Dog Community

How much exercise before being crated?

Posted : 7/17/2006 1:46:06 PM

O.K. . . . the time has come where Ash is going to have to be crated while I'm at work. I have been fortunate enough to have my mom watch Ash while I'm at work the whole time I've had Ash. My mom has been an angel. Now though, my parents are having a built-in pool installed in the backyard and the construction means that Ash has no backyard to play in and to go potty in (although Ash is inside most of the time) and the noise is driving Ash nuts. She is jumping at the windows, growling at the work men, running back and forth and it's driving my mom crazy. On top of this, my mom has just taken in her nephew for the next few months and having the 5 year old boy and my very hyper dog is too much for my mom right now. So, into the crate Ash will go.

I live in a apartment and Ash has no problems going into her crate. She never resists and goes in willingly. The longest she has been left in has been for about 5 hours. Lately, she's been going in more and she's started to bark when I leave the house. This wasn't happening for awhile, but it's come back. She barks and I CANNOT have her doing this. I usually leave her with a huge kong filled with treats and foods and I leave the tv on. When I come home from where I was, I creep up to the apartment to listen and see if she's barking and she never is.

The times I've left her have been to go grocery shopping or to the movies. Sometimes when I have to work overtime on a Saturday, she stays in the crate. Once again, it's gotten much more frequent recently and she's started the barking.
The last time I left her in there, I came back and she had completely chewed up the crate bedding. She has never done that before. I had gotten called in to work last minute and absolutely had to leave ASAP and Ash hadn't had more than a 30 minute walk so I'm pretty sure it was because she hadn't been exercised long enough

I leave the house at 8:30 am and get home by 6:30

m. My mom or brother will most likely come by to let her go to the bathroom (which is another concern). What can I do before I leave for work to absolutely exhaust her? I will wake up as early as I need to in order to make sure she is beyond tired? What should I be leaving her with in the kong? I don't want to put something in there that is gonna make her super thirsty or have to go potty right away.

Just in case anyone is wondering, Ash is a 16 month, female, Australian Cattle Dog. I won't be able to afford hiring a pet sitter/dog walker, so she'll be in her crate almost the entire time I'm at work. This is why I want to give her as much exercise before I leave and when I get home. Do you think exercise will stop her barking? Any other suggestions on getting her to stop barking?

Melaney B.

Posted : 7/17/2006 1:59:50 PM

Wow! a cattle dog... what a handful!

It isn't the ammount of exercise, it's the quality (quality of qauntity)

Make sure you run Ash instead of just walk and make sure to give him lots of little challenges along the way. Also, remember to tell him how good he is by going into the crate. The crate should never be a "bad" thing but is also good disipline for a good patient dog.

When you put him in the crate just praise him and he probably won't bark*

ashland

Posted : 7/17/2006 2:08:00 PM

Thanks for the advice! And yes, she is a handful. I completely agree with you on the exercise. Usually she just gets walks right now, longer ones in the evening. I've tried biking with her, but she can't seem to get past wanting to bite the wheels. So I've put that on hold. I'm considering buying a pair of rollerblades to see if that will tire her out.

As for the praise, she does get praised when going in, but lately she barks the after I am out the door. Once I shut the door behind me, she starts barking. I'll bang on the door and she'll stop. Then she starts again. I left once when I was pretty sure that she had quit her barking for good and then came home and asked my neighbor and she said that Ash had been barking.

zsrg;lb ksr'pfjsoprej dfsg;va bjpskopa]

Posted : 7/17/2006 2:12:16 PM

I am very much against crating but I know that is not everyone's prefference adn some dogs actually find comfort in their crate. However your breed is a VERY active breed as is mine. Aussie were intended to have fields to roam, herd and play so that means the more exersice the better. Even though I dont crate Rory she is still left alone when I go to work in the morning which is obviosuly right after a long nights rest, the worst time to leave them without exersice. I dont have to work until 11 am so I get up at 8, we walk for a bout a hour and 15 minutes. The days that I cant walk her that long I drive straight to the beach or gated park and play fetch to get her blood pumping for at least 30 minutes. When I leave her I give her a super durable treat that will last her a long while like a cow hoof, pigs ears, or bully stick. I wate until I'm ready to head out the door so it gives her something to focus on other then me leaving. I also read somewhere that when you are leaving dont make it a big production because thjen they associate your leaving with being emotional. I'd love to fuss over her and give big goodbye hugs and kisses but I just say "bye, stay Rory" and I've noticed a difference in her not whining as much when I do that.
Lastly, I just want to say thank you for being a responsible dog owner. It kills me to read on here how much time some people leave their dogs in the crate without proper exersice and then wonder why their dogs have behavioral issues or severe seperation anxiety. Why not get a cat? Ha ha, anywhoo keep us posted oh and I do leave tv on for my girl when she is inside. I dont know if it comforts her but it blocks out outside niose that might make them stressed!

Melaney B.

Posted : 7/17/2006 2:17:47 PM

another thing you could do is put him in the crate a little earlier instead of right before you leave. Dogs are animals of habit and their habits usually do not die easily. maybe changing the scenerio could help!

jetty

Posted : 7/17/2006 2:50:51 PM

Sounds tough!
What tires her out completely.... playing with other dogs, hiking, fetching or training etc...? I would choose an activity that she enjoys and keeps her running and combine it with training. I am not sure what's available to you but I pay a yearly green fee to use my trainer's facility - mostly the agility field. It's another way to exercise Dodger physically and mentally!

When I have to leave Dodger for an extended period of time, we do a combination of hiking off-leash (either alone or I pick up a doggy friend), at-home training (either OB or "carting/pulling") and/or agility. I usually only need to pick 1 exercise but we always do some training as well. I find that swimming exhausts him but he drinks so much water that its not a good idea when he's left home alone[

]

I think the transition period will be hard no matter what you do but once Ashland realizes that she will be stimulated before and after work, she should adjust. If its really bad, I would have her spend half the day with your Mum at first... It may also be a good idea to look for other dog lovers in your area that have a different schedule.... I am always happy to find someone who needs their dog walked because it benefits my dog just as much!

One drawback to trying to tire a young dog out for the day is their endurance will increase, which means you often end up having to wake up earlier and earlier[

]

Interactive toys are always a good idea...maybe you could freeze her kong or buy another challenging treat dispensing toy. I tried an everlasting treat ball with Dodger, he hated it so I gave it to my friend - her dog loves it and will spend all day trying to get through the chew to the the treats in the middle (it was hard for me to get the treats out when Dodger ignored it) He has a busy ball now and loves it... Dodger rarely gets a kong but when he does, I will fill it with pureed fruits, veggies, yogurt, cottage cheese,

eanut butter or homemade dog biscuits (frozen). When I forget to freeze the kong he gets chopped fruits/veggies with some cooked meat and homemade dog treats. He doesn't like banana's but they work well to keep him searching for the part he likes!

agilebasenji

Posted : 7/17/2006 3:07:53 PM

I'd put her morning food in a buster cube and let her work on that while you're gone. You also may want to invest in a DAP diffuser if you think she might be upset and suffering from a little separation anxiety.

zsrg;lb ksr'pfjsoprej dfsg;va bjpskopa]

Posted : 7/17/2006 3:14:29 PM

ORIGINAL: Pooch_luvr

another thing you could do is put him in the crate a little earlier instead of right before you leave. Dogs are animals of habit and their habits usually do not die easily. maybe changing the scenerio could help!

Um defintly not, a dog, lety alone a Aussie should get as littel crate time as possible. That is just plain cruelty and the dog may think it is being punished. If that happens she will have serious crating issues

ashland

Posted : 7/17/2006 3:27:46 PM

ORIGINAL: agilebasenji

I'd put her morning food in a buster cube and let her work on that while you're gone. You also may want to invest in a DAP diffuser if you think she might be upset and suffering from a little separation anxiety.

What is a Dap Diffuser, if you don't mind my asking?

I agree with Sheprano on putting her in the crate before I leave. I just think that since she's already gonna be in there a long time, I don't want to put her in there any more than she needs to be.

I do love all of these ideas though. I'm going to start putting fruits and veggies in her kong, which isn't something I've really done before. Right now I'm thinking I'm going to start waking up at 4 or 4:30 am and exercise her until 7 AM. My mom thinks that's overloading it, but I honestly wonder if it will be enough! I can start out with a walk and then work up to a jog with her. I can also take her to a dog park and let her play. I want her to be EXHAUSTED when I leave. I'm already very apprehensive about this new change and I know it's going to be even more for her to deal with. She's used to being with people all day long. I want her to too exhausted to bark much when I leave.

I like the idea of putting her food in a buster cube too, but I wonder how soon she'll need to go to the bathroom. Also, should I leave her water. I usually don't because I don't want her to have to go potty (she has never had an accident in her crate), but I also don't want her to get thirsty and dehydrated. Especially after being exercised.

jetty

Posted : 7/17/2006 3:37:09 PM

Most fruits and veggies have some water content but I don't see the problem with leaving her some water... obviously if she decides to drink out of boredome it's not a good idea but if you have your Mum or brother coming to giver her a pee break, I think its fine!

If you are getting up at 4:30 AM [:-] and are home by 7:00AM and are giving her a final pee break before you go at 8:30AM, I think it gives her ample opportunity to make sure her bladder is completely empty fot the day! I would also give her at least 1/2 of her kibble in a treat toy for her to work on when you leave!

DAP Diffuser article: [linkhttp://www.gurney.co.uk/pads/archives18.htm]http://www.gurney.co.uk/pads/archives18.htm[/link]

Good luck![

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ashland

Posted : 7/18/2006 4:30:53 PM

O.K. Day One -

I woke up at 5 AM and Ash and I went for a nice, long walk/jog. We played in an open tennis court. We played with the hose (which tires her out, but makes her have to pee like crazy). We walked back home and she ate. We played a little bit more inside. I took her to go potty every 10 minutes because of the hose thing. I got reay for work and when it came time for me to leave, I turned the tv on, got out the frozen kong, and said "Go to your room". She wouldn't go in. This never happens. She usually goes in willingly. So I said it one more time and she still didn't listen. So I went about and pretended I was doing stuff. Then I came back a few minutes later and said it again. She started pacing and finally went in. I gave her the kong and closed the crate.

I walked out of the door and the minute I closed it behind me, she started whining/crying. It broke my heart, but I didn't go back in. She kept doing that and would let out a little yelp here and there before it got to be full on barking. When she barked, I hit the door. I did this for about 10 minutes until she finally stopped barking and just kept crying. By this time, I absolutely had to leave for work so I just left and didn't get a chane to see if she started barking again.

I don't know what to do to get her to stop barking. I'm going to look into those DAP diffusers, but I just don't get it. She didn't raelly do this before. Why now? I don't make a fuss when I leave or when I come home. I never have. I exercised her and made sure she didn't have to go potty. I left a kong and the tv on. What's going on? My poor baby. . . .

zsrg;lb ksr'pfjsoprej dfsg;va bjpskopa]

Posted : 7/18/2006 5:18:17 PM

God there is nothing more I hate then leaving your baby behind and hearing them cry. But it has to be done. Its actually for thier own good to be independent to a certain extent, PLEASE please please dont worry or stress on her all day at work.
It WILL get easier, she'll learn your routine, she'll learn that you will always come back and its not in dogs mental capacity to try and make things easier on you. Sometimes I get frusterated and wish i could tell Rory she is being ungrateful and her life could be a lot worse but thats just not something dogs understand. You are going above and beyond with her exersice and as long as she has enough toys, treats, and stuff she will learn to adjust.
So again, dont let it completley ruin your day, its a matter of ajustment that she will get used to! Keep us posted!

April

Posted : 7/18/2006 6:25:06 PM

Sounds like we have sort of similar problems -- yours during the workday, mine at night! (A big diff being that my dog doesn't bark...she only cries and howls, but don't think that akes it any easier! Just less loud. [

]) I am pretty sure our dog is a cattle dog mix of some kind...we were told Shiba Inu, and she *does* look like a b&t shiba, but the more pics I see of Aussies, the more I see her in them instead. Just different coloring, really.

She's 7-9 years old and she still cannot be worn out. My husband and I are at the point where she gets many loooong walks on workdays, we run with her, etc, and she's still not tired out enough to sleep at night!

I guess I don't have any good suggestions, just comiserating/rambling. [

]

zsrg;lb ksr'pfjsoprej dfsg;va bjpskopa]

Posted : 7/18/2006 6:38:42 PM

A_K_S,
Your girl defintly looks like she has some aussie, its just her coloring thats off. She looks like a
queensland heeler ofr sure!
I read a article yesterday that stated walking a dog is not the same as letting it run off lead or jogging with you. I'm gonna try and find it but it spoke of getting their heart rate going faster then a regualr walk allows. It really made me re-thing my exersice routine with Rory. She gets a good hearty off lead run about 5 days a week but when i cant do that I walk her like a majority of dog owners do. It got my wheels turning of how much a dog would eb running, toned, or conditioned in the wild and it made me scared that Rory is getting as much as she should EVEN with our daily walks. So not to put more stress on you but it almost seems as if taking them to a safe enclosed area and playing fetch with them may give them more exersice then our daily walks, I mean it makes sense, no?

jennie_c_d

Posted : 7/18/2006 8:19:49 PM

How do you feel about bicycles?

I'd get a springer and bike 3-5 miles with her, before work, if you can. That should tire her, pretty well, and make her hungry, too (so she'll WANT to go into her crate and get her food).