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TOUGH ONE-is it time to leave home alone outside?

12K views 29 replies 21 participants last post by  Fodder 
#1 ·
I have an almost 5 mo. old GSD male. He sleeps in crate overnight in our room, then goes outside in the mornings while we get ready for work, at noon when I come home to let him out/feed and then after 5 pm when we get off work. My questions are:

1. After turning 6 mos. old and needing only two feeds a day, I will most likely not come home at noon (having to leave him 8 hrs straight in crate) Is crating for so many hrs. safe/ok? IF NOT...

2. Is it time when he turns 6 mos. to leave him home alone in
backyard considering it's a safe place and partly covered?

I will have to make a decision SOON...
 
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#27 ·
i think its more cruel to leave a dog in a small crate for 8 or so hours than having him go outside in a safe enviroment and haveing space to run and shade to sit in. Sure there are bad variables that could happend but there are bad variables that could happen with him in your house IMO
 
#28 ·
Re: TOUGH ONE-is it time to leave home alone outsi

Originally Posted By: rizzodmI have the same schedule I am gone for 8 hours a day but I cant come home to exercise my pup. He also sleeps in his crate at night and the rest of the day he is with us.
From the very start Max had to stay alone for eight hours. I stressed the first week more than Max. We did not crate him though, we puppy proofed our garage, left the lights on, left the radio on and had interesting toys kong(with kibble inside)soccer ball(its to big to roll anywhere he cant get to it). Now I hide a few treats around and he has to find them. I also walk him in the morning before work. This has worked very well and he loves going to the garage in the morning. Even on the weekends he wants to do the same routine so we do it and just bring him in after and hour or so. When it starts getting hot outside we are going to get a portabel cooling system and a kiddie pool.
This will be an option for us when our puppy comes home. After he was potty trained would he use the bathroom in the garage, not thinking it was inside the house?
 
#29 ·
Re: TOUGH ONE-is it time to leave home alone outsi

I don't think there is anything cruel about leaving a puppy in a crate. OF COURSE the puppy needs exercise, training, mental stimulation EVERY DAY, but there is nothing wrong to keep him in a crate where he is safe when nobody can be with him.
Secondly, if you ever travel and cannot take your dog with, you might have to have a friend watch them or board them... what do you think they do at boarding kennels... CRATE THEM. If your dog is not used to crating, this will be very difficult. Same thing if a friend watches your dog, I would NEVER watch a dog that had not been crate trained. Crates are safer than anything else IMO!
 
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