For those who work full time, dog alone?

[goldenlook]

Hi,
Do you leave your golden alone while you are at work? How long do you leave him? Is she/him okay by himself/herself?
Do you leave them inside the house (free or in carte) or at backyard?
Thanks.

[lvngold]

Beau is almost 8 mos and he does have the run of the house. I work fulltime but my daughter is a nursing student and often comes home after classes. The longest he has been by himself is about 6 hrs. I always leave him with a Kong (stuffed w/pnut butter) or a nylabone or hoof. He has never been destructive at all. Many others, will have different opinions, I am sure.

[GoldenFrost]

Tara will to 7 in May
We leave her free alone all day. We are gone from 6:30 in the morn till 5:00 at nite. She is fine. I think she sleeps all day. Never had a problem. Of course when she was younger Hubby worked afternoons so she was only alone for an hour

[LogansMom]

Logans left from 7:30 a.m. till 3 p.m. when the kids get home from school. He stays in his crate with his nylabone and sleeps the whole time. Hubby or I switch each day letting him out at noon to pee and catch the ball. We're lucky we both work so close to home. :032 :032

Cindy & Logan

[angenbear]

I leave Bear during the day at my friend's house, he stays in a crate, I make sure he has plenty of toys. My friend's mom will take him out once in awhile and give him water and food, if needed. If she isn't there, I'll stop in once in awhile to take him out.

goldenlook, if you are researching before purchasing a pup, please take into consideration for a puppy, they can't hold their bathroom for long, so you might want to have someone stop in and play/take the pup out once in awhile.

[goldenlook]

Yes, we are researching to see if it's okay to have a Golden puppy. We are checking to see what does this breed need and comparing to our life style.
We do know that a puppy requires more time and effort. We would like to know/learn now and make necessary arrangement before we decide to have one.

Thanks for all your replies and we will keep reading from this forum to learn more.

[Cassidy'sMom]

While I do feel it is okay to leave your golden alone while you are at work, it is also very important to remember that goldens are very socialable. By this I mean they have a very strong need to feel like they are A PART OF THE FAMILY! I feel when goldens are not given the attention they crave, that's when the "bad" behaviors start. I do leave Cassidy alone (with her dog & cat sisters) while I am at work, however I limit the activities I do outside of work that do not include her.

Also, you must remember that training may be more difficult. A puppy is much more difficult to train when you are gone all day. You must keep all this in mind. When your puppy is not housebreaking as quickly as you think, don't question the puppy but question your time devoted to training. I get frustrated when I hear puppy owners complaining that when the puppy is left alone in the house all day he chews up the carpet or has potty accidents all over the house. Duh! This is a puppy afterall! Don't get me wrong, we all go through the puppy stage. Just don't have unreasonable expectations and you & your pup should be just fine. :485

[goldenlover]

We got an older housebroken puppy two months ago, because I knew we would not be able to spend enough time with a "baby" for housebreaking, etc. Hubby and I both work during day. Daughter (21) is still in and out during day, but will soon be working during the day. When we had our first golden (baby), hubby and I were working during day, but daughter could come home at lunchtime to let dog outside to potty. It was in the summer. By the way, if you don't like being out in the cold, you might want to wait until warmer weather to get your puppy. When they're in training, you really can't leave them out in the yard by themselves. They could tunnel under the fence or something. With goldens, you never know what they'll do out there! Good luck making your decision. You'll get plenty of input on this forum.

[kristyrenee]

We have a 16 week old puppy (Rockne) and take him to daycare during the day since we both work - I definitely recommend it if you can afford it. We're only goign to send him for about 2 more months (he'll be 6 months then) and then he'll be ok being in the crate during the day. I just like the idea of daycare because he gets to be around dogs all day and learns socialization, learns how to play with big dogs as well as very small dogs and also is taken out every hour or two and reinforces his potty training he learns at home. I know people have very different opinions on daycare, but for us its working great- he comes home and is so good and calm cuz he gets all the crazy puppy stuff out playing with the other dogs all day and then I don't worry about him being lonely all day.

[mtee1958]

This is like fate that someone just asked this question. I restarted a thread on the training forum (I think that's where it's at) because Bailey chewed part of the wall today. I have been letting him stay in the laundry room while I'm at work. He's been fine -- no problem. I put lots of toys in as well. My kids let him out when they come home from school. Today though my husband came home for lunch and let him out to play and go outside and then put him back. It must have been after this that he decided to eat the wall. Why now? Was he mad that Daddy came home and then left? Maybe it was better when he didn't have anyone come home then leave again. I hate to put him in his crate - he can only lay there. I have one of those Large hard crates. That really isn't any different than the "open" crates with the bars is it? I felt at least he could move around during the day and have some water. He'll spill his water if I put it in crate with him. What do I do? :confused: :confused:

[angenbear]

This is like fate that someone just asked this question. I restarted a thread on the training forum (I think that's where it's at) because Bailey chewed part of the wall today. I have been letting him stay in the laundry room while I'm at work. He's been fine -- no problem. I put lots of toys in as well. My kids let him out when they come home from school. Today though my husband came home for lunch and let him out to play and go outside and then put him back. It must have been after this that he decided to eat the wall. Why now? Was he mad that Daddy came home and then left? Maybe it was better when he didn't have anyone come home then leave again. I hate to put him in his crate - he can only lay there. I have one of those Large hard crates. That really isn't any different than the "open" crates with the bars is it? I felt at least he could move around during the day and have some water. He'll spill his water if I put it in crate with him. What do I do? :confused: :confused:

I'm sure it was a mixture of boredom and separation anxiety, and maybe a bit of spite for being alone. Can he move around in the large crate? As long as he gets lots of water beforehand, and a potty trip at that, then he should be fine without it for a few hours.

[Gryffyndor]

Gryffyn was left alone during the day after 11 weeks of age; however, we got him during the summer so we were able to hire a neighbor boy to come over at lunchtime to feed and excercise him. Now at 9 months, he is fine while home by himself during the day. He has access to the kitchen and porch area. If you leave dogs uncrated, be prepared for potential destruction! :eek: Also, we always make sure Gryffyn has plenty of family time and excercise; we are starting obedience trials in the spring and have just started an agility course.

[theGoldenPup]

The dogs are left from about 7-3:30 but get walked at least three times in there. They get exercise before I leave, and when I get home we play, walk and train. I crate them because with two dogs there is the potential danger of a fight, not to mention all that they could get into.

GoldenPup

[Peggy]

Murphy is in his fenced-in yard when we are at work, from about 8-4. He's got toys to keep him busy. When he was younger, I came home at lunch every day to feed and play with him. Ideally, I would be home with him all of the time, but unless I want to wait until retirement time, that can't happen.

When the weather is bad my husband is home, so Murphy is inside with him. And, our evening and weekend activities do revolve around things we can all do together. I think dogs do adjust to your schedule, and spend most of their alone time sleeping and waiting to be with you. I like that Murphy has a big, safe yard to run around in. My husband was totally against crating, so that is how we have raised our dogs (outside when we are gone, inside when we are home). Both of them were house-trained within a month.

Last evening was the first time in the 4 months since we've had Murphy that we went out to dinner. He is six months old this week. We left him inside (with his 4 cat siblings) and he was fine. All of his toys were scattered around, but nothing else out of place.

[baxter's mom]

Baxter has had to stay home alone since we first got him at 8 weeks. We crate him, being sure to put toys in with him, and he has never had an accident. He is always very happy to see us when we get home, but I haven't noticed any negative side-effects. We are sure to spend lots of time with him in the evening. It IS possible to be a good, responsible pet owner and work full time!

[mtee1958]

Thank you for all your advice -- several things come to mind -- morning exercise for Bailey. Possibly leaving the laundry room door to the garage open for him to go in there as well. We don't have any chemicals, so I can dog proof it pretty fast. I would love to let him out in the summer all day -- we have the invisible fence and he's very good with it, but that makes me nervous - leaving him out there. Has anyone left their dog out in the invisible fence for that long? My boss just said he has a large bar type kennel that is meant for a very large dog. Maybe I won't feel so bad if he has something tall like that. Those solid crates all so closed in.

[lvngold]

Mtee

We have the Invisible Fence and until recently Beau was fine and we did leave him out for several hours at a time. NOT NOW. The Lab next door battery died on his collar (we have a joint fence) and when Duke found out he could get out so did Beau. I called the Fence people and they came out and adjusted his collar, and we put out the flags again and last week he decided to chase the cat right out to the golf course.
I had had him on leash but thought he was doing better, but found out I was wrong. Beau is almost 8 mos and has recently gotten a mind of his own. He has chosen to ignore the correction and I guess he figures to chase the cat is worth getting a little shock. We have again put him on leash unless the cat is in the house he does not have free run of the yard. I do think as his training progesses this too will pass.

Good luck!

[goldenlover]

Mtee,

Maybe you should consider a more open-type of crate. At 10 mos. old our Ralphie is already 75 lbs. We recently got a larger wire crate for him. I think it's 48". It's not the prettiest thing in our family room, but we like to have him there with us if he wants to lay down in his crate while we're home. Plus, I think he likes it better to be in the family room when he's crated, rather than in the laundry room.

With the larger crate, he has plenty of room to turn around, and to play with his toys. We've only had him since Thanksgiving, and he's so unpredictable, that we're not ready to give him full run of the house when he's home alone. We don't leave him outside in the fenced in yard unsupervised, based on our experience with our previous golden. Bonnie, when left to her own devices outside, would start digging under the fence, or get into some other trouble. I would worry constantly if Ralphie were outside all day. Besides, it's way too cold here in Jersey right now. We draped a throw over the crate to make it warmer and more secure for Ralphie, and he loves his crate.

[Acamarrr]

I teach full time, but my schedule is such that I'm out of the house only two days a week, and off all summers, a month at Xmas, Spring Break, etc. All of this to say that with such a schedule, leaving Riki alone during workdays was incredibly easy. In her youth (and when I worked traditional full-time hours), she was destructive -- I clearly remember my fury when she chewed up a first edition of "Gone With the Wind", a gift from my grandmother. :mad: But once I had this wonderful schedule, the days away seemed to her like abberations, rather than the normal routine.

As she aged, and slept more through the day anyway, leaving her alone those two days was not a problem. She would immediately lay down on the kitchen floor, or the corner of the couch reserved for her, and every time we returned home, she would be napping close to the door. No more destruction, and a calm puppy -- one of the benefits of the senoir Golden!

[angenbear]

Thank you for all your advice -- several things come to mind -- morning exercise for Bailey. Possibly leaving the laundry room door to the garage open for him to go in there as well. We don't have any chemicals, so I can dog proof it pretty fast. I would love to let him out in the summer all day -- we have the invisible fence and he's very good with it, but that makes me nervous - leaving him out there. Has anyone left their dog out in the invisible fence for that long? My boss just said he has a large bar type kennel that is meant for a very large dog. Maybe I won't feel so bad if he has something tall like that. Those solid crates all so closed in.

Well if he's chewing the walls in the laundry, he may do the same for the garage. It's amazing at what stuff they can get into that you wouldn't think they would get into. I also wouldnt want to leave him outside without supervision with the invisible fence. I assume you don't have a fence so hence using the invisible fence? What if the invisible fence gets faulty one day?

[mtee1958]

Bailey was very good yesterday -- I left him in the laundry room again. But I sprayed the wall -- he took a lick and ran the other way. There were lots of toys and many peanut butter smeared bones!!

Thanks everyone for all the help. If he does it again, I'll get a wire kennel and put it in the kitchen with the tv going - so he can see all around and "hear" the normal sounds of the house.

[goldenlook]

Thanks for all of your replies.

We do think to get a puppy instead of an adult dog because we want to train him (it's probably him).

We do know that there is a lot more effort to get a puppy, so at this stage we are still thinking.

If we do get a puppy, we plan to take about 2 weeks off (1 wk for me and 1 wk my husband) once we get him. Also for the first 6 months, my husband will go home at lunch time and we will adjust our working schedule. I will go to work early and come home early and my husband wil go to work and come home later than me. In that case, he will be home alone for 3-4 hrs each section during the day. But after 6 months, he probably will be at home alone for about 8-9 hrs.

Also, we may have him in day care once a week or twice a month. May be some training classes too.

However, I do have a question.
What's the difference between puppy kindergarten and day care?
I know for training classes you have to go with them but how about puppy kindergarten?

[denalipup]

Denali is home alone during the day, because we both work full time. He has a large crate with plenty of toys. So far, so good. We have tried leaving him out a couple of times, and only came home to destruction. We have decided that it is better for him to be in his crate then potentially eat something that could really cause him some problems.He is only nine months old, so we are working up to leaving him out in the house when he is older. I like to push a few toys through the wires on the crate, so he really has to work to get them out. I also stuff a kong with treats and then stick his Nylabone in the end. It is hard work to get the Nylabone out and he will stick with it for hours. We spend a ton of time with him in the evenings, and I make sure to play a fast paced game of fetch in the mornings before I leave. I have felt guilty leaving him during the day, because I am a teacher and was able to be with him all day during the summer. But, I know that he is well-adjusted, gets plenty of exercise and is an all around fabulous dog!

[mtee1958]

I grew up with dogs and my parents worked. My first dog arrived when I was at home with my kids. Bailey comes to us later in life when the kids are at school and we are both working. I don't believe he is being "harmed" in any way. When we come home at night - it's so special for all of us. There's love and kisses and lots of tummy rubs. Then there's time spent sitting on the floor together watching tv and playing with his toys.

You sound like you have a good plan of attack for when "he" arrives. I'm sure you will be good parents! We all wish we could stay home with our dogs, but in reality that just doesn't happen. When you have a situation where you can be home, count your blessings!

[Copper's Mom]

Copper is just over a 1 year old and we've been doing this same routine for awhile every since we got his underground fence and trained him how to use. I guess he was probably about 4 months or so whenever we started leaving him outside with his collar on. I'm not sure maybe he was a little older than 4 months. But he's been outside and left for 8 hours a day with nobody coming home to him. He stays outside 5 days a week when we are work of course when we get home he gets to come inside with us. I don't think I could leave him in a crate all day while at work. Dogs love to run and play. I couldn't imagine Copper being stuck in a crate all day. Granted at night he sleeps in his crate but that's bed time and we know he just sleeps anyway.

[Jo Ellen]

It's hard leaving them, isn't it? I stayed at home with her for her first year but eventually had to return to work. At first I put her in dog daycare every day I was at work -- which was EXPENSIVE (about $300/month). Couldn't continue that forever. But then she came down with the viral papilloma virus and couldn't be around other dogs for 3 months and had to take her out of daycare. Those were some tough months but we adjusted.

She now goes to daycare 2 days a week. I work close to where I live so I always go home for lunch when she's at home, just to let her out, give her a snack, sit with her. I don't work overtime at the office. It's leave for work at 7:30/home at 5:30.

She's very good. She just waits for me to come home. There's never any damage, no chewing, no housetraining issues to deal with, she simply sleeps and waits. I never leave her outside -- I'm probably way overprotective that way. :cool:

[GoldenBlaze]

Blaze has always had the run of the house he is one next week and has been a great dog. Our dogs have only been left a max of 4 hours. We are lucky that our work allows it. I do doggie daycare and overnight visites here in my home, we love to have dogs for sleepovers as we all climb in one big queen bed. Mommy & Daddy's ;) I have some people that bring their dog just for the day cause they all love to play and get along so well. Summer is great here, dogs, pools, balls toys everywhere in my yard oh yes fire hydrant and all.
;)

[clement's golden rule]

I really feel that if the goings away and the comings home, are very low key, then it doesn't make for such issues, as anxiety, etc.. I haven't been able to crate my goodwin because of his previous experiences with a crate, but he has evolved into a great, stay at home guy, with his big step brother ( who was crate trained, but the mere sight of a crate, sends goodwin into a tailspin, so we don't use them any longer). I though, have the advantage of being away, at night, when the house is dark, and the neighborhood quiet, etc.. not many distractions for them.. When I get home, it's a curt, hello, and out to potty, a long walk, breakfast, and fun time with the mummy. and when I leave, it's the same...in reverse, a long walk, and horsing around with mummy, at 10 pm, (the new neighbors must think that I'm crazy) and then the pb marrow bones, and a quick, "see ya in the morning" and off I go.. I can totally imagine though, pups getting bored, in the day time.. they don't sleep soundly for all the daytime noises, their people arent home, to see who's at the door, or hear the phone ring, etc... and for all we know.. wall board, might taste good to gr???
I wish that I didn't have to go, and leave them, but it's either that, or we're really hungry, and cold..

[GeorgiaPup]

Honey is 5 months old and she goes to daycare every day. We pay 18 dollars a day.

[sabydoo]

Abbi was 9 months old when I went back to work after 12 years of daycare. We let her have free run of the house and never did anything bad. She is left home from 8am til 3:30.
Even as a brand new puppy she slept her nights without going pee, she never once woke us in the night to go outside.
At 6 months old she was spayed and the night we brought her home she was sick every hour so I did not want to crate her at bedtime as we ususally did. Instead I slept on the couch while she slept on the floor beside me. That was pretty much when SHE decided she no longer wanted to be crated. Because she was always such a well behaved (non destrcutive) pup, we gave in and decided we would try leaving her out. The first night was weird because we always watch TV in the basement with her on her comforter beside us and when we went up to bed we simply gave her a kiss and said goodnight. We really weren't sure what she would do, but she stayed down there all night (I think) and came up to see us in the morning when she heard a toilet flush. We soon learned not to flush in the middle of the night if we happened to get up, because she thought it was morning and was ready for breakfast. So night time was the first step to her being left home alone for the entire day.
As long as she gets lots of attention & exercise when we are home, she does not seem bothered by being left alone. When I WAS home during the day she basically slept all day anyway.

[elmac]

We just lost our lovely 8 1/2 year old to cancer to weeks ago, and we are not ready yet to get another dog. But I am trying to think ahead and know that when the time comes we will want another Golden. When we got Corrie as a puppy I was at home all day but now I am out at work part time. I would love to get a new puppy when we are ready but I wonder if we could make it work. My Mum lives just along the road and would be happy to let the pup out in the garden during the day, we also had a dog walker who looked after Corrie sometimes when we needed her. I haven't heard of anyone using "crate training" here in Scotland but I am open to the idea especially when the pup is young. I would certainly take some holidays when we got a puppy so she could settle in. Corrie was such a lovely girl, she was never destructive and very easy to train. :angel1 We will go back to the same breeder again. I'd value your thoughts and opinions on this. I'm really finding the forums helpful it's great to talk to other Golden lovers, its helping me cope with losing Corrie. Thanks everyone. paw
Linda

[angenbear]

Elmac, sorry for your loss. Once you are ready, I think if you get a good schedule down, then it will work, having a mother around the block to help out is nice and a dogwalker too. Before you get the pup from the same breeder, maybe to ease your worries, you may want to ask her if any of her breeds have cancer in the line as your beloved Corrie had.

[johng723]

I was wondering if you guys' think that if more than one dogs are home alone together it'd be ok. One being older and trustworthy, the other 7 months old and not so trustworthy. I'm thinking that she won't be as destructive if she has a friend to play with. I've been leaving her in a small area that's gated off, but I'm thinking of giving her a little more space as she gets older. She is definately calmer and more obedient, but I don't know how she'd be alone.

[doreen]

My so many dogs crated !! All day cant be too good id think.

[hellzpawn]

Mine's alone from 8am to 4pm, or 6pm, depending on work schedule... but he gets full run of the house. However, most of the time we find him lying down in front of the door when we come home, or he'll be sleeping in my room (such good guard dogs they are, so alert :laugh2 )

[Jo Ellen]

Mine is home alone M-F, 9 hours a day while I work. She's 4 and is not crated or gated. But I live close to where I work so I almost ALWAYS go home for lunch, even if it's just a few minutes, to give her a treat, let her out and just touch base.

I know she sleeps on my bed upstairs while I'm gone so I throw a blanket over my bedspread. She's always at the door to greet me when I come in. :reddogx

She used to go to daycare twice a week but got expelled recently for biting another dog -- she's just not into the puppy/teenage crowd anymore.

Until she was a year old, I didn't work so I could stay home with her. It was a wonderful experience and I know she's a better dog today because of it. :)

[Newman's_Dad]

Strange how so many of us do similar things to accommodate our dogs. I wish every dog had such caring owners!

My wife and I both work full time so it was pretty hard at first with the puppy. Newman is 5 months now and has adjusted really well. I work close to home so I can make it home for lunch to take him out to do his thing and play some. He really loves fetching his frisbee! While we are gone he stays inside in his crate which has a 4' diameter pen attached to it. We got that so he can move around more but still go in his crate to sleep. Things got so much easier when we got that pen. He doesn't mind going in as far as I can tell. I just say "kennel" and he goes right in. Of course he knows he's getting a treat for it and he'll do anything for a treat. He slept in there at night until just recently too. Now we let him sleep in our room next to the bed and he really likes that.

Since then I feel bad putting him in his kennel at all. I'd like to be able to leave him in the back yard during the day. It's completely fenced in and if he did manage to tunnel under he'd just end up in a neighbor's yard which all are also fenced. The problem is that whenever he's outside and no one is out with him he starts barking, wanting one of us out there with him. I know he would bark and go crazy once he heard me drive off especially. Does anyone have any experience with this and advice on how to handle it? I don't want him to be scared if I leave him outside and I don't want my neighbors hating him because of the barking.

Thanks

[Jo Ellen]

Daisy would rather be in the house.

What if there was a storm? What if someone wanted to take him? What if he got bit by a snake? Lots of what ifs..... :confused:

[GoldenJoy]

My Cocker wouldn't stay outside by herself either. She'd bark as soon as we were out of eyesight. She was fine in the house. This behavior lasted until she died and she was 17.

My two Goldens would rather I be out with them, but they will sometimes stay out on their own without any issues. In fact, this behavior for Tucker is a positive thing. When we first brought him home the breeder told us he wouldn't go out on his own. He wouldn't, but he does now. Even without Shadow!!! :029

[Newman's_Dad]

Daisy would rather be in the house.

What if there was a storm? What if someone wanted to take him? What if he got bit by a snake? Lots of what ifs..... :confused:

I've thought of stuff like that but don't think they are big issues. I wouldn't leave him out if I knew a storm was coming but if one suddenly came he has his dog house and also can go under the carport. Snakes are very rare here, especially the kind that could do any damage. I'd be more worried about possums or raccoons but they are nocturnal and Newman is always inside with us overnight. As far as someone taking him, I'd lock the gates to my yard if I left him back there.

I'm not opposed to leaving him inside free once he can be fully trusted but I would think he'd prefer it outside. He loves being out there to explore and run around. I'd rather not have to crate him inside, he's been pretty good to date but just last night we caught him starting to chew on the couch. His new teeth are coming in.

I want what's best for him, just trying to figure that out.

[CaynCher]

My mom's neighbor has a Golden approximately 6 years old. She was left out while they went to work. She became a bored constant barker. It was terrible & I'm glad she wasn't our neighbor. Someone must have reported them as they now keep her inside when they go to work.

I have two male Goldens & would not dream of leaving them alone outside all day. Mine are companion dogs not yard dogs. I would also be afraid that they would ingest objectionable plants or other items out there. :reddogx :dogbark

[doreen]

.

I'm not opposed to leaving him inside free once he can be fully trusted but I would think he'd prefer it outside. He loves being out there to explore and run around. I'd rather not have to crate him inside, he's been pretty good to date but just last night we caught him starting to chew on the couch. His new teeth are coming in.

I want what's best for him, just trying to figure that out.

Hi Newmans dad.

yes please dont crate him. he will be fine. My 2 dogs are outside & they are companions to me. Must admit we are home all day with them. & we spend alot of time outside i soppose its more outdoor living in Australia. & i want whats best for my dogs. yes and my pups teeth are coming in. I know what you mean. I nice big bone will keep him quiet

[GoldenLady]

I have two male Goldens & would not dream of leaving them alone outside all day. Mine are companion dogs not yard dogs. I would also be afraid that they would ingest objectionable plants or other items out there. :reddogx :dogbark

I have that concern as well, but my biggest fear is that they could get stolen if left outdoors unsupervised. It depends on where you live, of course; I live in the suburbs of a large city, and while such an incident may be unlikely, it is possible, and it's not a chance I'm willing to take. Goldens are such a wonderful combination of being beautiful as well as friendly and trusting, and I fear that my boys would just walk off with anyone who spoke to them in a kind voice. Even when I'm at home, when my guys are out back, I keep a pretty close eye on them. JMHO, of course!

GoldenLady :)

[meandgracie]

Newman's Dad - Have you thought about a dog door? I considered one, but... Gracie doesn't bark because she wants in (she'll jump at the door for that). She can see the road from the deck and she barks at kids riding bikes, other dogs walking, etc. She'll bark until I tell her to quiet down. I'm afraid she'd become a nuisance to the neighbors.

I feel for you with the couch chewing. Gracie had full house privileges for awhile. She lost them when she chewed on a couch cushion when I was at work. Now she stays in the kitchen. There's not a door there, so I installed a metal baby gate.

[Newman's_Dad]

I don't really know what to think about a dog door but I can bet what my wife would say...."no way!" Anyway, a dog door would just give him access to both the outside and inside and not really solve my problem. He would end up with free reign over both and I'm not sure he can be entirely trusted with that yet.

He has been very good so far about chewing on our stuff. The other night with the couch was the first time he did anything like that and he didn't do any real damage b/c we caught him early. He does like to grab our things off of shelves and counters and "show" them to us like he did something good. He doesn't hurt them though, just carries them around.

The collies I had growing up were outside most of the day but would come and go inside with us as they wanted. One of them actually learned how to open the sliding door to go in and out. He never did close it behind him though. We had a huge yard there and that was in Maine so different climate, society, etc. but they were always fine.

I always thought that Newman would stay outside during the day once he got bigger but now I'm having second thoughts after hearing some of the opinions here. Maybe the answer is to get one of those 10 x 10 kennels and put his house in there.

[Jonesy]

Crate training isn't bad for the puppy. It gives them a place to feel safe. When you travel it makes it easier on yourself as well.

For me I feed the dog and let him out at 7 in the morning followed by play time. It has helped me be on time for work now...:) After play time he goes into his crate.

At noon I come home, let him out, feed him, potty him, play a little, and then back into his crate.

My wife then comes home at 3 because she is a teacher. She usually plays with him a little then puts him back in his crate until 5 when I get home to feed him. After five we try to keep him out of his crate as much as possible, but sometimes neither one of us can watch him so he goes back in for a little while.

Crate training is hard at first, but in the end it proves its value.

Jonesy

[alliebear]

Newman's_Dad . . . I noticed that you are in Fort Worth. Me too! Where abouts are you?

By the way I think that Newman is the cutest name!

[CaynCher]

Newmans Dad I just read your original post. You are correct to use a crate for a 5mth old pup when he can't be supervised. When Cayenne was a pup, I worked full time, & we used the crate (48 X 28). A relative would drop in to let him out to play & potty during the day. He would sleep in there with his hard rubber toys until we came home. After he was housebroken & through the teething stage, he slowly gained house privileges. My present pup age 18mths still uses his crate to sleep in at night & during the day I find him in there sleeping with the door opened. We did not have any destruction in the house with either of our Goldens due to the fact of lots of supervision & use of the Crate & early obedience training. :dogbark :reddogx

[Newman's_Dad]

I appreciate all the feedback, thanks everyone!

Newman has been very good with his crate. I was hesitant at first b/c with our collies we never used one and of course he cried at first in there. But I'm glad we stuck with it. We did a lot of reading on it before we got him and I realize it's not bad for him, I just think when he gets big he will like it better outside. He goes in the crate on his own sometimes now and like I said in a previous post the pen attached to it makes it even better.

Eventually as he gets more trustworthy he'll gain more freedom. We'll start by letting him have the kitchen/dining area and some day I'm sure he'll be free to roam the whole house. Since we have new living room furniture and he has new teeth we aren't ready for that yet. He's completely house trained now...big relief, so we don't have to worry about that anymore. Luckily I live close enough to work to go home for lunch and let him out so he isn't couped up for 9 hours straight.

Alliebear; we live in the Ridglea neighborhood off of I30. Know where that is? Ever go to Fort Woof? Newman's been a few times but I'm very cautious now after what that bull mastif did a few weeks ago! Did you hear about that? Awful! Glad you like the name, it was my wife's choice and by the way he is not named after the mailman on Seinfeld, she just really thought it was cute for a dog. Where are you in Ft Worth? Allie is very cute, I like her site. I need to do more with Newman's site. I got one started but need to take the time to do more with it. http://www.topgoldenretrieversites.net/userpictures/Newman/index.html
Do you board Allie when you travel? If so, where?

[alliebear]

I live near Hulen . . . Summercreek neighborhood off of Columbus Trail. I had been thinking of taking Allie to Fort Woof but never got around to it. I hadn't heard that anything happened with a bull mastif, but I can only imagine. Luckily the few times that I've had to go out of town I was able to take Allie with me, so I don't know of anyplace good to board the dogs. There is a pet hotel attached to a vet off of Granbury road right near my house. They have a website, and it looks really nice. I've called before about it to check on the prices. It's called Vet Care, but for some reason I can't get the website to work (www.vetcarepetplace.com/).

It's neat meeting someone on here that is so close to home!

[GoldenJoy]

Have you thought about having someone come in a few hours a day to pet-sit? I know someone in FL who has just gotten a part-time job pet-sitting. Of course, this woman has two Goldens of her own and is absolutely in love with them. Someone in FL is going to be very, very lucky when she comes knocking. I have no idea how expensive it is.

[Newman's_Dad]

I thought about a pet sitter but then he would be alone for so long and he, like most goldens, is a real people dog. I think he would do better where he gets some interaction during the day with people and other dogs. I'll probably put him in a place that has "doggy day camp" where the dogs are outside with the people for most of the day.

I would leave him with friends but we are going away for Memorial day weekend and so is everyone else.

Thanks for the link Alliebear but the website didn't work for me either. We'll probably board him here....
http://www.a-animal.com/
They actually have a webcam where I can check up on him while I'm gone...pretty cool. That is provided I can get an internet connection in Mexico.

[Newman's_Dad]

Alliebear, I was wondering if there was anyone who posted here from Ft Worth. There are a lot of goldens in the area.

To fill you in on Ft Woof....a few weeks ago a bull mastif attacked 3 dogs and killed one of them! It was a 6 month old corgi that got killed. I can't imagine what that owner went through that day. It had earlier attacked a golden and a terrier too. We just happened to be there earlier that same day. I'm glad we left when we did! It's too bad b/c a dog park is usually a great place to take your dogs to socialize and exercise. People with dogs like that should know better than to take them places where that can happen. Also, it should never have gotten past the first attack...he should've been removed then.

I hate to scare you away from Ft Woof. It's not a bad place, you just have to evaluate who's in there and how they are all acting. Newman has been back a couple of times since but I keep a very close eye on him and other dogs. He generally stays right by me anyway although he is slowly becoming a little more brave and independent.

[HeatherM]

newman's dad, you mentioned that you have a pen attached to newman's crate. did you do that from the very beginning? did you ever have any problems with newman going potty in the pen? just curious. we have an 11 wk old, and i've been considering the same set up, but she's been doing fine in her crate lately and doing great with potty training and i don't want to take a step backward, but i thought it'd be nice to be able to give her a little more room.

[alliebear]

Newman's Dad, I don't know of anybody else that post from Fort Worth. With all the golden owners you would think there would be more. The only other person I know from Texas is a lady who will sometimes post but I think she is from the Houston area.
That's awful about the dog park! I might still check it out, but thanks for the warning.

[GoldenJoy]

Are you speaking of 3 Goldens? For the life of me I can't remember where Sandra is from. She is from Texas though.

[alliebear]

Yes . . . Allie and Hannah are 2 of them.

[Newman's_Dad]

HeatherM, no we didn't use the pen from the beginning although I wish we had. We set it up that way after getting very frustrated with having to clean up the crate every day. If your 11 week old is doing well with the crate it might become a bathroom for her like you said. Newman had a hard time with the crate at first so we set up the pen and used those potty pads...I know some say not to use those but he was going to go anyway so they helped us a lot. We would leave a pad at one side of the pen and he would go on that instead of in his crate. It was much easier to clean and manage that way. Now he doesn't go at all in the house so it worked out for us. Plus, he has more room now and doesn't mind going in at all.

If your pup is going in the crate at all a pen might work out for you. I'd hate to see a setback but usually they learn pretty quick that they are supposed to go outside and then the mistakes only occur if they are left longer than usual and they just can't hold it anymore. Hope this helps with your decision. Good luck!

[CaynCher]

Just thought I would mention that a crate should help with the housetraining in that the pup doesn't like to soil his own living space. That is why the experts tell us to use a small crate or use a large one with a divider. The pup should be just able to turn around/or lie down for housebreaking purposes. Then the owner must have a schedule to take the pup out so he/she will not soil in the crate, the sleeping area. This is where crate training should speed up the housetraining as the pup will not want to soil its sleeping area & learns to eliminate outside faster if the owner is diligent in keeping to a set schedule. I don't believe the pup should be having too many number two accidents in the crate for you to clean up. May have more urinating accidents if owner isn't diligent. As both of mine were 8wks. old when I brought them home, I had to take them out more frequently in the beginning or have someone else do it. :dogbark :reddogx

[alliebear]

Newman's Dad ... have you used A Animal Clinic before? I was given there name over the weekend b/c I was looking for a place to take Allie to obedience classes. Anyways, was just wondering if you knew anything about that.

[Newman's_Dad]

Alliebear, no we've never used A Animal Clinic before. This will be Newman's first time being boarded. I'm not looking forward to leaving him. At least he will be there with a friend of his but I still worry about how he will do. It sounds like a nice place online but I will probably go check it out myself this weekend. I'll let you know what I think next week.

[goldenlook]

1) While your dog is alone, do you give him/her access to water? If he/she is in a crate or has free run of the house?

Does this depend on the age of the dog?
e.g. no access when it's a puppy and access if adult (how old)?

2) How much time do you spend with your dog daily? How much for exercise / playtime / just time together?

Thanks again.

[CaynCher]

When my dogs were young pups & I was housebreaking them, they did not have free access to water as they were crated when I was at work. A relative came over to give water, exercise, & potty break at around 11am. I gave water before leaving for work at around 7am. & as soon as I arrived home at 3pm. Once the housebreaking was completed, they had free access to water all the time.

I spend a lot of time with the dogs. When I worked full-time exercise half-hour in the morning & as soon as I arrived home. Then played fetch or went for a swim later. At present, I am not working so they both spend the entire day in the house with me. They get at least one long walk per day. My younger dog plays fetch every day. They go for car rides to the park or beach and travel with me up to our lakehouse for swimming every day. :dogbark :reddogx

[sabydoo]

I give Abbi, who is 19 months, access to water all day long, whether we are home or not. I noticed that when she is left home alone for the whole day, she barely touch's her water, she quickly drinks when we arrive though. I truly think they know that nobody is home to let them out so they are careful. I suppose if your wondering for training purposes, I would control water during the day and remove by 8pm.
Abbi has been left out of her crate since she was 6 months old.

As for exercise and together time, she usually gets about 2 hrs. a day of walks/play/rollerblade time....of course it's my son roller blading, not Abbi :)
There is usually always someone home around here so she gets lots of attention. When she is left home alone though for an extended period of time, she does just fine. By the fall she will most likely be home alone from 8-3:30.

She is a remarkably good dog, and always has been. I don't worry at all leaving her home alone.

[goldenlook]

Thanks.

Jessie is now 12 weeks old, she is in crate during daytime while we are not there. My husband goes back home lunch time to let her out and feed her.
I was thinking to let her out the crate and in the confined kitchen when she turns 6 months (starting at that point my husband won't go back at lunch time). She is out the crate and wondering around the confined kitchen now when we are home.

However, she recently figures out how to open the gate and get to the rest of the house!!! Using her nose!!!

We have to find a way to confined her to the kitchen. I would really like to let her out the crate at 6 months but just has access to the kitchen not the whole house, she will be still too young.

We will need to find out ways to do that kind of transition too (that no one will be back at lunch time anymore). We will need all your help again at that point. :)

[Newman's_Dad]

Well, I dropped Newman off at the kennel at lunch today. It was obvious he wasn't happy but I guess he adjusted ok. They have a webcam and I saw him running around playing with all the other dogs and getting in their pool. I'm sure settling down for the night in the cage will be the worst part. I wish we found a nice cageless facility in the area but the only one around was a real dump.

I'm sure he will be ok but don't know about me and the wife yet. Our flight is very early tomorrow morning so we had to board him today. The house is very lonely without him. Is it normal to be looking forward to coming home from vacation before you even leave for it?

[Jo Ellen]

Welcome to the world of golden ownership. How long will you be away?

But at least Newman has a pool !! :cool:

[alliebear]

I bet Newman will have fun playing with the other dogs. We've come home early from a vacation before b/c we missed our pup ... of course we were driving so that made it a little easier. Hope you and you wife have fun on the trip!

[doreen]

Yes i can imagine how you feel. I go out shopping for a couple of hours and im in a hurry to get back. the other day i was out the car when it just in our driveway befor the car stopped :)

But when i looked he was sleeping like a little baby.

He will have a ball there with all the other dogs.Enjoy your holiday

[Jeanette]

Hunter just turned 14 weeks this past Tuesday. He is crated while we are at work. We feel he's just too young right now to have the run of the house, he gets into everything when we're at home - I can only imagine what he'd do if he was free for 8 hours! We have someone come in and take hime out at lunchtime, he gets food & water and then he gets let out again in the afternoon before we come home from work. It's been working out great for us.

[doreen]

[QUOTE=Copper's Mom] But he's been outside and left for 8 hours a day with nobody coming home to him. He stays outside 5 days a week when we are work of course when we get home he gets to come inside with us. I don't think I could leave him in a crate all day while at work. Dogs love to run and play. I couldn't imagine Copper being stuck in a crate all day. Granted at night he sleeps in his crate but that's bed time and we know he just sleeps anyway.


Hi Coppers mum.

Yes im with you on that. Mine would go stir crazy in a crate. mine love being outside. I think that is why so many have problems with there dogs being caged all day.

They just have so much energy to burn off & when they see someone they just go crazy. You would do being crated most of the day. I should think a couple of hours is fine. But id hate to leave mine there all day.

We do not crate ours here so much as in America. & we do not get the goldens being given up to the shelters.

[Roxy]

I am fortunate enough to have family that lives very close and they love dogs. Our pup "Roxy" goes there in the morning and we pick her up after work. My parents house has a fenced in yard along with a "pet fence". She can come and go, in and out of the house through a pet door. Since she loves people, she is almost always sitting next to someone on the patio or in the house. She has been left alone in a crate during the day for up to 2 hours.
I never had a dog crate trained until this one. I just assumed it was for lazy people who didn't want he responsibility of a dog. WAS I WRONG! Roxy has done marvelous in the crate. Granted she is only 14 weeks old today.
Our previous dog was left alone during the day while we worked. For most of his life that meant 6 hours alone. For the younger dog, I think that can be a bit much. Goldies are social by nature. If I had to leave them alone, I would probably get a second dog. I think this whole discussion depends on the person, the dog and the confinement area you have. I love my dogs too much to leave them out alone all day long. Our coyote population is quite high in upstate NY. Another thought to consider.

[Newman's_Dad]

Well everything went fine with Newman. We picked him up early Tuesday morning and he was very excited to see us. The people at the kennel said he had a lot of fun with the other dogs and was well behaved. I was worried he was going to act differently somehow when we came back but he was his normal, playful self. We're very relieved that his first stay at a kennel went well.

[goldenmomma]

For what it's worth, Toby is in a puppy daycare....I couldnt bring myself to leave him crated ten hours a day so like another member, I have him in puppy daycare. And she's WONDERFUL!!!

Another option is a pet sitter to come in to your home for 45 minutes to let the pup out...I have learned quickly that goldens do not like being left alone for too long (at least mine doesn't...he's a people person). If I leave him alone for any lenght of time, he gets naughty....starts digging in the yard...tearing things up...

just my opinion

[Alicia]

I am so sorry if this sounds like I'm being horrible, I'm really not trying to be but, You cannot leave ANY dog home alone all day, especially a dog as active as a golden. When I was thinking about getting Bear, I thought that he would be fine at home all day, but as soon as we got him home we realised that that wasn't going to work. He now spends all day at my husbands shop surrounded by people and he loves it. I know it is hard if you really want a dog but you have to think about what is best for the dog. Plus which if a dog is home alone all day it will get bored and when dogs get bored they become destructive!

it is not to bad when they are tiny puppies as they sleep all day anyway, however that only lasts for a few weeks. Please anyone considering getting a golden who works full time should really think again.

Sorry if this sounded harsh and I do want to stress that I am not having a go at anyone who does work full time - as I know circumstances can change, I just want potential owners to be aware of the facts. Thanks

[Jo Ellen]

Alicia, I understand completely your concerns with goldens being home alone all day because of working parents. I think golden owners need to be very careful when bringing a dog into their lives, especially a dog as active and social as a golden.

I was able to stay home with Daisy during her first year -- it was a wonderful year and I know she's a better dog today because of the time I was able to spend with her then. But I'm single and that couldn't continue forever. I do work full time now and Daisy spends her days "home alone" inside. But I always go home for lunch, without fail, and then after work we do something together and she has my undivided attention. She was in daycare 3 days a week but recently got permanently kicked out for biting another dog -- she's almost 5 and beyond the puppy play stage, she's not an aggressive dog but matured to the point where she really is better off by herself during the day. She does well.

There is guilt -- leaving her home alone everyday. I wished I didn't have to work or could only work part time, but this is the real world. Gotta work. :cool:

There are ways to take care of a golden and work full-time, you just need to be able to be flexible and always mindful that your dog is waiting for you to come home. I don't ever go to work all day and then come home for a short while only to leave again for the evening. If I date, my dog comes along. If she can't come along, I don't go.

What are your thoughts on this kind of situation, from one golden owner to another?

:003

[Alicia]

Sorry, I meant to say in my last post that my mum has 2 dogs and works full time. when she just had the one he would go to work with her, this is no longer possible with 2 dogs so she leaves them at home and walks them at lunch time. They are fine.


I'm not saying people who work full time shouldn't get dogs, I just think that they should have arrangments in place (e.g going home at lunch or getting a dog sitter to go in and give the pup a little walk during the day)

I know situations can change, if my husbands shop closed and he had to get a regular job Bear would be left home alone. I just dont want people geting a dog knowing full well they cannot give it the time and attention it needs.

You have nothing to feel guilty about, dogs can make you feel that way cant they? Bear has just got back from my Mums were he was staying for a week while we moved house and he is miserable. My mum has 2 agility dogs and he loves to play with them and I can tell that he really misses them. He looks so sad. It breaks my heart :-( He's picked up a bit now though!

[goldenlook]

Think this is a good article about crating.

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/dogs-faq/crating/

Stated that:
"your ultimate goal in using the crate is to produce an easily housetrained dog and one that can be trusted in the house. Therefore, you should consider the use of a crate for a dog to be
_temporary_."

It also talk about how to decrease crate time.

I'm hoping that Jessie will be trustful enough at around 6/7 months that we can let her out her crate during daytime and let her wondering the confined kitchen.

When do you let your dog out the crate during daytime and when do you let your dog to have full run of the house?

[meandgracie]

Kudos to Jo Ellen's post, and to Alicia for clarifying her opinion. You can work full time and own a dog. Maybe you have to get up extra early in the morning for playtime, or run home at lunch, or spend the first 15-20 minutes when you get home working off pent-up doggie energy... But it can be done without neglecting your dog.

I should add that I've never owned a puppy (the youngest dog I've owned has been a year and a half). From what I've heard about those first few months I don't think I would be comfortable working full time and raising a puppy.

[Girlnovelist]

Stated that:
"your ultimate goal in using the crate is to produce an easily housetrained dog and one that can be trusted in the house. Therefore, you should consider the use of a crate for a dog to be
_temporary_."

It also talk about how to decrease crate time.

When do you let your dog out the crate during daytime and when do you let your dog to have full run of the house?

This describes how I feel to a tee about crating. Fletcher has never loved his crate the way that I know some dogs do (despite feeding and treats and toys in there) but he tolerates it because that's what we trained him to do.

I think the timing depends on your dog and situation. Fletcher is four months old and has never been a destructive chewer. The last 10 days or so, he got really good with his housebreaking and I felt he earned a chance to be out of the crate when I was away (in a puppy proofed area, of course.) It went great and he earns more freedom with each trial run. I do continue to crate him at night and plan to indefinitley. I feel that dogs need to have crate skills. Who knows when they will have to be boarded or stay overnight at the vet or fly on an airplane?

On the other hand, I think this works at such a young age because Fletcher is not alone very often and is unlikely to develop some of the naughtiness that results form being alone too much. An owner who works full time may have to crate longer, in order to get the same reliability, but they can and will get it eventually.

Regards,
Jen :reddogx

[Jo Ellen]

Thank you, I appreciate your perspectives on my situation :)

I would love to get a second golden but there are two things I have a hard time with. The first is that I would be outnumbered and that automatically raises red flags for me. The second is that I do work now and I couldn't be at home like I was with Daisy. I would have a really hard time trying to raise a puppy without being there most of the time. Crating for so many hours every day would break my heart.

[Alicia]

I know what you mean. When Bear came back from Mums and missed the other dogs, my husband suggested that we get another dog to keep him company, but I'm pregnant and getting a new pet in pregnancy isn't recommended.

I think it's a good idea if you're at work all day to get another dog. I don't think it is a good idea to get a puppy. As you say it is not fair to crate a puppy for eight hours a day! :050

[Shannon]

My golden is only 5 months old, so I crate her when I'm at work, but I'm able to come home at lunch and take her out. I get home about 5. She seems fine, she just sleeps during the day and doesn't cry or anything when I put her in the crate. I try to spend as much time as possible with her when I'm not working. I feel terribly guilty leaving her alone (unless I'm going to work), so I try to do as many activities as possible to include her (trips to the park, restaurants with patios that allow dogs, even "bark in the park" night at baseball games). Tonight is my birthday celebration, and I feel horrible leaving her alone. I think I'm the one with separation anxiety, not her. To make up for leaving her alone, on days when I know she'll be alone at night, I'll do something extra special with her -- an extra-long walk, a trip to someplace fun, a car ride, etc. My friends are now used to me saying, "I have to go; I need to hang out with my puppy."

I can't wait until she's trustworthy enough to be left out of the crate. I'd feel much better leaving her if I knew she could run around a bit. It took my sister about a year until her golden was ready to be left with the run of the house (of course, Zoe was attached to her crate, so they left it in the spare bedroom, and sometimes they'll come home and she'll be sleeping in it with the door open). I hope it's less for Abby, but we'll wait and see.

[kw5kw]

Newman's Dad, I don't know of anybody else that post from Fort Worth. With all the golden owners you would think there would be more. The only other person I know from Texas is a lady who will sometimes post but I think she is from the Houston area.
That's awful about the dog park! I might still check it out, but thanks for the warning.


Newman's Dad and alliebear...kw5kw here also from Ft. Worth. Live on west side near Las Vegas and Hwy 80. Nice to meet you both. I'm the father of Stormy 8 mth old lab golden mix.