What's the best way to deal with a 8 or 9 month old puppy that, because of work, will need to be alone and crated for 8 to 8 and a half hours a day? I don't own dogs and know zilch about keeping them but I was wondering what people actually did with their animals.

Should they have access to food and water in the crate? How often should you feed them anyway? Morning and night or just once a day? Or do you leave food out all day like with birds?

For those of you that live in places without yards or fenced-in yards, how often do you take your dog outside and on what intervals?

How long do you walk it every day if you have to crate it for that long?

What if you aren't able to take it outside to pee? Does anyone have experience with something like litter training for dogs? If you aren't able to make time to take the dog out, should you have a dog in the first place?

6/11/2008 7:22:36 PM

Sounds like you should reconsider getting a dog.

6/11/2008 7:25:01 PM

Euthanasia.

6/11/2008 7:27:19 PM

I don't actually want a dog myself (it would probably eat my chickens), but I was wondering what the BMPs would be.

6/11/2008 7:32:35 PM

In short, what you're looking for is a cat.

Quote :

"If you aren't able to make time to take the dog out, should you have a dog in the first place?"

Got it. Your puppy often needs lots of attention and exercise in the form of walking. A dog left alone for that many hours (let alone in a crate as a puppy) will develop bad habits and horrible anxiety, such as howling and barking throughout the day while you are out of home.

Quote :

"For those of you that live in places without yards or fenced-in yards, how often do you take your dog outside and on what intervals?"

I don't, but it would be at least every 1.5-2 hours for a puppy, especially if its still being house trained. We had to care for a puppy for a week earlier this summer and she needed to be taken out on that interval or she'd piss in the house.

Quote :

"How long do you walk it every day if you have to crate it for that long?"

Long enough to wear it the fuck out. I would say at least 15 minutes for a walk, a run if its an energetic dog. You could train it to go out on rollerblades or a bike, but I have no experience with that.

Are you able to take lunch breaks and take care of it at all? A dog that is alone for that long may or will become destructive, my parents had a ton of problems with a dog of ours back in the day. She would destroy anything that she could when left alone, and always went for stuff that was my mom's, such as makeup and glasses; she never touched anyone else's stuff. Parents ended up tying her leash to a 70 lb stack of weights, but the dog would just drag it around the house (this is a dog that was probably around 70 pounds, medium-large dog). Finally installed an eye-bolt in the wall that they tied her to that was away from everything......so the dog chewed up the corners of the baseboards that she could reach.

So your dog would need lots of attention. Even now we won't leave dogs alone for more than 3 hours, 4 hours MAX.

--

Even with a cat, kittens should probably get considerable amounts of attention and play time until they're old enough to become mature lolcats that are suitable to have captions attached to as they lounge and partake in typical lolcat activities.

[Edited on June 11, 2008 at 8:33 PM. Reason : moar]

Catch a few episodes of The Dog Whisperer and you should get a feel of how you should be taking care of your dog.

[Edited on June 11, 2008 at 8:38 PM. Reason : l]

6/11/2008 8:27:17 PM

What kind of dog is it?

Let me tell you about my experience so you can learn from my mistakes...

I have a 10 month old hound mix that is 45 lbs worth of energy and wreckage. I live in an apartment so he doesn't have a yard to play in. He is lovable but destroys EVERYTHING. He has swallowed my engagement ring, chewed up my glasses, chewed up holes in my carpet, chewed countless pairs of socks and underwear and various items of clothing, and also has the endearing habit of peeing on my bed.

Adding to the issue:
- I don't have a backyard, so he HAS to be walked. Every book/expert I've consulted says that an hour a day is the minimum amount of time a dog needs to be walked. I'm admit that I am lazy and this doesn't happen every day.
- He is not potty trained. I didn't have any experience w/ dog either when I got him and so his early training was inconsistent and didn't work that well. I should have started crate training earlier than I did. So read up on dog training and have a plan before you get the dog. Also, everyone that comes near the dog while you are still training should be well aware of your plans. Nothing is more frustrating that in-laws that are all too happy to let your puppy break your established rules. Also, feeding and watering at established times will get them on a regular bathroom cycle.

So.. yeah... in conclusion, dogs are needy. If you want to put forth that effort than by all means. I myself am looking forward to having a back yard soon...

6/11/2008 8:58:12 PM

Honestly, I think The Dog Whisperer is a great and nearly necessary show for dog owners to watch

^Have you tried giving him hard toys or rawhides to destroy? Old teddy bears are great for dogs to maul and rip the guts out of...its gonna be either the teddy bear or your seat cushion. Putting a bell on the door to ring whenever you take him out will also help as a addon to crate training.

6/11/2008 9:06:46 PM

I go through bags of rawhides, and stuffed toys are unstuffed within minutes.

I have just recently started to try the bell trick though! We'll see how it goes...

6/11/2008 9:31:53 PM

8 to 8 1/2 hours is far too long to leave a puppy in a crate. Please consider another pet.

6/11/2008 9:48:42 PM

when clyde was a puppy she had to go outside about every hour to two hours. and she pooped 4 or 5 times a day.

don't get a puppy if it has to be left in a crate for 8-8.5 hours a day all by it's lonesome. adopt a grown dog that isn't so high maintenance if you must really get a dog.

6/11/2008 9:53:16 PM

Quote :

"Even with a cat, kittens should probably get considerable amounts of attention and play time until they're old enough to become mature lolcats that are suitable to have captions attached to as they lounge and partake in typical lolcat activities."

this is why im getting two cats now because i have the schedule to only be gone about 4 hours at a time this summer

6/11/2008 10:17:48 PM

Again, I'm not the one who wants a dog.

But yeah, if it's going to be left in its crate that long, should water be left in the crate as well?

6/11/2008 10:34:21 PM

Put it this way, there are no circumstances in which it is acceptable to leave the puppy in a crate for 8 to 8.5 hours straight, so leaving water in the crate with it is irrelevant.

6/11/2008 10:40:05 PM

Leave it in a box for 8 hours and deprive it of water?

I honestly don't know what the answer should be, but I would think that you have to give it water to be comfortable.

6/11/2008 10:43:01 PM

^ but yes. If you're going to insist on leaving it in the crate anyway for that long (which is still not a good idea), then you should definitely put some water in there.

6/11/2008 11:34:18 PM

My family extensively owns many indoor and outdoor dogs. The indoor ones have to be let out at lunch and immediately after work or they'll go fucking nuts, rip up bedding, and pee and crap everywhere, even on a strict eating and pooping schedule. For the smaller dogs the crates are huge enough to give them plenty of space but if they're clumsy or not yet mature like puppies, they can tend to knock over the water bowl/dish, even the heavy ones. They've found it's best to stick those guinea-pig style side-bottles on the cage so the dogs don't spill it or get their blankets soaked and have water access when they want. On the flip side, if they have a small bladder they can easily drink a lot of water and piss the cage anyway. Depends on the dog.

6/11/2008 11:48:12 PM

1) put food down for cat
2)...
3)profit

6/12/2008 12:53:17 AM

seriously - watch "it's me or the dog" on the animal planet - that bitch knows what's up

6/12/2008 1:02:44 AM

8.5 hours is fine for a dog in a crate. they sleep all day anyway. just be sure to let em out and take em for a good walk or to a dog park or something everyday.

once it gets older you can probably leave em out. i leave my dog home for 8+ hours a day w/ her crate door open, but anytime i sneak in for lunch or after work, she's sleeping in the crate.

6/12/2008 2:13:12 AM

Quote :

"But yeah, if it's going to be left in its crate that long, should water be left in the crate as well?"

I can't believe this is a real question. Please tell whoever is looking into getting a dog to go get a cat or hamster instead.

6/12/2008 9:23:35 AM

Quote :

"Put it this way, there are no circumstances in which it is acceptable to leave the puppy in a crate for 8 to 8.5 hours straight, so leaving water in the crate with it is irrelevant."

^^ puppies can't be left in a crate for 8+ hours, when they're grown, yes, but not when they are still a puppy.

imo, leaving a puppy in a crate for 8+ hours straight is neglect, and the owner should be beat with a stick.

6/12/2008 9:34:52 AM

Quote :

"TYPICAL LOLCAT ACTIVITIES"

6/12/2008 9:40:16 AM

^^truth, unless youre coming home for an hour lunch to let them out, if you have to leave them in a small crate for 8+ hours a day then you shouldnt be getting a dog imo.

[Edited on June 12, 2008 at 9:40 AM. Reason : ]

6/12/2008 9:40:26 AM

Quote :

"there are no circumstances in which it is acceptable to leave the puppy in a crate for 8 to 8.5 hours straight, so leaving water in the crate with it is irrelevant."

thirded. Tell your friend, bf, relative who is considering this to reconsider.

Even grown dogs shouldn't be left in a crate that long.

6/12/2008 9:51:39 AM

the rule of thumb with a puppy and a crate is:

1 hour per 1 month of age

if a puppy is 3 months old, he should be in his crate NO LONGER than 3 hours at a time. hopefully you can do the math to figure out the rest.

if he stays in the crate longer than that, crate training in what it has to do with house breaking will not be as effective.

6/12/2008 9:58:05 AM

The most my dog was ever in her crate during the day when she was a puppy was three hours, TOPS.

Now, she's two years old, so she can handle me being gone for 9-10 hours at work since she has no crate anymore.

I purposefully got her when I was in grad school living off school loans because I knew I'd be home all day except for three-hour classes a couple nights a week.

6/12/2008 10:03:35 AM

holy shit how would you like to be left in a small box for 8 hours? That is cruel.

6/12/2008 10:04:21 AM

They're den animals, so they actually don't mind the small box so much. It's more the being left alone for 8 hours without a break to at least go potty that's tough.

6/12/2008 10:07:53 AM

I still don't think leaving a puppy in a crate for 8+ hours a day is healthy for it's development. What kind of dog is it?

6/12/2008 10:12:24 AM

^^ Right. They only need enough room in a crate to stand up completely, turn around and lay back down. As long as it's big enough for that, it's OK.

It's more the duration. Eight hours is definitely too long for a puppy.

6/12/2008 10:18:59 AM

rofl 8-8.5 hours a day, why did you get a puppy their life is miserable.

6/12/2008 11:00:30 AM

i guess i should have read the whole thread more closely, esp the original post.

for young puppies, the 1hr/month this is the rule. for older puppies/dogs they should be couped up more than 4-5 hours.

they DO make dog litter boxes, and these tray things that have some sort of substrate and fake grass over it.

6/12/2008 11:19:19 AM

what you need is a Walls1441

6/12/2008 11:31:27 AM

A lot of whats being discussed in this thread varies on the breed/size of the dog. I feel like my experience with a puppy is far different than what most of you guys have done, or recommend.

I got a puppy when he was 13 wks old. Got him on a saturday. Spent all day with him Sunday starting the crate training process. Went to work on Monday (which meant he was in his crate for about 8 hrs (other roommate goes to work 2 hrs after me). I did this until I felt I could trust him having more freedom and as he became house trained. After a month or so he had free reign of the entire apartment. He never had any accidents when home alone. I would always take him for a long walk in the morning and night as well as take him out before bed for one more chance to go to the bathroom.

Maybe I got off easy, but my dog rocks and he was really easy to have as a puppy.

6/12/2008 12:39:24 PM

i feel really guilty about leaving my dogs for the whole day, and they're not even locked up (out in the yard if it's nice). i go home to eat lunch with them and still feel guilty when i have to leave. i couldn't imagine leaving them for 8+ hours everyday. i'd have a hard time feeling like i was doing right by the dog.

cats on the other hand are great at home for extended periods. i wouldn't ever have just one (so it doesn't get lonely), but i don't feel as guilty leaving them for the day as i do the dogs.

[Edited on June 12, 2008 at 1:11 PM. Reason : ]

6/12/2008 1:11:11 PM

half the stuff i've read in here basically means anybody that works 40/week can't have a dog. dang.

[Edited on June 12, 2008 at 1:45 PM. Reason : ^ i say it's because dogs are a lot easier to love]

6/12/2008 1:44:18 PM

no, i love my cats just as much and have had them longer, they're just more...self-sufficient...?

6/12/2008 1:49:00 PM

I have 2 ferrets and they're litter trained, descented, fixed, and do tricks plus they chase my roommates 2 cats around the apartment and it's hilarious. They also stay in a cage and sleep 18/hours day. I'll get a dog when i have a yard.

6/12/2008 1:50:52 PM

Quote :

"half the stuff i've read in here basically means anybody that works 40/week can't have a dog. dang."

you must not know how to read.

there is a difference between keeping a puppy in a cage for 8 hours and keeping a grown/trained dog in a cage for 8 hours. puppies need attention more often than 8 hour intervals.

i work 40+ hours a week, and my dog is fine at the house while i'm at work.

6/12/2008 3:02:52 PM

http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=521581

6/12/2008 3:07:36 PM

seriously, this dog is 8 or 9 months old... my dog was used to chilling in his cage and going outside to pee twice a day by then.

6/12/2008 3:09:12 PM

^same here.

I do walk my dog on mornings when it's not to hot. She's an English bulldog so temperature is definitely a factor. Can't walk her for too long either. I did my research and bought a dog that matches my lifestyle. Everyone considering a dog, or any pet really, should do the same (but especially if you want a dog).

6/12/2008 3:31:40 PM

we only crated our dog as a puppy. if you have an older dog you don't necessarily need to crate them all day. our dog just roamed the house. or you could confine it to an area with baby gates or by shutting doors. that is probably better for everyone involved. i wouldn't have a dog if it had to chill in a crate for 8 hours a day.

6/12/2008 3:36:27 PM

Quote :

"seriously, this dog is 8 or 9 months old... my dog was used to chilling in his cage and going outside to pee twice a day by then."

So true. My dog was completely broken in well before that.

6/12/2008 3:42:04 PM

I think the concern was more that the dog would get bored and chew things from having to be left alone that long.

6/12/2008 4:28:29 PM

Quote :

"we only crated our dog as a puppy. if you have an older dog you don't necessarily need to crate them all day. our dog just roamed the house. or you could confine it to an area with baby gates or by shutting doors. that is probably better for everyone involved. i wouldn't have a dog if it had to chill in a crate for 8 hours a day."

this is what i would do here. a lot of the comments on here have been about leaving the puppy/dog alone for that long, and that's what i was referring to. so yes, i can read blah.

6/12/2008 5:12:56 PM

soooo you're the one in our building with the dog! haha

6/12/2008 5:15:48 PM

i didnt read all of the thread but it sounds like you shouldn't get a dog or at least not a puppy...at least i hope you dont

6/12/2008 5:19:30 PM

^^ huh?

6/12/2008 5:27:43 PM

I keep my 100 lbs. Labrador locked in a steamer trunk with no air holes for 12 hours/day and he's just fine.

6/12/2008 6:16:27 PM