dog left at home

BlueJ94

I used to be really worried about leaving my dog in the house when I went to work, I work 9-5. I used to let him have free roam of the house until he chewed my bed and doors. I now leave him downstairs and shut all the doors. He sleeps most of the day on the sofa and is always super excited when I get home!

elsien

If he's happy in his crate, I wouldn't be too fussed about it. If they have access to water and all they're going to do is sleep anyway, it really doesn't make much odds whether the crate door is open or not. So if it reassures him, why push it?
I now leave the crate door open but I'm 99% sure Gitdog doesn't shift from it while I'm out because it doesn't matter what time parent goes to fetch him he's always at the back of the crate snoring and doesn't bother opening his eyes to see who it is.

klew356

elsien wrote: »

If he's happy in his crate, I wouldn't be too fussed about it. If they have access to water and all they're going to do is sleep anyway, it really doesn't make much odds whether the crate door is open or not. So if it reassures him, why push it?
I now leave the crate door open but I'm 99% sure Gitdog doesn't shift from it while I'm out because it doesn't matter what time parent goes to fetch him he's always at the back of the crate snoring and doesn't bother opening his eyes to see who it is.

I think its that worry, oh hes shut in all day, which of course hes not because he has a couple of hours with me before work and then im home for lunch then back again after work. Id like to try him where he has the option to be in or out but if it doesn’t work il happily leave him be. To be honest the mornings he spends in his crate I think it is spent sleeping, the afternoons would be where I would leave it his choice. :A

klew356

jadewest94 wrote: »

I used to be really worried about leaving my dog in the house when I went to work, I work 9-5. I used to let him have free roam of the house until he chewed my bed and doors. I now leave him downstairs and shut all the doors. He sleeps most of the day on the sofa and is always super excited when I get home!

this is the fear, wrecking the house, i dont think he would just lie and sleep i think there would be carnage, however if he has access to his belongings and a antler etc i think he will be fine.

once he accidentally got out while i was at work and he was in the kitchen, i was most surprised he did not scratch the door, he got a hold of a carrier bag which was torn into a thousand bits and my neighbour said there was a lot of banging (this turned out to be him playing with his ball, hitting off the appliances. the greeting i got when i opened the door was the best one i have had, ever! he was super pleased. my neighbour said he had been howling and barking. howver that im not suprised about as he was thrown in at the deep end whereas i would be trying short periods at a time

Threebabes

We had our dog in a crate when a puppy, he hated going in and I felt terribly guilty. We then started leaving him in the kitchen, then leaving him downstairs. He now has the run of the house, he sleeps on the bed or sofa during the day when we are out. Or when we are in for that matter. Hes not chewed anything, hes as good as gold.

Try leaving him alone loose and increase the time.

klew356

not had chance to try this yet as we have been on away days but this morning because of the away days he was still super snoozy when i got up at 6am he had been out and done his business and had a bit of carrot and was sitting on the sofa quite the thing - i got up to do the dishes, heard a noise, turned round and there he was back in the crate with his back to me, curled in a ball probably trying to drown the noise of me working out! - so he chose crate over sofa which i quite like?! as in he knows its his place?

sheramber

Dogs like routine, so if he is used to being in his crate when you go to work he will continue to go to his crate even when you are there if there is nothing happening to distract him.

klew356

im hoping that he will do this when i am out, fingers crossed!

klew356

Update: I have left him twice when I have nipped to collect a Chinese which is not far away and it probably was five minutes, this weekend im going to leave him ten minutes – every time I have left him I have left him with a kong with something delightful stuffed in it