Is it wrong to leave a dog alone?
- Thread starter Gempress
- Start date
Which should have you fully set up and dog proofed for the future if any problems arise...
I lived in a rented flat with a LARGE kitchen when I got Bo... she chewed up the carpet from boredom once...
So - we worked on it - how could I improve her time? And she is now trusted in my parents house, with a pretty much free run.
I could NOT consider locking an INTELLIGENT animal in a cage for 8 hours during the day.... And she even sleeps with me at night.. Never mind those poor dogs that get "put away" at night TOO...
I lived in a rented flat with a LARGE kitchen when I got Bo... she chewed up the carpet from boredom once...
So - we worked on it - how could I improve her time? And she is now trusted in my parents house, with a pretty much free run.
I could NOT consider locking an INTELLIGENT animal in a cage for 8 hours during the day.... And she even sleeps with me at night.. Never mind those poor dogs that get "put away" at night TOO...
A
I believe it is perfectly fine, even with puppies... as long as they are crated.
Kona was crated for anywhere from 1 to 5 hours when she was a pup on the weekends. That is when we go do our thing, shopping and things of the sort.
As long as the "out of crate" time out weighs the play time I believe all will be ok
Kona was crated for anywhere from 1 to 5 hours when she was a pup on the weekends. That is when we go do our thing, shopping and things of the sort.
As long as the "out of crate" time out weighs the play time I believe all will be ok
I never leave my dogs for more than 4 hours, I think 4 hours is the max... I know for a fact that in Europe the crate is more or less unheard of, I can't imagine shutting my dog in a box for hours at a time, they have free run of the house when I am not here, and normally they take themselves off to my bed for a snooze..
When I first got Gus he had severe seperation anxieties and would tear up anything and everything, but we worked on it, I left him for 5 mins, then 10 mins, then 30 mins, then an hour and when he was secure in the knowlege that I was coming back all the distruction stopped.
My dogs are my children, If you were to hear of someone locking a child in a crate for 8 hours a day you would call the authorities!!
I am lucky that my dogs are allowed to come to work with me, but also I chose my job specifically so that my dogs would not be left.
My dogs sleep in bed with me, and in fact are next to me right now... They need that stimulation otherwise how on earth will they every learn what is acceptable behaviour?!
When I first got Gus he had severe seperation anxieties and would tear up anything and everything, but we worked on it, I left him for 5 mins, then 10 mins, then 30 mins, then an hour and when he was secure in the knowlege that I was coming back all the distruction stopped.
My dogs are my children, If you were to hear of someone locking a child in a crate for 8 hours a day you would call the authorities!!
I am lucky that my dogs are allowed to come to work with me, but also I chose my job specifically so that my dogs would not be left.
My dogs sleep in bed with me, and in fact are next to me right now... They need that stimulation otherwise how on earth will they every learn what is acceptable behaviour?!
I never leave my dogs for more than 4 hours, I think 4 hours is the max... I know for a fact that in Europe the crate is more or less unheard of, I can't imagine shutting my dog in a box for hours at a time, they have free run of the house when I am not here, and normally they take themselves off to my bed for a snooze..
When I first got Gus he had severe seperation anxieties and would tear up anything and everything, but we worked on it, I left him for 5 mins, then 10 mins, then 30 mins, then an hour and when he was secure in the knowlege that I was coming back all the distruction stopped.
My dogs are my children, If you were to hear of someone locking a child in a crate for 8 hours a day you would call the authorities!!
I am lucky that my dogs are allowed to come to work with me, but also I chose my job specifically so that my dogs would not be left.
My dogs sleep in bed with me, and in fact are next to me right now... They need that stimulation otherwise how on earth will they every learn what is acceptable behaviour?!
When I first got Gus he had severe seperation anxieties and would tear up anything and everything, but we worked on it, I left him for 5 mins, then 10 mins, then 30 mins, then an hour and when he was secure in the knowlege that I was coming back all the distruction stopped.
My dogs are my children, If you were to hear of someone locking a child in a crate for 8 hours a day you would call the authorities!!
I am lucky that my dogs are allowed to come to work with me, but also I chose my job specifically so that my dogs would not be left.
My dogs sleep in bed with me, and in fact are next to me right now... They need that stimulation otherwise how on earth will they every learn what is acceptable behaviour?!
Ditto.
I completely disagree - Ronin gets agitated if I leave and don't crate him - if he's crated, he's calm and collected... he takes comfort in having a dark, safe place to cuddle into when I'm not there to cuddle with him myself.
Crates have a calming effect on many dogs - it's quiet, it's dark, it's warm, it's comfortable. It's free of distractions and things that can make a dog nervous - strange sounds, visible activity, etc.
When you want to be calm and comfortable, what do you do? Do you sit in a big room with the TV on, stereo blaring, computer games going, piles of food everywhere, and invite friends over? Or, do you find a quiet spot where you can read a book, or take a nap, or soak in a bubble bath?
My dogs (and many other dogs) calm down like we do - in a peaceful place. Crates are peaceful places.
Honestly, would these two cuties be chillin' in there if they hated it? (PS - this was in the summer, when Ilsa pulls her blankets out of the crate onher own...
Crates have a calming effect on many dogs - it's quiet, it's dark, it's warm, it's comfortable. It's free of distractions and things that can make a dog nervous - strange sounds, visible activity, etc.
When you want to be calm and comfortable, what do you do? Do you sit in a big room with the TV on, stereo blaring, computer games going, piles of food everywhere, and invite friends over? Or, do you find a quiet spot where you can read a book, or take a nap, or soak in a bubble bath?
My dogs (and many other dogs) calm down like we do - in a peaceful place. Crates are peaceful places.
Honestly, would these two cuties be chillin' in there if they hated it? (PS - this was in the summer, when Ilsa pulls her blankets out of the crate onher own...
It is **** near impossible to fully puppy/dog-proof unless you have an empty room. Auggie is a flippin' genius and I am not psychic, therefore I cannot predict when he will figure out how to get into things he'd never gotten before.
My mother let Auggie out to play one day while I was at work, and then went into the next room to work. He played quietly in the office for a bit, and she threw the tennis ball between typing, and Auggie then wandered off on his own to play in the rest of the basement.
"No problem," Mom thought, "we puppy-proofed. I'll just check on him."
She came out to check on him about ten minutes later, and he had discovered how to open the doors on my art supply cabinet - which is not a simple thing to do - pull out a plastic container, UNLOCK the two locks that held the lid on, pry the lid off, and then eat the paint that was inside of it.
Luckily, it was non-toxic paint. However, in that cabinet are multiple other things that are toxic, and he could have gotten into any of those. If he can do this in about ten-fifteen minutes, I would hate to think what he might do if he was left alone for a full eight hours.
I also have a friend who owned two corgis, and they were notorious for teaming up and figuring out how to break into things. Opening closed doors by TURNING DOORKNOBS (I STILL can't believe they do this!!), opening the fridge to raid it!!
Into the crate my intelligent dog goes - because he's way too smart for his own good.
You can call it mean to crate my "poor dog," and I'll call it saving my "poor dog's" life.
My mother let Auggie out to play one day while I was at work, and then went into the next room to work. He played quietly in the office for a bit, and she threw the tennis ball between typing, and Auggie then wandered off on his own to play in the rest of the basement.
"No problem," Mom thought, "we puppy-proofed. I'll just check on him."
She came out to check on him about ten minutes later, and he had discovered how to open the doors on my art supply cabinet - which is not a simple thing to do - pull out a plastic container, UNLOCK the two locks that held the lid on, pry the lid off, and then eat the paint that was inside of it.
Luckily, it was non-toxic paint. However, in that cabinet are multiple other things that are toxic, and he could have gotten into any of those. If he can do this in about ten-fifteen minutes, I would hate to think what he might do if he was left alone for a full eight hours.
I also have a friend who owned two corgis, and they were notorious for teaming up and figuring out how to break into things. Opening closed doors by TURNING DOORKNOBS (I STILL can't believe they do this!!), opening the fridge to raid it!!
Into the crate my intelligent dog goes - because he's way too smart for his own good.
You can call it mean to crate my "poor dog," and I'll call it saving my "poor dog's" life.
Errr - why are there strange sounds etc in your own home?
Bodhi chills out where she chooses... I am sure if she had a crate that had her BED in it - she would go in there...
Then as she sees fit, she gets up, looks out the window, throws her toys about, runs up and down, stops... barks at the postman, goes upstairs, gets on my bed, comes back down, looks out the window again...
She has space, and freedom.
I'm sorry, but people go on about creating a "den" fair enough...
But for ALL DAY?????
8 hours??
I tell you what - next time you have a free day - ask someone to lock you in a crate for 8 hours...
Bodhi chills out where she chooses... I am sure if she had a crate that had her BED in it - she would go in there...
Then as she sees fit, she gets up, looks out the window, throws her toys about, runs up and down, stops... barks at the postman, goes upstairs, gets on my bed, comes back down, looks out the window again...
She has space, and freedom.
I'm sorry, but people go on about creating a "den" fair enough...
But for ALL DAY?????
8 hours??
I tell you what - next time you have a free day - ask someone to lock you in a crate for 8 hours...
So why acquire a highly intelligent working type breed of dog and leave it all day with no stimulation?
Why do people get dogs? For their benefit, or the dogs?
Because if it was both - you'd be wanting to do anything BUT cage it.
Why do people get dogs? For their benefit, or the dogs?
Because if it was both - you'd be wanting to do anything BUT cage it.
No, I don't think it's wrong to leave dogs alone. Most people have jobs and lives outside of their home, and the dogs don't always fit into that. I don't think it makes them unfit as dog owners.
I won't keep my dogs confined to small crates if I'm going to be gone all day. Dakota gets a room to stay in and Ripley gets a Dane-sized crate (the thing's almost as big as our laundry room, lol!)
Dakota can actually be left alone uncrated now, but Ripley will always need to be crated. Until I can trust him NOT to pee in the house, he's going to stay in a crate or exercise pen when I'm not supervising him. It isn't like he's cooped up in a tiny box - I used to be able to fit Buster (90+lb lab mix) Dakota, Ripley and ME (i'm 5'10 and fat!) in that crate and have room to spare.
And believe it or not, Dizzy, I do crate my dogs for THEIR benefit. I live with my parents, and I can't dog-proof our entire house. They just won't allow it because it isn't very attractive. So, I either leave my dogs alone unattended, to get into stuff in the house, chew electrical wires etc (not to mention my parents WILL NOT ALLOW me to just let my dogs ruin the house) OR I put them in a dog-proofed room or crate. I can't leave them in the yard because there are so many poisonous critters out there.
I won't keep my dogs confined to small crates if I'm going to be gone all day. Dakota gets a room to stay in and Ripley gets a Dane-sized crate (the thing's almost as big as our laundry room, lol!)
Dakota can actually be left alone uncrated now, but Ripley will always need to be crated. Until I can trust him NOT to pee in the house, he's going to stay in a crate or exercise pen when I'm not supervising him. It isn't like he's cooped up in a tiny box - I used to be able to fit Buster (90+lb lab mix) Dakota, Ripley and ME (i'm 5'10 and fat!) in that crate and have room to spare.
And believe it or not, Dizzy, I do crate my dogs for THEIR benefit. I live with my parents, and I can't dog-proof our entire house. They just won't allow it because it isn't very attractive. So, I either leave my dogs alone unattended, to get into stuff in the house, chew electrical wires etc (not to mention my parents WILL NOT ALLOW me to just let my dogs ruin the house) OR I put them in a dog-proofed room or crate. I can't leave them in the yard because there are so many poisonous critters out there.
Wow - patronising
Someone is feeling guilty perhaps... dear one
How to win friends and influence people. Sorry - but if you have a case you'd like to put forward, perhaps you should improve your social and communication skills.
In the meantime I will address other people who can manage to not get so hot and bothered with the subject at hand
Someone is feeling guilty perhaps... dear one
How to win friends and influence people. Sorry - but if you have a case you'd like to put forward, perhaps you should improve your social and communication skills.
In the meantime I will address other people who can manage to not get so hot and bothered with the subject at hand
Wow - patronising
Someone is feeling guilty perhaps... dear one
How to win friends and influence people. Sorry - but if you have a case you'd like to put forward, perhaps you should improve your social and communication skills.
In the meantime I will address other people who can manage to not get so hot and bothered with the subject at hand
Someone is feeling guilty perhaps... dear one
How to win friends and influence people. Sorry - but if you have a case you'd like to put forward, perhaps you should improve your social and communication skills.
In the meantime I will address other people who can manage to not get so hot and bothered with the subject at hand
Okay, thanks. =>
No - people should not crate a dog all day, 8 hours plus.
If you cannot keep your dog out of danger, keep tins of paint outside the house, or under lock and key, you are not responsible for owning that dog.
If it was a child, would you say - oops - a clever one - we best lock him up for his own safety??
NO - you would ENSURE the house was SAFE and start teaching your kid boundaries.
Same goes with dogs.
If you cannot keep your dog out of danger, keep tins of paint outside the house, or under lock and key, you are not responsible for owning that dog.
If it was a child, would you say - oops - a clever one - we best lock him up for his own safety??
NO - you would ENSURE the house was SAFE and start teaching your kid boundaries.
Same goes with dogs.