Quick help needed. Advice

[Munkeyface]

Have been at a bbq since 430. 1 ye old dog been in his crate. I came home at 8pm let him out for a wee etc and he is now eating his dinner.

Rest of family still at bbq 10 mins down the road,
Husband cross with me for puppy ruining social life.

Do I return pup to crate after dinner for a few hours. He normally sleeps in crate 11-8am

No way would I leave our 5 year old dog in a crate that long. Take your dog to the bbq or stay home with them. It’s the same commitment as having a child.

I own a boarding kennel, our pattern of bookings, apart from holiday time, is full Saturday, majority out Sunday.
People who are going out on the lash book their dogs in, people who are having parties and don't want the dogs to get in the way.
It is really common, I am surprised you are surprised.

If we go out in the evening then the dog goes to a family members' or we hire a dog sitter.

Dogs are a huge commitment and, as you're learning, they're also a massive tie. You either need to take them with you or find appropriate care for them - if you're wanting to go out from 4.30pm-11pm then you need to find someone to come and look after your dog. That's just life when you commit to having a dog.

Of course people hire sitters if they plan to stay out for long!! Why don't you believe it?

We either take our puppy with us or take him to a dog sitter who lives down the road from us. Never would I leave him home alone for that long let alone in a cage

I even had to let my 12-year-old and her friend alone to the cinema because dog wasn't allowed in and I couldn't get a sitter at short notice. I just made sure they walked in safe and met them once the film was over. The puppy is definitely an inconvenience to our social lives, but that's how it goes

I don't think the fact he takes himself into the crate for a rest is a good or logical reason to keep him in his crate for hours.

DC go to sleep in their beds but this wouldn't be a reason to expect it to be okay for them to be left in their beds with no exercise or company for hours on end.

But yes, as per PP.

If we were out for the afternoon I'd take the dog with us or I'd be going home for the evening.

If we were out for the night I'd leave the dog with access to the whole downstairs and not be out longer than 7-10/11pm

If it was unavoidable that we'd be out for the night longer than that then he'd be dropped with a friend / parents / dog sitter.

The fact that dogs sleep for many hours isn’t a justification for locking them in a cage . My dog has been asleep on and off since 6 pm , so far he’s been on his own bed , 2 different sofas and the floor in front of the fan , he’s also had a little wander out to get a drink and a quick visit to dh in the other lounge .

Crates are awesome for training good manners. At one year old I would expect a dog to trained enough to know how behave in the house without being contained or supervised.

In answer to your question I would have taken the dog at the start. Again, at one I would expect a dog to be trained enough to hang out on a tie out line without causing issues.

I do go out and leave my dogs for more than the oft quoted four hours very occasionally. I give them a bloody good walk before I leave and have someone pop in to toilet them once or twice while I'm out depending on the length of time I am out but I would never crate a dog for that long unless overnight. It's cruel.

In the evening if we think we will be gone for more than a couple of hours I get someone to sit with him at home.

How long you leave a dog depends on the dog and the circumstances in which you're leaving it. We have dogs, plural, who can be left with access to a kennel yard and plenty of warm, dry, inside space. They're quite happy for six hours, so long as they are walked beforehand and afterwards. They have each other, can go outside, have comfy beds.

I wouldn't leave a dog confined in a crate for that long (but then, I don't crate my dogs at all, though I can see the benefits ).

4 hours is the very maximum I would leave our dog.
We left ours at daycare on Friday so we could go for a day out then had DS collect and stay with him until we got home.
If it was an evening event and we couldn't take him we would either put him in kennels overnight, leave with family or be home after 4 hours.
Dogs are a massive commitment and do curl tail your social life massively.