Which size crate for leaving pup in the day?

[itchyandscratchy]

Our pup is 12 weeks and I will be leaving her alone a for a while tomorrow whilst I go to work. I will be coming home to check on her after 3 hours and to let her out, etc. This week I have left her for a couple of hours and she was fine. She is in her little crate at the moment and sleeps overnight in it but we have already bought a bigger one for when she grows a bit.

Should we maybe put her in the bigger one for daytime stretches or will it seem too big for her at this stage? Her present crate has just about enough room to stand and stretch out, with a cushion and toys in it.

[BellaBonJovi]

12 week old pups need letting out every hour, plus company and stimulation if they are not to develop behavioural problems. 3 hours is too long on a regular basis. Is this going to be your regular routine, and if so, why did you get a pup?

[alysonpeaches]

Im not condoning or commenting on the crating, but it would help if you told us what sort of pup it was if you need to know what size of crate she needs.

[itchyandscratchy]

She's a sprollie and her current crate is a 'medium' (which actually seems quite small) but have bought an extra large for when she's bigger as this was the size crate recommended for this size dog.

Cam home after 2 hours and she was fast asleep, then 2 hours after that - same again. Both times she trotted outside as if she had all the time in the world - certainly not desperate!

[BellaBonJovi]

Sprollie - does that mean springer x collie? i.e. 2 breeds requiring the most exercise and mental stimulation of all dogs.

And is she going to spend most of each day crated?

I suggest you get a behaviourist on board now if she is.

[BellaBonJovi]

x post Mutt

You're nuts to do this to any dog OP, but especially nuts to do it to this one.

[itchyandscratchy]

thanks for your helpful comments. Obviously I did no research into getting a pup and haven't ever had a dog before. I thought I could always dump it in the canal if it didn't work out. I'm glad you were able to give me some advice without being at all judgey and pitchforky.

[MitchyInge]

is that a springer x collie? she needs to be able to turn round, lie down, walk about a bit

agree you could poss. be setting her up for some issues if this is a long-term arrangement - not so much now while she is still so little but when she is fully grown she is going to need a much more physically active and mentally stimulating day

can you get some of those food toys that become progressively more difficult to work out, or even just kongs - leave her meals in there, that collie brain will something to do before the devil makes work for it

[BellaBonJovi]

If you did do research, and you still decided to leave a 'sprollie' crated most of the day, then I'd say the research was a little inadequate, tbh.

[MitchyInge]

wow, how slow is my typing

[itchyandscratchy]

It's not a long-term thing.
I have had another sprollie for the past 17 years until she died in May.
My circumstances are perfectly conducive to having a dog.
But thanks for jumping to a whole myriad of conclusions, some posters

Thanks Mitchy - that advice is perfect; just what I wanted. Once she's had her 2nd lot of injections in 2 weeks things will be very different.

[GhoulsAreLoud]

Wow, what a nasty load of responses and jumping to conclusions.

Itchy, my springer has a very large crate even though she is pretty tiny, I just figured the bigger the better really. She is three though, and has only been using it for the last year. Maybe see how your pup likes the bigger one but he might feel more at home in the small one.

Trial and error maybe?

(and if anyone is interested my springer sleeps in her crate at night and when I go out in the day, which isn't much, given that I work from home - I hope that's ok with everyone)

[BellaBonJovi]

Yup, I crate my pups at night and when I go out, but I wouldn't leave a 12 week old pup for 3 hours on a regular basis.

[GhoulsAreLoud]

I must have missed the bit where she said she was going to leave the puppy for 3 hours on a regular basis, where does it say that?

[MitchyInge]

I know a springer/collie/lab mix who has to spend more time than is strictly desirable in his crate, ie most of each weekday, but because he gets lengthy walks morning and evening and does lots of challenging training at weekends he is remarkably chilled for such a high energy combination

this sort of thing is great, loads to choose from there

[amazonianwoman]

Perhaps it isn't on a regular basis?? It could be a one-off.

[GhoulsAreLoud]

Mitchy those look great. Sadly my dog would just chew them until she could crack them open and eat the treats.

We gave her a kong, and she ate half of it.

Hope your sprollie is better behaved itchy!

[amazonianwoman]

crossed post Ghouls

[MitchyInge]

have you tried the black kongs ghoul? what sort of dog do you have?

[HeSaysSheSays]

itchyandscratchy, how often will you be leaving her in the crate whilst you go to work?

You say it will change after her injection, why is that? How will that change the arrangements for you?

You say 3 hours then let her out, do you mean 3 hours and that is it or 3 hours then back in for another while?

I have never met or heard of a Sprolli but they sound like they will be insane

[GhoulsAreLoud]

She's a springer mitchy, no I haven't tried the black ones. We don't really need kongs for distraction cos she's not left alone much, but she wolfs her food so I tried it to slow her down. She was a rescue dog and starved as a puppy and still thinks she's hungry all the time so begs for food a lot. I thought a kong might spin her out for longer, but no such luck.

She's a doggy dustbin

[GhoulsAreLoud]

Are the black ones tougher then mitchy?

[MitchyInge]

yay, springers rule

mine would eat until he popped and he doesn't even have the excuse yours does - anyway those black ones are supposed to be indestructible!

[MitchyInge]

hardcore kong!

[MitchyInge]

oh I forgot, carrots are good too - take ages to chew and most dogs find them tasty