CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVERS

ARE YOU READY FOR A PUPPY?

Plan before you buy a puppy.

Is there anyone at home during the day?
How much free time do you have after work?
Where will the puppy be exercised?
Do you have an hour a day to devote to exercising and obedience training a pup?

If you work all day.

A very young pup is not physically capable of holding urine and/or stool during a full work day. If there will not be anyone at home during the noon hour to let the pup out, you will need to have someone come to your house to exercise your pup or make an enclosure to confine him/her.

Making a confined, safe space.

To keep a 7 to 12 week old pup confined, the walls need to be 3' to 4' high. A 4' x 4' area is ample space. A cardboard box, even a large one, will not keep a pup in. They will just eat through the walls. If you have a small room that can be puppy proofed, you can place food and water in the room and provide newspapers for a toilet area.

A large crate will work.

Another solution is to use a large wire or plastic crate divided to provide a sleeping area & a bathroom section with newspapers. The pup should have water available but can be fed before you leave in the morning and again at suppertime. You might also consider getting an older, crate trained pup or an adult dog.

Evenings busy?

A pup that has been confined all day needs to work off energy before bedtime. If your evenings are also busy, you might consider buying another breed with minimal exercise needs or an older dog.

A designated toilet area.

If you have no fenced yard where your pup can be released to "do his business", you will have to carry a young pup to where he can relieve himself. When they have to go, they usually do it as soon as their feet hit the ground. The pup will have to learn to eliminate while on leash and can be trained to go only in a certain spot. When they are a bit older, pups can hold it until you have walked them to a suitable area.

Puppies must be exercised.

A tired puppy is a good puppy. You will need to spend time every day to exercise and train the pup. If you have a half hour before work in the morning to go for a walk and have a play session, your pup will sleep for quite a while. Another half hour session in the evening will ensure a good nights sleep for all.