Choosing a “Safe” Place
Your pug is a member of your family and should spend his time indoors with you. When you're not there to supervise, however, you need a safe place he can stay where he won't be able to do much, if any, damage. A suitable safe place usually has a tile or linoleum floor, so it's easy to clean up potty accidents. It doesn't contain much furniture or anything else that can be chewed. Common choices for safe rooms are the kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room.
How long until my pug can stay alone in the house without being confined? Depends on the individual dog. Some pugs are trustworthy at an early age; others aren't ready to be left on their own until they're one or two years old — or sometimes ever.
If you choose a spot such as the kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom, use a baby gate to block the doorway. That way your pug can still see what's going on. A closed door will only encourage him to whine, bang, and even attempt to chew his way out. If you're concerned that your puppy will chew on cabinetry or base-boards in the room, put him inside a puppy playpen — also referred to as an x-pen — so he can't get to those areas.
A dog-proofed, temperature-controlled garage can also be a good place to let your pug stay unsupervised. Some people turn part of the garage into a dog room, complete with carpeted floor, crate, grooming table, bed, and toys. A dog door leading to the yard lets your pug play outside or potty when he wants.
