Dog owners: Do you leave your dog in its crate...

[Anonymous]

while you are at work? I mean...does anybody leave the dog for up to 8 hours in the crate? I am having a hard time accepting that and my husband insists that we should lock the dog in the crate while we are out.

[Anonymous]

Only if you are training him, OP. The dog, that is.

[Anonymous]

No! Though my dog spent a lot of time in his crate during the day, sleeping. It was always open though. Why lock the dog up? If he's destructive or peeing in the house then you need to deal with that behavior, locking him up won't solve the problem.

[Anonymous]

No. The crate is left open during the day so he can go in and out, but it is not closed and certainly not locked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No! Though my dog spent a lot of time in his crate during the day, sleeping. It was always open though. Why lock the dog up? If he's destructive or peeing in the house then you need to deal with that behavior, locking him up won't solve the problem.

OP here and I also think that. My dog is small but manages to go through any gate. We tried already 4. My husband said that the dog should go to its crate during the day because every dog stays in the crate while the owners are at work. But I am just not buying that. SHe just destroyed my PB magazine basket that I just got-I forgot to take out of her sight but I think it is almost abusive to put the little thing in a crate for up to 8, 10 hours...

[Anonymous]

We only did this when we were training them (we have two).And I agree its horrible to leave a little dog in a crate for 10 hours.

[Anonymous]

Yes I have.

[Anonymous]

No. We only did that when we were crate-training and potty-training.

We leave the crate in our bedroom, covered and with the door open (that side is uncovered). The dog sometimes goes in there on her own, to "retreat".

I think it's cruel to crate a dog all day, every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No! Though my dog spent a lot of time in his crate during the day, sleeping. It was always open though. Why lock the dog up? If he's destructive or peeing in the house then you need to deal with that behavior, locking him up won't solve the problem.

OP here and I also think that. My dog is small but manages to go through any gate. We tried already 4. My husband said that the dog should go to its crate during the day because every dog stays in the crate while the owners are at work. But I am just not buying that. SHe just destroyed my PB magazine basket that I just got-I forgot to take out of her sight but I think it is almost abusive to put the little thing in a crate for up to 8, 10 hours...

Dog proof the house, and hire a dog-walker. Your dog sounds bored.

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hijack, but I am house breaking a pup--4 months old--so she is always in the crate unless she is out on a walk or eating or going to her pee and poop spot in the yard. But I'd venture, she's probably in the crate 7-8 hours during the day, at least, with breaks every 1.5 hours for 20-30 minute play sessions in the yard. Is this also cruel? Because jeez she'd pee and poop everywhere if we didn't do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry to hijack, but I am house breaking a pup--4 months old--so she is always in the crate unless she is out on a walk or eating or going to her pee and poop spot in the yard. But I'd venture, she's probably in the crate 7-8 hours during the day, at least, with breaks every 1.5 hours for 20-30 minute play sessions in the yard. Is this also cruel? Because jeez she'd pee and poop everywhere if we didn't do this.

This is totally different.

[Anonymous]

Our neighbors do, because their dog is very destructive (chews everything / pees everywhere). The dog is also crated when they go places at night. I know because I can hear it's high-pitched yapping through the walls all day long. Sucks, but I think the only alternative is for them to give the dog away, and I can't imagine anyone would want it.

[Anonymous]

We left our dog in the crate during the day when she was a puppy and she destroyed things in the house. At about six months, we started leaving her out when we were out for short times and we puppy proofed the house. (We started when she tore up the pillow in her crate because she was so bored.) Within a few months, we could leave her alone in the house without a problem. We used a dog walker until she was about 1 1/2 but after that she was fine at home and never got into trouble or had an accident. She is now eight and she just wanders around the house, moving from one comfortable spot to another while we are gone.

Your husband is right that puppies often need to be crated while you are away (but 8-10 hours is too long and you should get a dog walker to break it up). Crating up an adult, house-broken dog is both cruel and unnecessary. If you are having an issue with chewing (boredom) or peeing (you are leaving the dog too long without a walk), try confining the dog to one area of the house with gates and leaving lots of toys for him/her to play with. (Treat balls are great)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We left our dog in the crate during the day when she was a puppy and she destroyed things in the house. At about six months, we started leaving her out when we were out for short times and we puppy proofed the house. (We started when she tore up the pillow in her crate because she was so bored.) Within a few months, we could leave her alone in the house without a problem. We used a dog walker until she was about 1 1/2 but after that she was fine at home and never got into trouble or had an accident. She is now eight and she just wanders around the house, moving from one comfortable spot to another while we are gone.

Your husband is right that puppies often need to be crated while you are away (but 8-10 hours is too long and you should get a dog walker to break it up). Crating up an adult, house-broken dog is both cruel and unnecessary. If you are having an issue with chewing (boredom) or peeing (you are leaving the dog too long without a walk), try confining the dog to one area of the house with gates and leaving lots of toys for him/her to play with. (Treat balls are great)

PP, can I ask what breed of dog you have. I have a terrier and they are just super chewy! Hope that by the time she is 6 months, we can leave her in the puppy proof house!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our neighbors do, because their dog is very destructive (chews everything / pees everywhere). The dog is also crated when they go places at night. I know because I can hear it's high-pitched yapping through the walls all day long. Sucks, but I think the only alternative is for them to give the dog away, and I can't imagine anyone would want it.

They need to call Cesàr, The Dog Whisperer. Is there such a person in the DC area?