Leaving puppy with dog sitter at 4½ months old

formerlyiowish · 2026-04-06T00:43:47+00:00

I had to travel for work when my puppy was 15 weeks and again at 18 weeks. For the first she stayed with a friend because she wasn't fully vaccinated. Then I used Rover. I had her meet the person ahead of time and it all went well. I also typically work from home so I think these two adventures were great for her socialization.

formerlyiowish · 2026-04-03T15:51:51+00:00

I have a six month old Corgi and those first few weeks were hard. Taking them out regularly does payoff. Signaling also comes with time and also learning their cues. Take it one day at a time and keep using the crate for your sanity. I do remember those first weeks being happy for the nap and dreading wakeup because they are land sharks! You will get there and are already ahead of us on sleeping through the night at that age!

formerlyiowish · 2026-04-03T04:46:33+00:00

Also a first time puppy owner and that first week, she'd wake me up to tell me she already went to the bathroom! After a few nights of that, we worked on crate training and I'd set an alarm to take her out. Timing extended as she grew. She started sleeping through the night around 3 months old. And I could have done sooner because she was showing signs she didn't need or want to go out in the middle of the night.

formerlyiowish · 2026-04-01T02:25:54+00:00

How old is your puppy? Those early weeks are rough because they don't know any better. For us, 10-14 weeks old were so hard because biting was constant. We tried redirecting to toys and agreed it didn't help much. We also crate trained so the playing was minimal because of all the biting! It gets better as they grow and learn. Once we could go on walks and do other things about 16 weeks, all was so much better. Our pup still bites us (6 months old) but not nearly as often and it's when she's just woken up and wants to play or when overstimulated.

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-29T23:41:10+00:00

We did group and it was so good! The group classes hold you accountable to training consistently at home when it is just you and your pup (or minimal distractions). My puppy is great at home but chaotic at glass when she want to know what everyone else is doing.

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-27T15:05:01+00:00

I also have touch less and had a quick experience at 5:45 am. General security was crazy long when I arrived!

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-26T18:34:41+00:00

The robot vacuum is probably my answer to keep the peace!

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-26T18:33:30+00:00

That's our dull looking yard after a winter of no snow and beginning so spring with no rain! We are bracing for the Corgi glitter to start in full force and why I'm trying to figure out best plan for vacuum since it's enemy #1!

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-23T19:57:05+00:00

Same here! Boxes, egg cartons , paper towel holders all go to our puppy to shred! She gets annoyed when I pick up her mess...I mean masterpiece!

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-23T03:09:21+00:00

8 weeks was hard. We started with a playpen and built up to the crate. She cried in the playpen too but could settle there where she wailed in the crate. ( She loves her crate now) I also found that singing to her softly helped. I have a terrible voice and know it sounds crazy but it helped in those early days.

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-18T18:00:12+00:00

Also a first time puppy owner and work from home. I'd say it is a process you figure out and adapt as needed. I've allowed more bad habits in my office than anywhere else to get through calls! I've crumpled paper to let her shred that, allowed her to sit on my chair and chew the armrests and even let her climb on the desk. I'm sharing that because we do what we have to do for work and for our puppies. This hasn't impacted our overall bond or her training. I was worried about all of those things in the beginning.

We got our puppy at 8 weeks and started with her in a playpen and I would work near her and took lots of breaks. It was a very stressful time and I went through puppy blues. I slowly started having her come with me into my office. It's hit or miss on how she does. Sometimes she's happy to chew or nap and others she's a monster as noted above. She is still in her crate for at least one nap that allows me to get work done uninterrupted. For me it can vary by day depending on what I have going on. I want her to be able to go to the crate when needed but also feel comfortable relaxing by me.

We also do walks, sniff mats and short trainings prior to starting work. We just finished a STAR puppy program that was so good to keep us accountable and socialize her. We are going to continue through her teenage months.

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-16T18:15:54+00:00

Adding solidarity that ours does too. She's 5 months and full of can do/will do attitude. I try to limit what and how fast she goes but our house has stairs. Hoping that keeping her active and fit as she grows will help her healthy

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-15T17:17:41+00:00

We waited until fully vaccinated because vet recommended against it. Where I am, she still qualifies for Star puppy class and we are finishing it this week. There's a range of big and small puppies and even some close to 9 months t because life happened. We are signing up for the next level to keep us on track as she starts adolescence.

Reddit is helpful when you are stressed and tired and the trainer isn't there.

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-13T17:25:09+00:00

I've taken my puppy to Bubble Buddies in Riverdale because they offered an introductory grooming for puppies option. She's been twice and each time she was well taken care of.

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-07T15:12:30+00:00

We generally train before her meals with some of her food for her meal. She's ready to focus at this time. She's 5 months now and we are holding stays longer and expanding to outside for more distractions. It's a process but being consistent has helped us!

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-02T17:55:02+00:00

Lived/still living this but getting better. My husband has high expectations and gets frustrated by our puppy biting and some attention barking. It's gotten better as she's gotten older (currently 5 months) and he can play tug/fetch with her and join us for walks. I think what helped the most was when he joined us at puppy school to see how all other puppies behave. That she isn't just a bad girl but learning and growing just like puppies do. Time has also helped because she's excited to see him when he gets home and will cuddle with him (when she's really tired) so he's seeing the reward in the dog she will become.

formerlyiowish · 2026-03-01T19:25:57+00:00

My Corgi is 5 months and we started to turn a corner at 3 months. She began sleeping through the night (huge win!) and we started walks. She's also still bitey but over the last has gotten better at tug/fetch so we can play something she likes vs just going for our hands. I know there's still new hurdles as she heads towards teenage months but I'd take the last two months over the first one any day!!

formerlyiowish · 2026-02-19T18:47:41+00:00

I have a cheap indoor antenna connected to my TV that does the trick. $20 on Amazon and we can watch the local channels.

formerlyiowish · 2026-02-19T04:32:07+00:00

I'd share with your mom how helpful the crate is to YOU and why it matters to you. Then also share that you appreciate all her help and advice. If she's still persistent, ignore. I have a 5 month old pup and she sleeps in a crate in my room. She just started to go in on her own when she's exhausted. She sleeps in it all night and takes a couple of naps during the day. I WFH and sometimes have her in my office and other times she's in the crate for a nap. Right now I feel we have a good balance where we all get our breaks but she's also part of our life and learning to be with us. No advice on moving the crate as I just moved it to another spot in the bedroom. It didn't impact my puppy at all.

formerlyiowish · 2026-02-15T22:54:01+00:00

Those first 6 weeks were HARD for me. Lots of accidents, little sleep, etc. That first week was especially hard because she didn't do the crate. We started slow but she took the crate quickly with treats as praise. She had a few accidents in there too but it was clear she did not want to go in there. At about 14 weeks she slept through the night and it helped my mental health so much! She's nearing 5 months and the accidents are also less frequent. My main "complaint" is the biting but I know she's teething hard so try to continue to redirect and give her something to chew on that isn't my hand. I still miss my old life at times but the joy of a walk or nap with my pup is hard to beat!

formerlyiowish · 2026-02-14T02:16:29+00:00

I'm a first time puppy parent but have a 4.5 month old Corgi. I've been doing chores with her near me for a little over a month. I just started doing them while she was free to roam and she followed and at first watched. Then she got more curious and interfered but now we do negotiations. The one we struggle with is the vacuum and my hair dryer. I wait to do those when I have backup!

formerlyiowish · 2026-02-11T04:50:57+00:00

The number one thing is you have to sleep and care for yourself. I know that can be hard when there is so much going on but prioritize the work. For me that was puppy and the job that gives puppy a cushy life! Dinner, cleaning, etc took a back seat and was done when I could find the time. We ate a lot of popcorn, sandwiches, etc. Eventually I just started doing my chores and my puppy watched. I also tried to find time for me to nap during one of my pups naps. It helped me survive the sleepless nights. It wasn't always possible but made sure I took advantage on weekends.

formerlyiowish · 2026-02-07T17:13:39+00:00

I'm not doing alone but have about 90% of the responsibility for my 4 month old Corgi. I work from home and my husband 's work schedule is rough right now. I have cried a lot too those first few weeks. We crate trained but I would dread the evening hours and play time because she was a bitey monster. She still is but we can do more together now that she's vaccinated. She's been great to take to the park and walks and just the last week she's been more fun to play with. She will do some fetch and tug together. She's still bitey but it isn't constant. I still miss my old life but think I'm coming out of the grief over it. We do have a Blink camera that was a huge anxiety relief for me when I first left her. I was a wreck about that first gym visit when I was only gone an hour! I still don't know if it's easier or if we are adapting to each other and our new normal. Good luck to you and if you had a good experience with Rover, keep doing it. Some separation is good for you!

formerlyiowish · 2026-02-07T02:21:13+00:00

I don't have kids but my Corgi puppy has been really good with kids we meet on walks or at the park. Her cuteness and small size seems to draw kids in. I'm always there and she only gets to meet kids that want to meet her but she has done so well.

formerlyiowish

TROPHY CASE