# Anyone leave their dogs alone while at work?



## dylano (Jul 6, 2012)

Ive got a 3 month old pup. Come september he will be 18 weeks old. I will start work which means i have to leave at 7.30am and be back by 5pm. I will only be working 3 or 4 days a week

The dog will not be crated but in my kitchen or another secure space. 
Someone will come in during the day to take him pee, play with him and feed him. 

In the morning he will get a mile walk and when i get back he will be played with (fetch ect) and taken for another mile walk 

I have a kong which i have started to use today, i have filled it up with his kipple and sealed the ends with peanut butter

My questions are;

1) what do you give your dogs to do while you are away
2) what do you fill their kongs with (if you use them)
3) how do you keep him buy and stimulated while away
4) do you have a thought about what he does while you are away (sleep ect)

thanks allot


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## marbury (Apr 3, 2012)

I'm kind of heartless, I guess... my kids all have an antler in their crate (if they're crated) or some sort of chew object if they're out. If I need to occupy a dog for a while as I bustle about I subtract whatever quantity of kibble fits in the Kong from their daily feeding allotment and seal it up nice and tight behind some crunchy peanut butter. Be sure to put some inside the 'rim' of the kong; that drives 'em nuts.

I also use one of those treat dispensing balls (Tricky Treat Ball™) for whomever is not crated. It's so funny watching young puppies when you first introduce the ball. They usually first try to just chew on it to get the food out. Then they figure out their own methods of extracting the kibble inside; most nose it around, some bat it with their paws; one of my more creative/industrious dogs picks it up, hangs it off the back of the couch, and drops it to the floor. Kibble pinata!

As for what they do... well, if they're spirited enough you can come home to a creative clutter.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

My dogs are home all day. When I have a pup I use my kitchen to confine durning the day too. Definately get out for that walk every morning. I try to make sure I don't leave anything my pup could choke on. I stick with large type balls, nylabone. Since you have someone stopping by I wouldn't even worry.
When my dogs are in the house all day they pretty much sleep all day.


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## gaia_bear (May 24, 2012)

My questions are;

1) what do you give your dogs to do while you are away
2) what do you fill their kongs with (if you use them)
3) how do you keep him buy and stimulated while away
4) do you have a thought about what he does while you are away (sleep ect)

I've been leaving Gaia home since I got her, I work 9-5 but try to come home at noon to let her out etc. 

What do I give her to do when I'm away? She has a chew toy and a toy that's left with her, one I know she can't destroy and choke on. I leave either the TV or the radio on so she hears voices etc.

I get creative with her kongs: peanut butter, bananas, kibble, yogurt. Her kong keeps her busy for the most part when I'm away. 

I was curious one day at work so I set up my webcam and kept checking in on her, she doesn't do much besides sleep and wonder around looking out the window, back to sleep. She saves all her energy up for me, she's a sweetheart like that


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## marbury (Apr 3, 2012)

Ooh, bananas? I'd never even thought of that!

It did remind me, though, you can put a frozen spoonful of coconut oil in the middle of the kong. Excellent for their coat/general health and a delicious little treat. If it gets a little warm it melts into the kibble and makes it nice and scrumptious.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

My boy is home alone when we're at work and school. About 6 hrs total. He's crated in my bedroom and only has a crate mat & a water bottle attached. No toys, collars are removed. He accepts his crate as down time, no entertainment and sleeps.


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## deldridge72 (Oct 25, 2011)

All six of my dogs are crated when I work or leave the premises or need to work outside when they cannot be with me-they may be crated up to 12 hours which I do not like but it happens sometimes-the up side is I work part-time and they are with me when I'm home whither its indoor or out-I no longer put anything in their crates-in one year I had three incidents of Foreign Object Obstructions-they have a bucket of water-otherwise they can sleep till I get home and that just what they do.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

All three of mine are out and about. I've stayed home in hopes to do things with them, but all they do is sleep during the day When the GSD was younger and in a crate, I put a nyla bone in there with her. She has been out of the crate since she was about 6 months. They are alone for periods no longer then 5 hours and they do fine on this schedule.


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## The Packman (Jan 31, 2011)

My Vet told me when left alone as you describe dylano, most K9s sleep it away.

BTW: I read in a book that playing a radio at a low level helps them relax.


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## iloveshepherds (Jul 10, 2012)

when Navajo was younger he was halfway crated...I put the crate so in front he had an area to do his business.....and then the crate itself had his food and bedding...
now, he has full use of the kitchen and dining room. and my other dog has the livingroom.
(dont mind the mess in the photo. LOL)


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

I usually have a bone in their crates. The chewing relaxes them and puts them to sleep. When its quiet in the house, the dogs just sleep. Even if I am home all day with them. If the kitchen idea doesnt work out, try using crate and an ex-pen attached to the front of the crate. Be careful with the frozen treats too though. You dont want to come home to diarrhea all over the place from upsetting the puppies tummy.


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## TimberGSD2 (Nov 8, 2011)

My younger two are crated while I am gone, Kya is left out. The younger two have a chew bone (antler, beef rib) or frozen carrot when I leave. We walk in the mornings before I leave and I come home for lunch every day and let them out and play in the yard with them. Then when I go back to work Milla gets a treat ball with various goodies in it to keep her mind busy. 

I've worked as long as I've had dogs and besides a couple of separation anxiety dogs when I did rescue everyone was comfortably crated/left out when older and I didn't have issues.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

I think that Ruger just sleeps all day. I try to come home during lunch to let him out for a few moments. Some times I can't make it home mid day. So far so good. I have never come home to a mess.


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## Sarri (Jul 23, 2012)

I have a 7 month old GSD, when we are asleep for the most part he is sleeping as well. I have spied on him during my lunch breaks and he is usually chewing on his stuff or tossing his toys around the den, which is where he stays when I'm at work. I leave him with plenty plenty of chew toys and kong filled treats. Someone always stops by to check on him or to let him out to take care of business. But I've still come home to a few surprise messes. It's a work in progress.


Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


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## Pattycakes (Sep 8, 2010)

Uschi was left alone while I was at work in her crate. I did go home twice during the day to let her out to potty and play and have a snack. When she got to be around 3-4 months old, I only went home at lunch to let her out. That last until she was almost a year old then I had her confined to the kitchen and little family room. She had a doggie door to go outside if she wanted too.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

1. i crated my pup with a bone or a chew toy.

2. i fill a kong with organic p-nut butter when it's dremel time.

3. i never gave much thought to keeping him stimulated
while we were away. my neighbor came in every 2 or 3 hours
to let him out and play with him.

4. i think they sleep a lot. set up a camera when your away.
that'll tell you the truth.



dylano said:


> My questions are;
> 
> 1) what do you give your dogs to do while you are away
> 2) what do you fill their kongs with (if you use them)
> ...


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I just crate my dogs and leave and they are just fine. It's not about the time I'm at work....

for me it's what my plan is when I get home. If I get the pup out of the crate and then do alot of exercise/training/socialization then my pups have no problem being good thru the night and during crating the next day.


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## Suka (Apr 9, 2004)

I am a dogwalker so have a lot of experience with this topic, besides my own dogs! When people have puppies, I go in twice per day and walk/play with the puppy. (The usual rule of thumb is to not leave a puppy more hours than he is months old + one). 

Most people leave a busy toy such as the ones described above in the morning, and they leave two stuffed kongs, or some such like that, in the freezer for me. So when I come in, I pick up the old morning toy and when I leave, I leave the puppy with a fresh stuffed busytoy from the freezer. Same with the afternoon walk- then when the puppy is down to one walk per day, I do this once. 

I have done the same with my own dogs and it works like a dream, bringing up pups. I would venture to say that "prevention is the best medicine" and this counts as one of those times. Better to start with this routine than wait until their is a problem. Of course, who's to say it's just the kong. I am a huge fan of "routine" for raising puppies (and newly adopted dogs). I think it makes them feel comfortable and more secure in every aspect of their life. More confident.

Now that my dogs are older, I just leave them a stuff toy now and then really. They really do just sleep while I'm gone.


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