Alternative to Kennel?

This is all normal puppy behavior, including the chewing up of paper products such as pee pads. Keeping puppy in a crate is probably your best option until he matures more, can wait longer between bathroom trips (depending on his age-which correlates with how long he can wait to eliminate, you may have to get up middle of the night and lead him over to where you want him to do his business), and learns house rules/manners. Really it's best if you can help him burn off some energy during the day/evening. You may need to enlist the help of a sitter who can do drop in visits, private walks (if it's safe for puppy at his age), or sitting and communicate all of your needs. This link may help: https://www.petcha.com/teach-puppy-sl...

Hi Erica!

Having a very regular sleep and exercise routine will strongly benefit the health and overall obedience of your pup. To help puppers with ample energy at night, I would try to build more exercise into his schedule in the morning before you leave for work and in the evening when you return. Depending on the age and breed of your dog, this might mean taking a long walk in the morning and 30 minutes of rigorously playing fetch at your local dog park in the evening!

For developing a daily exercise routine, if it is inconvenient to travel to a dog park each day, consider playing indoor games such as 'find the hidden toy' or using their meal time to structure 15 minutes of basic training into their schedule! Be creative (and patient) to find a stimulating activity that your dog enjoys and also tires them out so that they sleep soundly through the night!

I hope this helps!

Best Wishes,

Danny W.

I used a puppy play pen and it was great! The key is to go to Home Depot or similar store and buy a long sheet(s) of vinyl to put underneath the pen. That way if they use the bathroom it isn't a problem at all, you just wipe it up and your floor is spared. This combination of pen + vinyl is great for brining your puppy to visit family and friends. You don't have to worry about your pup using the bathroom on someone else's floor or scratching / biting the ground or furniture.