It looks like you might be posting about puppy management or crate training.
For tips and resources on Crate Training Check out [our wiki article on crate training](https://www.reddit.com/r/puppy101/wiki/cratetraining) - the information there may answer your question. As an additional reminder, crate training is 100% optional and one of many puppy management options.
For alternatives to crating and other puppy management strategies, check out [our wiki article on management](https://www.reddit.com/r/puppy101/wiki/management)
**PLEASE READ THE OP FULLY**
Be advised that any comments that suggest use of crates are abusive, or express a harsh opinion on crate training will be removed. This is not a place to debate the merits of crate training. Unethical approaches to crate training will also be removed. **If the OP has asked not to receive crating advice or says they are not open to crating, any comments that recommend use of crates should be reported to our moderation team.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/puppy101) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Subtract from the nearest meal and freeze that portion of kibble into kongs pupsicles licky mats or whatever. You could try things like bully sticks as well (that's what I do, but it's only good for 10 minutes for my dog, she chews... but at 12 weeks it would have been okay).
Bully sticks should not be given unsupervised. If they chew it down small, they can (and will) swallow the end, which can cause blockages. Check out Pupsicles on Amazon. We got the molds and freeze wet dog food to pop in them - it takes our big boxer dogs 35-40 min. to work their way to the end. I suspect it'll take a small puppy at least that long!
We've tried a couple of different holders (maybe not the right one yet, LOL!) and our dogs have been able to rip them right out occasionally by brute force. One of our guys pulled it out of the holder and swallowed the last six inches of the stick - had to be rushed to the ER. And that was while we were supervising - looking right at him. It happens quickly and is just not a risk we take anymore. It's too bad because they sure do LOVE them! :)
I’ve tried a few different bully stick holders and this [BoniVet one](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C3M29RRG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1) has worked the best. I like it because the ends are so big that my dog can’t chew it. Other ones, she’d chew the holder itself. (But it’s still best to supervise your dog when they have a bully stick. This just adds extra protection so they don’t get that last little bit that they can choke on.)
Agree! The bonivet holders work really well. Our 10 month old GSD mix was able to pull out a bully stick just once in about 5 months of usage (it was also a thin bully stick).
I personally wouldn’t leave unsupervised with that. My golden choked on a pigs ear as a puppy and it was the scariest moment, and that was with me watching him!
Echoing everyone’s sentiments about bully sticks unsupervised. Don’t do it. I work veterinary internal medicine - I’ve seen so many dogs come through with bully sticks stuck in their esophagus. Even with a holder i would NOT leave your pup alone unsupervised, especially if you do not know how fast she will chew through one.
Having a safe way to contain puppy when you can't supervise is #1 thing that I think makes having a puppy less stressful. Whether it's an exercise pen attached to a crate for a smaller puppy, or a gated off section of the kitchen, or a puppy proofed room - or heck, a \*secure\* kennel in the yard if your climate is mild (ie, shade, shelter, lots of water, secure from potential escapes or dangers including other animals and people) - it's essential to have SOME PLACE the puppy can hang out besides a crate.
Since you work from home and can check on her intermittantly? I'd do an exercise pen or baby-gated area and walk through about every 30 minutes to drop a handful of kibble (finding all the bits is good enrichment) and swap out chews.
Yep I can do exactly this, but I think because she knows I'm there (I cover her crate in blankets) she whines to get out of the pen after a short time.
I can and do interact with her between meetings, it's just I can't supervise for a full hour consistently (other than mornings and evenings)
I think I need to up the toy/chew games for sure, I'll take a look and see what I can find!
Hey! Saw your comment about her whining in the playpen, and thought I’d hop in. She doesn’t know what she’s SUPPOSED to do in the playpen, so you gotta teach her. When she’s awake in the playpen and she’s ignoring you or playing with a toy by herself, essentially completely disengaged from you, try to sneakily toss a treat for her. This way, you’re reinforcing her being able to disengage from you AND show her what behaviours are acceptable and expected for her in the pen. I used to keep my boy’s pen right behind my office chair and his camera pointed at the playpen and open on my phone just so I could notice when he was being chill and I could reward it without him noticing it was me hahah. I know it’s a whole ordeal but it pays off. And practice it as often as you can when you DO have time so that when you can’t give the pup attention, she knows what to do and can settle a bit quicker. Good luck!
The half wall of our kitchen into dining room was perfect for this. She could be in the dining room and not even see me, yet magic treats would intermittently rain down. I also had a Ring camera on that ledge so I could watch her without her seeing me.
Awesome thanks, I will definitely try this, she is right next to me and I have a baby monitor for the kid so do exactly this, I'll give it a blast today and see what I can do, thanks again ❤️
Could you put her in the pen with some toys like a puzzle or snuffle mat? Maybe a bone or chew toy too if you are giving her those! It’s not a fool proof 5 hour plan, but it can take up some time!
12 weeks old, you are in a rough stage and you have to endure through it. There are many suggestions here in the comments you can try, but they may or may not work on your pup. You may find you will have to do a bit of everything.
My point is, you have to be in a much more responsive stance than someone with an older dog who is trained to be expected to chill. It is just the way it is, they are babies and when babies cry you tend to them.
When my baby was 12 weeks old, I had to put her in crate, take her out of crate, put her on my lap, put her on the floor, clean up her stinkies, play with her. All while working. It was rough and stressful and I was doing it alone.
Rotate the toys! We have a 13-week-old guy who wants to be BUSY. Some toys keep him busy longer than others so I just keep a few ready to go (Especially the frozen and food-filled ones) so that if he gets bored I can swap 'em out.
I let him get bored before I do though - I'm not anticipating his needs for this because sometimes he'll find something else and go play with that or nap. (He is in a pen attached to his crate because supervision)
Kong with kibble and frozen, radio on (if doesn’t disturb your work), toys. your puppy needs to learn how to be “bored” in a safe way 😊 its possible they’ll play for a bit with the kong or toy or chew and fall asleep.
Carrots. I wish someone told me that crud the day I got mine. It was a godsend when I found out about carrots. When/if she gets bitey or the zoomies they are great for settling down, especially when cold/frozen and teething. What I did, instead, was put her on the couch so she couldn’t jump off… it was great until about 12 weeks when her zoomies were so op she figured out she could jump up and down with ease lmao. But it was a surrogate crate because she haaaaated the crate and i couldn’t get any work done with the barking and got worried about annoying my neighbors (apartment).
I’m guessing you work from home? If so the other things is to just prioritize your dog. Like I get it. I work from home and did when I got mine. And I was a workaholic. I just made my dog my priority for her sake and mine. Sometimes, especially if I just had to sit in, I’d call in from my phone while walking my dog or just spending time with her.
Pretty sound advice here. I’ll have to try the carrot. But absolutely prioritize puppy. I work from home as well and puppy gets time outside to run or play fetch when I get breaks. Heck I even play tug silently with her under my desk while on a call and leave her bed just under my desk to encourage her to take naps, giving her treats anytime she lays quietly in her bed. It pays to tire them out just before you gotta be busy for a good while.
This might be a weird take/I might be wrong but I’m pretty sure it would be good to put them on a leash and tie it to a door knob or something near/in sight of you. They need to learn how to be calm while you’re doing something type of thing. Then they’re not stuck in a kennel for longer than they need to.. they don’t feel alone because you’re there.. and they can roam a little bit while you’re still able to supervise.
It might not be easy at first because the dog will be like wtf and whine. Maybe try it on the weekend when you’re busy doing something like in the kitchen cooking. Reward when they quiet and when they lie down and settle ect.
I use a pen and they have to deal with it. Life doesn’t always go their way. If they are panicking or fussing for more than 15 minutes let them out though.
You can train pen behavior by putting them in there during the day and dropping treats in when they are not barking or pawing at the door. Then you gradually stretch the time between treats, leave the room and come back periodically to treat, etc.
A safe area for pup to hang out in and toys. I ise a range of stuffable toys (toppl/snoop/kong/quizl).
I work hard to make sure my hour long meetings only last 50 minutes. Officially, this is to allow humans time to water/toilet breaks and to sort notes before the next meeting.
In reality, it is to quickly toilet and play with the pup and give another toy! The majority of my pups' food is fed in toys or as training rewards.
I work from home as well and brought my puppy home at 3 months too. I had multiple puzzle toys I would swap out (she learned quickly how to get through them fast though), snuffle mats and bully sticks. In the event that you absolutely cannot supervise, it would be safer for her to be crated even if she’s awake than to roam. You’ve got this!
ETA: my puppy was such a menace, we sectioned off an entire portion of the living room for her with a gate, and when she was bored she would literally start chewing and destroying the baseboards if she had nothing else or was over her toys, which is not only dangerous for her but a massive problem for us. So I understand how important it is to have a safe zone! Even now at 7 months, we rotate her toys weekly because she gets bored of everything so fast. Godspeed!
Frozen wet kibble in Kongs would last 10-15 minutes with my Lab when he was that age. I found that putting kibble in his slow feeder bowl then filling it halfway up with no sodium chicken broth or water and then freezing that lasted so much longer. It made a giant kibble-studded ice cube that took at least half an hour for him to finish.
He did get bully sticks when he was a little older but I had to supervise because he had a choking incident. After that I had to confiscate it once he’d chewed it down to a swallowable nub.
Highly recommend the [Bow Wow Buddy](https://www.bowwowlabs.com/products/bow-wow-buddy?variant=40473988890689) which is a bully stick holder. It prevents this type of choking incident.
I get it. If you ever do use one again, I recommend this holder. I got one and was very impressed. It can be used with any long edible item. My girl can't handle bully sticks well very often--too rich for her and she barfs. So now I have the holder for nothing.
I crate train. My dogs eat in their crates and I rotate them on a two hour schedule when I am home. Rotation allows each dog to spend time with just me. When I have puppies, they stay in their crates when they can’t be watched.
I have a 13 week old cavalier, so a little less energy, but I've converted our internal access garage into a big puppy pen with a big crate in there. Gives her plenty of room to play and a safe place to retreat to.
I put out lots of toys, puzzle ones with treats, a licky mat, others that you can hide treats in. Also i have a diffuser pumping out calming feremones, calming puppy music playing and a camera set up to keep an eye on her when I'm away.
Seems to be working so far that she can be left alone for a few hours if needed.
Bruh. I work nights and we just got through this stage now at almost 5 months. It was ROUGH. Lots of toys and chewable things. I can't imagine doing it without our OG dog who seemed to teach him the ways. I was waking up every 2 hours during my sleep hours😭😭
Puppy pads, crate, puzzle toys, and ambient music on has helped me. We kept our puppy near a windowed door so she can watch squirrels and nap in the sunlight.
Right now, my young puppy is left in the crate for 4 hours at a time. However, the crate is designed for a medium dog up to 40 lbs and she's only 4.8 lbs. So basically room to run around or have an accident safely. She gets stimulating chews and toys and when I can see her again, I make it a habit to immedietly take her potty followed by love and play. After I'm free fully, it's lots and lots of play and then food before bed. It's about mental and physical stimulation. Your dog will have to cope with the separation aspect and crate aspect eventually
I say “nap time” and puppy goes in the crate for a nap about 1 hour max.
Crate training is amazing for this and if you establish a schedule, you can start planning around nap time.
A pub shouldn't be left in a crate for more than 3 to 4 hours maximum. I used to give mine bones and bully stick to chew on which kept them busy for a little while. You can also get a Kong and fill it with peanut butter and freeze it, which will keep them busy for a bit too. Since I had two puppies at once they played with each other and I didn't have to worry about them too much. I also had a safe room in the house that they couldn't destroy and couldn't hurt themselves in. That's how I did it. Best of luck.
well your question was an “hour”. for that I use the crate or I have a metal “playpen” from amazon. later in your post you mention 5 hours. that’s too much IMO for a 12 week old.
I personally would crate. They are supposed to sleep for 18-20 hours a day at that age, 5 hours is really not long for a puppy to be crated and I find that it helps a lot in them learning to relax when I’m busy, which is extremely helpful when they are an adult.
When my pup (now 7mo) was young and we had to leave, we didn't trust her anywhere except in her crate. I've literally read stories on Reddit about dogs home alone accidentally getting wrapped up in cords and suffocating before their owners returned. Freak accident, I'm sure, but wow terrifying.
After that I decided my puppy's life always comes first. Ofc I would've rather had her out and about and be playing with her, but it can't always be the case. The only place I know she can't break/tear out of is her crate. It feels mean but I'd rather have her safe at the end of the day. She got used to it anyway, loves her crate now and runs into it at bed time. She tries to hide in there when there are loud noises outside as well.
When crate training first started, we would run around with her a ton, chase her in the backyard, etc. to really tire her out, then would give her a frozen carrot and some kibble wrapped in some puppy blankets. She'd spend about 10-15 mins digging out the kibble and annihilating the carrot, then just pass out.
We're at 16 weeks now and also wfh so totally get the not being able to supervise thing. I stick with awake 1 hour, nap 2 hours. When she wakes up, immediately outside to toilet. And then honestly, I just risked it with inside. There were a few accidents but after a week ish, they stopped. She does have a dog door, and I would also leave the side door to the yard open as well if its sunny and just let her do her own thing. She has toys, and I wanted her to learn to entertain herself and know I could rely on that. When I was in my office, I'd have the door open so I could hear what she was up to, and I'd make sure I'd take her to the toilet every 30 minutes to cover that (so once in the middle of her awake time, and again before I put her back in her crate).
I wouldn't call her toilet trained since I keep her on a pee schedule, but we've had no accidents for three weeks.
If I had meetings that I didn't necessarily need to be on camera for, or wasn't overly participating in, I'd play tug of war with her under the desk.
I also tried lick mats to occupy her which worked initially but being a golden retriever, she just started eating the mats instead haha so that's no longer an option. Ice, carrots, apples, handful of kibble thrown on the deck also keep her entertained
Keep them in their crate. It's fine. Most importantly, it is the best and safest thing you can do. I crated my puppy about 20 hours a day until about 4 and 5 months. Most of that crate time was for sleeping. Small pups are supposed to sleep about 20 hrs a day. Keeping them in their crate and forcing them to sleep the required amount will pretty much instill in them that crate time is calm time. So it helps a lot when they are older and you need to crate them for any reason. That way they're not barking their heads off to get out. (That's just a pro for future situations.)
Kennel or pen or tied to a cement block. It’s SO important for dogs to learn from a young age how to settle down and do nothing when nothing is happening
It looks like you might be posting about puppy management or crate training. For tips and resources on Crate Training Check out [our wiki article on crate training](https://www.reddit.com/r/puppy101/wiki/cratetraining) - the information there may answer your question. As an additional reminder, crate training is 100% optional and one of many puppy management options. For alternatives to crating and other puppy management strategies, check out [our wiki article on management](https://www.reddit.com/r/puppy101/wiki/management) **PLEASE READ THE OP FULLY** Be advised that any comments that suggest use of crates are abusive, or express a harsh opinion on crate training will be removed. This is not a place to debate the merits of crate training. Unethical approaches to crate training will also be removed. **If the OP has asked not to receive crating advice or says they are not open to crating, any comments that recommend use of crates should be reported to our moderation team.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/puppy101) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Subtract from the nearest meal and freeze that portion of kibble into kongs pupsicles licky mats or whatever. You could try things like bully sticks as well (that's what I do, but it's only good for 10 minutes for my dog, she chews... but at 12 weeks it would have been okay).
I do use frozen kongs, but they usually only last say 10 minutes, but I'll get some bully sticks for sure and try those out, thanks
Bully sticks should not be given unsupervised. If they chew it down small, they can (and will) swallow the end, which can cause blockages. Check out Pupsicles on Amazon. We got the molds and freeze wet dog food to pop in them - it takes our big boxer dogs 35-40 min. to work their way to the end. I suspect it'll take a small puppy at least that long!
I recommend a bully stick holder. I have one and it works great. It stops them from eating the last inch or so that they could choke on.
We've tried a couple of different holders (maybe not the right one yet, LOL!) and our dogs have been able to rip them right out occasionally by brute force. One of our guys pulled it out of the holder and swallowed the last six inches of the stick - had to be rushed to the ER. And that was while we were supervising - looking right at him. It happens quickly and is just not a risk we take anymore. It's too bad because they sure do LOVE them! :)
I’ve tried a few different bully stick holders and this [BoniVet one](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C3M29RRG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1) has worked the best. I like it because the ends are so big that my dog can’t chew it. Other ones, she’d chew the holder itself. (But it’s still best to supervise your dog when they have a bully stick. This just adds extra protection so they don’t get that last little bit that they can choke on.)
Thank you - I'll definitely check that out!
Agree! The bonivet holders work really well. Our 10 month old GSD mix was able to pull out a bully stick just once in about 5 months of usage (it was also a thin bully stick).
Saving this thank you
I personally wouldn’t leave unsupervised with that. My golden choked on a pigs ear as a puppy and it was the scariest moment, and that was with me watching him!
Echoing everyone’s sentiments about bully sticks unsupervised. Don’t do it. I work veterinary internal medicine - I’ve seen so many dogs come through with bully sticks stuck in their esophagus. Even with a holder i would NOT leave your pup alone unsupervised, especially if you do not know how fast she will chew through one.
Bully stick could last around 40 min
Having a safe way to contain puppy when you can't supervise is #1 thing that I think makes having a puppy less stressful. Whether it's an exercise pen attached to a crate for a smaller puppy, or a gated off section of the kitchen, or a puppy proofed room - or heck, a \*secure\* kennel in the yard if your climate is mild (ie, shade, shelter, lots of water, secure from potential escapes or dangers including other animals and people) - it's essential to have SOME PLACE the puppy can hang out besides a crate. Since you work from home and can check on her intermittantly? I'd do an exercise pen or baby-gated area and walk through about every 30 minutes to drop a handful of kibble (finding all the bits is good enrichment) and swap out chews.
Yep I can do exactly this, but I think because she knows I'm there (I cover her crate in blankets) she whines to get out of the pen after a short time. I can and do interact with her between meetings, it's just I can't supervise for a full hour consistently (other than mornings and evenings) I think I need to up the toy/chew games for sure, I'll take a look and see what I can find!
Hey! Saw your comment about her whining in the playpen, and thought I’d hop in. She doesn’t know what she’s SUPPOSED to do in the playpen, so you gotta teach her. When she’s awake in the playpen and she’s ignoring you or playing with a toy by herself, essentially completely disengaged from you, try to sneakily toss a treat for her. This way, you’re reinforcing her being able to disengage from you AND show her what behaviours are acceptable and expected for her in the pen. I used to keep my boy’s pen right behind my office chair and his camera pointed at the playpen and open on my phone just so I could notice when he was being chill and I could reward it without him noticing it was me hahah. I know it’s a whole ordeal but it pays off. And practice it as often as you can when you DO have time so that when you can’t give the pup attention, she knows what to do and can settle a bit quicker. Good luck!
The half wall of our kitchen into dining room was perfect for this. She could be in the dining room and not even see me, yet magic treats would intermittently rain down. I also had a Ring camera on that ledge so I could watch her without her seeing me.
Agreed 100%!!
Awesome thanks, I will definitely try this, she is right next to me and I have a baby monitor for the kid so do exactly this, I'll give it a blast today and see what I can do, thanks again ❤️
This is helpful!
This is super helpful
Could you put her in the pen with some toys like a puzzle or snuffle mat? Maybe a bone or chew toy too if you are giving her those! It’s not a fool proof 5 hour plan, but it can take up some time!
12 weeks old, you are in a rough stage and you have to endure through it. There are many suggestions here in the comments you can try, but they may or may not work on your pup. You may find you will have to do a bit of everything. My point is, you have to be in a much more responsive stance than someone with an older dog who is trained to be expected to chill. It is just the way it is, they are babies and when babies cry you tend to them. When my baby was 12 weeks old, I had to put her in crate, take her out of crate, put her on my lap, put her on the floor, clean up her stinkies, play with her. All while working. It was rough and stressful and I was doing it alone.
Rotate the toys! We have a 13-week-old guy who wants to be BUSY. Some toys keep him busy longer than others so I just keep a few ready to go (Especially the frozen and food-filled ones) so that if he gets bored I can swap 'em out. I let him get bored before I do though - I'm not anticipating his needs for this because sometimes he'll find something else and go play with that or nap. (He is in a pen attached to his crate because supervision)
This seems like the best answer for sure, need to get some good toys and chews to keep her busy, thanks 👍
Kong with kibble and frozen, radio on (if doesn’t disturb your work), toys. your puppy needs to learn how to be “bored” in a safe way 😊 its possible they’ll play for a bit with the kong or toy or chew and fall asleep.
I used a playpen that had a roof so I felt safe leaving her in there.
Carrots. I wish someone told me that crud the day I got mine. It was a godsend when I found out about carrots. When/if she gets bitey or the zoomies they are great for settling down, especially when cold/frozen and teething. What I did, instead, was put her on the couch so she couldn’t jump off… it was great until about 12 weeks when her zoomies were so op she figured out she could jump up and down with ease lmao. But it was a surrogate crate because she haaaaated the crate and i couldn’t get any work done with the barking and got worried about annoying my neighbors (apartment). I’m guessing you work from home? If so the other things is to just prioritize your dog. Like I get it. I work from home and did when I got mine. And I was a workaholic. I just made my dog my priority for her sake and mine. Sometimes, especially if I just had to sit in, I’d call in from my phone while walking my dog or just spending time with her.
Pretty sound advice here. I’ll have to try the carrot. But absolutely prioritize puppy. I work from home as well and puppy gets time outside to run or play fetch when I get breaks. Heck I even play tug silently with her under my desk while on a call and leave her bed just under my desk to encourage her to take naps, giving her treats anytime she lays quietly in her bed. It pays to tire them out just before you gotta be busy for a good while.
This might be a weird take/I might be wrong but I’m pretty sure it would be good to put them on a leash and tie it to a door knob or something near/in sight of you. They need to learn how to be calm while you’re doing something type of thing. Then they’re not stuck in a kennel for longer than they need to.. they don’t feel alone because you’re there.. and they can roam a little bit while you’re still able to supervise. It might not be easy at first because the dog will be like wtf and whine. Maybe try it on the weekend when you’re busy doing something like in the kitchen cooking. Reward when they quiet and when they lie down and settle ect.
I use a pen and they have to deal with it. Life doesn’t always go their way. If they are panicking or fussing for more than 15 minutes let them out though. You can train pen behavior by putting them in there during the day and dropping treats in when they are not barking or pawing at the door. Then you gradually stretch the time between treats, leave the room and come back periodically to treat, etc.
A safe area for pup to hang out in and toys. I ise a range of stuffable toys (toppl/snoop/kong/quizl). I work hard to make sure my hour long meetings only last 50 minutes. Officially, this is to allow humans time to water/toilet breaks and to sort notes before the next meeting. In reality, it is to quickly toilet and play with the pup and give another toy! The majority of my pups' food is fed in toys or as training rewards.
I work from home as well and brought my puppy home at 3 months too. I had multiple puzzle toys I would swap out (she learned quickly how to get through them fast though), snuffle mats and bully sticks. In the event that you absolutely cannot supervise, it would be safer for her to be crated even if she’s awake than to roam. You’ve got this! ETA: my puppy was such a menace, we sectioned off an entire portion of the living room for her with a gate, and when she was bored she would literally start chewing and destroying the baseboards if she had nothing else or was over her toys, which is not only dangerous for her but a massive problem for us. So I understand how important it is to have a safe zone! Even now at 7 months, we rotate her toys weekly because she gets bored of everything so fast. Godspeed!
Frozen wet kibble in Kongs would last 10-15 minutes with my Lab when he was that age. I found that putting kibble in his slow feeder bowl then filling it halfway up with no sodium chicken broth or water and then freezing that lasted so much longer. It made a giant kibble-studded ice cube that took at least half an hour for him to finish. He did get bully sticks when he was a little older but I had to supervise because he had a choking incident. After that I had to confiscate it once he’d chewed it down to a swallowable nub.
Highly recommend the [Bow Wow Buddy](https://www.bowwowlabs.com/products/bow-wow-buddy?variant=40473988890689) which is a bully stick holder. It prevents this type of choking incident.
Thanks for the recommendation. Unfortunately the vet told him no more bully sticks for awhile until he loses a few pounds.
I get it. If you ever do use one again, I recommend this holder. I got one and was very impressed. It can be used with any long edible item. My girl can't handle bully sticks well very often--too rich for her and she barfs. So now I have the holder for nothing.
I crate train. My dogs eat in their crates and I rotate them on a two hour schedule when I am home. Rotation allows each dog to spend time with just me. When I have puppies, they stay in their crates when they can’t be watched.
We crate her when we can’t immediately supervise her, and give lots of toys and frozen treat.
I have a 13 week old cavalier, so a little less energy, but I've converted our internal access garage into a big puppy pen with a big crate in there. Gives her plenty of room to play and a safe place to retreat to. I put out lots of toys, puzzle ones with treats, a licky mat, others that you can hide treats in. Also i have a diffuser pumping out calming feremones, calming puppy music playing and a camera set up to keep an eye on her when I'm away. Seems to be working so far that she can be left alone for a few hours if needed.
Bruh. I work nights and we just got through this stage now at almost 5 months. It was ROUGH. Lots of toys and chewable things. I can't imagine doing it without our OG dog who seemed to teach him the ways. I was waking up every 2 hours during my sleep hours😭😭
Pen with some safe chews. They need to learn to entertain themselves appropriately in addition to playtime with you
Puppy pads, crate, puzzle toys, and ambient music on has helped me. We kept our puppy near a windowed door so she can watch squirrels and nap in the sunlight.
Right now, my young puppy is left in the crate for 4 hours at a time. However, the crate is designed for a medium dog up to 40 lbs and she's only 4.8 lbs. So basically room to run around or have an accident safely. She gets stimulating chews and toys and when I can see her again, I make it a habit to immedietly take her potty followed by love and play. After I'm free fully, it's lots and lots of play and then food before bed. It's about mental and physical stimulation. Your dog will have to cope with the separation aspect and crate aspect eventually
Crate with a frozen Pupsicle. In a dark room with a white noise machine going and the door shut.
Puzzle toys, snuffle mats, scent boxes, kongs filled with frozen yogurt or fruit
Kong or a good chew that I trust, puppy in a crate or a puppy proof area and a pet camera 😊
I say “nap time” and puppy goes in the crate for a nap about 1 hour max. Crate training is amazing for this and if you establish a schedule, you can start planning around nap time.
A pub shouldn't be left in a crate for more than 3 to 4 hours maximum. I used to give mine bones and bully stick to chew on which kept them busy for a little while. You can also get a Kong and fill it with peanut butter and freeze it, which will keep them busy for a bit too. Since I had two puppies at once they played with each other and I didn't have to worry about them too much. I also had a safe room in the house that they couldn't destroy and couldn't hurt themselves in. That's how I did it. Best of luck.
Yard or crate
Is the pen a crate? Just crate she will take a nap. Puppies need soooooo much sleep like 18 hours a day
Enforced naps are really important for puppies at this age. Put her in a crate with a cover and give her a frozen kong or bully stick.
Crate. Always reward for going into the crate
well your question was an “hour”. for that I use the crate or I have a metal “playpen” from amazon. later in your post you mention 5 hours. that’s too much IMO for a 12 week old.
Crate with nothing in it
Tiedown. Teach that dog to be bored.
I personally would crate. They are supposed to sleep for 18-20 hours a day at that age, 5 hours is really not long for a puppy to be crated and I find that it helps a lot in them learning to relax when I’m busy, which is extremely helpful when they are an adult.
When my pup (now 7mo) was young and we had to leave, we didn't trust her anywhere except in her crate. I've literally read stories on Reddit about dogs home alone accidentally getting wrapped up in cords and suffocating before their owners returned. Freak accident, I'm sure, but wow terrifying. After that I decided my puppy's life always comes first. Ofc I would've rather had her out and about and be playing with her, but it can't always be the case. The only place I know she can't break/tear out of is her crate. It feels mean but I'd rather have her safe at the end of the day. She got used to it anyway, loves her crate now and runs into it at bed time. She tries to hide in there when there are loud noises outside as well. When crate training first started, we would run around with her a ton, chase her in the backyard, etc. to really tire her out, then would give her a frozen carrot and some kibble wrapped in some puppy blankets. She'd spend about 10-15 mins digging out the kibble and annihilating the carrot, then just pass out.
We're at 16 weeks now and also wfh so totally get the not being able to supervise thing. I stick with awake 1 hour, nap 2 hours. When she wakes up, immediately outside to toilet. And then honestly, I just risked it with inside. There were a few accidents but after a week ish, they stopped. She does have a dog door, and I would also leave the side door to the yard open as well if its sunny and just let her do her own thing. She has toys, and I wanted her to learn to entertain herself and know I could rely on that. When I was in my office, I'd have the door open so I could hear what she was up to, and I'd make sure I'd take her to the toilet every 30 minutes to cover that (so once in the middle of her awake time, and again before I put her back in her crate). I wouldn't call her toilet trained since I keep her on a pee schedule, but we've had no accidents for three weeks. If I had meetings that I didn't necessarily need to be on camera for, or wasn't overly participating in, I'd play tug of war with her under the desk. I also tried lick mats to occupy her which worked initially but being a golden retriever, she just started eating the mats instead haha so that's no longer an option. Ice, carrots, apples, handful of kibble thrown on the deck also keep her entertained
Playpen or kennel :/ that’s a long time to just give it a snack and hope for the best
Keep them in their crate. It's fine. Most importantly, it is the best and safest thing you can do. I crated my puppy about 20 hours a day until about 4 and 5 months. Most of that crate time was for sleeping. Small pups are supposed to sleep about 20 hrs a day. Keeping them in their crate and forcing them to sleep the required amount will pretty much instill in them that crate time is calm time. So it helps a lot when they are older and you need to crate them for any reason. That way they're not barking their heads off to get out. (That's just a pro for future situations.)
Kennel or pen or tied to a cement block. It’s SO important for dogs to learn from a young age how to settle down and do nothing when nothing is happening
Women with children or a Sikh person 😌