I had no clue what I was doing when I got Tobey- he was barely 8 wks old. You have to be mentally prepared to devote every second that you are home to caring for and training your puppy IMO. During the day he wasn't alone that long because my husband would be home in between college classes, but we did keep him either in the kitchen or in his crate because we were using the crate training method for potty training.
Today Tobey is about a year and 9 months and is perfectly fine. But those first weeks were hard because when they are out of the crate, you literally CAN'T take your eyes off them. One for safety, and two because if they start to potty you have to catch them and take them to the right place to potty.
IMO if you want a well trained adult dog, those first weeks you have them are SOOO critical because they are learning everything about the world. Read up on it. Like you need to make sure you socialize the pup and expose him to all kinds of noises, people, (safely), etc. And having a routine is also good. Like others have said, they are like human babies- routine give them a sense of security as they build that bond of trust and love with you.
Good Luck!!
__________________  Karena
Tobey's mommy  (otherwise known as "pumpkin pants"  ) |