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The doghouse

Does anybody else regret getting a dog?

190 replies

MsVestibule · 13/03/2019 21:02

We thought long and hard before we got a puppy. What would be the best breed for us, how will we look after it during the day etc.

It really hasn't worked out as I'd hoped.

What we didn't realise was that we would get a puppy who chews EVERYTHING, even now, at 10 months old. He is mainly confined to the breakfast room/kitchen and one of us has to watch him ALL the time.

The chewing means he has to be in his crate from 8.30-3.30 4 days a week, although I come home at lunchtime and walk him for half an hour, but it's still not ideal for him.

A retired, local family member enthusiastically volunteered to walk him every day (we wouldn't have actually got a dog if they hadn't volunteered) but that fell through extremely quickly 🙄. TBH, this has been our biggest issue - I resent that so much of my (previously spare) time goes on working later than I should so I can take a lunch hour to dash home and walk him.

What we (very, very foolishly) didn't consider was what we would do if we wanted to go somewhere for more than 3.5 hours. Our lives are not quite as dog friendly as we thought they were and we just have to accept that if we want to go somewhere, we pay for doggy daycare. Expensive, but manageable.

I suppose I'm just fed up that our entire lives seem to revolve around him. Honestly, I know this is all our fault. I had my reservations anyway but our DCs were so keen and I have to admit, I was too.

I'm not quite sure what I hope to achieve from this thread. Has anybody else felt the way we do at this stage and then gone on to fall madly in love with their dog? Or do I just accept that this is the way I will feel for the next 12 years?

He is a really beautiful boy and does get a lot of attention and affection so he's not neglected (apart from the crate thing), I promise!

OP posts:
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MonkeyfaceThereturn · 13/03/2019 21:03

You leave him in a cage for 7 hours minus a quick walk?! Say what?!

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Wolfiefan · 13/03/2019 21:03

Yep it’s your fault.
You need to look at doggy daycare or a dog walker. No wonder your dog is chewing if it’s stuck in a crate for so long. Hmm

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Namechangeforthiscancershit · 13/03/2019 21:05

A crate from 8.30 to 3.30? Confused

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SavoyCabbage · 13/03/2019 21:06

I can’t get past the information that you leave the dog in a crate from 8:30 until 3:30.

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Costacoffeeplease · 13/03/2019 21:06

Poor dog - I wish all the people who ‘did their research’ really did their research and didn’t get cute pups without thinking about their needs

I’d re-home the poor thing

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Namechangeforthiscancershit · 13/03/2019 21:06

My puppy is the same age, and this week has been a nightmare for chewing after months of behaving himself. So I do get that.

The walking is the fun bit though! What do you not enjoy about that?

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Insomnibrat · 13/03/2019 21:07

Sounds like you're looking for permission to rehome him. 🙄

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iMatter · 13/03/2019 21:07

Good grief.

You are leaving him all day. IN A CRATE.

He's distressed and therefore chewing and being destructive.

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Paddingtonthebear · 13/03/2019 21:08

Would you actually consider rehoming him? It’s really not fair on any dog to be in a cage all day, especially a young puppy.

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LKRJM · 13/03/2019 21:09

Crate trained dogs are actually perfectly fine. Some dogs prefer it, my first two did and my two now don’t. It’s down to the dog! Better than him eating something he shouldn’t and having to be at the vets. Dogs are hard work, I’d expect to feel like this till they’re a bit older.

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Singlenotsingle · 13/03/2019 21:10

Get a dog sitter, dog walker, dog hotel - dreadful to leave him in a crate! Haven't you got a garden? If I have to go out I leave the back door open and the garden gate locked so the dog can walk around (and I leave the TV on for her).

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SilviaSalmon · 13/03/2019 21:11

He may be chewing because he’s bored? That is far too long in a crate IMO; I never leave mine in her crate for more than 2 hours.

Could you look at borrowmydoggie.com or a dog walker so that he gets more exercise?

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Namechangeforthiscancershit · 13/03/2019 21:11

Crate trained dogs are actually perfectly fine

Oh course. Crate training works really well for some dogs (utterly hopeless with mine which I was so sad about). But for 8 hours? That’s not recommended is it?

OP where is the dog overnight?

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LKRJM · 13/03/2019 21:11

Sorry posted too early, what breed is he? Is it mental stimulation he’s missing? Maybe a dog walker could take him out instead of you that way he could have a longer walk. Mental stimulation is just as important as exercise so maybe agility classes, scent training or just general trick training could help you tire him out

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Chinnychinnychinnychib · 13/03/2019 21:11

Crate for 7 hours????
OMG you are horribly cruel.

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shuttersaregreen · 13/03/2019 21:11

I am also horrified that you keep a puppy in a crate all day. For God's sake, rehome the poor animal. Why did you get a puppy in the first place if you are working all day? Rule one - don't get a puppy if you are working. They need company and attention. No wonder he is chewing, he is bored stiff.

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SK166 · 13/03/2019 21:11

Dogs require as much prioritising, commitment and sacrifice as children. If you aren’t genuinely prepared to adapt your life to give your dog the life it deserves, then the kindest thing would be to find him a new home. He didn’t ask to be brought into your home - you took him, and it’s your responsibility to ensure he has a good and happy life, even if that means it’s with someone else.

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rookiemere · 13/03/2019 21:12

I don't understand why you don't pay a dog walker to take ddog out for a walk in the morning.

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Tavannach · 13/03/2019 21:12

You could try borrow my doggy

I think your dog needs more exercise. Even just a quick stroll round the block in the morning as well as his lunchtime and evening walks.

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Namechangeforthiscancershit · 13/03/2019 21:14

A dog walker sounds like a good idea. Mine goes out with his daycare person when she does her dog walking so there’s usually 4 or 5 of them and he gets so much more stimulation than he does on a boring walk with me. He loves the time with other dogs.

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LKRJM · 13/03/2019 21:15

With the walk it’s more like 6.5 hours but I know what you’re saying, like the OP said it’s not ideal, but if it’s that or them eating something they shouldn’t and potentially dying, I know what I’d pick. I think everyone loves their dog more when they’re out of the toilet training/chewing stage... I know I did lol! I think knowing the breed might help with this one though x

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Bringbackthestripes · 13/03/2019 21:15

he's not neglected (apart from the crate thing), I promise!

The crate thing is a pretty big issue. He shouldn’t be confined for that long.

thepetshow.com/the-case-against-crate-training/

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ThunderStorms · 13/03/2019 21:16

Shock Shock

No wonder he chews. You and the cause. And unbelievably cruel.

Either get dog daycare sorted, or rehome.

Poor dog.

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Hemlock2013 · 13/03/2019 21:19

Well the old adage is “a good puppy is a tired puppy”. I think genuinely they need so much more than being in a crate for most of the day. They need to be with their pack, be stimulated, exercised.
All puppies are hard work, they do settle down but yours just isn’t having much of a life is he? It’s a vicious circle because the less he’s walked and in company the “naughtier” he gets and the more frustrated you get and he gets more confined.
You need to really switch things up, walks before work, in lunch then stuff after work, training etc, or look to re home. The current situation doesn’t seem tenable.

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PersonaNonGarter · 13/03/2019 21:20

OP, you sound like someone who is not used to making bad decisions but you have faced up to this, so well done.

Yes, you should rehome him. No, you won’t be the first ‘nice’ family to rehome a dog.

The time in the crate - that’s crazy, and might be part of the problem. The main problem though is you have a puppy (an adult dog would be better) and maybe a mouthy breed (spaniel?). Let someone else enjoy him.

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