Being Alone

Q: What is the best way to deal with leaving my 10 week old puppy alone? He is not house trained yet and I am taking him outside to potty.

A: Unfortunately, yours is a common situation that cannot be solved quickly or in one step. Leaving your puppy outdoors while you are away would solve your outside potty training goal but this is probably not practical. Having someone come in each 2-4 hours to take your puppy outside is another approach. If you must leave your puppy alone without an opportunity to go outside then you are forced to leave your puppy confined to the potty training crate while you are gone. He should have a bed, a toy, a small amount of food and some water if you are to be gone for more than 4 hours. Within a couple weeks your puppy's control of elimination will have improved and you should be able to add an enclosed play area (either play pen or small room) and not have to leave him confined to the crate. Remember the more time you are away the longer it will take to achieve your goal of outdoor potty training. Whenever you are with him spend as much time as possible outdoors so that will seem a natural and easy place for your puppy to potty. The "Homecoming" and "Potty Training" videos should be helpful.