I was able to leave my American Eskimo unconfined when he was about 12 weeks old. My lab was crated until he was three years old. My current dog, a Boxer, is still crated at just over a year but he is very close to earning his freedom.

 

My dogs are never left alone and uncrated. There are just too many household objects that are dangerous to them...electric cords (chewing, electrocution, strangling, entanglement), chewing on things that could be toxic, chemicals and cleaners kept under bathroom and kitchen cabinets, getting to your night stand where you might keep meds, ...

If we are gone longer than just for a run to the ggrocery 5 minutes away the dogs go into their crates. And they have slept in their crates every night since they came to our house. Don't wnat o know what they could get into while I sleep.

An alternative to crating a dog all day, as 7 hours without a potty break is a bit much to expect of a 5 month old dog, is to buy an ex-pen (any pet store or petedge.com online), set it up in a kitchen or such, and put the crate and piddle pads in the enclosure. You can also leave a smalll bowl of water and a few toys. You could also use a child safety gate across a bathroom door to confine the dog during the day. But be sure to puppy proof the batrhroom, removing anything harmful from the vanity cabinet and put the garbage can out of reach.

 

Big congratulations on your new pup!!

One thing about the potty training, I was taught not to reward the job with treats.
When I was potty training DJ, I would tke him outdoors for 10 mins on a leash & tell him to go potty. When he did, I would reward him by generously praising him verbally & taking him off the leash & letting him have supervised free time (in the fenced yard) for a while.
If he didn't do his job after 10 mins, I would take him back indoors, without praising or punishing him, calmly put him back in his crate, without treating it as a punishment, for 10 mins, & start again until he would potty.

 

I used treats for house training, and I've never heard any reason not to.

As for being loose in the house, I certainly wouldn't do it until the dog is housebroke. She could potty anywhere and you won't know it. She could be making her favorite potty spot behind the chair in the front room and you won't notice until she's been at it a while. Then you'll have another habit to break. You might want to train her to use a litterbox while you're gone, since 7 hours is a long time. You could probably transisiton her from pee pads to a litterbox fairly easily, as long as she's confined so she won't have the option of going wherever she pleases.

Barclay is 11 months and he is always in his x-pen when we leave. Sometimes he finds himself confined to it when we're home if he's being a pest and we need a break! He's very destructive - last month he decided to chew on a lamp cord but luckily he pulled it out of the wall first! There's just too much he could get into trouble with, I would never leave him loose in the house yet!

 

I used treats for house training, and I've never heard any reason not to.

It's becuz treating as a reward for urinating could possibly - not always - lead to the dog urinating multiple times in order to get more treats, which could possibly - again, not always - lead to UTIs.
But, or course, there are MANY methods of potty training.

 

I've used treats since day 1, and in fact STILL do!!! Chloe just turned a year old, and it gets very cold here in the winter (I'm going to need her to go quick soon!). It works great, and there have been no issues here with multiple peeing nor peeing in the house.

Good luck with your new pup!

 

If I did not give treats to my guys after taking care of business, they for sure would go on strike. Thay actually go fast because they know when they come in and run upstairs they will get a variety of super treats! I do not give the treats while out doors, other wise they would stay out longer. Just like kids! They are kids!lol

 

Yep, that's what we do. Makes the potty trips much shorter, lol!

I'd pen your dog until they are trustworthy. We have Nard in an x-pen, I tried the tallest baby gate for Summer but she can easily clear that. So waht I do is just lock her in my room with a tv on. She doesn't chew or anything though and she's completely housebroken. We tend to crate or pen the dogs until they are about 2 years old. Then again, our puppies have always been messes.

 

Really!? That is funny ... I've just never used treats for potty training.

 

DJsMom, The point you make is a substantial concern, p-ing just to get more treats would be something I would catch immediately, but it worked out for me and my little guys. But it could be a bad choice for some situations. Oh, When they go out and I plan to stay out doors for a while and they take care of business, I do not give them a treat, but an hour or so later they always get something when we come back in. So yes, I do watch their weight. But they do eat better then I do.

 

And, most likely, the multiple-peeing will never be a concern with most dogs, it's just something our vet mentioned to us when giving the potty training tips, so it's just one of those things that's always stuck with me.

 

Well, She did great!! No accidendents and nothing chewed up!!! I hope today is the same... Plus, Since I work out of my boss's house, she said I can bring her into work and see how she does! So I hope today she is OK... She was more upset at me leaving today then she was yesterday..

 

Glad to hear it! That's nice you have the option of taking her to work. I love it when my dog goes to work with me. Even if he's just sleeping under my chair I like having him around

 

That's great to hear! I hope things continue to go well, & that would be good if you're able to take her to work with you!

 

Also, I bought a pet gate so she is confined to the kitchen and laundry room area during the day when we leave. Unfortunatly I came home Sunday and she was roaming freely around! She is able to jump over the fence.

I've got to ask. How high is your pet gate and how high can she jump? I'm just curious. I have a 10 week old miniature schnauzer and I have a 30" x-pen and I can't imagine her ever jumping over it.

Also, you might need one of these.