# Better to leave in crate or outside doghouse?



## amandagood (Aug 25, 2008)

Hello all, I have a 10 month old German Shepherd. She was crate trained when we first got her and soon stopped having accidents in the house. We started letting her run loose in the hosue while we were gone all day at work but she now chews up my trim and my stairs. She is tearing the bottom of our stairs to shreads, literally! My solution is to leave her in the cage while we are gone or leave her outside. We have a doghouse for her. I was wondering which would be better considering weather conditions, etc. How hot is too hot, how cold is too cold. How long can she stay outside alone and it be ok? I am a first time dog owner so I'm not sure what is best for her. Thanks alot!


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

Leaving a dog outside on her own is not a good idea. She may do a houdini on you and go over the fence, and there have been enough incidents of stolen dogs on this board, or (harm done to dogs) that leaving her outside should be considered a high risk untaking in terms of your dog's safety.

She should be fine crated indoors during the day.


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

10 MONTHS OLD is to young to have so much freedom trust me I did the same thing. Leave her in her crate in the house while no one is home.
Brady wasn't allowed be to out of his crate while we weren't home until he was 18 months. But all dogs are different


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## acurajane (May 21, 2008)

If she has been in a crate before then she should be fine. That takes away the stresses of the weather questions. But do expect a pup who is full of energy. So exercise,exercise,exercise.


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

great advice!!


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## sprzybyl (May 15, 2008)

For her safety, we are going to crate our pup when we are gone until ATLEAST 12 months. She spends nights loose in the house but she is in the room that I sleep in and everything chewable or dangerous are picked up and put out of reach (ie behind closed doors!) 

I cannot stress enough the benefits of exercise! Before we leave for work we walk her for atleast 30 min (usually 45 to an hour) and leave her all sorts of interesting things to chew (nylabone). We spend after work time playing and walking and doing all the good puppy things. 

If you are really worried, have someone come by and walk her or just let her out of her crate for a bit during the day (if you can). Even a few times a week may help. (my fiance's dad stops by on occassion when he's doing work in the area and lets her stretch her legs)


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

I'm all for crating. My dogs love their crates and I love knowing they're safe when I'm gone. I'm not however, for leaving the dog outside while you're gone. I've had 2 dogs stolen from me because of that. =/


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## amandagood (Aug 25, 2008)

Thanks everyone. I have a six foot privacy fence so I don't see her jumping it.. She is a very smart dog.. I can leave the gate open and she won't come out unless I call her, she won't come out of the front door either unless she is on her leash. 
I feel bad leaving her in the cage all day because she is soooo full of energy. 
But the general vote is that leaving her inside, in the cage, is better?


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## Lisa40 (Jan 10, 2006)

I agree that the crate is the safest place. I also kept our male in the crate up to about 18 months until I could trust him to have free roam of the house while we were away. My shepherd is 3 years old now and we do not allow him to be outside when we are away from the house. Too many things can happen, especially with a 10-month old and bad habits could form, like digging, eating rocks, dirt grass, excessive barking and if you live in a neighborhood there is always the chance that kids could torment her when you are not home, or she could get loose and into even more trouble. All my shepherds have loved their crate and I never worried about them. If you feel bad about leaving her in the crate for too many hours then maybe you could have a neighbor, friend, or dog walker come to your house and take her out for a break. 

Lisa


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## tracyc (Feb 23, 2005)

yes. Inside in the crate is better. 

She will sleep all day while you are gone. The crate is not a prision. It's her den. 

I think we sometimes have this vision of a dog outdoors playing happily in the sunshine, running, enjoying herself. But a dog left alone outdoors doesn't behave that way. They don't "play" by themselves. She will just be frustrated at things on the other side of the fence, or become destructive, or be at a higher risk of weather or injury (or worse) left alone in a fenced yard. Or, more likely, she'll just lay in the yard and sleep. Which she could do inside in air-conditioned comfort, listening to the radio.


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## amandagood (Aug 25, 2008)

That makes sense.. The reason I feel bad about it though is because I keep her crated at night while we sleep, so she sleeps all night, then she is out for about 1 1/2 hours in the morning while i'm getting ready to for work, and then back in it for another 7 hours. Just so much crate time in my opinion. But I guess until she gets over her chewwing stage that is what will have to happen.

Thansk everyone for the great advice.


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## tracyc (Feb 23, 2005)

Dogs sleep alot, whether they are in a crate or not. It'll just be up to you to make her life outside the crate interesting and active. 

How about letting her sleep on the floor of your bedroom, outside the crate? (with the bedroom door closed.) Do you think she's ready for a little freedom at night?


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

If you want to give her more freedom at night, you might try a harness tethered to you bed post.

Also, is there one room you can 'dog proof' for her in the day?

Outside is iffy to me - I'd rather leave my dog inside even if it means crate.


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## lizziebo (Jun 26, 2008)

I also was wondering if there is one room where you could leave her. I used to leave mine in the kitchen. That way I didn't have to worry about "accidents" or her chewing up the furniture. One day I did come home to find the a/c vent pulled out of the wall, but she only did that once!!

Now, I'm really surprised that so few people leave their dogs out in the yard. I didn't do it with mine when she was a puppy because I was afraid that someone might steal her. But now that she's an adult, I would leave her in the yard more except that she barks too much. But with a 6-foot fence and if my dog was not a barker and not a puppy, I personally wouldn't have a problem with leaving her outside.


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## Sean Rescue Mom (Jan 24, 2004)

I am in complete agreement w/crating her indoors also. Another danger with leaving a dog in the yard is what happened to one of our neighbors, i.e. a utility worker came in the yard and left the gate open. Needless to say their dog escaped.







No matter how much you try to protect your dog even with a 6 ft. privacy fence there are times when things happen that are out of your control.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Crate her!

Crate training isn't just about housebreaking. It's about giving them time to learn their manners and get out of that chewing puppy stage easily. Without you losing anything.

So my pups are crated until they 'earn' their way out. I start with only short amounts of time out of the crate when I leave the house, and if they are fine with that, lenghten the amount of time. And if they are NOT then I keep them crated and try again in a month or so.

My Lab had to be crated for YEARS!!! Both my GSD's were out by around 6 months. Every dog is different, and it's fine whatever length of time it takes. 

I only wanted them out of the crate for me. So I could get it packed away and the floor space back. My dogs all LOVED the crate and still do!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Back yard is a terrible idea if you do not build a kennel for her. The privacy fence is nice, but no match for a bored GSD. A large back yard can be dangerous to a puppy. There are often poisonous plants, and when the dog gets tired of digging holes in the yard, he may start excersizing his teeth on your house. With all the paints, and stains etc, I can see the possibility of a sick dog. 

Dogs eat grass, and barf. Most of the time they will not graze too much but you never know. If you treat your lawn with any products, this can be a serious problem. 

Outside is fine weatherwise. But you have to provide shelter. A dog house is fine in the winter. Shade is necessary in the summer. If the dog has a shady spot to go to and a water bucket he cannot tip, then there is no reason why the dog would not be able to manage hot summer days. Remember, some of these dogs are working in Irak in 130 degree temperatures. 

If you are feeling guilty that your dog is crated too much, then it probably is. Do you have a basement? Have you considered putting an x-pen in your basement? 

I leave dogs loose in my bedroom at night when I am sleeping, is this a possibility? 

Wake up early and play fetch with the dog or take the dog for a walk in the morning before work. Again, when you come home, give the dog some quality time that excersizes the mind as well as the body. Then keep the pup out of the crate the rest of the evening. Then have him settle for the night. 

You can use a different type of crate for the night if you must crate. A crate with a comfy dog bed in it, right next to your bed is a possibility. The dog should not be crated all night away from you -- in another room from you in my opinion. 

Is there a dog walking service that can take him out and walk him during the day? Have you concidered doggy day care? Many of us could not afford that, but it is an option if you can. 

Whatever you do, do not be so concerned about being cruel to your dog that you get your dog seriously injured or sick. Leaving an untrained puppy loose in a house for hours on end can be a disaster, and not to your stuff, but to your puppy. 

My ultimate choice would be to take the puppy to work with me. 

My first runner up would be to put up a large, escape proof kennel with proper shading, in the back yard. $$$$

My second runner up would be to set up an x-penned area in your basement where it will be easy to clean, and easy to keep safe for your pup. $. 

Next would be a dog walker.


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