Guest maya's mom Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 So, I guess I am posting this to try and ease some of my own guilt. We brought Maya home at 8 weeks old, one year ago. At that time, I was working full time. I would get up early to play with her, then she was crated for about 3.5-4 hours and I would come home for lunch and play with her for about 20-30 minutes, then my husband would be home 2 hours later and she would be with us for the rest of the night. First off, let me say that we have never had any crating issues with Maya, no seperation anxiety, etc. She goes right back into her crate on her own, when I tell her its time for me to leave. My guilt is coming up now, b/c I have been unemployed since last April, so Maya hasn't been crated as much as standard "full-time" working would have required her to be. During my time off, I did work part time a little, but she hasn't been left in her crate for more than 4 hours for almost the last year. Thankfully, I just got offered a job today, and will be starting on Thursday. The hours will require Maya to be crated for almost 5 hours, before I can come home for lunch. I will be able to do that, thank goodness, and I will be able to stay and play with her for about 30 min. Then, it will only be 2 hours or less until my husband is home. I am just feeling so guilty about this, although I know I shouldn't. I know there are many people who work full time and have pets. (If I didn't work, we couldn't afford her!) That being said, I had to take a significant pay cut, so doggie day care, etc isn't an option right now. Just wondering if any of you could give me some suggestions for easing her into this transition. Also, do you think we will notice any behavior changes in her? For instance, is there a chance she will act even more energetic than normal, in the evening hours when we are home with her? We do a lot of running and frisbee in the backyard for playtime after work, and we walk about an hour each night. On weekends, we do hiking, or something else a little more involved. We also do training sessions each night. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 She will probably adapt more easily than you think. Sounds like she is getting plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. She should be fine crated for 5 hours without a break. And within the next year, she very lijkely will be able to graduate out of the crate when you are gone. She might be a little extra energetic when you first get home but that is just her being happy and young and ready to play. The schedule you are describing sounds very reasonable. The really important thing (I think) is you need to have a very matter of fact attitude about the change in her schedule. If you are worried, guilty or unsure, she may pick up on it and then you could indeed have a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 You can stop feeling guilty. Five hours really isn't but a small increment more than what she was doing before. In fact, she'd probably be just fine if you didn't come home at lunch and she had to spend 7 hours crated. As long as she's got quality time with you when you're there, she'll adjust just fine. I remember seeing on one of those morning news shows recently a little story about doggie cams so people could see what their pets were doing all day while the humans were at work. The one dog they showed barely moved the whole time the people were gone. It was pretty funny. She'll be fine. And congratulations on getting a job. That's doing something in this economy! J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maya's mom Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Julie and Shetlander---Your responses have already made me feel so much better! Thank you. In my heart I know/knew it won't be a problem, but it is nice to have people back you up! And yes, I am so thankful to have found this job. I got my unemployment extended recently, but it is still hard not knowing what your future holds. Even though the pay is less, it is a big relief to not have to be searching the ads every Sunday. My heart goes out to those in that situation now, or people who may find themselves there soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 I totally get the guilt. I brought my adult dog home on Saturday, and went out on Sunday to get supplies at Petco. The pathetic wailing he made as he was "abandoned" by me in this new, scary place! Made my stomach hurt. Then Monday, I went back to work. My students were incredulous: "You left a new dog HOME ALONE!? No CRATE!? He's going to DESTROY YOUR HOUSE!" So I ran home during my break - no destruction. He was sleeping contentedly. Happy to see me come in, sad to see me leave, but overall not too traumatized. Took me only a couple days to realize HE was fine - it was ME who was the wreck. Good luck. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC_Y2K9 Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 I agree with what everyone else is saying. My 4 dogs have to re-adjust themselves every few days. I am able to work from home 1 or 2 days per week, but must travel into the office the other days I'm not home. The days can vary as can my work hours. Everyone's fine with it, although I've found that the first day back after a full day at home does work best with an extra long play session when I get home. Otherwise, they're bouncing around in the house with ants in their pants. Could totally just be my gang, though, as they're goofy to the extreme sometimes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisK Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 <<What they said>> and just to add, My DH is an artist so he's home most days and the dogs are generally loose, either in the house or outside. I work full time so I'm not home during the day at all. If we decide that we need to go somewhere without the dogs [not that often!] two are in the dog room with their crates available, one is in his crate and the old guy gets free range of the house - he's usually on the couch. We have left them for as long as 8 hours without any problems. If Maya is used to her crate, she will be just fine....and very happy to see you! Congratulations on the job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Normally, my wife is home, so Senneca has company the whole day. For periods, when my wife is at our daughters, Senneca is home alone the whole day (9hrs). Now, the odd thing is that the only time I've seen problems when I get home from work is when my wife is home! Go figure that one. I have never had to confine Senneca to her crate when I'm away. We only put her in the crate when we have visitors that don't like dogs (or visitors with small children who are not safe with a dog). The morning walk (1hr) followed by breakfast leaves her quiet and satisfied until I get home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Back when I was a teacher, I always worried about my dogs when I started back to work after having summers off. Back then Speedy and Maddie were still in crates when nobody was home, so they were crated 7 hours a day. They did fine. They never seemed to have any trouble adjusting between vacations and when I was working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maya's mom Posted February 17, 2009 Report Share Posted February 17, 2009 Thanks again for the replies. I feel much better. Also, today I met with a wonderful woman who does dog walking. I do not think I can afford it right now, even once a week is a little pricey, but it was great to meet her, and have Maya meet her and know that she is an option for me. I plan on coming home every day at lunch, which I truly don't mind, but it's nice to know that I have a backup if I ever need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsms99 Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Any possibility of just leaving the dog loose in the house? Jack is 4 months now & Rusty is 6 months, and they have roaming privileges now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Any possibility of just leaving the dog loose in the house? Jack is 4 months now & Rusty is 6 months, and they have roaming privileges now... I find that too young for most dogs. At those ages, mine at least have been at a stage where they might suddenly take it into their heads to chew up stuff. I don't want to come home to a destroyed sofa, ruined side boards or a dog that is sick from ingesting what he shouldn't. Depending on the dog, I start letting them have roaming privileges somewhere between 1 and 2 years, starting with small periods of time and building to all day. Maybe I'm over cautious but that has worked well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsms99 Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 I find that too young for most dogs. At those ages, mine at least have been at a stage where they might suddenly take it into their heads to chew up stuff. I don't want to come home to a destroyed sofa, ruined side boards or a dog that is sick from ingesting what he shouldn't. Depending on the dog, I start letting them have roaming privileges somewhere between 1 and 2 years, starting with small periods of time and building to all day. Maybe I'm over cautious but that has worked well for us. To each their own. You know your dog. I had a previous Border Collie puppy chew a hole in the center of a wool Turkish carpet at 6 months. It was hand-made and about 70-80 years old, and I was pissed. Other than that, I've had no significant damage from letting them roam after a couple months of potty-trained success, usually around 5 months. A love seat next to a window allows them to spend hours watching what is going on outside. However, I've usually been able to let them roam the bedroom at night by 10 weeks, so maybe I'm just lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 A love seat next to a window allows them to spend hours watching what is going on outside. It also provides an excellent launch pad for frantic attempts to get at that evil cat that is tauntingly sitting on the wall. After witnessing Senneca doing a four-paw splat against a window and imagining the possible consequences, I am a bit leery about providing trampoline assistance to her. But maybe I'm the only one who has a dog that turns into a frenzied cat chasing monster at the sight of the neighbor's cat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 To each their own. You know your dog. Yup, it depends on your comfort level and your dog. My dogs are free at night as soon as they will stay on the bed and not roam. For some, that has been 7 or 8 weeks. For others, it was 6 or 7 months. But when I'm not home to (hopefully) hear and respond to mischief, I like youngsters to be safely contained. I think it's great your pups are so well behaved while you're gone. Hope that continues. I'm definitely in the Better Safe Than Sorry Camp. After witnessing Senneca doing a four-paw splat against a window and imagining the possible consequences, I am a bit leery about providing trampoline assistance to her. But maybe I'm the only one who has a dog that turns into a frenzied cat chasing monster at the sight of the neighbor's cat? None right now. I had a dog that would erupt into frenzied barking and fly across the room at the sight of a squirrel out the window, though. The thing is you don't really know what your dog is doing or what habits they are picking up when you're not there to tell them to cool it. That's another reason I like to crate my dogs until they show some level of maturity and self-control. When Quinn was about 8 months old, he nearly came through a window when he was waiting his turn to be trained. He was that excited and frustrated. I'm sure with a few more repetitions, he would have come crashing through. So I changed the routine to either crate him or tie him outside where I could ensure and reinforce polite waiting behavior. With maturity, Quinn is impatient but no longer ready to throw himself through glass or crash against doors while listening to one of the other dogs being trained... or because he saw some critter outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 It also provides an excellent launch pad for frantic attempts to get at that evil cat that is tauntingly sitting on the wall. After witnessing Senneca doing a four-paw splat against a window and imagining the possible consequences, I am a bit leery about providing trampoline assistance to her. But maybe I'm the only one who has a dog that turns into a frenzied cat chasing monster at the sight of the neighbor's cat? Back when we first moved into this house, Sammie was SO happy that we finally had windows he could see out of. In our old house the windows were too high for him to see out of at his level and we almost always had the shades closed because we lived right on the street. Here the windows are low and the dogs enjoy looking out and seeing the world. Sammie thought he had found Heaven when we first moved into this house! But our neighbor has barn cats and they used to taunt him! He didn't go wild, but he would whine and his tail would beat back and forth and he was clearly going nuts inside! He was four at the time. They all got used to each other, so it's not an issue anymore. My age for starting freedom out of the crate all day is generally just after the dog turns two. That worked well for both Speedy and Dean. Of course, if the dog were truly ready sooner, we would try it and if the dog did not prove to be ready at about two, we would continue for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooky Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 To each their own. You know your dog. I had a previous Border Collie puppy chew a hole in the center of a wool Turkish carpet at 6 months. It was hand-made and about 70-80 years old, and I was pissed. Other than that, I've had no significant damage from letting them roam after a couple months of potty-trained success, usually around 5 months. A love seat next to a window allows them to spend hours watching what is going on outside. However, I've usually been able to let them roam the bedroom at night by 10 weeks, so maybe I'm just lucky. We raised all our puppies like this when I was growing up - I don't think anyone we knew had ever heard of a crate. We had no real problems until one GSD puppy that ate everything. Literally, for months, we would find new stuff eaten. You couldn't just lock him in a room, or outside, because he ate the drywall, linoleum, or siding off the house. My dad must have paddled that dog 100 times (he is an old-school sort of pet owner, doesn't beat animals but will use a rolled up newspaper when finding them in the act). In the end, the dog was deemed "untrainable" and we gave him away. It's really sad to get on these boards and get my own dog, and realize in retrospect that puppy just needed a kong and a crate! And how lucky we were with all our other very preternaturally well-behaved puppies. Odin is still crated when we leave, and he really doesn't seem to mind. Given all the potential trouble laying around my house, I don't really see the point in trying to leave him out yet. I'm at peace and he's happy anyway! But he has roamed the bedroom at night since we got him - he's a great sleeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsms99 Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 We raised all our puppies like this when I was growing up... It's really sad to get on these boards and get my own dog, and realize in retrospect that puppy just needed a kong and a crate! And how lucky we were with all our other very preternaturally well-behaved puppies... It is very dog dependent. Our first pure Border Collie was the first we ever heard about crating, and it worked fine. But except for the rug, she was fine after 4 months. The love seat at the window was for my first dog as an adult. Chris was part Border Collie, but huge - over 100 lbs. He was a very tough dog in a fight, but he never started them. When I lived in an apartment, he was famous for sitting at the window for hours, cheerfully watching anyone who went by. A lot of folks in the complex knew me only as the guy with the wonderful dog in the window. 15 years after his death, I still think of him often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maya's mom Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 It's nice to see all of the different opinions. Personally, I think I feel better knowing that Maya is crated. (Really my guilt is with leaving her alone all day at all, not necessarily just b/c she's in a crate.) If I knew she was loose in the house, even though she has never, even in puppy hood destroyed anything, I would hate to add that to my list of worries. If she got into something and got sick, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. Maya goes into her crate when I leave without problem, and she also sleeps there. We just say "it's night-night time", and she walks right back with us. Also, when we are in the house with her, she does tend to alert bark quite often. She is easily quieted by us just checking it out and letting her know it's all good, but if she were alone and hearing outdoor noises, and seeing activity she would probably freak out all day. We live in a suburban neighborhood, in a cul-de-sac no less, so there is no shortage of kids playing outside, UPS trucks driving by, etc.......and she loves to keep an eye, or ear on all of it. For me, I think the crate is the best option for right now, but I may be open to changing my mind once she is older. (She is 14 months now.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan28 Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 I grew up in the country where my parents had 80 acres of land, and our neighbor had around 600 - 1000 acres. All our dogs growing up were outside dogs and given free roam. Originally the thought of a crate was something I thought of as cruel. Still, I knew I would have to use one if I got a dog now that I live in the city. So I researched them and asked around, and I came around to seeing it as a useful tool. Still I occasionally feel guilty about using it. I was going home everyday at lunch and taking Gus out for about 10 minutes. For the past two weeks he has been doing the full 8 and a half hours while I'm at work. He seems ok with it. He knows when I'm about to leave and will enter the crate on his own. I leave him with plenty of toys in his crate and a Kong filled with treats. We do a mile or so before I go to work and a couple miles when I get home. I would like to give him free roam, but I don't think I can trust him yet. He hasn't really destroyed anything other than paper towels, but he likes to "dig" at the edge of my couch and loveseat. While he is pretty much housebroken, I'm not sure if he would hold it all day if he was out of the crate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maya's mom Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 Dan28--Thanks for the note that you leave your dog all day without a lunch break, and that he does fine with that. Right now, I am able to come home everyday. As much I as want to do that for her, it is a little hard on me. It's nice to hear from someone in the same position as I am. If there is a day where it just will not be possible for me to get away from work, I feel better knowing that I am not totally ruining her life! I did interview a dog walker, and may use that as an option once a week, once I can afford it. Do you notice a lot of increased energy in your dog when he's crated without a lunch break? My husband gets home at 3:30 and has been taking Maya for about an hour hike, but by the time I get home at 5:30, she is still full of energy. She doesn't really settle down now until "bedtime", whereas before I was working FT, I feel like the hike would have tired her out for a bit in the early evening. We still also have a 30min to an hour play session/training each night after dinner, which we've always done. But, it is what it is. We do the best we can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan28 Posted February 24, 2009 Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 Originally I wanted to wait until he was 16 weeks old to attempt to leave him home alone all day. (He actually is 16 weeks as of today) About 2 weeks ago on a Friday, I was unable to leave work at lunch. I was worried he would have relieved himself in the crate, but he did not. So I gave it a shot on the following Monday and he did fine again, so he has been alone all day ever since with no problems. Regarding your question about increased energy when after a full day. That was clearly evident at first, he was super amped when I got home after a full day in the crate. Besides having to go outside to relieve himself, he just seems super excited to see me. Usually within about 15 to 20 minutes after I get home, we are out doing our walk/run. Then when we finish that it becomes dinner time for both of us. Then throughout the night we'll sporadically work on commands or play light fetch inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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