Until Husband Comes Home From Iraq, Put Puppy On Hold

Dear Dog Lady,

My husband and I just adopted a seven-week-old Weimaraner puppy. He is
adorable of course but I am having anxiety about being a good puppy mom. I have done my research on this breed and know he needs tons of exercise and attention.

My husband just found out he is deploying for seven months to Iraq therefore leaving me a single puppy mom. I work nine hours a day far from home. I am fully prepared to take him to puppy kindergarten on the weekends and hire a dog walker for a midday break from the crate. But will this be enough? I’m terrified I am going to cause him separation anxiety and I feel so rotten leaving him locked up all day in his crate.

Should we return him to the breeder and wait for my husband to come home before purchasing another puppy?

Amanda, Commack, NY

Amanda, yes, return him to the breeder. People not puppies come first and Dog Lady understands when people are stretched to their limits. A puppy has needs you can't attend to right now. With your husband on duty in Iraq and your long work hours, your stresses will be many. You need to take care of yourself first. You should not feel an iota of guilt about bringing the dog back. You are behaving very responsibly.

Dog Lady, however, cannot say the same of the breeder who sold you this newborn. Puppies should not leave their natal pack until they are at least eight weeks old. Optimally, ten weeks is the golden age for a bowser bye-bye to the birth family. This Weimaraner puppy will grow up healthier because he is going back to the nest for more maturation. You are doing the right thing all the way around.

Amanda, when your husband returns from Iraq, it should be an ideal celebratory time -- and a life-affirming gift for you both -- to adopt a dog.

Posted by Dog Lady at September 1, 2007 09:50 AM