# What do you do when you work and your dogs are home alone?



## sheep (Dec 2, 2011)

Hi guys, we (me and my partner) have a GSD mix pup with 9 months old, and due to work, we have to leave him home in the kitchen for around 10 hours per day during weekdays. He seems to be fine, he barks if he hears other dogs or strange noises outside the apartment, but nothing serious. We leave him some chew bones and toys, although I feel that he might be bored sometimes. Also, he's walked at least 3 times per day.

Before adopting him, we already gave up about the idea of having dogs due to our lifestyle, but then we decided to adopt him. We thought that he would be fine and could be left at home with all the freedom, but then he became destructive so we had to restrict his freedom (we are hoping that he will grow out of it, as some more experienced owners said).

We were told that big dogs can sleep a lot, and during weekends he would seem sleepy during the day, which makes me wonder if it's coz he sleeps most of the time during the day during weekday.
But well, I wanted to hear about other people that are also in a similar situation, and what do you guys do and leave (toys and chew stuffs) for your dogs to entertain themselves?


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

My boy is crated up 6-7 hrs while we are at work & school.

He's in a crate that only has a mat & a water bottle attached to the outside. I personally don't give toys or anything for him to entertain himself with because I want him to accept downtime & chill out, which he does.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

10 hours a day is a long time without a potty break. When I have to leave my dogs in for the day I try not to leave them longer than 9 hours. My yougest is confined to the kitchen & the 2 older dogs usually stay in the sunroom.


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

Sounds like he's bored.... so he's finding ways to amuse himself.

My dogs are crated for 5-8hrs while I'm at work. I've had them in there up to 10hrs before (had no choice). They are both fine. They don't have anything in their kennel currently (they ripped everything up that we put in there.... so now they are on a "time out" from their beds, blankets, and everything else we attempted to give them). We don't give toys in there, I am a paranoid owner and don't like leaving them alone with any type of toy.

They sleep. Never had an issue. Though, we get them out a lot. They go on walks/jogs, we go to the little park here and outdoor shopping mall/petsmart for some socialization (they love it!), we take them everywhere we can. We also let them run it out after work in the back yard. They have too much energy at that point, to be inside.

Our dogs are destructive if left by themselves for any longer then an hour.... thus, they are crated. Boredom can cause a LOT of bad habits with dogs....


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## PupperLove (Apr 10, 2010)

Jackson is crated when we're away. When he gets bored he tends to chew and is known for pooping out crayons, foam darts, etc. in the past so we KNOW he will swallow whatever it is he chews. It's just safest for him to be crated. Usually 6 hours tops at a time. He does completley fine in his crate and sleeps most of the time. I don't leave toys just for the reason of him swallowing items in the past. He gets playtime when we're home and does fine that way.


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## sheep (Dec 2, 2011)

Guys thanks for sharing!  I also have a crate that is metal bars of 48", although I don't want to leave him crated for so long. We are moving to a new apartment soon, in which we will have a big patio, so that we are planning to leave him there during day time during weekday (better than a closed kitchen I guess), if he does good there.

Currently, he doesn't have much anxiety issues, but he might be bored for so many hours alone. Unfortunately, where we live doesn't have dog parks, or else he could go there during every walk (running with other dogs is the best to drain his energy  ). He does run with some neighbor dogs sometimes, although we will be moving out so it's a pity...

About house breaking, he seems to be catching up and able to hold it fine, although sometimes he might still pee at home. I've heard that adult dogs can be fine with 2 daily walks for pee/poo, although of course we still prefer 3 daily walks since it's already not very fair for him.

But well, are your dogs calm usually, or are they very active? My pup is very active when being with us, if he has enough exercise like running with other dogs, then he would just be fine with chewing his chew bones, but if he gets bored he would start finding something else to destroy... He is always finding something to do no matter what!


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

Jazz was confined to the kitchen until he was 8 months old and discovered he could just barrel through the baby gate and destroy my stuff. He's 2.5 years old now and still crated. We tested him out for 1 hour on the weekend a few weeks back and he destroyed a few dvd's and a Tupperware container. This is after he had been walked off-leash for a hour in the field behind our apartment where he raced around and played with my other dog . So Jazz is crated for slightly over 8 hours a day while Bunny has free reign of the apartment.


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## Jazmeena (Feb 9, 2012)

Our Angel is almost 5 months old - we do not crate her when we are gone, but she stays in the bathroom. We have a "gate" to close off the door way - and her old crate (outgrown but we took the door off) is in there, along with her toys and usually a bully stick. We do come home for lunch to let her out and to play about 15 mins or so and probably in the next month or so, we will move her to one of the bedrooms (puppyproofed of course) to start seeing how she does - eventually we hope we can give her free reign of the house when we are gone. I know she spends most of her time sleeping, but does play some because most of her toys are outside the gate in the hallway!!

She has had no issues with chewing up any of her toys so I am really not afraid of her eating them and I like that she has some room to play a bit instead of being in a crate the whole time. When we get home - she is FULL of energy and we spend most of our time (when not at work) outside playing ball, sometimes even in the rain! On the weekends - most of the day is outside playing with her, she usually only takes about a 30 min to maybe an hour nap during the day on weekends and thats only when we crate her and make her rest!!


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

sheep said:


> But well, are your dogs calm usually, or are they very active? My pup is very active when being with us, if he has enough exercise like running with other dogs, then he would just be fine with chewing his chew bones, but if he gets bored he would start finding something else to destroy... He is always finding something to do no matter what!


We physically exercise our boy but balance that with mental exercise as well. I really enjoy training & look forward to going to class or training at home, I see public outings as a training opprotunity as well.

One thing that I really like about our boy is he _will_ calm down nicely & chill if the family is but also needs that outlet to use his noggin and work his powerful GSD body


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## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

I would not recommend leaving him in the patio, especially if the wall/fence is low and you are moving into a downstairs unit. They can jump pretty high if they decide to jump the wall. 

My 11 month old GSD is crated while I'm at work because he is a naughtypants if I'm gone longer then an hour. Three days out of the week I work 9 hour days so I'm gone for 10 hrs, though I do come home during my lunch hour and take them out for a quick break. 

My little one is usually given free reign because she's not destructive, but lately she's decided she doesn't need to wait for me to come home to potty. Now I leave her loose in the morning and crate her after I come home from lunch.


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

My 1 yr old is crated while we are at work. Her mother is almost 6 yrs old and has had the run of the house since she was just under 1 yr old. They are fine being confined. I worry about them hurting themselves or ingesting something that could harm them if left the run of the house.

You say you are moving to a place with a patio. How is that set up? Is it all concrete(or perhaps pavers of some type)? Think boredum and digging holes. I had friends that had a porch on the second floor off their bedroom. It also had a sliding glass door. They put a crate on the inside, dog door in the slider, and a dog litter box on the porch (it was a covered porch). Worked quite well for those longer days. 

I give my dogs marrow bones in their crates. Gives them something to chew on when bored. I also created a habit for them to go for a bone to chew instead of something inappropriate.


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

Ours are very active dogs. Always on the go. Occasionally they will sleep nicely for us while watching a movie or show.... but most of the time they run around with their toys or play in the corner of the living room. We put them outside sometimes to run it out, which helps.

Shepherds are not supposed to be couch potatoes, so most aren't. Expect him to be FULL of energy, even after puppy-hood. 

When Zira was a puppy, we were advised to try more walks with her through out the day to calm her inside and stop her destructive side..... ever since then, we walk ours 1-2 times a day, and both are very well behaved indoors, and we have no reports of missing/destroyed items.

Maybe try more walks? Or work his mind with 10-15min training sessions during the day.... or a toy with treats in it? Kongs filled with peanut butter and kibble (freeze overnight) worked fantastic for Zira when she was a pup!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

I am gone for about 10 hours a day during the week. Titan, my 2 y/o GSD is INSANELY active when we are around. Wants nothing more than you play play play. He can run forever if I had the energy to keep up with him. I walk him in the morning and evenings with playtime/obedience included in the evening. During my work day he has the run of the house. Has since he was 1 y/o. Up until the point where I could 100% trust him, he was crated. Athena, my 5 month old Boerboel is crated all day. She is perfectly content in her crate with a marrow bone. If I should be longer or think that they need some extra lovin while I'm out, my neighbor will come over and play with them.

They both do not get free access to toys, ever. I had a lot of trouble with Titan having access because if there was a toy.. he wanted to play. If he could see it, he wanted to play.. and would bring you all his toys or pace around or chase his tail until someone played with him. Now that I have restricted that he is calm in the house. Has no issue with laying down in his crate or upstairs chewing on a bone. Athena isn't as high energy as Titan so she is generally pretty lazy inside the house. Both of them outside, is a whole other story 

I would suggest crating yours while you are away. He will do just fine. Give him a bone while you are out for him to chew and play a lot with him when you come home. He will earn that it's time to be calm and relaxed in there and if he gets bored.. chew his bone.


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## sabledog (Mar 13, 2012)

Maybe I'm missing something. Why do you need a dog park to drain your dogs energy? Why do you need other dogs at all? You and a ball aren't good enough?

Danni is crated when I'm not home, and when I sleep, and if we have guests over. It's safer for her, and better in general. I train her in IPO, which burns a lot of physical and mental energy itself, but when I'm not working on IPO stuff we're hiking or playing ball at the park.

I actually don't allow my dogs to meet other dogs.

Also, I should add that three walks a day would not cut it for my dog. It would probably have to be three ten mile runs. My dog would never be calm in the house if I didn't teach her how to act. She would also destroy everything. Dogs get bored. Active ones get bored faster. It's generally not something they grow out of.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

sabledog said:


> Also, I should add that three walks a day would not cut it for my dog. It would probably have to be three ten mile runs. My dog would never be calm in the house if I didn't teach her how to act. She would also destroy everything. Dogs get bored. Active ones get bored faster. It's generally not something they grow out of.


I agree with that. For high energy dogs, it's something that needs to be trained into them. There is a time and place for calm behavior. I trained mine with toy restriction as stated, but I'm sure there are other ways to do it. It is going to be a long while, if ever, where Titan is naturally calm and I suspect it will be when he is much much older.


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## Discoetheque (Nov 2, 2011)

My work shifts rarely go longer than eight hours. Average time is five to six with one or two eight-hour shifts a week. Both of my dogs are fairly active with excellent on/off switches and house manners.
During that time, my older GSD is crated with a Nylabone and a stuffy toy. She's crated because she tends to like to open cabinets and root through them, as well as investigating trash cans. She only does this when she thinks no one is home. My younger GSD is left with the run of the house. If the shift is a closing shift, I walk them and exercise them BEFORE I go. If it is an opening shift, then they play outside for about 20 minutes before they come in to eat, then they get another few minutes to play and eliminate before I leave, and we exercise when I get back home.

For my younger dog, there's an assortment of chewy toys and her favorite stuffies scattered around the house, though I suspect that when I leave, she takes all the toys from each room and piles them either by the front door or in the back room, and then sits with her hoard until someone gets home because I always come home to a mound of toys someplace in the house.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

sabledog said:


> Maybe I'm missing something. Why do you need a dog park to drain your dogs energy? Why do you need other dogs at all? You and a ball aren't good enough?


Dogs parks aren't just for meeting other dogs, it's for off leash time. Most of us don't have backyards that are big enough to throw a ball as far as we can, let alone big enough to be able to use a chuck it or a hyperdog ball launcher. And most of us don't have pools or lakes for our dogs to swim in, or vast stretches of hiking and biking trails in our backyards either. Some people don't even have backyards so their dogs get zero off leash time if they have leash laws in their area. The dog park I go to is 150 acres, so the other dogs at the dog park are the last reason I go to dog parks. There's just so much to do there with my dog that I could never accomplish in my backyard or with my dog on a leash.


My dog stays outside in the backyard when I'm gone. He mostly sunbathes on the porch or plays with his toys.


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## ShatteringGlass (Jun 1, 2006)

My Dals stay in the basement with open crates, with a dog door to the fenced in yard. When it's nice out, they like to sun bathe on the deck.

The GSD I'm taking care of is crated, I leave a bone, a ball, or a kong in there for her. She's also got a nice thick bed in there, she doesn't shred or chew it, she's VERY good in the crate.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

My two older ones are not crated and the puppy is while I'm at work. They go out 5 times a day and I do some kind of training with all of them every night. Once the puppy can be trusted, she will also be out of the crate. The only thing I don't trust her with is in the potty area. She is not a chewer and she doesn't destroy anything. She has 1 nyla bone in her crate, but she rarely plays with it. All three of them are out of the crate at night and sleep with me. They play well with each other, but when I'm ready to relax they all calm down and relax with me


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## sabledog (Mar 13, 2012)

Syaoransbear said:


> Dogs parks aren't just for meeting other dogs, it's for off leash time. Most of us don't have backyards that are big enough to throw a ball as far as we can, let alone big enough to be able to use a chuck it or a hyperdog ball launcher. And most of us don't have pools or lakes for our dogs to swim in, or vast stretches of hiking and biking trails in our backyards either. Some people don't even have backyards so their dogs get zero off leash time if they have leash laws in their area. The dog park I go to is 150 acres, so the other dogs at the dog park are the last reason I go to dog parks. There's just so much to do there with my dog that I could never accomplish in my backyard or with my dog on a leash.
> 
> 
> My dog stays outside in the backyard when I'm gone. He mostly sunbathes on the porch or plays with his toys.


I don't have any of that either. I put my dog on a long line and go to the nearest park I can find. I drive about an hour (sometimes more) for most of my tracking and protection training. 

A 150 acre anything is completely unheard of where I live. I'm in So Cal and I don't even think our beaches are that big, lol You might find 150 acres of city, maybe...

I guess I just accomplish draining my dog on leash, unless I drive the distance to do otherwise. And I work two jobs six days a week. It's a sacrifice but I love doing it.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

sabledog said:


> I don't have any of that either. I put my dog on a long line and go to the nearest park I can find. I drive about an hour (sometimes more) for most of my tracking and protection training.
> 
> A 150 acre anything is completely unheard of where I live. I'm in So Cal and I don't even think our beaches are that big, lol You might find 150 acres of city, maybe...
> 
> I guess I just accomplish draining my dog on leash, unless I drive the distance to do otherwise. And I work two jobs six days a week. It's a sacrifice but I love doing it.


In my city anything longer than a 6' leash is illegal because it's considered not being in full control of your dog, so that wouldn't work here :shrug:. The best leashed exercise you can really accomplish is biking or roll skating, and trying that 8 out of 12 months of the year would be impossible or just suicide .

Right now the dog parks are flooded from the river, so I've been trying to jog with my dog. I'm pretty much blacking out after like a minute and a half haha.


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

sheep said:


> I've heard that adult dogs can be fine with 2 daily walks for pee/poo, although of course we still prefer 3 daily walks since it's already not very fair for him.


10hrs a day everyday is a long time. I have a cousin who left her dogs like that every day for years, and now her oldest is incontinent. So, just something to think about. Even if you could just run home for lunch and let him out to potty and then leave again it would be better. 

2 walks a day might be fine, it depends on your dog. Going out twice a day to potty (which is how I'm reading this, but correct me if I'm wrong) is not really sufficient IMO. My girl is 2 years old and I try to let her out about every 4hrs or so. She could hold it longer, and has on occasion, but I try not to put too much strain on her body.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

I come home at lunch to let the dogs out. Not easy, since I work 20+ minutes away and I only get an hour for lunch, but I've done it since last summer. My two older dogs can handle it, as they're not crated, but I have two that are crated and are younger, and they need to stretch their legs, potty and so on... so I make that drive twice per week. (The other two days bf goes to work late, so they're crated about six hours until I get home.) Takes dedication and a game plan, for sure.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I have two crates in the house for the dogs.

Stark gets free roam of the apartment, except one room which is blocked by a baby gate for the cats (houses the kitty litter, water dishes and some hard food - they are fed raw as well).

Zefra stays in her crate with some toys. I have steel water dishes in each crate (attached to the side) and Zefra gets a bed in there when it's cold. She would rather sleep on the cooler side anyways.

They are left along anywhere from 5-9 hours. My sister is in University and works part time so is always coming and going and takes care of the dogs for me when I am at work during the day.


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## Falkosmom (Jul 27, 2011)

sheep said:


> I've heard that adult dogs can be fine with 2 daily walks for pee/poo, although of course we still prefer 3 daily walks since it's already not very fair for him.


Two times a day potty breaks seem a bit inhumane to me. How many times a day do you take a potty break? I would think at least four breaks would be a minimum.



sabledog said:


> Maybe I'm missing something. Why do you need a dog park to drain your dogs energy? Why do you need other dogs at all? You and a ball aren't good enough?


Throw a ball? LOL! I am the poster girl for the stereotype of a girl that can't throw a ball. I think my dogs play ball with me only out of love, pity and guilt. It surely can't be fun for them, and it certainly does not require room to run, only a small closet. So, yes, playing with other dogs is the favored method of exercise.

And just wanted to say your Danni looks remarkably like my Tybor. I can't help but wonder if they are related.

Back on topic, my old male has free run of the house when I work, has so since he was about 10 months. My 10 month pup has free run of the cellar since about 9 months, no incidents.


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## wolfspirit (Dec 10, 2009)

It's funny how crating seems to be a cultural thing, it certainly seems more popular in the US than the UK for long term use...

My dogs have free run of the house and never have any problems. I always make sure they are tired before being left though.


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## margie (Mar 26, 2012)

:gsdbeggin:My girls get to run free on a farm across from us several times a day and then i walk them and then we have a 30 by 14 ft. deck that they can be on we gated it and they have their outdoor beds and their crates inside ,i never close the doors on the crates .And we live on a salt water lake so swimming everyday in the summer is also available to my lab hope my new shepherd will like the water .But Iam lucky we are retired so the dogs are always with us .Good luck and i hope you can get your dog out more .even long walks or play in the hallway .They need to drain their energy.


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## sabledog (Mar 13, 2012)

Lol, Danni is a horrible jogging partner. So I feel your pain. If we go at my pace, I'm running, and she's wondering why we're walking so fast. And I can't go at her pace, because that would be similar to flying. I'm too afraid to try her on a bike.

Falkosmom, what's Tybor's pedigree? I'd love to see any relation. I find genetics remarkably entertaining.


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## sheep (Dec 2, 2011)

We take our dog to potty 3 times a day during weekdays, but it's difficult to do more than that since we have to work.

Both me and my partner aren't very athletic, if we run along with him, we will get tired before he even gets warmed up lol.  Also, playing ball doesn't seem to tire him enough. On the other hand, having him running with our neighbors' dogs have been tiring him well, I guess that only other dogs can keep up with him! That is why a dog park would be great.


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## chadmonger (Jul 28, 2011)

I blocked off part of my unfinished basement for my two dogs (One GSD on non GSD). They have toys, bones, a mattress, and blankets in there. The room is about 13feet x 13 feet and they love it down there. I am gone for 13 hours a day, four days a week. The dogs are left alone in the basement for about 9 hours Monday - Thursday. My younger dog (13 week old GSD) will poop in the basement during that time but in the corner so it is not too bad. The older (9 month old) dog can hold it for the entire time. I wish they did not have to locked up for so long but they seem to be happy and I am glad that they have each other to play with all day.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

wolfspirit said:


> It's funny how crating seems to be a cultural thing, it certainly seems more popular in the US than the UK for long term use...
> 
> My dogs have free run of the house and never have any problems. I always make sure they are tired before being left though.


Not all parts of the US.  My dogs have free run of house and pen. Currently with a puppy they have the spa room and pen but not the full house because there are to many tempting objects for a teething puppy, however he is already learning and hopefully in another few months we will be able to give him full access. We have 2 1/2 acres fenced and I wear them out running them around the yard and chasing a ball before I leave. When my husband gets home he runs them around and plays with them again. Between the two of us we are only gone 5-6 hours 4 days a week. BTW I also leave toys and marrow bones to keep them busy when we are not home.


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## LaneyB (Feb 5, 2012)

My 9-year-old lab has run of the house when I am at work. The new puppy will be coming in June, and my daughter will be home with him during the day until September. Once September comes he will be in his crate while I am at work and she is at school. He will be around 5 months old. It will be for about 7 1/2 hours. I will keep him crated until he is 2 or 3, then I am hoping he will be able to be out and just left in the house during the day. 

I have had a dog door for my lab so he could go outside in the fenced yard to go to the bathroom, but not sure that is a good idea with a german shepherd. Any thoughts on that would be great.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

LaneyB said:


> My 9-year-old lab has run of the house when I am at work. The new puppy will be coming in June, and my daughter will be home with him during the day until September. Once September comes he will be in his crate while I am at work and she is at school. He will be around 5 months old. It will be for about 7 1/2 hours. I will keep him crated until he is 2 or 3, then I am hoping he will be able to be out and just left in the house during the day.
> 
> I have had a dog door for my lab so he could go outside in the fenced yard to go to the bathroom, but not sure that is a good idea with a german shepherd. Any thoughts on that would be great.


My Shepherds have a dog door to a fenced area. Why wouldn't it be a good idea?


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## LaneyB (Feb 5, 2012)

I worry more about a younger dog being a fence jumper or escape artist. My old lab is pretty much guaranteed to do his business and come right back inside to sleep, or sometimes he lays out in the yard if the weather is nice. Plus the new puppy is not going to be neutered.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

LaneyB said:


> I worry more about a younger dog being a fence jumper or escape artist. My old lab is pretty much guaranteed to do his business and come right back inside to sleep, or sometimes he lays out in the yard if the weather is nice. Plus the new puppy is not going to be neutered.


I could not leave my boy outside alone, no way! Our property backs protected wetlands. He loves to watch the critters & gives chase if they come in the yard. He needs my husband & I to command him to STAY, DOWN, etc. we have to have two eyes on him, he could not be left to his own devices..the thought alone scares me! LOL


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

wolfspirit said:


> It's funny how crating seems to be a cultural thing, it certainly seems more popular in the US than the UK for long term use...
> 
> My dogs have free run of the house and never have any problems. I always make sure they are tired before being left though.


I wouldn't crate Sasha if I could trust her. I tried it and no matter what I did she found something to get into. The final straw was when she ate my glass butter dish. No more free time for Sasha lol I'm hoping someday I'll be able to leave her out full time. She doesn't potty or chew anything, she just always finds something to eat! The girl can even open up cabinets and the dishwasher 

To the OP have you tried bike riding with your pup? I put Sasha on her prong (so I have a bit better control should she decide there is something that needs to be chased) and we go, and I have never had any problems. It wears her out too, which is something that is hard for me to do on my own since I can't jog with her.


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## sheep (Dec 2, 2011)

NewbieShepherdGirl said:


> I wouldn't crate Sasha if I could trust her. I tried it and no matter what I did she found something to get into. The final straw was when she ate my glass butter dish. No more free time for Sasha lol I'm hoping someday I'll be able to leave her out full time. She doesn't potty or chew anything, she just always finds something to eat! The girl can even open up cabinets and the dishwasher
> 
> To the OP have you tried bike riding with your pup? I put Sasha on her prong (so I have a bit better control should she decide there is something that needs to be chased) and we go, and I have never had any problems. It wears her out too, which is something that is hard for me to do on my own since I can't jog with her.


Nooo aside of a small trauma with bikes I had, riding a bike with him attached is like trying to suicide loool. He's reactive to other dogs or animals that if one is in the way, he will most likely chase it!


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## Pandora (Feb 29, 2012)

There is nothing wrong with leaving your pup crated while you are at work as long as he is exercised (including potty time) before and after. It is safer for your dog, for one thing. I would leave a chewie of some safe type as I think it is unreasonable to expect a puppy to just chill for 6-7 hours as an older dog will. When you get home, I wouldn't open the door until the pup is sitting and calm as you don't want to encourage insanely boisterous behavior! Also, there should be good ventilation.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Falkosmom said:


> Throw a ball? LOL! I am the poster girl for the stereotype of a girl that can't throw a ball. I think my dogs play ball with me only out of love, pity and guilt. It surely can't be fun for them, and it certainly does not require room to run, only a small closet. So, yes, playing with other dogs is the favored method of exercise.


Get a chuckit. My elderly mother-in-law with a physical disability can throw far with a chuckit. I'm sure you can too.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Mine have always been at home on a daily basis . When their Uncle Jon lived there it was for 4 or 5 hours a day. This is the longest time period in a row they been alone during the day. Daisy started out in a crate but when she was about 8 or 9 months I forgot something and came home about 15 min after I left there she was out of the cage. So I gave up. BTW Chuckits are great I can throw past the fence line.


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## vicky2200 (Oct 29, 2010)

Personally, I crate as little as possible. I work with the dogs and they have all, with the exception of one, been able to be home alone for many many hours without destruction or having an accident within 4 months of having them. The other one took about 6-7 months of having her. During this time, someone is home with the dogs at nearly all times (because we are able to do that, so why wouldn't we? it can be inconvenient.) and we progressively leave them home for longer periods of time once they 1) are potty trained and 2) know that you do not approve of destruction. Yes, they will ruin things in the beginning. We put away anything important or dangerous and leave all their toys out. Most people on here do not believe that you can correct a dog's behavior after they have done it but I have had success with it ( maybe I am special?) so when we come home, if anything is destroyed we take the dog to it and say bad. That's it. It also helps that we never leave our trash down, even if we are home.

We have a new puppy and he will be a challenge. It's not that I don't think I will trust him in 2 months (we have had him for 2 months) its that he is a toy poodle with separation issues (only if I am gone lol) and we haven't decided yet if we will ever leave him out alone with the other dogs (specifically Daisy, who he plays with and may run him over.) We may start by leaving him in a designated room when we leave. So far he has only been alone once since we got him. He was in his cage because it was right after we got him. We were gone less than 2 hours.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

wolfspirit said:


> It's funny how crating seems to be a cultural thing, it certainly seems more popular in the US than the UK for long term use...
> 
> My dogs have free run of the house and never have any problems. I always make sure they are tired before being left though.


Good for you. Cultural, yes I've heard that mentioned before. 

I make sure my dogs are super amped up and then I shove them in a crate. Because that is what we do here in the good ole US of A. Better that they be amped up in a crate than amped up loose in the house.



Pandora said:


> *There is nothing wrong with leaving your pup crated while you are at work as long as he is exercised* (including potty time) before and after. *It is safer for your dog,* for one thing. I would leave a chewie of some safe type as I think it is unreasonable to expect a puppy to just chill for 6-7 hours as an older dog will. When you get home, I wouldn't open the door until the pup is sitting and calm as you don't want to encourage insanely boisterous behavior! Also, there should be good ventilation.


Agree.

Each dog is different. My two oldest haven't been crated in years. The young'uns are different though -- they have not earned free house roam. I don't know when/if they will.

My house isn't that special, but I sort of like it to remain standing.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

chelle said:


> I make sure my dogs are super amped up and then I shove them in a crate. Because that is what we do here in the good ole US of A. Better that they be amped up in a crate than amped up loose in the house.



LOL. . . I feed mine pixie sticks and red dye #40 before I put them in the crate. :wild:


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## sheep (Dec 2, 2011)

vicky2200 said:


> Personally, I crate as little as possible. I work with the dogs and they have all, with the exception of one, been able to be home alone for many many hours without destruction or having an accident within 4 months of having them. The other one took about 6-7 months of having her. During this time, someone is home with the dogs at nearly all times (because we are able to do that, so why wouldn't we? it can be inconvenient.) and we progressively leave them home for longer periods of time once they 1) are potty trained and 2) know that you do not approve of destruction. Yes, they will ruin things in the beginning. We put away anything important or dangerous and leave all their toys out. Most people on here do not believe that you can correct a dog's behavior after they have done it but I have had success with it ( maybe I am special?) so when we come home, if anything is destroyed we take the dog to it and say bad. That's it. It also helps that we never leave our trash down, even if we are home.
> 
> We have a new puppy and he will be a challenge. It's not that I don't think I will trust him in 2 months (we have had him for 2 months) its that he is a toy poodle with separation issues (only if I am gone lol) and we haven't decided yet if we will ever leave him out alone with the other dogs (specifically Daisy, who he plays with and may run him over.) We may start by leaving him in a designated room when we leave. So far he has only been alone once since we got him. He was in his cage because it was right after we got him. We were gone less than 2 hours.


Personally I also think that dogs can understand it even if we disapprove something after a few hours of the situation. Maybe some don't but some do. And some already knew before doing something that the owners won't like, that they even hide away or look guilty lol. For example, I know a min pin that after having an accident inside the house, she would look very suspicious and not approaching her owners easily, even thought the owners don't realize what she did. We could tell right away that she did something lol. She would even hide the stuffs sometimes!

In my case, I don't really punish my dog after the situation, but I would still show my dislike of the stuff by showing him how mad I am, like looking at the stuff and pointing at it and say in an angry tone "who did that! bad! arrg!".


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## OriginalWacky (Dec 21, 2011)

Emoore said:


> LOL. . . I feed mine pixie sticks and red dye #40 before I put them in the crate. :wild:


Geeze, all I do is leave them with Mountain Dew to drink, and a couple orders of onions rings with chocolate ice cream for dessert. I better rush right out and get some dye and pixie sticks.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I have all male dogs, some close in age, two intact with strong temperaments so I'm not about to leave everyone home alone for extended periods whether they are reliable free in the house or not. I've never had a dog fight but how many times do people come to this forum to post a "my dog's never done THAT before" story that ends in injury or tragedy? Not worth it! Coke gets free reign upstairs. Nikon either gets free reign in the kitchen and downstairs, or he's in a large pen downstairs. Pan is still in a crate because he's not reliable yet. Depending on weather, I often take dogs with me to work so they can get out during the day for a walk or training. If I need to make stops after work, then I go home during the day and give the dogs a break.


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## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

My dogs are crated because they are not yet reliable for more then an hour alone, not because it's "cultural".  It's never fun to come back to destruction. I don't have the time, money, or the people to keep someone with my dogs at all times while I'm gone. Wish I did though.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

The only way I'd be able to leave my dog alone in the house is if the house contained no food or anything that a dog could mistake as food. He's absolutely fine when I'm home and not really watching him, and when I'm sleeping he's loose in the house and he doesn't do anything bad, but the second we leave he's opening cupboards, fridges, etc. And then he eats so much garbage he diarrheas all over the floor.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

Pup is crated while I'm at school, and will be crated/kenneled when I go to work. Saw someone post a 5 X 5 kennel that I might get since she can make it out of her super tall expen already.

I don't trust my family with her handling, and I don't trust her in a house with nice carpets, art scrolls dangling on the walls, and leftover food all over the place. 

She is still young, so there is slow and steady training. But so far, she's having a hard time settling down. For example, we were out just now for a 30 minute play session and when she came home, she couldn't settle down, and was pacing everywhere. I put her in her crate and she's out like a light within a minute.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Verivus said:


> My dogs are crated because they are not yet reliable for more then an hour alone, not because it's "cultural".


I think it's cultural in the sense that some other cultures put them outside.


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## sheep (Dec 2, 2011)

I didn't want to crate my pup (he has a 48" crate), but yesterday we finally decided to do it. This is coz his destruction is starting to cost too much (he's destroying the kitchen of a rented house).  I don't like the idea of crating him coz he would have so few space and he's left alone for 10hours during weekdays, but we have no choice coz we just can't afford to let him destroy everything (walls, wood stuffs in the kitchen, and so on)...

So yesterday, after 1 hour of walk in the morning, we put him inside the crate with all his toys and chew bones, as well as his blankets, and then left home for 5 hours, and then came home and took him out for a 30 mins walk and then left home and left him for 6 hours, and then at night he was free and we took him for a 1 hour walk again before sleep (he has to stay in the crate again).
He seemed to have adapted ok, he barks madly when we put him inside, but then the moment we leave he stops. We stayed outside and he didn't bark at all. At night, when we went to sleep, he also didn't bark at all 'till morning.
But well, he started to destroy the plastic "floor" of the crate. Good thing is he doesn't swallow, just chews and destroys.

Hopefully, we will move to our new apartment soon that has a small closed patio so that we can see if he can adapt there, as it is bigger than the crate (we have a big open patio but we are afraid he would bark at other dogs or neighbors). Or else maybe we will get an even bigger crate for him.

But well, the routine for now is that he will have 1 hour morning walk in the morning, and then is crated for 10~11 hours, and then gets 30 mins or more walk and stays free, and then another 1 hour walk before sleep and being crated again at night. I'm a bit worried coz I can't put water inside the crate or he will throw the bowl and wet the crate... 

Also, I'm recording a video of what he's doing for the entire 10 hours of being alone, to see if he's really fine with it (he doesn't seem to have much anxiety issue but I want to make sure).


Anyways... If I have learned about crate training earlier, I would have used it since day one, coz now it's a bit harder for him to adapt to it all of a sudden, and then his destructive habits might not fade away easily.


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## Harley93 (Mar 27, 2012)

Fortunately Harley is very rarely left on his own. When I am out of the house between the hours of 8am and 6pm there is always a family member in the house with him and 2 other dogs. But when everyone is out of the house he is usually kept in the kitchen and conservatory while with the back door open if its nice weather (There is no entrance to the back garden other than through the back door). While my 2 other dogs are crated in their bed or they are left in the living room and they can all see each other through the baby gate. 

But that's only a rare occasion


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