# Puppy while working...



## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

emisdover said:


> Though I intend on bringing her to school with me to aid in potty training
> 
> Here is my initial plan--bring her full days to school until yelled at.


lol - in a couple of words, that's the worst plan I've ever heard. Puppy socialization and training is such a demanding task that I've avoided it most of my life. I will only ever take an adult dog. To attempt it in a busy work situation would be madness, IMO.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

The easiest would be for the breeder to keep the puppy a few more weeks. Is that a possibility ?

If not I think your plan sounds good.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would involve your parents, and work out a schedule that involves shorter periods in a crate and more toilet training, play sessions and socialising. I don't really see how you can concentrate on both a puppy and your job, unless US classrooms are very unlike UK ones!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Well what happens if you "get yelled at" on the very first day you bring the puppy with you?

I agree with Dechi and fjm to either have the breeder hold the pup for you or to get some other people on board for the first few weeks while you still are teaching.

For Lily and Peeves BF was home as a full time puppy raiser. Javelin came home in July and I was home all day since I am a college professor. When classes started in September he was about 3 1/2 - 4 months old and I had people come to help on my long classroom days through the fall semester. I then had a January break and when classes started again he was 8 months old and was fine to be left.

What size is your pup? 

Remember no puppy can be considered physically/developmental able to be housebroken until they are 6 months old at a minimum.


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## emisdover (Feb 16, 2017)

Thank you for the feedback, everyone. I appreciate it! It's always helpful to have other points of view to help work out wrinkles.


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## Bellesdad0417 (May 18, 2014)

I agree that you should start with asking the breeder if they can keep them a while longer. We did that with Finn and paid the breeder as if he was being boarded and it worked out well.

I have a job that offers me the luxury of working from home and my wife only works part time maybe 4-5 hours a day max 4 days a week. So basically I just told work that I was working from home for 2 weeks which is a good basis for creating routine and structure. Week 3 and beyond (up until about 4 months) my wife and I make our schedules as such that no one is out of the house for more than 3 hours.


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## emisdover (Feb 16, 2017)

Response to the classroom issues: No, schools aren't probably that different from US to UK, but I have a very quiet classroom. I have low numbers (thankfully), caring/responsible students, and it's very rarely loud. When I my last puppy was a puppy (a long, long time ago), I had a few days of where she had to come to school with me before summer vacation. Students bent over backward to work while enjoying a pup in the room. I had students read to her and help in taking her out to potty when needed. Plus, we have a very diverse population which helped her be comfortable around many different types of people. (BTW, I don't teach elementary...) 

Perhaps I'm being too rose-colored glasses about the expected pup, but I'm assuming she'll be as calm as my other two were. (I just jinxed it, didn't I?)


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## emisdover (Feb 16, 2017)

Forgot to respond to the size question: Standard. I've always only had Standards.


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## Sammy the spoo (Jul 7, 2016)

Emisdover - congratulations on your new puppy! You must be so excited. 

I have two children in school, grade 1 and 4. I understand you don't teach elementary, but I would be a bit disappointed if my kids teachers brought in a puppy to class every day for a month.

Here are my reasons - a young puppy at 8-10 weeks of age is similar to you bringing in a human one year old to school. It is extremely distracting to you and your pupils. I know I cannot get anything done with my young toddler. My oldest child is slightly allergic to dogs - poodles are more allergy friendly, but I would hate to "test" it out with your class. I know that my son will likely be watery-eyed or sneezy if a dog like golden retriever came to class everyday. (He's perfectly ok with poodles). My middle son was terrified of dogs before getting Sammy. We introduced him to Sammy very slowly, and now he adores dogs, but there may be students in your class who are not comfortable with dogs. And the thing is, I probably won't voice my opinion to the teacher if he/she did that even though I'm disappointed. I would assume that the principal was ok with the idea, and I would go along with it. 
I completely understand the challenges of having a new puppy, as I had just gone through it myself a year ago, but I think you may be counting too much on people's generosity. 

I'm being extremely candid, and I hate being a spoil-sport. I just wanted to point it out from a parent's point of view, and it may work out perfectly well in your situation. If you do end up bringing him or her to school, please make sure that you can solidly place your pup in a crate and work with a crate to your advantage. And please consider a puppy day care since by September you will have an older pup you can manage easier.


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## emisdover (Feb 16, 2017)

Sammy: Thank you for the parent-perspective. I'm grateful for all the information I can get!


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## WinnieJane (May 6, 2016)

I don't think it is a good idea to just bring a dog to school without alerting parents and getting approval. My kids have severe cat allergies. Others are allergic to dogs. This could be a serious risk for children with asthma who have animal allergies. 

Set up a pen and hire a dog walker to come and play with the pup. That's what we did and our girl did great.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Even if the pupils, their parents and the school are supportive, I don't really see how you can teach a class and train a puppy at the same time. Young pups need to go out to toilet on waking, after eating or drinking, after playing, and every hour in between. Either you drop the class to take the puppy out, or ignore the pup's needs to concentrate on the children. For a few hours it might be doable, but not for weeks on end! Pups don't naturally settle in a crate for hours at a time without training - you can expect to have a howling, frantic puppy in the corner if you try it without preparation. The probability is that you would end up with a puppy forced to toilet in his crate, never a good thing, and/or innumerable damp patches on your classroom floor, along with distracted students and justifiably annoyed colleagues.

Frankly, I think your spectacles are not merely rose tinted, but filling your eyes with stars, rainbows, ponies and butterflies! I suggest reading the Puppy Reality thread: http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle-talk/182666-puppy-reality.html, and making provision for your puppy that does not involve taking him to work with you. Once he is home, and settled, you could perhaps try it for half a day if everyone at school agrees, and see how it goes, but I really don't think it is a good idea to rely on a school to provide puppy daycare, especially without asking! Apart from anything else, the repercussions could be far worse than being yelled at, both in actual harm to children or staff, and in a biggish blot on your CV...


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## ColoradoGram (Mar 8, 2017)

emisdover said:


> My husband and I will be getting our puppy around the first week of May. I am a teacher, so I won't be out of school just yet for full-day training of the pup (there will be about a full month of me working during the day). Though I intend on bringing her to school with me to aid in potty training (until I get yelled at to stop bringing a dog to school), I am curious as to how others have managed to raise a pup while working full time. Now, thankfully, my husband and I have staggered schedules, so the pup would never be crated for more than 2.5 hours during the day. (My past puppies have always been ready for my home in June, so plenty of home time for me to train...this is the first time I'll have had to train while balancing work.)
> 
> 
> 
> ...




2.5 hours is a good starting point for young pup. Then as they age you 
Can go longer. The benefit of crate training is teaching your pup to hold it . I don't recommend more than six hours in crate ever as that can create behavior issues. I got my pup at 8 weeks he is now 15 weeks doing great! I created a routine , wake up one hour early let pup out to potty and play then I put a milk one in crate in goes in , I put sound machine on white noise so the doggies outside in neighborhood don't stir him. He is doing very well. 


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