out for the day

This forum is all about training and behavior. Everything from potty training to working titles!

Postby rockermom » March 14th, 2006, 11:57 am

I am a stay at home mom. Next week I am going on a field trip. I will be out from 7:30 am till 4:30 pm. Normally if I go out Rocky is crated. Usually a couple of hours. no more than once or twice a week. I have gone out a few times for 5 hrs or so. Once i left him 6 hrs and he did not want to go to bed for 2 nights but that was over 3 months ago. Rocky is 8 months now. Today I went out for an hour. I put him in the play room and bloked it off with 2 gates. There was really not much for him to get into. I left him a cong with biscuits and pb and nyla bones. When I came home I quietly came in and he was on a bed I set up for him curled up resting. I only have a week but I was wondering should I work him up to stay there longer periods. Oh I forgot to say I plan to ask a friend to come by and take him for a walk. Or should I just keep him crated. Im too not worried about him being able to hold it. He is fine with that. He does not mind his crate and he knows if I close the door I am going out and he no longer cries about it. If he does not mind the crate should I continue to crate him?
User avatar
rockermom
Supremely Bully
 
Posts: 1085

Postby Maryellen » March 14th, 2006, 12:02 pm

start by leaving him in the crate for a little while, like an hour, go out, come back, reward when you take him out. repeat, and increase the time inthe crate so that eventually he will be in for 7 hours. with him at 7 months old i would also get up REALLY EARLY the morning of the trip, and run his butt ragged... i would say a good hour to 2 hours of running, playing, hard time to make him tired so that he will sleep while you are gone..

or send him to doggy day care for the day.
Maryellen
I live here
 
Posts: 5971

Postby rockermom » March 14th, 2006, 12:09 pm

Oh he can stay in the crate for hours he does fine with that. I have left him for at least four hours a week to go shopping and stuff sometimes more he is fine. So your opinion is I should keep him in the crate for the day. Im asking a friend to come take him for a walk. He goes right in his crate now especially if he hears me touch the biscuit jar. Milkbones are crate treat. Its just he is in there all night and then he will be in there all day. Was worried it would cause him to become anxious. I never make a big deal when I come home and I dont let him out right away. I get things done and then let him out.
User avatar
rockermom
Supremely Bully
 
Posts: 1085

Postby Romanwild » March 14th, 2006, 12:11 pm

I agree that you should be working on him being alone more often. The truth is they sleep almost 100% of the time you are gone anyway. If he is safe he will be fine.
User avatar
Romanwild
I live here
 
Posts: 2931
Location: Watertown NY

Postby ParisStreetPitCrew » March 14th, 2006, 12:17 pm

Romanwild wrote:I agree that you should be working on him being alone more often. The truth is they sleep almost 100% of the time you are gone anyway. If he is safe he will be fine.


I agree. There may (god forbid, of course) come a time where he may need to be hospitalized or something like that, where he would have to 1. be away from you, and 2. be crated for long periods of time. It's just a good idea to get him used to it so that he doesn't harm himself by stressing in a situation like that.
BTW, I'm working on this with my own dogs right now-- for their own good.
User avatar
ParisStreetPitCrew
Devoutly Bully
 
Posts: 845
Location: Grand Rapids, MI

Postby rockermom » March 14th, 2006, 12:18 pm

As a matter of fact he is sleeping right now and when I am home he mostly sleeps in the sun. For hours. He is in a dream state making monkey noises as I write. What my question really is... Should I crate him which is what I normally do. Or should I put him in a room. If I am going to be out that many hours. I always crate him when I go out. even just for 20 min. Once I left him out and went to post office he was sleeping when I came back. And today was first time I confined him to a large room (for about an hour) he could actually have zoomies in if he wanted. But he was resting on a couch cushion I put there for him to lay on when I came home. He sleeps in the crate for the night goes in on his own at 8pm and does not come out untill 7am sometimes I open door and he stays resting for a while.
User avatar
rockermom
Supremely Bully
 
Posts: 1085

Postby Maryellen » March 14th, 2006, 12:25 pm

crate him. he cant eat the room, doors, outlets, curtains, bedding, furniture while in a crate, which will protect him from hurting himself.. since its a one time deal, he will be fine in the crate for that long , just tire him out in the morning before you put him in the crate..

my gsd wasnt allowed free rein until she turned 3 years old.. rufus will NEVER have free rein when i am not home or at work because he eats everything that is not nailed down.

since rocky is still a puppy crate him for that day.
Maryellen
I live here
 
Posts: 5971

Postby ParisStreetPitCrew » March 14th, 2006, 12:27 pm

I guess I would say that leaving him in the crate or closed in a room is a matter of personal opinion.

I would personally never leave my dogs in a closed room, or area no matter how "dog-proofed" the area is.... but I have my reasons.
User avatar
ParisStreetPitCrew
Devoutly Bully
 
Posts: 845
Location: Grand Rapids, MI

Postby Romanwild » March 14th, 2006, 12:30 pm

I'm a believer in a nice large crate for all my dogs. Especially Dreyfsus becasue he has SA. They are safes and sound and comfortable when kenneled. You have no worries of them destroying anything or harming themsleves by eating something or jumping through a window to chase a cat.

I am extra paronoid and padlock my crates to prevent theft. :oops: :rolleyes2:

If your crate is the wire kind then please, please zip tie the hell out of it! They can push on the sides and try to squezze through where then can be hurt or killed.
User avatar
Romanwild
I live here
 
Posts: 2931
Location: Watertown NY

Postby dogcrazyjen » March 14th, 2006, 1:57 pm

Tess destroyed a huge metal one, and could have really hurt herself the last time, she bent the door out, then tipped the whole thing over and climbed out the bottom (which was then on top).

She is now in a huge plastic airline crate which is set in an alcove which is enclosed on 3 sides. Her crate anxiety completely turned around when we got rid of the wire crate too. I am a big fan of the plastic kennels.

I have left adult dogs for as long as 10 hours when we had to go out of town for the day. Not often, maybe once a year if that, but I do not have anyone to watch my dogs for me. Leave a lot of hard bones, make sure they exercise, then poop and pee right before going in the crate. He will be fine.
dogcrazyjen
Devoutly Bully
 
Posts: 922
Location: FingerLakes NY

Postby rockermom » March 14th, 2006, 2:07 pm

Ok thanks. I have a plastic airline crate. I will leave him nyla bones and I will freeze pb in cong and have a 2nd one in the freezer if my friend can come take him out.
User avatar
rockermom
Supremely Bully
 
Posts: 1085

Postby mnp13 » March 14th, 2006, 2:26 pm

Maryellen wrote:or send him to doggy day care for the day.


uh... no. that's as bad as a dog park.
Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.
User avatar
mnp13
Evil Overlord
 
Posts: 17234
Location: Rochester, NY

Postby Maryellen » March 14th, 2006, 2:28 pm

not if they are pit savvy. rufus goes to doggy day care at a kennel that is pit friendly. the pits that are boarded there are not allowed group or one on one play time. they get extra time w/ the kennel workers thru out the dayl. the pits that like swimming get to swim in the pond with a 30 foot long line.. if the kennel is pit savvy it is fine. if they are not, then dont use them.
Maryellen
I live here
 
Posts: 5971

Postby Maryellen » March 14th, 2006, 2:29 pm

is rocky more used to a wire crate or a plastic kennel? if he has never been in a plastic kennel get him used to it now before you do the day trip, this way he doesnt become afraid of the plastic kennel.. start kenneling him in the plastic one for short periods of time and work your way up to the longest time frame..
Maryellen
I live here
 
Posts: 5971

Postby mnp13 » March 14th, 2006, 2:30 pm

Lots of good advice here. I think you should crate him and leave him for the day. I wouldn't even have your friend come and walk him, as that could cause more disruption.

He sleeps through the night so you know he can hold it for 8 hours, and he doesn't fight the crate, so I think you'll be fine.
Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.
User avatar
mnp13
Evil Overlord
 
Posts: 17234
Location: Rochester, NY

Postby rockermom » March 14th, 2006, 2:58 pm

Ok Thanks.
Maryellen-Yes the plastic crate is what I use in the house. Its what he has used since day one here. He goes there when he wants quiet time. Its like a dog house for him.
User avatar
rockermom
Supremely Bully
 
Posts: 1085

Postby Maryellen » March 14th, 2006, 3:06 pm

oh ok, i didnt know he used a plastic crate.. good, then since thats what you use just increase his time in it until next week.. and do the same routine, dont say hi, dont be all excited when you let him out.. do your normal stuff and pretend nothing is new
Maryellen
I live here
 
Posts: 5971

Postby ellie@ny » March 15th, 2006, 8:54 pm

I would crate him too,but before long hours crating,be sure to give him a big excercise,so he will sleep long.... :) I do the same,when I have to leave them for longer time,and it works for me!Good luck!
Ellie
----------------------------------------
"Winners aren't born...they're made.And they're made just like anything else...through hard work.That's the price we'll have to pay to achive that goal."
User avatar
ellie@ny
Full of Bully
 
Posts: 1979
Location: NY

Postby rockermom » March 19th, 2006, 10:15 am

Thanks for all this advice. I will take him for a long morning walk. He is use to my friend so She will come take him for a noon walk since that is what I would usually do. And my son should be home around 3ish. I have been leaving him each day for at least 4 hours at a time. He does not even cry when I leave so I guess he will be fine. Im lucky I got such a good boy! Will let ya all know how it went. But now what I am curious about. Will I ever let him roam the house. How do I know when he is ready to be out of crate when I am not home. For example right now at 9am he is sleeping in the sun which he will do till at least noon or later if I let him. As long as the sun is out thats where you will find him. If it is a cloudy day he does not know what to do with himself. Thats when he will bother me for attention. Is there a particular age that they can roam the house. BTW he is the only pet other than a few goldfish.
User avatar
rockermom
Supremely Bully
 
Posts: 1085

Postby Maryellen » March 19th, 2006, 11:13 am

once he is trustworthy to not get into the garbage, cabinets, at any cleaning chemicals or eat anything he is not supposed to then you can let him have limited access and gradually work his way up to the entire house.
Maryellen
I live here
 
Posts: 5971

Next

Return to Training & Behavior

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users

cron