all over the place, but it look like Thursday and Friday he will be home alone for around 6 hours. For the first few months of puppy being home, that won't be a regular occurrence. I have gotten this pup at a time I can dedicate more time for training.


The yard would be secured and I have minimal plants. But crate may be safer to begin with. I just don't want to restrict puppy too much because I'm at work. Is 6 hours too long in a crate?

Congrats on getting your puppy soon! Your pup will may have an accident in the crate if you leave him for 6 hours. Do you have anyone who could come let him out for a little walk half-way through the day?

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--Briana--

8 week old puppies need to go to the bathroom often. Puppies are like human babies, it takes a while before the bladder starts retaining urine for longer periods of time (you know, when you bring a baby home from the hospital--you have to change its diaper about every hour but after a few months it doesn't get wet/dirty as often)

You may think your yard is secure, BUT other animals can get it. Skunks, cats, raccoons etc. You don't want a young puppy to have a run-in with another animal. Also, I don't know where you live, but what about bad weather? Pouring rain, lightening, or even more severe weather. Your puppy is safest inside your house in a crate. If you need to, maybe you can get someone to come in and walk the puppy at around lunch time. You can get a second hand crate on Craiglist or Kijiji. Like someone else has said, you can get water dishes that attach to the crate on the inside. We always leave a radio on for Liberty when she is in her crate. Just makes her feel like someone is nearby I guess.

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Liberty - 10 months




Kim - Mommy to fur-baby Liberty and 2 human daughters 12 and 14 years old

Absolutely crate, not backyard. And like somebody said, a pup that young cannot hold it for six hours. So hopefully, you will be able to come home during lunch and let him out or find somebody who can let him out.

With it being summer now in Australia, why would you want to leave the pup outside unsupervised? From what I know Australia is extremely hot this time of the year, not even talking about all the dangerous critters and poisonous snakes native to Australia.

I don't even leave my dogs unsupervised in my fenced in yard here in the states.

If you cannot use a crate, an x-pen might help and I suppose without alternative you may have to paper train the pup till he gets a bit older.

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My boys from left to right:
Thunder Dachsi Toby




http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/...is-issues.html

My Toby, my heart dog 3/12/2003 - 3/30/2013, I miss you Toby!


Christa

Crate it is! He is taking to it really well which is great. I just didn't want him to be cooped up for too long hence thinking of the backyard. But having him home for 24 hours... He loved the backyard because everything goes into his mouth! Oh he is adorable.


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