Going to be working fulltime..to crate or not to crate?

Every puppy I've owned without a crate has eaten my house. Granted there are some puppies out there that can be trusted but majority of them chew, aren't housebroken trustworthy enough to have free run. And not everyone can give their dogs the routine Edie has suggested that they do with their pets. More power to this person to able to do this. I don't work right now and I don't even gave Maze that. And yes she is crated when she can't come with me.

GordonsGirl: The schedule you put out for us seems like a good idea and Sniper won't be traumitized because you won't be there as often any more. My situation is backwards to yours. I went from working full time to not at all and Maze wasn't sure what to do with me when we had so much time together.  Granted she is a growing puppy but a few hours in the crate will not kill her! In fact she may even come to love her crate even more. Maze does. She goes in there for quiet time an hour every night and if she's bored, she'll go and lay in there to chew a bone.

You are not a bad mom for wanting to work full time with a puppy! Sniper is a beautiful girl who looks happy so you must be doing something right in her eyes  It seems to me with your plans you posted earlier (and yes I have read every single one of the posts in this thread) that you have a set idea on what is going on. I say go at it! Go back to work full time and put Sniper in that crate. It won't hurt her for short periods of time!

ETA: The x-pen is a good idea as well for stretching her legs. You could always put the crate in a corner of the pen but wouldn't that backfire with the housebreaking? I've never used the x-pen so I don't know but it seems to me that you're encouraging the puppy to pee in the house on paper *shrugs* Or maybe it's just me??
*"You" as in general you not Gordonsgirl  specifically*

oranges81

It won't hurt her for short periods of time!

Since when has 8 - 10 hours been a short period of time? 

But the puppy isn't going to be in there 8 to 10 hours a day.. The way I understand it, the puppy will only be in there for a few hours if there is a time lapse between the owner and the SO. No where did I read the puppy would be in a crate for 8 to 10 hours.
I read other posts mentioning that time frame but not in the OP. As well it wouldn't be an everyday thing. It's obvious we have different views on raising our dogs and I am not about to argue with someone over what is respectable amount of time in a crate. Gordonsgirl came on here asking advice, not to be ripped apart and I gave her my honest opinion.

As well at least she will be able to come home at lunch and give the dog a bathroom break. Some people who work full time are unable to do so! 

Edie

oranges81

It won't hurt her for short periods of time!

 

 

Since when has 8 - 10 hours been a short period of time? 

Didn't the OP say she was coming home for lunch? 

four hours in a crate, fine. But after the break the pup is going back in, and presumably being crated overnight, which is what, more than 16 hours a day in a tiny cage. Totally inhumane. Cannot be recommended or condoned no matter how many people post and say they do it. Pups need to be kept from destroying the house, but there is no reason why they have to spend so much time in such a tiny space- confinement doesn't have to be tiny cage. I can assure you that if you tried to keep a zoo or lab animal under such conditions you'd get fined for inhumane treatment of animals.

Again, Mudpuppy, you have not read my posts. I do not crate her at night. She wakes us when she needs to go out, and we have not had a single accident since she was 12 weeks of age. As well as the fact I said I would most likely be using an ex-pen anyway. Now I know why most people do not post about crate questions, I feel like I shouldn't even be allowed to own a dog because I want to keep her safe and my house in one piece, and unfortunaltely have to work a full time job to pay for her premium foods, care and training. But a huge thank you to those who do understand and are helping me out!

I love the lack of reading and nasty accusations in this thread. Awesome.

I work, full time. I'm fortunate that I can get away with bringing my well-behaved dog with me, but there are days that things like grocery shopping have to be done after work, so I leave her home. My poorly behaved dog stays home most every day.  She is crated, because she is extremely destructive, and as an adult dog, I cannot get her fully housetrained. I bought her an ex pen, a year ago, but she pooped and stomped all in it every. single. day. SOOOO she went back to a crate. My dogs are also not able to interact without bloodshed, so they're on crate and rotate while I'm home.

I didn't want Teenie. I brought her home because she didn't have any other options. She is well fed, groomed, loved, and cared for. She doesn't want to exersize. She's old, and has bad knees and a bad back. She cannot be taken for off lead runs, because she BITES. She has some serious health issues, and I suspect that her time with me is short. I'm giving her time to sit on a cushion and enjoy life before she's done. I suppose that makes me a criminal of some sort. Don't tell her, though, because she is OMGHAPPY (her words, she's a goofball). 

GordonsGirl

I feel like I shouldn't even be allowed to own a dog because I want to keep her safe and my house in one piece, and unfortunaltely have to work a full time job to pay for her premium foods, care and training. But a huge thank you to those who do understand and are helping me out!

You know sometimes we have to make the most of a bad situation. I would hate to have to crate my dog for most of the day - potty breaks or not! But it comes down to priorities. If you have to work, you have to work and I would never be judgemental of someone in your position. I would actually be as critical of someone who chose to not work because of their dogs and let their family do without or expect the gov't to support them. However before I would crate my dog for the day I would have to be very clear with myself on the reason(s). If as you suggest, it is for the benefit of the dog, I might ask myself if "premium food, care and training" is more important to the dog than the issue of excess crating. It's all about finding the balance. What ever you end up doing I support you because I know you love your dog!

denise m

 It's all about finding the balance.

Amen!  I work full time as well and I have a high drive, high energy working line German Shepherd.  However, we are never NOT in a training class, we are never not practicing for agility or rally.  She knows that when I come home from work, I am HERS.  She knows which days we have training (Monday, Thursday, and Saturday) because instead of wanting to play outside, she quick potties, runs back in, and dances by the front door b/c she knows we are going in the car to the club.  I have no social life and besides my dogs I do nothing in evenings and on weekends.  Coke is a good dog for my husband because Coke doesn't need nearly as much mental stimulation as Kenya.  He's happy with long walks, running in the yard, and playing with DH.  Therefore, DH has time to play soccer once or twice a week and that sort of thing.  Kenya on the other hand requires as much mental stimulation and physical stimulation.  My friends think I'm crazy because we go from one training class to the next, but to me training is a lifelong process, not a one-time obedience class.  Anyway, the point is, you CAN work full time and manage an insanely smart, insanely energetic, insanely driven dog, there just have to be sacrifices (to me it's not really a sacrifice though). 

Oh good, I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't have a social life due to my dog!   I truly am a homebody anyway, but since getting Sniper, my DH and I have not been out to the movies once, instead of eating out, we do take out, weekends revolve around the dog, I blow off shopping trips with friends only because "who will walk the dog?" I wish we had training facilities up here or agility or something, but there is absolutely zero dog related events up here. There is an obedience class that comes by once a year which I will be getting Sniper into, but that is it! So when I am not working, like you guys, I am with my dog. Either doing obedience exercises, walks, playing tug or fetch, learning silly new tricks (she is learning to hide her head under a pillow when I say "Go hide!";) or just snuggling on the floor together. And again, I never said I wanted to crate her, thats the issue, I truly do not want to crate her for that long a period of time! My DH is actually currently down to lowes looking for a way to create an ex-pen type of area for her, and we will give that a go. But like Jennie said, I am worried about Sniper having too much space too soon and having accidents. We will try it out and if that doesn't work, I will be crating. Other than that, what other options are there? There is no way I am leaving her out free reign. Like I said earlier, after trying a 15 minute trial, I learned that she cannot have that much freedom, plus I think it is completely dangerous to have a puppy free like that, so much they can get into even with it puppyproofed. She actually even started chewing on the wall in the bathroom today while I was in the shower (darn velcro dogs have to be everywhere you are!) and that was in only 10 minutes of being free with a nice chewie bone right beside her! So it's either an ex-pen which I truly hope works, or the crate. Or I can will powerball and never work again (which is what I am striving for!)

Balance is what it's all about isn't it!?

 I don't think anyone here would say that they love having to crate their dog for hours every day, but we do what we have to so that everything fits in as it needs to.

 Personal example: This is the first time in Maggie's 7.5 years with me that she has been left alone for more than 8 hours regularly, and the majority of that time she was left alone for less than 6 hours at a time, all with free run of a house, yard, or on a runner.  Next year, both dogs will likely only be left alone for 6 hours at a time, 4 days a week as I am changing my work schedule and getting married (my fiance will likely work 9 to 5, and I'll work 11:30 to 8:30 most days, him off Sat/Sun, me off Sun/Mon).  I still think 9 months of my current schedule is better than death.

I hate crating my puppy for so long, but to remedy it a smidge, she is very well exercised, trained frequently, goes to the dog park once or twice a week and when crated, is crated in a 36" crate (2 sizes larger than "recommended";) with a nylabone and her treat ball.  When I get home, the dogs go on a long walk (no safe off lead areas here unfortunately) as soon as I change (I work in a shelter, not changing endangers their health in case you worry about the 15 mins that takes).  When we get back it's dinner, tv time, and then our nightly walk and bed.  When my pup is out of the crate she is either chewing on the toys from her crate, lying next to me half asleep, or playing with Maggie.  Maggie generally spends her evenings curled up next to me or on her dog bed. 

If there are no doggie daycares around I would search for a stay at home mom who can watch him a few times a week, or everyday.  I am a stay at home mom and just ended dog sitting a big dog who was getting into trouble while his owners are at work. I charged less than doggie daycare to.  I know a lot of people put ads on Craigslist, so you could do that and go to their house and interview them, see what kind of conditions the dog would be in all day, if they are okay with accidents, etc..  I LOVED doing it, the dog I watched was just rehomed, but I'd love to have the chance to watch another dog.   The dog really loved coming over here to, it worked out perfectly because I am doing stuff during the day with my dog anyway and I just had to include another dog in what we were already doing, good socialization for my dog also.

I don't have much of a social life either, but DH and I are take out and tv kind of people anyway, we've never been much on going out. I do have kids though, so I can't devote every waking minute to the dogs. They are mostly just happy to be with me, and I try to incorporate them into our activities. Going to the park is something both the kids and dogs can do. They go for rides if I go to pick up take out food, go to my moms with me on sundays. The fact that they have eachother to play with helps. I look forward to the day when my dogs can be out of their crates while I'm at work, but on our test runs they're not quite reliable yet. I view the crates as training tools, not a permanent housing arangement. They earned their freedom at night at about six months of age, being crate free is something we are training toward.

 Oh, about the x-pens, my dogs could jump/knock them down by four months, and they are medium sized dogs...be careful with that.

mudpuppy

four hours in a crate, fine. But after the break the pup is going back in, and presumably being crated overnight, which is what, more than 16 hours a day in a tiny cage. Totally inhumane. Cannot be recommended or condoned no matter how many people post and say they do it. Pups need to be kept from destroying the house, but there is no reason why they have to spend so much time in such a tiny space- confinement doesn't have to be tiny cage. I can assure you that if you tried to keep a zoo or lab animal under such conditions you'd get fined for inhumane treatment of animals.

Really?  Because horses are routinely stalled for far longer than that at some of the top barns in the country and I've yet to see AC beating down their doors.....

Jack was crated for all but short walks, (5 minutes at a time), potty breaks, and physical therapy for well over a month after his surgery under vet's orders.  I suppose it would have been better to allow him to injure his freshly operated on elbow and now be crippled instead of being able to lead the full life that he does..... 

Right now, my dog is my social life. We have a one hour class on Tuesday evening, which is often followed by a nice, long walk with one or two of the trainer's dogs. On Friday morning, we have a two hour private class. Sunday morning is a two hour group rally practice, almost always followed by lunch or coffee out with a friend (and the dog, of course). Weekends away? Dog shows. Lunch or dinner out? I choose restaurants with outdoor seating.

I also have a high drive, working dog. I work full time, usually with some overtime on my paycheck. I don't have human children, and I'm not married, so that makes it easier on me than on some, but it's definitely doable.