Both of my dogs are OK out loose, but Coke is what I call an "opportunistic chewer" - he does not seek out things to destroy, but if something is inadvertently left out, he will chew and eat it. The problem is that if he got something big and choked or had a blockage, I would not be there to see. He's not a dog that will destroy the couch, dig up the carpet, or chew the legs of a table, but say a plastic container that hasn't been washed is left out and within reach, he would eat that. Also, he will sometimes pester my cats depending on his mood and if the cats are chasing each other. Kenya has always been totally reliable in the house. When we got Coke, he was already crate trained, so we use the crate if we are gone for a long time and just started crating Kenya too. Coke doesn't have separation anxiety, but I thought he might get upset if Kenya was roaming around. He doesn't act up in his crate unless other people/dogs are out. When we leave for work, he is already settled in and there's no problems.
I felt bad that Kenya was being crated too, but the last few times I've been home sick, both dogs just sleep on the floor or even in their crates (they often wander into their crates even when I'm home). So I figure, since they are getting enough activity when I'm home and they just sleep all day when I'm gone, they might as well be crated to stay safe.
I felt bad that Kenya was being crated too, but the last few times I've been home sick, both dogs just sleep on the floor or even in their crates (they often wander into their crates even when I'm home). So I figure, since they are getting enough activity when I'm home and they just sleep all day when I'm gone, they might as well be crated to stay safe.
