BC-Liz Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Right now, my b/f and I take turns coming home at lunch to let the pups out of their kennels to relieve themselves and then to play a quick game of fetch before we return to work. So they stay in their kennels from 8-12 and then from 1-5:30ish. While I do like that we can go home for them during lunch, it can be a problem when I'm in school and if we ever get jobs that are farther away than would allow us to come home for lunch. So I was just wondering what everyones oppinion was about leaving their dogs in their kennels for long periods of time, and how long a long time is for them. I'd like to think we could trust them out of their kennels but they're too unpredictable in their chewing ooopses. Somedays they're angels, other days they're little devils. Anywho, thoughts? Concerns? Comments? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
painted_ponies Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Mine are crated from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm everyday and handle it just fine - even Faith, who's only ten months old. I tell them it's the price they pay for getting to live on a farm - I have a 40 minute commute to work, and DH drives an hour one way, so running home at lunch isn't an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowwown Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Cody is home by himself 8-10 hours a day. For the first year we kept him crated for that time, except for the occasional times my DH could get home at lunchtime to let him out and play for a few minutes. He's way less destructive and much more reliable these days at age 15 months. In the past six months, we've had no accidents, no problems at all. So we started letting him stay in a gated-in area that consists of a small back foyer and the laundry room. We put his blankies in there, some fresh kibble and water, some of his toys, and he seems fine with that. It's all what they get used to. I'm sure he dreams of running around a farm all day but then again, so do I, but I have to go to an office and work every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Devils Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I have a dogwalker come during the day since we are gone from 630am-5pm (sometimes later, sometimes earlier). The dogs are fine to stay for 8-9 hours without accidents when needed. I would not expect a puppy to stay that long but older dogs are usually fine for long periods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv2napp Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 And to think I feel bad for Lacee when I leave for a couple of hours! I hate leaving her alone, but I think that's an issue with me that needs working on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha J Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I have never crated Holly and left her, she has one but the door is always open. I have shut the door for a few minutes at a time so she is quite happy if i need to put her in it for a few minutes. If something is going on in the hallway and the front door is open or in an emergency i know i could close her in and she wouldn't care. Anyway now i can trust her when she is left home alone i only need to shut the living room door (as the bird is in there and she sometimes barks at him) and the bathroom door (toilet roll - Holly's favourite). Before that though i had child gates everywhere and when out left Holly in the Hallway with her open crate and water. Could you perhaps leave your dogs in a small room or similar without anything in there for them to ruin? Then they could have a little more free space but still be restricted from destroying any valuables etc. Just a thought, to be honest i don't really like the idea of leaving a dog shut in a cage. I know on here a lot of people disagree with me, it is just my personal opinion. I would worry that maybe they would have an upset stomach and need to poop or be sick then sit stuck in the cage with it. I must admit Holly is lucky really as she spends most of the day with me and when i do leave her at home it is never more than about 4hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Our dogs are crated some days from 7:30am until 5:00pm. There have been rare occassions where an emergency happens and we don't get home on time... they are always fine (though we always feel terrible). I don't know if I'd leave them that long if Zoe were younger still, but we slowly worked up to it with me working more hours outside the home... the dogs seem just fine. We just really try to run them around once we get home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickeyDogs Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 My 3 dogs are older and the 2 bcs are no longer crated while I'm gone. However, Oscar, my 10-year-old springer is... he likes to get into the cat food too much! Anyway, all of them can go 8 hours easy being crated, if the need arises like today when then furnace guys were coming while I was at work. In the past I crated my young dogs until they were about a year old. Then I'd try giving them freedom and see what happened. If they weren't ready for that freedom, I crated them a little longer. If you think about how long a dog can go overnight without needing to go out, you can gauge how they will handle it during the day. Hey, how's Masi doing? Is she settling in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daviid Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 I guess I'm the odd one here again, but I don't think it's good to crate a dog 8 - 10 hours a day. - seems cruel and unfair. Not saying dogs can't handle it, I would just find a better way, dog walker, day care, a room where they can get about and stretch their legs a bit. I know my dogs would be very un-happy if they spent their whole day in a crate. Just my opinion- David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Not saying dogs can't handle it, I would just find a better way, dog walker, day care, a room were they can get about and stretch their legs a bit.I know my dogs would be very un-happy if they spent their whole day in a crate. I take my dogs with me to work a few days each week and the vast majority of the time they are sound asleep. When I can't take them to work, I have someone come at noon to let them out but that is because the Lhasas has the bladder the size of a walnut and he also needs a noon meal. I've been able to leave all my other dogs for 8 - 10 hours with no problem. Some were crated; others loose, usually depending on maturity. Currently, the Lhasa spends his day in the crate where I honestly think he is happy to have a little den all to himself. The Sheltie has the kitchen with a dog bed and the Border Collie lounges around on the comfy chair by the front window all day as far as I can tell. I think that is a much nicer way for him to spend the day than in his crate, yet if I tell him crate, he canters immediately to it, no sign that he is unhappy about contained. I think crating is often more an issue for us humans than our dogs. Not always, but often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadows Mom Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Better to have them crated than have them get into stuff around the house. Our girls are crated from 7am to ~6pm mon - fri, even at 3.5 months Shadow is fine. Usually even have to wake her up when we get home LOL.. shes so lazy! Think I got an odd puppy, breeder said he breeds them calm, but this is silly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Yeah, definitely far safer in this house. Zeeke would choke on something if he weren't crated... or get violently ill. (The reason we started crating him in the first place... he ate our couch.) If I leave Zoe loose she sleeps on the bed (which hubby hates). In fact, even when I'm home all day working, with the crate door open, she often spends the entire day in her crate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheRuffMuttGang Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Mine are alone for 4.5hrs in the AM and then 4.5hrs in the PM as I come home for a quick lunch to let everyone potty. That being said, of my 8 dogs, only 1 is crated during the day. The other 7 are loose in the house in two groups separated with baby gates. The one dog that's crated is still a bit of a destructo dog so until he can stop tearing things up, he'll be crated when I am gone. When I am just gone for a short period of time (an hour or so) the destructo dog can generally stay out so long as he's baby gated into the dog room and not allowed in the rest of the house. Because the fosters are not generally here long enough for me to trust them out of their crates, they are crated when I am gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC-Liz Posted August 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Thanks for everyones answers! I'm afraid there isn't a room in the house where they woudln't be able to get into trouble except maybe the kitchen...and they can jump any babygate (and have before)...maybe two babygates on top of each other? Hey, how's Masi doing? Is she settling in? Masi's doing great actually! Thanks for asking. Is seems after I made that post that she skyrocketed to a new level. It's actually getting to the point now where we need to correct her more often b/c she's getting more confident and not listening as well. Time to start REALLY training her. Masi and my b/f are doing great, he doesn't try to scare her anymore and whenever he does scold her for doing something wrong she'll come right back to him so she's not scared of him. We've discovered she really doesn't like puppies though, they get all up on her and what not and she'll have non of that. Poor girl, if only she were a bit taller. My only major complaint now is she doesn't always get her fair share of food. This is part of the reason why we have to continue to crate them. To make sure she gets her fair share. But I'd still like to work away from the crates...they are an eyesore and just a hair too small for the taller two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha J Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Thanks for everyones answers! I'm afraid there isn't a room in the house where they woudln't be able to get into trouble except maybe the kitchen...and they can jump any babygate (and have before)...maybe two babygates on top of each other? . Yeah we found that, just a thought - we were able to take all the child gates down but i still keep a gate on the kitchen. It is useful if something is going on like bringing in the shopping through the back (kitchen) door and Holly then watches from the hallway. I purchased a proper dog gate from Argos. It is really tall so she can't jump it. You can get extensions too if your door gap is wider. It was more expensive than the small child gates but we plan to leave it on, it's mostly open anyway so it doesn't make much difference having it on all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Two stacked baby gates did nothing to stop Lilly (non BC) when she was younger! She was never crated and she ate my couch and numerous other things when she was a puppy. She's good now, though and has always had run of the house. Jack, the middle one, was crated during the work day, up until a few months ago. He now has free run of the house, too. But he loves his crate and never had a bit of problem being crated all day. Even left loose, I can almost guarantee they spend 90% of the day sleeping in my bed. Alex, the youngster also known as He Who Must Not Be Housetrained, is crated when we're gone. Unfortunately, neither DH nor myself work close enough to be able to run home, unless it's an emergency type situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LJS1993 Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Reading this thread makes me realize how fortunate my situation is with our dogs. They never have to be crated at all during the day. In fact, with so much family around they are always in human contact. They chill out in their corral watching customers come in and out of the produce stand. What a life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheRuffMuttGang Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Alex, the youngster also known as He Who Must Not Be Housetrained, is crated when we're gone. Bwahahahaha! Nice name! Poor YOU, though! Tank is 7 mos old now and is very reliable in the house already and has been for over a month. It took Rumor a year and a half, though, to be able to be out of her crate. Upon further inspection, it's obvious Vero is much younger than I thought he was when he arrived here. I was told he was a year old when he was in the shelter and already neutered. Ha. He was so young his testicles hadn't descended at all. I think he was only around 6 months old when he got here which makes him roughly 8 months old now (hence those ginormous feet). Okay, so the moral of my story? My 7 month old is reliable in the house but my 8 month old is not. Go figure. My dogs CAN jump baby gates but they know they aren't supposed to. The only area I have gated off from the loose dogs is the dog room because Vero is in his crate in there and I hate the idea of loose dogs taunting a crated dog all day long. Otherwise, the baby gates only separate my alpha male and female from the rest of the pack. The alphas have no desire to mingle with the lower dogs all day and the lower dogs have enough brains not to mess with the alphas when I'm not home to protect them. So the baby gates work fine for me just right down on ground level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha J Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Yeah we found that, just a thought - we were able to take all the child gates down but i still keep a gate on the kitchen. It is useful if something is going on like bringing in the shopping through the back (kitchen) door and Holly then watches from the hallway. I purchased a proper dog gate from Argos. It is really tall so she can't jump it. You can get extensions too if your door gap is wider. It was more expensive than the small child gates but we plan to leave it on, it's mostly open anyway so it doesn't make much difference having it on all the time. Woops BC - Liz just re read the above and your comment, Holly hasn't actually jumped a baby/ child gate. I just know that she could as she has jumped over my sofa chair in the room from the back over to the front. A lot higher than the child gate!. After reading what Ruff mutts Debbie has just put i realised i had misinterpreted what i meant. Holly would perhaps never jump one as we also had a gate and small fence around our fish pond and she has never jumped that but it's the worrier in me that maybe she would. Therefore i feel happier that if i need to shut her in anywhere safetly i know she won't jump over the dog gate. Sorry to waffle on, just when i read it i had to clarify. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSnappy Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Because the fosters are not generally here long enough for me to trust them out of their crates, they are crated when I am gone. I crate fosters during the day for this same reason. But I don't crate my own dogs at all during the day. They are all crate trained, but I wouldn't leave them crated for 9 hours. I x-penned my puppies until they could be trusted loose. The last time I had to crate RD for 9 hours, which was at the last agility trial I went to, he fell down going up the stairs because he was so stiff. RDM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheRuffMuttGang Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Vero is my only dog crated. I hate doing it but I also hate coming home to snowstorms in my house. He'll get another shot in a couple of weeks to see if he can handle being out. It's by no means a long term thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 The last time I had to crate RD for 9 hours, which was at the last agility trial I went to, he fell down going up the stairs because he was so stiff. Quinn has a HUGE crate, much larger than is recommended for a 21 inch, 38 lb Border Collie. He can stretch out, stand up, turn around, etc. But he is now loose in the house when I leave. My Lhasa's crate is also very large for him, giving him lots of room to stretch. Not trot around, of course, but it's very roomy, which is good since he does best crated when I'm gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon M Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 I crate fosters during the day for this same reason. But I don't crate my own dogs at all during the day. They are all crate trained, but I wouldn't leave them crated for 9 hours. I x-penned my puppies until they could be trusted loose. The last time I had to crate RD for 9 hours, which was at the last agility trial I went to, he fell down going up the stairs because he was so stiff. RDM I wouldn't crate an older dog. I've heard they can develop pnemonia from laying down for extended periods of time. At least thats what our vet at the time said about my Lab. He had pnemonia when he died, among some other health problems. They said he was in pain because of his cancer which was why he was laying around and his laying around caused pnemonia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 I wouldn't crate an older dog. I've heard they can develop pnemonia from laying down for extended periods of time. At least thats what our vet at the time said about my Lab. He had pnemonia when he died, among some other health problems. They said he was in pain because of his cancer which was why he was laying around and his laying around caused pnemonia. Brandon, The difference is that you had a dog who was already compromised by disease and likely wasn't getting up or moving around much at all. A crated dog can get up and move around (mine do routinely when we're traveling to trials and such), and even dogs who are crated during the day while the owner is at work presumably get out and do stuff both before and after being crated. If simply lying around caused pneumonia, then every old dog who slept through the night would be ill.... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickeyDogs Posted August 24, 2007 Report Share Posted August 24, 2007 They chill out in their corral watching customers come in and out of the produce stand. What a life. Wahhaaaa... I want that life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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