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Originally Posted by RachelGenson  Well Ben is 15 weeks now, and he is crate trained while alone at the house and goes outside when we are home. I do not leave food and water in his crate because he always eats everything in the bowl in about 2 min so it wouldnt really matter if I put food in there while I was gone anyways and he only drinks his water when he eats...so to answer your question No I dont leave food or water in his crate while I am gone...and I think some people do the same thing as well. |
Frankly, I shocked at your reply. Who told you this was the best way? I think puppies need access to food and water at all times. Small dogs under 4 pounds can develop hypoglycemia, if they go too long a period without eating. Joey's breeder recommended free feeding until the age of 7 months. If you are leaving for long periods of time, where are they going to the bathroom? Do you expect a small puppy to hold it all day? Most puppies even have to get up during the night at least once, and at night bladder output is reduced making urination less frequent. Most people put their dogs in an x-pen with a crate or bed in it, water and food, and a pee pad. If you have no x-pen you can do the same thing in a bathroom. Water should be available all the time.