We have just got a new Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy. She is now 10 weeks old. We keep her inside in an old child's play pen overnight and when we are not home at the moment. My question is where do you keep your dog when you are not home and once they are toilet trained? Do you put them in a crate or play pen or do you let them have the run of the house? We just don't know what to do with her when she is older. I am home most of the time but there are days when I am out for a few hours at a time. Just wanted to know what most people do with their dogs. TIA
Where do you keep your dog when you are out?
- Thread starter amron
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chefkate
Cathlete
i think it depends on the breed and for us, the season.
our danes love the summer so when im gone they stay outside. but if its cold i just let them have run of the house. however i do close off bedrooms and put stuff on the couches so they dont climb all over our furniture.
congrats btw! that breed is so cute!
our danes love the summer so when im gone they stay outside. but if its cold i just let them have run of the house. however i do close off bedrooms and put stuff on the couches so they dont climb all over our furniture.
congrats btw! that breed is so cute!
caseysmomgo
Cathlete
When my Yellow Lab was a puppy, I kept him crated when I wasn't home until he was potty trained and I knew he wasn't going to get into trouble. After a few months, and teaching him not to get up on furniture, etc, I was able to let him roam free in the house all the time. He's always been an angel when I'm gone... The only time he gets in trouble is when I'm there and he does something to get my attention!... not a spoiled brat or anything....
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are so cute! Enjoy your puppy...
Denise
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are so cute! Enjoy your puppy...
Denise
spyrosmom
Cathlete
Vlad has run of the house. He's just over a year old and is a Shepard/Rott mix. We tried to keep him in the kitchen when we got him (he was 13 wks old) but he quickly climbed over the gate and out (about 2 days) He house broke FAST (less than a week), so we let him have run of the hous.e We keep the bedrooms/bathroom/basement closed, so he just has access to the kitchen and living room. He's a chewer, so we have to make sure anything that isn't supposed to be eaten is put away and his toys are left out. He does go on the couch, which he knows he's not supposed too, but hey, if no one is home to see. He doesn't even try it if we are home. We've not had any major issues, except he did eat the remote once and that was $15 to replace. But hey, we left it out, duh!
My previous dog Spyro, also had run of the house. We kept him in a cage when we were gone for the 1st year and half or so, and he never liked to be crated, he fought it all the time. You hear dogs consider crates to be their den, but he didn't like it. Then our house got broken into. And the dog was in the cage. Um, yeah, the dog is supposed to protect the house, but he is in a cage?!?!?!
Growing up, the dogs always had free run of the house, too. That's my vote.
Nan
My previous dog Spyro, also had run of the house. We kept him in a cage when we were gone for the 1st year and half or so, and he never liked to be crated, he fought it all the time. You hear dogs consider crates to be their den, but he didn't like it. Then our house got broken into. And the dog was in the cage. Um, yeah, the dog is supposed to protect the house, but he is in a cage?!?!?!
Growing up, the dogs always had free run of the house, too. That's my vote.
Nan
bjbowers
Cathlete
. He does go on the couch, which he knows he's not supposed too, but hey, if no one is home to see.
Nan[/QUOTE]
Too cute. Reminds me of an email that said, if a dog jumps up on the couch when no one is home to see, is he still a bad dog? Or something like the tree falling in the forest reference!
I keep my little guy locked in his bedroom with his bed, toys, and all that jazz. He's used to it. My golden is super spoiled and goes to his grandma's house every day to be with their golden. We do not exclude little guy on purpose...he's harder to watch and my mom's not always home, so then everyone would have to be cooped up in the garage.
There at grandmas, the dogs can be left inside or out, but if we're gone tooo long, they stay in and have free reign of the house.
Weekends my golden stays at my house with the little one and they also get locked in a big room.
Nan[/QUOTE]
Too cute. Reminds me of an email that said, if a dog jumps up on the couch when no one is home to see, is he still a bad dog? Or something like the tree falling in the forest reference!
I keep my little guy locked in his bedroom with his bed, toys, and all that jazz. He's used to it. My golden is super spoiled and goes to his grandma's house every day to be with their golden. We do not exclude little guy on purpose...he's harder to watch and my mom's not always home, so then everyone would have to be cooped up in the garage.
There at grandmas, the dogs can be left inside or out, but if we're gone tooo long, they stay in and have free reign of the house.
Weekends my golden stays at my house with the little one and they also get locked in a big room.
LaughingWater
Cathlete
How we graduated our Boston is similar ~ crated in the beginning then left alone for short periods of time until we felt comfy leaving him for longer.
He has the run of the house now. The furniture is his too. Like Denise's dog, he only acts up when we're home to chase him...great fun.
He has the run of the house now. The furniture is his too.
Like Denise's dog, he only acts up when we're home to chase him...great fun.
Ly10up
Cathlete
This is exactly what we did...only with a black lab named Divot. Div was crated for a year. He still loved lying in the crate for another year (door was open) Now, at 10, he has a big bed in the sunroom.
patchworkpenguin
Cathlete
She has the run of the house.
April isn't supposed to get up on the couches in the living room but we know she does anyway. I keep a folded blanket on her favorite couch. We videotaped her one day. As soon as we hit the alarm stay button and left she got up on the couch. We have two hours of video of her sleeping on the couch, then when the alarm beeped/announced again, she slowly climbed off stretching all the way. She ran into the hallway before we got the door open, so she could meet us at the door! Sneaky furball!
April isn't supposed to get up on the couches in the living room but we know she does anyway. I keep a folded blanket on her favorite couch. We videotaped her one day. As soon as we hit the alarm stay button and left she got up on the couch. We have two hours of video of her sleeping on the couch, then when the alarm beeped/announced again, she slowly climbed off stretching all the way. She ran into the hallway before we got the door open, so she could meet us at the door! Sneaky furball!
Fit_mommy
Cathlete
Growing up our dogs were always "penned in" somewhere in the house when we were not home and at bed time. This was before crate training was popular so we never had crates for any of the dogs we had when I was a kid.
Fast forward to present day: DH and I have a Golden Retriever whom has free roam of the house except we keep the doors to the bedrooms and bathrooms closed when we are not home. At night he chooses to sleep in our room on the floor next to the bed but the door is open so he can leave if chose to.
We've never had a problem....
Fast forward to present day: DH and I have a Golden Retriever whom has free roam of the house except we keep the doors to the bedrooms and bathrooms closed when we are not home. At night he chooses to sleep in our room on the floor next to the bed but the door is open so he can leave if chose to.
We've never had a problem....
Congrats on your puppy!! We have a five yr old cavalier king charles spaniel. They are complete cuddlers, and very low energy requirements. And as a bonus, they are not chewers of everything in site.
We keep Oliver in a sectioned off part of the basement with a bed and blanket and food/water. Oliver sleeps in our bed and has never been crate trained so it would break my heart to put him in a crate. He is too much of a people person/socialite to be confined. (I know, dogs love crates but he wasn't trained as a pup so we love our little arrangement).
Just make sure to get him a nice soft bed he will love it i promise.
Oliver took 6 weeks obedience classes too, but can't say he retained much.
good luck and enjoy!! What colors is he? I really really want a ruby now.
We keep Oliver in a sectioned off part of the basement with a bed and blanket and food/water. Oliver sleeps in our bed and has never been crate trained so it would break my heart to put him in a crate. He is too much of a people person/socialite to be confined. (I know, dogs love crates but he wasn't trained as a pup so we love our little arrangement).
Just make sure to get him a nice soft bed he will love it i promise.
Oliver took 6 weeks obedience classes too, but can't say he retained much.
good luck and enjoy!! What colors is he? I really really want a ruby now.
jodijodi
Cathlete
We got our dog last July from a rescue organization. He is about 5 years old (we're not sure). When we leave, we put him in our semi-finished basement, where he also has a doggie door out to a small fenced part of our yard. So he can go in and out as he pleases. But I suspect he spends most of his time curled up on the couch, which is what he does when we're around too.
Liann
Cathlete
My dogs all have free roam of the house when we are at work. This only works now that they are potty trained and my DH can come home at lunch to let them out. Before that, they were crated during the day. There is no keeping them off the couch though. We've put down plastic runner with the little plastic spikes and they just pull it off. I figure my little wiener dogs have such "short" lives, that the least I can do is let them sleep on the couch.
LauraMax
Cathlete
I got XL crates for my little dogs. I go home for lunch, & after I usually let the old dog have the run of the house for the rest of the day, but the puggle has to stay in the crate. She's destroyed lots 'o furniture in the past 2 years, & even though she seems to be out of the chewing stage I can't risk losing another sofa. Also every couple of months they scuffle over something & I don't want any dog fights when I'm not home to stop it.
I gotta tell you, they love their crates. They spend time in them even when they don't have to. Whenever something scares them or makes them nervous they head straight for the crates. Initially I felt like I was putting them in jail LOL, but it seems to be their "safe place" now.
Also every couple of months they scuffle over something & I don't want any dog fights when I'm not home to stop it.I gotta tell you, they love their crates. They spend time in them even when they don't have to. Whenever something scares them or makes them nervous they head straight for the crates. Initially I felt like I was putting them in jail LOL, but it seems to be their "safe place" now.
Tamrahan
Cathlete
My minpin chewed 3 holes in our new sofa so she has to go to her crate when no one is around. The other 2 go along too. I used to feel guilty as well but they hardly ever have to go there as Dh works nights and I work days. And I agree with LauraMax-they get used to it and it is thier safeplace.
Muscle Car
Cathlete
My guys have run of the house.
Maximus has claimed my chaise lounge
Omg Cynthia, I just love this picture of Maximus! I chuckle everytime I see it
That's all he needs is the remote! That is one content boy!Our dogs have run of the house also
hiitdogs
Cathlete
My guys have run of the house.
Maximus has claimed my chaise lounge
Oh my gosh, that is funny, Cynthia!!!!
Are you sure he isn't secretly using the remote when you are gone
We have a doggie door and the dogs have free roam of the house except the bedrooms. But they are now 18 months to 4 years. Initially they were all crate trained which worked well for 4 of my dogs, didn't work so well for my fifth dog, he has zero urge control and it took until about a month ago for him to stop peeing and pooping in the crate, house, etc.
I never left them in the crate for longer than 4 hours when they were puppies, they can't hold it much longer than than 4 hours.