The most important part of a new puppy check-list is making sure they have a safe and comfortable place 
to live. If you are living by yourself and you get a puppy, life can be difficult at first till they are a few months old. This may be your situation especially if you don’t have anyone to pop in and check on them. The best ways to handle the first few months of their life are to prepare a puppy home out of your bathroom, getting wee wee pads or a puppy pen. If you only have one bathroom this may be not an option for you but there may be other rooms like the pantry. Keeping your puppy in a crate is not feasible during this stage of their life. An eight week old puppy will spoil the crate by the time you return from work and it isn’t healthy for them to be in such a situation. It is also best not to let them sleep where they eliminate so that they do not get used to living like that. Another alternative is to pay someone to look after them like a pet sitter, it is quite easy to find a pet sitter in this day and age. For more information on getting a pet sitter for your puppy be sure to read my article “Finding a dog sitter in your area“.
Leaving Puppy Home Alone? Prepare a Puppy Home
So you got a new puppy and you wish to know how to prepare a puppy home. Keeping your puppy in a crate is not always feasible. An eight week old puppy will spoil the crate, if you are at work or even over night. It is also best not to let them sleep where they eliminate so that they aren’t used to a life like that. Dogs are naturally clean animals and they do not like to eliminate where they sleep and eat unless they have no choice. One option is to get a large enough crate so they can sleep at one end of the crate even then you should get the Wee Wee pads. If you don’t have a large dog, you may not want to spent the money on a huge crate when you don’t really need it. In that case, you can try my method to keep your puppy happy and clean.
Leaving Puppy Home Alone? Creating a Living Space
You can get creative and prepare a puppy home out of your bathroom. If you only have one bathroom this may be not an option for you but there may be other rooms like the pantry. You can also section out an area in your home and gate it using Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru Gate. Another great idea is to purchase a puppy pen such as the IRIS containment pen.
This containment pen will keep you puppy safe and it provides convenience for you as you don’t have to resort more difficult methods. This IRIS containment pen provides an easy assembly and can be placed anywhere in your home.
When you prepare a puppy home make sure there are no harmful things around, remove the garbage out of your bathroom, close the lid on the toilet, close the door to the shower. If you are using the pantry make sure there is no ant traps or any poisonous objects or substances are around. Clean the pantry or bathroom floor and wipe it down with warm water. Trim your puppy’s nails so they don’t scratch up anything.
Prepare a puppy home, The layout
At one end of the bathroom prepare a comfy bed for them and at the opposite end lay down a towel for them to eliminate. You can spray the towel with Wee Wee House Breaking Aid so they can pick up the smell and eliminate in that spot. At a corner close to their bed put food and water, be sure to use stainless steel bowls with some sort of bottom grip at the bottom so they can’t knock it over. Do not use plastic as they can chew on them, puppies have sharper teeth than you may imagine. You can throw in a raw hard bone for teething puppies, do not use cooked bones as they can splinter and hurt the puppy.
When you are away at work or something you do not have to worry about their well being as they have room to run around, food to eat, water to drink and toys to play with. You do not have to come home to a big mess either as your puppy will eliminate in the spot you sprayed in and it will be easy clean up for you. This method helps a lot as you do not have to shower your puppy every day as they are not laying on their poop.
Personal Thoughts
The bathroom sectioning method has worked well for me with my own puppy. Eventually your puppy will be able to hold in their bowel movements longer and you can transfer him or her over to a crate. By the time your puppy is 8 months old they will be able to hold it in just over 8 hours. Getting a puppy play pen is always useful as you can sell it after your puppy is grown. You can also try other methods like getting a Wee Wee pad if you are planning on keeping your puppy in his or her crate. If you think the Wee Wee pads are more suitable for your situation, you can purchase them below.
Your article is nice and very helpful for all new pet owners. Thanks for sharing your personal experiences with us. We really need to make sure that the puppy’s home is safe for them to live in. It should be comfortable for the puppy.