Quote Originally Posted by bckrazy
Awww, Woody. I mean... Fred. =(

But, honestly, I am kind of surprised that you didn't ask for advice. (At least, as far as I know.) There are ways to manage puppyhood, even with a busy life. There are places and ways to socialize with other dogs, without owning another. But I suppose it comes down to whether it is worth the trouble, to the individual.

Puppies can be demanding. Puppies do go through rebellious stages. Puppies do need mental & physical stimulation. No matter the breed. I can't figure out how any of that could be a mystery, to anyone.
It had nothing to do with whether it was worth the trouble. It had to do with working 12-14hr days and him being crated the entire time. There is no one available to take him out during the day, and doggie day care is not a financially feasible option. I tried to limit him to the kitchen, gating him in there, but that just seemed to negate the housebreaking that had been started.

Had I realized how much more he had to go with housebreaking, and that the crate training is really necessary, and if my part time job would be so erratic with it's days and times, and had it been June(when school is out and I don't have work every day) it would have been less problematic. Had I wanted to keep him crated and miserable for 12-14hrs a day, I could have sucked it up and done that. Would that have made him happy? No.

I grew up on a farm, and our dogs were NOT crate trained, so this was new to me, and I just can't justify doing it to a 3month old puppy for 12+ hrs a day without a break. If there was someone else there during the day, someone to break the monotony in the cage and let him out to run and all that, it would have been fine. I don't have that option.

So, being "worth the trouble" had nothing to do with it. Nor did the "oh, he's a puppy and challenging." I don't know how else to state what I've already stated without someone jumping to conclusions or stating a misconception.