To leave my dog

[Paddlinglikeaswan]

From 8 til 12 then 1 til 3'its not ideal it's mon to thur only and fri morn only.he is 6 months old and my circumstances have changed I feel so bad leaving him.he is cage trained and stays in his big cage with food water toys and bed.gets half hr walk am and lunch and hour evening.

My dog gets BBC Radio Lancashire as I think the accent is comforting for him!

Seriously, sounds fine, just give it a try and let him guide you. Our dog used to be crated (due to messing), and was fine for first 3 years!!! but out of nowhere started scratching, she now has the run of the house, with no problems, we just keep certain doors shut. A friend once pointed out to us, that the alternative could be the dogs home where they are locked up for the majority of the day, with only the cuddles the staff can give between several dogs. The alternative which is part of a loving home is significantly better.

If there is someone who can pop in great, use it! We were reluctant to ask for help as I come from a non doggy family so thought we couldn't ask, but after having a nightmare pregnancy which left me in hospital for 6 weeks and DH running between work and hospital, there were loads of people willing to pop in and walk dog or even just let her out for a wee and a cuddle. My Dad who does not do dogs at all, still 3 years later pops over when i'm in work to take her for a quick walk.

Use your own judgement! YOU know your dog. Give it a try, your darling dog may be fine. x

At this young age you may run into problems expecting him to stay quiet for so long. It's exactly the time when he should be out socialising, training, and expending some energy. Are you sure there are no dog walkers in your area? Have you looked at adverts in the local press, the local pet store, post office, etc.? Have you tried advertising for a dog walker yourself? Perhaps there is a retired neighbour who would enjoy the opportunity to look after a dog without the responsibility of taking one on full time.

For the people who are asking, the crate mimicks the dog's natural living conditions, i.e. a small den and therefore gives dogs more security. It makes it easier for dogs to be toilet trained as most dogs will not foul in their den, it gives them a safe place to retreat to and get away from things if life is becoming too much for them, it allows you to leave a new dog with older dogs without worrying they may get into a fight, it saves your house from being chewed and it's easy to take with you in the car, on holiday, when you move house, etc. providing an instantly familiar and re-assuring place.

I think the leaving him is fine, but not the locking him in the crate the whole time.

When we had dogs we both worked full time. They were alone from 7 til 7 most days. They had full run of the house and yard during that time though (and each other).

As they are dogs they did not suffer any harm from this.

People are weird about dogs on MN.

I don't have a problem with crates, several family members use them with no problems. When my dog had his hip operated on days after we got him from the RSPCA the vet recommended a crate to keep him quiet as he recovered. He tried to chew his own leg off to escape and cried constantly even though we were there, so it would absolutely distress my dog to be in one. His natural place appears to be on a pile of cushions. That's cushy lurchers for you though.

I agree with saintmerryweather - 6 months is far too young for running alongside a bike, or any other sustained and intensive exercise.

Crates aren't little prisons, people get the wrong idea about them. My Lab loved her crate when we had one when she was younger. She would put herself to bed in it, and generally chill in there as it was her 'room'. As long as the crate is a lot bigger than the dog, he'll be fine for a few hours at a time in there.

If you can give him the run of a hallway (avoid slippery floors, that can hurt young joints too) then that might be a bit better, but don't beat yourself up.

Tbh, at that age I'd be more concerned about separation anxiety, and the ensuing noise nuisance for neighbours. But if he's happy in the crate then it's not a big deal.

Hope this helps.

I would probably chew the skirting boards if I had to listen to fern cotton too