I don’t know how to leave my new rescue dog home alone
Hello,
I’m a longtime dog lover and sitter and first time owner. I rescued the sweetest 16 month old dachshund two weeks ago and he’s fantastic - very sweet and shockingly calm and quiet for his breed. Behaviorally he definitely still has some puppy habits: he is mostly housebroken but still has accidents from time to time and he chews on things if not supervised (we are working on both things and making good progress, but I’ve only had him a short time so they’re still concerns).
What I’m really struggling with is that I don’t know how to leave him home alone. We are working on crate training, but I’m scared I’m going to put him in there too long and create anxiety around the crate so we’re not making much progress. I cannot give him free rein to any rooms because of the chewing and potential accidents. As a result he hasn’t been home alone yet; he goes to a sitter when I’m at work and then is with me whenever I’m not there. Obviously, this is not sustainable but I am really unsure of what to do with him. Please help!
Also, please please pleads be kind. I’m new to this and trying my best!! I’m dedicated to training him but I need guidance on how to do it right.
Thank you!