Do I need to take the dog out more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does it need to be in a crate? Dogs should have free run or you need to work on potty training.

Did you even read before posting? OP said that the reason her puppy is crated is because it is a chewer and OP is working and has no time to be on top of her puppy while she works. The puppy is obviously potty trained since it can hold it until OP takes it for a walk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Hello everyone this is OP, thank you for all the comments. My husband is in charge of training the dog. He goes to puppy socialization classes and training classes during the weekend. But the dog seriously chews everything. I just don’t have time to watch a dog while I’m working. I already have to take my breaks to excercise it. As soon as my husband is home he takes the dog out and he watches it, but he has to be on top of the dog at all times because it will chew walls, carpets, shoes. This is even after my husband takes it for an hour long walk.

Sorry to deliver bad news OP, but the person with the dog the most has to be involved (heavily) in the training. And for f*ck's sake, put the shoes away. Make it easy for your dog to succeed and do the right thing - scatter dog toys around for the dog to play with. Also, your dog needs a longer morning walk.

You are setting yourself up to hate the dog because you're not emotionally investing in helping him/her (stop calling your dog IT) become a dog you like being around.

+1 your dog is getting outside enough but not out of the crate enough. It’s like being jailed. Puppy-proof your office or, since you aren’t REALLY into the dog’s emotional well-being, muzzle it and let it loose in the house during the day.

Did you keep your toddler’s in a crate? Seriously!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really, it is fine? I am surprised. I am not a dog person, nor do we have one but it seems kind of cruel to keep the puppy in a crate so much.

Don't mean to be judging; I am just really surprised everyone thinks that's ok.

I don't think its ok I think its neglectful and cruel. It really upsets me when people say "most people crate their dogs all day". That's not how any dog should live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does it need to be in a crate? Dogs should have free run or you need to work on potty training.

Did you even read before posting? OP said that the reason her puppy is crated is because it is a chewer and OP is working and has no time to be on top of her puppy while she works. The puppy is obviously potty trained since it can hold it until OP takes it for a walk.

You do a few things to prevent chewing - you provide chew toys, you spray bitter apple (non staining) spray on things to make them taste bad to the dog, and you provide enough stimulation - hello? - stimulation that they are not so bored they constantly chew.

Stimulation - going for a walk in the neighborhood / throwing a ball around outside. Easy stuff, people. Not rocket science.

[Anonymous]

Please research "long term confinement area for puppy". Rather than a crate, at least set up a penned area during the day, with chew toys,etc. I'm a pp, have labs and have raised dogs from puppies, yes with all the chewing and craziness of lab puppies. It's cruel that he knows you're home and he's caged. I believe 100% in crate training, but this is too much, especially if he's crated at night as well. I asked op and didn't get an answer about night time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:THIS DOG IS A PUPPY.

What don't people understand about this? The dog is in the PROCESS of being trained. If OP worked out of the house, this would be a completely normal schedule for a puppy until they were old enough to be trusted outside of a crate. There is nothing wrong with this schedule.

The difference is the OP is not out of the house and the puppy knows this. When a puppy is alone, he will be happy to be in his crate for the comfort it provides. When a puppy's people are around, all it wants is to be near them. So this puppy is basically like a child in time-out all day long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really, it is fine? I am surprised. I am not a dog person, nor do we have one but it seems kind of cruel to keep the puppy in a crate so much.

Don't mean to be judging; I am just really surprised everyone thinks that's ok.

I agree with you, especially since the puppy is a lab. Labs are a super active and social breed.

I disagree
5 month old is very young puppy, lab (they are extremely mouthy), he needs constant supervision.

I work from home, and crated/tethered my dog until he matured/trained enough to just stay on his mat next to me without chewing everything around him.

[Anonymous]

you are fine but when you are getting the kids ready etc, put it on the leash and put the leash on your belt so it follows you around and not stuck in the crate

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't be ok with that set up for an adult dog but for a puppy (especially a lab since they can be really destructive chewers) I think it's fine. I WFH and my dog has run of the place during the day except when I'm on phone calls but he's an adult dog that is housebroken and doesn't chew anything (anymore). If he were still a chewer or wasn't reliably housebroken, I'd need to crate him during the day so I could focus on work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THIS DOG IS A PUPPY.

What don't people understand about this? The dog is in the PROCESS of being trained. If OP worked out of the house, this would be a completely normal schedule for a puppy until they were old enough to be trusted outside of a crate. There is nothing wrong with this schedule.

The difference is the OP is not out of the house and the puppy knows this. When a puppy is alone, he will be happy to be in his crate for the comfort it provides. When a puppy's people are around, all it wants is to be near them. So this puppy is basically like a child in time-out all day long.

This is OP, the crate is right next to my desk. The dog is not in another room. Now, when I have tried to let it out of the crate after a walk, the dog just wants to go chew things around the house. It's not like it wants to chill right next to me. It's a puppy so it particularly wants to run up the stairs. We can't gate the stairs because they are super wide and have a wall only on one side. My husband who has had many dogs before is actually frustrated with the intense need for the dog to chew. He's working on it, but I think we'll need the help of a trainer. Of course we have toys, SO MANY TOYS. It has 3 kongs, which it doesn't even look at unless they have food in them. And tons of toys for extreme chewers. But the dog wants to rip the carpet instead. And a corner wall, it loves chewing that wall. And my desk chair. And pretty much anything that it isn't supposed to chew on. Watching the dog out of the crate is a full time job. I will look into that crate extension so it has a bit more space to move around, we have the space. That sounded great, thanks to the PP that suggested that.

[Anonymous]

OP
Try to find something your dog will happily chew on - bully sticks, hymalian cheese, antlers, marrow bones, cow ears etc
Check out chewy.com for ideas
It really helps to keep dogs with intense need to chew preoccupied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THIS DOG IS A PUPPY.

What don't people understand about this? The dog is in the PROCESS of being trained. If OP worked out of the house, this would be a completely normal schedule for a puppy until they were old enough to be trusted outside of a crate. There is nothing wrong with this schedule.

The difference is the OP is not out of the house and the puppy knows this. When a puppy is alone, he will be happy to be in his crate for the comfort it provides. When a puppy's people are around, all it wants is to be near them. So this puppy is basically like a child in time-out all day long.

This is OP, the crate is right next to my desk. The dog is not in another room. Now, when I have tried to let it out of the crate after a walk, the dog just wants to go chew things around the house. It's not like it wants to chill right next to me. It's a puppy so it particularly wants to run up the stairs. We can't gate the stairs because they are super wide and have a wall only on one side. My husband who has had many dogs before is actually frustrated with the intense need for the dog to chew. He's working on it, but I think we'll need the help of a trainer. Of course we have toys, SO MANY TOYS. It has 3 kongs, which it doesn't even look at unless they have food in them. And tons of toys for extreme chewers. But the dog wants to rip the carpet instead. And a corner wall, it loves chewing that wall. And my desk chair. And pretty much anything that it isn't supposed to chew on. Watching the dog out of the crate is a full time job. I will look into that crate extension so it has a bit more space to move around, we have the space. That sounded great, thanks to the PP that suggested that.

Honestly, it just sounds like a normal lab puppy. If they weren't such an affectionate breed, they'd be hated for their youthful destructiveness.

[Anonymous]

look on amazon for the puppy play
pen, got a good deal on one a few months ago

[Anonymous]

https://www.chewy.com/bones-chews-bully-stick-6-dog-treats/dp/130490
https://www.chewy.com/usa-bones-chews-elk-antler-split-dog/dp/115626
https://www.chewy.com/usa-bones-chews-cow-hooves-dog-treat/dp/164588
https://www.chewy.com/redbarn-naturals-cow-ears-dog-treats/dp/114177
https://www.chewy.com/best-bully-sticks-3-beef-trachea-dog/dp/135413
https://www.chewy.com/bones-chews-himalayan-cheese-large/dp/137096
just some ideas

Oh, and avoid rawhide

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THIS DOG IS A PUPPY.

What don't people understand about this? The dog is in the PROCESS of being trained. If OP worked out of the house, this would be a completely normal schedule for a puppy until they were old enough to be trusted outside of a crate. There is nothing wrong with this schedule.

The difference is the OP is not out of the house and the puppy knows this. When a puppy is alone, he will be happy to be in his crate for the comfort it provides. When a puppy's people are around, all it wants is to be near them. So this puppy is basically like a child in time-out all day long.

This is OP, the crate is right next to my desk. The dog is not in another room. Now, when I have tried to let it out of the crate after a walk, the dog just wants to go chew things around the house. It's not like it wants to chill right next to me. It's a puppy so it particularly wants to run up the stairs. We can't gate the stairs because they are super wide and have a wall only on one side. My husband who has had many dogs before is actually frustrated with the intense need for the dog to chew. He's working on it, but I think we'll need the help of a trainer. Of course we have toys, SO MANY TOYS. It has 3 kongs, which it doesn't even look at unless they have food in them. And tons of toys for extreme chewers. But the dog wants to rip the carpet instead. And a corner wall, it loves chewing that wall. And my desk chair. And pretty much anything that it isn't supposed to chew on. Watching the dog out of the crate is a full time job. I will look into that crate extension so it has a bit more space to move around, we have the space. That sounded great, thanks to the PP that suggested that.

The whole point of having kongs is to stuff them with food!! It tires the dog out as I've already said. I freeze them to make them last longer. If rushed, smear peanut butter inside. You sound very clueless about lab puppies - they chew and mouth everything!!!!! Have you tried bitter apple or soda cans with pennies? Yes, you need the help of a (CPDT) trainer for the whole family to get on the same page.