I don't agree with keeping your puppy in a garage either, but I live in Seattle and it doesn't get THAT cold here.. the weather here is very similar to the weather in England, it isn't like the cold they get in the mid-west or over in the North-East. I haven't found the winters here any harsher than they were in Somerset, infact if anything sometimes I crave a gorgeous hard frost!!

However I also agree that if you are worried about cleaning up a mess, then you are not ready for a puppy!! or a dog, or a kid, or chickens

I would be concerned about risk of a fire from any kind of heat source left on when no one is home (aside from central heating). Your best bet will be to confine the pup to someplace inside the house. A kitchen, laundryroom, bathroom, etc. Also a pupsitter or friend or neighbor to come in sometime in the middle of your absence to take the pup out and play with it, love on it, will really help with socialization, house training and overall happiness.

The best thing would probably be to put newspaper down in the kitchen or bathroom and leave the puppy in there. A friend of mine has Dachshunds, and she has them trained to pee on some paper towels in a rabbit pan (the kind that goes in the bottom of a hutch).

[QUOTE=DexNjj;2386333]The best thing would probably be to put newspaper down in the kitchen or bathroom and leave the puppy in there. A friend of mine has Dachshunds, and she has them trained to pee on some paper towels in a rabbit pan (the kind that goes in the bottom of a hutch).[/QU

I think this is too easy.

[QUOTE=Deb/Pugglepup;2387676] The best option here would be to pass on a puppy until someone is home all day or he's toilet trained and can be left a while, i certainly wouldn't bea happy bunny if i found out a pup i'd sold was shut in a garage for a long period.

Can you not have someone to look after your pup if this arrangement is only for a couple of days per week
6 hours is a very long time to a puppy to be in a garage, plus I hope your garage has a window as far as the RSPCA here are concerned, although you have provided shelter it has to be light.
Who's feeding/watering/toilet traing the pup for the 6 hours too?

Sorry I have worked for the RSPCA here many moons back and I see this as not a suitable arrangement I rescue dogs too and would never dream of putting one in a garage whilst I went out......what wrong with indoors!

Do any of us think that Goat364 will come back to us?

I don't

I hope he hasn't already got the poor pup

Nope, he's obviously done a runner hasn't he, but let's hope at the very least, all these comments have given him some food for thought and he'll be going out to buy a crate for indoors!

no i reckon he has got the pup and chances are he won't have listened to any of our advice.