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Author Topic:   To kennel or not to kennel
ddd0102
Member

Posts: 22
From:carroll, ia usa
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 02-03-2004 11:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ddd0102     Edit/Delete Message
I have a 10 month old Cocker Spaniel that has always been very good at going to her kennel when I leave for work in the morning. But lately she has been fighting me. I come home every lunch hour and she always goes back in when it's time for me to leave again but for some reason in the morning she doesn't want to go in. Is it time to start leaving her run around the house while I am gone? Is there a time for this or should I always kennel? Any thoughts?

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honeybear
Member

Posts: 926
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 02-03-2004 11:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for honeybear     Edit/Delete Message
I have no experience with kenneling, and I know there are different points of view on this. My dogs have free reign of the house. I am trying to remember at what age they were able to stay in the house alone with no problems. I think I would answer these questions.

What chewing stage is she in
can you leave her a certain time now without her having accidents.

If you want ot leave her out, I would experiment on week-ends like leaving her for an hour or two at a time and see what happens. I would only do this if you feel she has her toys and she doesnt get into anything else. for instnace hwen Jake was a pup I knew when I could leave him alone, when i could finally leave a pair of shoes out or anything else and then he lost interest and only preferred his toys.
Honeybear

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Maisey
Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 02-03-2004 12:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maisey     Edit/Delete Message
I agree with honeybear, ask yourself how much you feel you can trust her and do a test.

I didn't let Dooley start staying out while we were gone until he was 2. Witt is 14 months now and we have been letting him stay out for a couple months. Neither of them have accidents or chew, Dooley will get into the garbage if it's left down and Witt will steal a kitchen towel for a game of tug of war on occasion but they are good boys other than that. We shut all the doors to other rooms so they only have the family room and kitchen to roam.
I see no reason to crate a dog for life unless it has an issue where crating means it's safety, the safety of your possesions. or it is not reliable on potty training.

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puggleowner
Member

Posts: 228
From:Grand Rapids, MI
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 02-03-2004 12:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for puggleowner     Edit/Delete Message
We still kennel Cameron in a very large cage (made for a 150 pound dog) so she has room to walk around and stuff- but I still wish she could have reign of the house- I feel bad about making her stay in there, but I just don't feel safe letting her run around the house-- even with the doors shut to the rooms, she is SO nosey with everything, and also, when she gets bored she tends to get into anything she can, even when we are there, just to get attention. I don't know if she would still do this if we weren't there, but we have brand new leather couches and I would die if I came home to a giant rip in one of them!! Cameron is 10 months old now, and we're hoping that once we get the basement redone (there's currently no door from the basement to upstairs and she jumps any gate so we can't leave her there now without being caged)that we can leave her down there in our rec room- which will have all our old furniture in it so it won't be as big of a deal if she ruins something!

Do you have an option to leave your dog in the basement or an area where she couldn't get into as much trouble? You could gate her in the kitchen or something- I wish we could do that but like I said Cameron is like Houdini the great escape artist and without a door forget it

Maisey it's nice to know that Dooley didn't have run till he was 2- sometimes I feel like we are the only one out of the people we know that still crate our dog. They act sometimes like they don't understand why we keep Cameron in a kennel while we're gone because she is housebroken, but that's not the point! I'm concerned for our house, but above all for Cameron's safety, because if she got into something that harmed her while left unattended, I would completely feel to blame.

[This message has been edited by puggleowner (edited 02-03-2004).]

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Maisey
Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 02-03-2004 01:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maisey     Edit/Delete Message
puggleowner, you just do what's best for your dog and your family, if others don't understand...tough, they won't have to suffer the consequences. I think our dogs lay down and sleep in a "waiting " mode...or watch the windows. I have asked neighbors and they say they don't bark unless someone goes by the house or comes onto our property.
We started out in small increments of time and worked up. It has been fine, Witt has never been a problem chewer, he learned quickly whats his and thats what he chews, the worst thing he does is help himself to tp rolls and 2litre plastic bottles out of the recycling bin. He thinks these are great toys and we let him. You just need to know your own dog and do the right thing for it.

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