I am crate training a puppy. 2 days a wk Im gone 9 hours. Should she go in a closed off room (no crate) then?
Nine hours is a long time for a puppy (age?). The general rule of thumb is that a puppy should be expected to “hold it” for as many hours as he/she is months old. So a three month old puppy should be let out every three hours.
You don’t ever want the puppy to be in pain nor do you want them to be forced to soil their crate. There are several solutions for times that you’ll be gone from your home for extended period of time. You can either ask a neighbor to come in once or twice during those long days to let your puppy out or you can hire a pet sitter to do the same. Alternatively you can leave them in a room WITH her crate (door open) and an outlet for her potty needs (piddle pads, puppy litter, newspaper).
Good luck!
Rocco, 4 moth old puppy :Check out his training!