8 weeks Work Day Daily Puppy Schedule

This is what works for me and it is generally what has been my experience. Of course, this gets shifted on daily basis depending on when I get home and what else is going on. Hope this helps serve as a good baseline/general idea!

Things to remember:

1. Puppies need LOTS of sleep so don't feel bad that you are gone at work -it's good for their health and growth!
2. A play pen with puppy bed and pee pads is your best friend! I think crating the dog for long hours is cruel, but that is just my opinion.  I like that my puppy can get up and move around and even pee on the pee pads while I'm gone.

Here's the daily schedule I follow when I'm working. I live about 15 minutes from work. If you have a long commute, you should not get a puppy!!

Work Day Daily Puppy Schedule

1.  5:00 am 
• Get up to potty, if restless play for 10 minutes and then back in the crate to sleep until 6:00 or 6:30am -whatever you can  get
2. 6:00 or 6:30 am 
• Wake up, go outside immediately for potty break
• Offer them some breakfast, might not eat it all
3. 6:30-6:45am
• Play inside or outside for a few minutes...toss around toys, play some tug, let them explore
4. 6:45 am
• Go outside to potty. 
• If your dog starts sniffing around on the ground or walking in circles, take them out immediately!
5. 6:45-7:00ish
• Vigorous play, walk around outside, maybe give them a few treats and ask for some sits
6. 7:00 am
• Put puppy in play pen with whatever they did not eat of their breakfast and water and pee pads and get yourself ready for work
7. 7:30am
• Take puppy out one last time
• Play with them a little more or let them mill around while you finish getting ready
8. 7:45 am
• Put on some relaxing music softly (I recommend Krishna Das Pandora radio station -no sudden loud sounds come on that one)
9. 7:45-12:00 pm--PUPPY NAP TIME
• Leave your office when you have to to make it home by noon
10. 12:00-12:45
• Take puppy outside immediately
• Offer them some lunch
• Play inside or outside (if playing inside, take them out about 10 minutes after they ate)
• After playing a good 15 mins or so and they have gone potty, let them mill around and make yourself some lunch. Maybe give them a treat bone or put some toys in the kitchen
• Potty one more time, then back in the play pen with more relaxing music, some toys, and back to work you go.
11. 12:00-5:00 pm-- PUPPY NAP TIME
12. 5:00-6:00pm
• Take puppy outside when you get home
• Offer them some dinner
• Play for about 5-10 minutes, then potty break outside
• More vigorous playing, a walkabout outside, or maybe let them play with your other dog if you have one
• Another potty break then put them in their playpen with whatever is left of dinner while you make yours
• Alternative: let them mill around in the kitchen while you make food if you trust them
13. 6:00-7:00-- PUPPY NAP/PLAYPEN TIME
• Make yourself some food and settle in for some netflix or TV to relax. The sound of the TV will relax the puppy
• Puppy can also sit with you while you watch something if they are still pretty awake
14.  7:00-8:30 pm
• Potty break
• Puppy out and about, playing, milling around -maybe you can cordon off your living room so you can read a book, watch TV and still supervise and play intermittently
15. 8:30-9:00pm --PUPPY in playpen while you shower, do dishes, whatever
16. 9:00-9:30pm
• Potty break then play with them some more to be tired for bed
• When it gets close to bedtime (either for you or for them, if you can tell they are tired) start calming down: turn down lights, do some relaxed breathing, no intense play or tug.
• You can even let the puppy naturally fall asleep next to you and then move them to their bed or crate
17. 12 am & 2am --Potty Breaks (First three-four days)
• Pick the puppy up. Don't talk to it.  Walk straight outside to the pee/poop spot and wait around for 5-10 minutes--LITERALLY--5-10 mins.  They need time to smell and hang out until they go to the bathroom. If they go, do lots of praise! Then back inside for bed again.
• Once you get to know your dog you can probably skip getting up at midnight and just do 2 am.