posted 01-22-2004 03:12 PM         

I have never crated any of my dogs and do not believe in it i have never used a crate to even house train my puppies either and i have only ever had the odd accident which was my own fault when i did not respond when the puppy's needed to go out.

If i am going to be out all day i have a friend that comes in and sits and plays with my dogs and walk them while i am away.

People that work all day should have a friend or relative that is willing to come in and see to the puppy/dog that way they are still getting attention and being allowed out to play and do there business.
Puppies should not go more than a couple of hours before being allowed out to relieve themselves and being caged up all day is not a caring or responsible thing to do.

I am not saying that people shouldnt crate there dogs when they are out shopping or whatever its upto the individual owner but i do not believe in it..

But i do agree with you that it is wrong to have a dog/puppy if the owners can not spend quality time with them.

posted 01-22-2004 07:34 PM         

I work too, as well as my husband. But he works nights and I work part time days, so it all works out. (no pun intended)

But! on the other hand I know that thier are alot of people who work full time and have pets, and they are still very good to thier animals, so it just depends on the person, and what they can handle...Kinda on the fence when it comes to adult dogs, but not puppies, puppies are too needy...

posted 01-23-2004 08:08 AM         

We were going for a 4-month-old puppy, which is what the shelter told us Nala was, but the vet said she was only 3 months old. It worked out anyway - she did excellent with housetraining and has never had an accident in her crate.

Dogs do spend a LARGE amount of time per day sleeping, and this is normal. Nala sleeps in her crate when we are at work. I do think she wakes up and gets bored at some point in the afternoon, because that's when she eats her bed if we leave it in with her (we don't anymore). She is now 8 months old and can "hold it" just fine, but she is still let out at lunchtime.

My husband wonders if his going home at lunch just serves to wake her up and then she gets bored. She used to stay out and play, but after a couple of months he said she doesn't want to stay out. He lets her out, she staggers outside and pees, and then she comes in and stands by the gate. He open the gate and she staggers back down to the bedroom and into her crate.

Nala is also crated at night. I get up at 5:30am and work around the house and play with her until I leave for work at 7:30am. That way she gets a couple of hours out before she has to go back in. I get home between 3:30-4:00pm and let her out for the rest of the day. We try not to go out on the weekdays for dinner or anything, so that she doesn't have to go back in her crate.

On the weekends, she is not crated unless we go out. She spends most of the hours that she is crated during the week sleeping on the floor by my feet or wandering around and chewing on her toys.

I think Nala is a happy dog. I think she would be even happier with a doggie playmate, but that's a whole other issue.

I am starting to leave her uncrated (but still gated in the family room) for short periods of time to see how she does. Her chewing is usually on appropriate items now, and she has stopped stealing shoes and couch pillows. The carpet is covered in the spots she was eating it. It is my hope that in a few months, she can be left out of her crate while we are at work, although I am sure with no one home she will still spend the time sleeping!

posted 01-23-2004 01:18 PM         

I too think she is a very happy dog. I honestly think she sleeps most of the time, because when we have the day off or on weekends, during the day when she would normally be in her cage she just lays around and sleeps.

I think as long as you give your dog plenty of attention when you are home, and you aren't gone more than 4-5 days a week, it is fine to have a dog when working full time.

posted 01-23-2004 04:23 PM         

I read through this post, and to be honest, I am having a hard time holding back. I work full time as does my husband, we decided to bring a puppy into our family because we are not having children together, we are one of those blended step families. Regardless, we brought Abbey home when she was 12 weeks old, she had not been crated prior to joining our family. For the first few months she would be in her crate all day, with the excpetion of me coming home at lunch to take her for a good 30min walk and such. In no way is Abby craving for human attention, she is a wonderful natured dog, that loves her family. For anyone to say that families that work do not have time for a dog in their life is wrong, I think that maybe it is not great for every working family, but one that is dedicated when they are not working to their furbaby is right, as it is for us. I think about all the dogs in shelters, or waiting to be euthanized, would it not be a better life for them to be loved by a family if only for 6+ hrs per day, rather than in a cage all the time wiating to be loved or killed?
I do not agree with your thoughts, I had to send this post, and I have never sent a disagreeing post before, so please don't hold it against me, I just love my pup and can't imagine life without her, even if I do work all day!
Sorry if my typing is terrible...

Sincerely,

posted 01-23-2004 04:32 PM         

That's not always the case. But if you are committed to making things work, then you can make them work.

Curiously enough, I have not heard anyone say that if you work full time then you should not have children, because you don't have enough time for them. But isn't it the same thing? I stayed home full time until my kids were in school and now I work the same hours that they are gone and pick them up after school, but not everyone is as lucky as I am to be able to do this. And some children are not given enough attention and guidance, while others are.

Like everything else, it all depends how much you put into it and where your priorities lie.

posted 01-25-2004 12:33 AM         

quote:

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So if you work a 40 plus hr job a week u shouldn't b able to enjoy the wonders of a puppy. I have a few words for that I can't type.

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This is not what was said, please re-read the thread before coming on here all angry.