Advice for a friend, please

Cinnamontoast

Cinnamontoast

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Friend works at the dog groomers at my stables. Her dog, possibly 'of type' is in her car outside all day because she has not always worked full time, he's a rescue who howls the place down if left home and the neighbours complained. He's very dog aggressive so can't stay with her mum and her dobie and daxie puppy. The situation can't continue, particularly as an RSPCA inspector somehow found put and told her the dog can't remain in the car all day (he is walked and given water several times and is in her view all day)

My only suggestion to her is to see if he will settle in a crate in her stable so she can walk him. He won't have company or be able to see his owner. She doesn't have the funds to have him looked after nor could he be with other dogs.

I'm hitting a brick wall: any ideas? She obviously doesn't want to rehome him and finishes work by 4 so he is with her from then til he's left in the car again the next morning.
 
I'd be inclined to think, is he worth the hassle?....there isn't really any other suggestions with what to do with him and I would have thought having him in a the car in the summer will become a welfare issue.
 
Its a difficult one. I would think that if he barks at home he would bark in the stable? Could she crate train him so he could go to her mum's and be in the crate, yet still have company/things to watch going on?
 
If he needs to be in a cage all day, for the sake of other dogs/people what is the point ? He just sounds like a liability I'm afraid.
 
Apart from the obvious risk of over heating in the car, which I assume she is taking care to prevent, I cannot think why the RSPCA should interfere, surely he is better off spending the day in the car with the owner in sight, having regular exercise and attention than staying shut in at home like many dogs do from 9-5.
Making a start on training him to be left out of sight by crate training would make sense but this needs to be done at home first I think otherwise he may howl and have an effect on her working day if he is shut in a stable, not to mention the liveries who are going to have to listen to him.
 
Without any other explanation, I'd be telling the rspca inspector to sod off, and mind their own business. When not working, my dogs spend their day in a kennel, and night too. Where's the difference?

Alec.
 
I sort of agree re he's a liability. She asked the boss if he could be in a crate in the salon and was told no way. She is, like me, completely in love with her dog and the thought of having him PTS has not occurred to her or me. I want to find her a solution if at all possible. I think crating him at her Mam's is the way forward too, but the puppy might stick it's nose through the crate and be bitten. This dog is a lot like one of mine, totally brilliant with people and dogs he knows, a trauma with unknown dogs.

I should mention that our yard is very quiet during the day so the howling would probably be unnoticed, especially as her stable is indoors. Of course, I don't want a distressed dog, i agree she should train him to accept a crate. I don't see the difference between a kennel/crate and a car either except when it's warm, of course. She probably won't be able to hear him from where she works if he were in her box.
 
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He can mostly see her: she parks with the boot facing the salon so when she's at her station, he can see her. He's happy in the car unless a horse goes past (he's just outside the gates and the groomers is just inside) on a hack.
 
So the dog groomers is actually AT the stables? Sorry just trying to get bearings on it all. So when she rides out or mucks out at the yard where does he go? Ride out with her or stay in the car? And if she rides out then he can't see her?
 
The groomers is opposite the main gated entrance so a direct view if she parks with the boot towards the salon. She doesn't ride much and when she mucks out etc, he stays in the car. It's his 'safe' place Which makes me think he could get used to a crate. Trouble is, he barks madly at horses going past which is very unhelpful if you have a spooky one like mine. 3 have been on inhand walks only recently and him barking at them to go grazing up the lane is not helpful.
 
If he is getting the exercise and plenty of water ,the car is not in the midday sun the I can not see a problem. I am sure that there are many dogs that go to work with their owners and remain in the car while the owner is working.

As for the RSPCA they are just a waste of time. Always poking their nose in when things are fine and not taking any notice of a situation that needs their help.

She loves her dog and as a rescue surely she would have been vetted.

I would continue as before just making sure the dog is safe. Putting him in a crate would be the same as the back of the car.

During the winter My dogs stay in the car while I exercise and during the summer they will stay in the stable. At both times they can not see people and are quite happy to just go to sleep. Dogs sleep for many hours and as long as they are fed ,watered and given some exercise they are happy.
 
^ Ditto this, or could she obtain a tailgate guard? Mine spend a great deal of time in the car but it has essentially been turned into a big crate.

RSPCA inspector must be very naive as to the living arrangements of many working and sports dogs...
 
The dog needs to be contained because he's dog aggressive, yet he howls when left alone. Why won't her boss allow her to cage him in the salon? If the owner is in sight he'd be a different dog, I'm sure.
 
If he's anything like my dog aggressive dog, he'd be very stressed having dogs in view (mine can be very stressed looking at dogs on TV!) and I think the salon owner is fair when she says she won't have him in the salon. It's not huge, just a 20x12 room (ish) He is apparently 'of type' and imagine the clients seeing a snarling dog trying to get to theirs who wander round happily after being groomed!

Her car is not huge, I think if the seats were down, it might fit a crate (I'm bidding on one for her) but I think she should try the crate in her stable, it will be cool and is in shade. If she puts up a weave grill with the insert, he'd have a spacious room, water, his toys. She could pop him back in the car whilst she catches in/rides.
 
I think the above solution sounds good, she could start by crating him in the car to get him habituated to it in his "safe" place then use the crate with the same bed etc in the stable until he gets used to it. At least he will be safe in there and have some room to walk around/escape prying rspca eyes!
 
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