Question:
I’m thinking about getting a puppy – probably a Brittany. I’m planning on crate training him/her and coming home for lunch during the first 4-6 months. However, this is kind of inconvenient for the long term. It may be a bit premature, but I’m trying to plan on what to do with the adult dog during the day. I have a fenced in back-yard (but an indoor cat, so a doggy door is not an option) so here are the options: 1) Leaving the dog in the backyard during the day w/ no access to the inside. I understand that the dog may get bored and miss being in the "den". 2) Giving the dog the run of the house but no access to outside, and hoping there are no accidents/ destroying of furniture! 3) Keeping the dog in the basement with access to outside. However, we don’t ever use the basement, so this may not alleve the "den" problem. 4) Keeping the dog in a crate all day, which seems a bit confining for an adult dog. Any suggestions for what is the best option would be GREATLY appreciated. I really want to make sure I have the doggy life-style bit all worked out before I go get the dog! Thanks very much! j.
Response:
*IF* your dog doesn’t bark or otherwise disturb the neighbors then one solution is to build a covered secure dog run up against the house with a dog door between it and the house. If you build it properly it will be secure enough to contain the cat. In the past my cats loved the opportunity to get outdoors and I loved that they could do it and be safe. The dog run was a bit less than 8 feet tall and I installed "rafters" about two feet down with carpeting btween them for a nice sturdy "hammock" that the cats could sit in and look out over the world and the dogs could play below. If you situate the run away from the property line and screen it from activity in adjoining yards or the public street then you have the best chance of the dog enjoying it, without getting stressed (agitated) by that activity. Unfortunately that doesn’t work for all dogs. My big guy gets overstimulated by things he hears and is a neighborhood nuisance if I dare leave him out when I’m not home. Most adult dogs, BTW can wait through the ordinary working day inside. Diane Blackman – – - - - - - - – " . . . approximately 90 percent of the behavior owners consider negative occurs when their pets are isolated or alone." "The Body Language and Emotion of Dogs" by Myrna M. Milani, DVM.
: I’m thinking about getting a puppy – probably a Brittany. I’m planning : on crate training him/her and coming home for lunch during the first 4-6 : months. However, this is kind of inconvenient for the long term. It : may be a bit premature, but I’m trying to plan on what to do with the : adult dog during the day. I have a fenced in back-yard (but an indoor : cat, so a doggy door is not an option) so here are the options: : 1) Leaving the dog in the backyard during the day w/ no access to the : inside. I understand that the dog may get bored and miss being in the : "den". : 2) Giving the dog the run of the house but no access to outside, and : hoping there are no accidents/ destroying of furniture! : 3) Keeping the dog in the basement with access to outside. However, we : don’t ever use the basement, so this may not alleve the "den" problem. : 4) Keeping the dog in a crate all day, which seems a bit confining for : an adult dog. : Any suggestions for what is the best option would be GREATLY : appreciated. I really want to make sure I have the doggy life-style bit : all worked out before I go get the dog! : Thanks very much! : j.
Response:
How about getting an adult brittany spaniel??? There are two young adults in the local Atlanta shelters right now! Only 25% of dogs in Atlanta shelters get adopted (purebred or mixed) and the rest are euthanized — so if you would consider getting an adult let me know and I’ll tell you about the brittanys in the shelters. I’m assuming you’re in Atlanta because of the Emory address, if I’m wrong then….nevermind. If you are sure you want a puppy, then I would suggest restricting the puppy to one hard floored "puppy proofed" room of the house (kitchen, laundryroom) during the day when you are gone once it is housebroken. BTW, many pups can’t hold it for a full working day of 8-9 hours until they are at least 9+ months old. It is cruel to keep the pup in a crate all day and most dogs would hate to be stuck down in a basement. Most dogs can’t be given full run of the house until they are at least 1 1/2 years old — many not until they’re 2 or 3 and a mature adult. So, for most pups, that isn’t a very realistic option. Another option would be to have a doggie door from the "puppy proofed" room into a fenced dog run inside of your fence. The dog run could have a top to it so that the cat could also safely go in/out during the day. Good luck, Susan Feingold Pet Orphans Rescue and Adoption http://www.mindspring.com/~feingold/orphans.html – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I’m thinking about getting a puppy – probably a Brittany. I’m planning >on crate training him/her and coming home for lunch during the first 4-6 >months. However, this is kind of inconvenient for the long term. It >may be a bit premature, but I’m trying to plan on what to do with the >adult dog during the day. I have a fenced in back-yard (but an indoor >cat, so a doggy door is not an option) so here are the options: >1) Leaving the dog in the backyard during the day w/ no access to the >inside. I understand that the dog may get bored and miss being in the >"den". >2) Giving the dog the run of the house but no access to outside, and >hoping there are no accidents/ destroying of furniture! >3) Keeping the dog in the basement with access to outside. However, we >don’t ever use the basement, so this may not alleve the "den" problem. >4) Keeping the dog in a crate all day, which seems a bit confining for >an adult dog. >Any suggestions for what is the best option would be GREATLY >appreciated. I really want to make sure I have the doggy life-style bit >all worked out before I go get the dog! >Thanks very much! >j.
Response:
F> If you are sure you want a puppy, then I would suggest F> restricting the puppy to one hard floored "puppy proofed" F> room of the house (kitchen, laundryroom) during the day when you are F> gone once it is housebroken. BTW, many pups can’t hold it for a full F> working day of 8-9 hours until they are at least 9+ months F> old. Of course you could start with paper training, so the pup can use the paper when he has to urinate or defecate when you are not home. (I’ve never had a problem with an initially paper-trained puppy learning to go outside once the outside is available.) It is cruel to keep the pup in a crate all day and most dogs F> would hate to be stuck down in a basement. Most dogs can’t be given F> full run of the house until they are at least 1 1/2 years F> old — many not until they’re 2 or 3 and a mature adult. So, HUH? Admittedly I don’t let my dog have free entry into the room with all the wires–my "computer room"–but I find it difficult to imagine a dog who must be restricted to one room at the age of 1 year. (Before anyone asks, most of my life I lived in a private house or a multi- room apartment.) F> for most pups, that isn’t a very realistic option. Another option F> would be to have a doggie door from the "puppy proofed" room F> into a fenced dog run inside of your fence. The dog run could have a F> top to it so that the cat could also safely go in/out during the day. This would be ideal, if it works. F> F> Good luck, F> Susan Feingold F> Pet Orphans Rescue and Adoption F> http://www.mindspring.com/~feingold/orphans.html F> F> F> F> F>
F> F> >I’m thinking about getting a puppy – probably a Brittany. I’m planning F> >on crate training him/her and coming home for lunch during the first 4-6 F> >months. However, this is kind of inconvenient for the long term. It F> >may be a bit premature, but I’m trying to plan on what to do with the F> >adult dog during the day. I have a fenced in back-yard (but an indoor F> >cat, so a doggy door is not an option) so here are the options: F> >1) Leaving the dog in the backyard during the day w/ no access to the F> >inside. I understand that the dog may get bored and miss being in the F> >"den". F> >2) Giving the dog the run of the house but no access to outside, and F> >hoping there are no accidents/ destroying of furniture! F> >3) Keeping the dog in the basement with access to outside. However, we F> >don’t ever use the basement, so this may not alleve the "den" problem. F> >4) Keeping the dog in a crate all day, which seems a bit confining for F> >an adult dog. F> >Any suggestions for what is the best option would be GREATLY F> >appreciated. I really want to make sure I have the doggy life-style bit F> >all worked out before I go get the dog! F> F> >Thanks very much! F> >j. F> F> F> F> .. nfx v2.7 [C0000] A house is not a home until it has a dog.
Response:
I was in the same exact situation about a year ago before I got my first puppy (Australian Shepherd female). I’m sure there are many out there who will not agree with my approach, but it has worked fine for me. My dog is in her crate while I’m at work. She’s just over a year old now, and I plan to start leaving her out of her crate in a closed of room very soon. I’m to the point now where I am confident that she won’t be destructive and she will not potty in the house. Although it might seem cruel to us, I don’t believe the dogs object to being in their crate’s during the day, especially if you have crate trained in a positive manner. You mentioned that you could go home at lunch during the day for the short term. I think you will definitely want to do this as a puppy does not have enough control to not eliminate for 8 hours. For the first 6 months, I went home at lunch and it never seemed to be a problem. After a puppy is 12 weeks old, I think it is reasonable to leave them in their crates for up to 4 hours during the day. I would recommend talking to a veterinarian, though. After 6 months, my dog had no problem staying in her crate for 8 hours. My vet said they should be able to last 12 hours, but I never push it that long. I also made it a point to take the puppy for a walk in the morning before work, then she gets about 20 to 30 minutes of play at lunch when I would come home. In other words, I felt I needed to do more than just let her out to potty, then put her right back in her crate. In the evening, she gets more walks, play, and lots of attention. So, I think crating during the day is do-able, you just need to make sure they get plenty of attention when you are home. Yes, it’s not as desirable as having someone with the dog all day, but crating has worked for me. I’m very happy with the way my dog has adjusted. I don’t think she has any hard feelings about it and in fact, when I get home and let her out, her tongue is hanging out, her butt is swinging, and she’s ready to play… > I’m thinking about getting a puppy – probably a Brittany. I’m planning > on crate training him/her and coming home for lunch during the first 4-6 > months. However, this is kind of inconvenient for the long term. It
Response:
We’ve recently gone through the same situation as James, having acquired our Sheltie puppy last August. The crate training has worked out very well and we now leave Cowboy in his crate from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (plus overnight) each workday and only a few hours during the day on weekends. We know he (and our home) are safe during those times we can’t supervise. We can now tell him it’s time to go to the crate, point in that direction and have him go into the crate without any "forcing" at all. Sometimes he goes in on his own to take a nap. Just be sure the crate you use isn’t too large when he’s young or too small when he grows. We used a kitty carrier when Cowboy was young. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> ….. > My dog is in her crate while I’m at work. She’s just over a year old now, and > I plan to start leaving her out of her crate in a closed of room very soon. > I’m to the point now where I am confident that she won’t be destructive and > she will not potty in the house. Although it might seem cruel to us, I don’t > believe the dogs object to being in their crate’s during the day, especially > if you have crate trained in a positive manner. …… > So, I think crating during the day is do-able, you just need to make sure > they get plenty of attention when you are home. Yes, it’s not as desirable as > having someone with the dog all day, but crating has worked for me. I’m very > happy with the way my dog has adjusted. I don’t think she has any hard > feelings about it and in fact, when I get home and let her out, her tongue is > hanging out, her butt is swinging, and she’s ready to play…
Response:
I like that you emphasis the *IF*. It has been my experience that many dog owners assume that their dogs are not disturbing the neighbors when exactly the opposite is happening. The neighbors sit and stew about it, and when they finally can’t stand it anymore, they blow their stacks at the dog owner. It’s better to know for sure what is going on and to be proactive about it. An inexpensive portable tape recorder will reveal the truth about what goes on while you are away. Much better than pushing your neighbors to the limit and having them tell you. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >*IF* your dog doesn’t bark or otherwise disturb the neighbors then one >solution is to build a covered secure dog run up against the house with a >dog door between it and the house. If you build it properly it will be >secure enough to contain the cat. In the past my cats loved the >opportunity to get outdoors and I loved that they could do it and be safe. >The dog run was a bit less than 8 feet tall and I installed "rafters" >about two feet down with carpeting btween them for a nice sturdy "hammock" >that the cats could sit in and look out over the world and the dogs could >play below. If you situate the run away from the property line and screen >it from activity in adjoining yards or the public street then you have the >best chance of the dog enjoying it, without getting stressed (agitated) by >that activity. Unfortunately that doesn’t work for all dogs. My big guy >gets overstimulated by things he hears and is a neighborhood nuisance if I >dare leave him out when I’m not home. >Most adult dogs, BTW can wait through the ordinary working day inside. >Diane Blackman >- – - - - - - - – >" . . . approximately 90 percent of the behavior owners consider negative >occurs when their pets are isolated or alone." "The Body Language and >Emotion of Dogs" by Myrna M. Milani, DVM. >: I’m thinking about getting a puppy – probably a Brittany. I’m planning >: on crate training him/her and coming home for lunch during the first 4-6 >: months. However, this is kind of inconvenient for the long term. It >: may be a bit premature, but I’m trying to plan on what to do with the >: adult dog during the day. I have a fenced in back-yard (but an indoor >: cat, so a doggy door is not an option) so here are the options: >: 1) Leaving the dog in the backyard during the day w/ no access to the >: inside. I understand that the dog may get bored and miss being in the >: "den". >: 2) Giving the dog the run of the house but no access to outside, and >: hoping there are no accidents/ destroying of furniture! >: 3) Keeping the dog in the basement with access to outside. However, we >: don’t ever use the basement, so this may not alleve the "den" problem. >: 4) Keeping the dog in a crate all day, which seems a bit confining for >: an adult dog. >: Any suggestions for what is the best option would be GREATLY >: appreciated. I really want to make sure I have the doggy life-style bit >: all worked out before I go get the dog! >: Thanks very much! >: j.
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