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Dear Adam:

I absolutely loved your book and videos!

[To read about what she's referring to, take a look at this: http://www.dogproblems.com/newsecretsvideos.htm ]

My dog is seven months-old. He hasn't destroyed anything in the house in several months. Is he old enough to be left alone, unsupervised?

Thanks,
Kay

Dear Kay:

It's an issue of maturity.

At seven months, he's still too immature.

And he's still got his second teething phase to go through, which can be from 7 to 9 months of age.

I recommend waiting until the dog is between 1 and 1.5 years of age. If he's still a perfect gentleman, then start leaving him for short periods of time and gradually walk your way up to leaving him for longer periods.

My philosophy is: If you want the perfect dog, why take unnecessary risks? Because if you let him learn he can destroy something in the house and get away with it, then you've undone months of work.

But if you do it right the first time, he'll be a joy for the next 15 years. Which is not to say that he won't if he makes a mistake, but what's the point in rushing the process? The dog is still young.

In this case, it's a lot like a child. At 13 years old, a child MAY be mature enough to be left home alone for a weekend. But more than likely, you're asking for parties, sex, alcohol, poor decisions... you name it. So, you instinctively know to wait until the child is a little older and a little more mature. It's the same with dogs.