[StephanieLawless]

Myself and my partner are looking into getting a french bulldog puppy. We are trying to do as much research as we can to make sure it is the right decision for us and the puppy. We have spoken to many about this and some say that they wouldn't leave pup alone for more than two hours because they are needy and rely on the human interaction. Others say that longer periods of time is fine if they are used to that from a young age and because they are quite lazy anyway. Obviously, two conflicting pieces of advice so i am left unsure.

We both work full time so my partner would take pup out at around 6:30AM, i could do this at around 8:15AM and then come home between 1-2 for lunch. We both finish at 5PM and it takes me less than 10 minutes to drive home. I finish at 1PM on a Friday and we are both off at weekends.

Any help/advise would be appreciated! Also any advise on whether a bitch or a dog would be better in this kind of routine if at all!

Thanks

 

[pandora]

3 or 4 hours is ok for an older dog but not a puppy and they need to empty their bladder much more often than that.
you could do one or two things either adopt a slightly older dog or hire a puppy walker during the time that the dog is growing up.
personally I'm not keen on leaving dogs alone for long periods of time on a structural basis , once in a while ok but every single day spending long periods of time on their own can lead to a bored dog and the bored or frustrated dog is often a badly behaved or destructive dog.

 

[LeoRose]

Baby puppies do need a lot of interaction and attention. It's unreasonable IMO to ask a baby puppy who is just really starting to control their bladder and bowels to go five hours without having an accident (or several).

Another option is to get an older puppy (6 months +) or an adult dog, both of whom can go longer without needing to potty.

As an FYI, I have a friend who has a Frenchie. While he is happy to lie on the couch, he is also needs a fair bit of exercise (playing with their other dog and at least one long walk) every day to keep him happily on the couch and not getting into mischief.