How long is it fair to leave a dog in a create??

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buckybee

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I'm really upset now because my poor dog is home alone in her create while I'm at work and I can't leave work til four and she's been in there since 8.
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OH's brother was supposed to be going to let her out and take her for a walk but someone had left the back door key in the lock so he couldn't get in.

She will have been in for 9 hours!
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will she be okay??
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I can't imagine she'll be happy about it and may be reluctant to go into the crate again. Just have to wait and see til you get home. Was she previosuly ok in the crate? Is it big enough for her to move around ok?

My dog never could cope with being crated, but that was just her.
 
Yea we do really because she eats everything she can find and poo's everywhere.
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She is quite happy in her create but I think she will get upset if she has to go to the loo.
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I'm gonna make a move soon and let her out.
 
My Bitch chewed for 4 yrs and had colitis for a year, so poo everywhere, I just confined her to one room or the garden with a kennel, I dont like crates as really they are cages and dogs don't belong in cages.
I had to repair and replace all the things she has recked but she turned out to be real sweetie in the end. I have 2 other dogs that have never chewed.
I was working full time but coming home for lunch.
 
As WIDGET said......it is a long time.....however could not be helped........you just need to make sure someone can get access to her in the future.
Take her for an extra long walk to make it up to her.
 
I don't think she'll be any the worse, just make sure you get her out for an extra long walk tonight.

The Humane Society over this way recommends that you leave dogs in a crate for no more than five hours.
 
OMG .....9 hours locked in a crate is totally unacceptable - in fact under the new animal welfare bill you could be prosecuted for doing this
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....words fail me..........
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OMG .....9 hours locked in a crate is totally unacceptable - in fact under the new animal welfare bill you could be prosecuted for doing this
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....words fail me..........
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I think that is a massive over reaction! It's not like she was left in there that long deliberately!! Did you not read the post properly??
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She will be fine, just don't do it again - I know it wasn't on purpose though. Though it's no different to putting a dog in one at 10pm to go to bed and not getting up until 7am IMHO - and yes that is the time I go to bed and get up and yes I crate puppies at night.
 
Well that is laughable. Does the dog know if it is deliberate or not? No. If you take on the care of an animal it has to be 24 hours a day, you cannot make excuses for failing to do so.
 
Yes it's a long time but not your fault.
i only shut mine overnight but during the day i shut him in the kitchen which there's not much to chew on but his own chews/toys. as he's only 7 months old he is ever so good cos i take him for walk straight as soon i enters the door and never made mess.

Kitchen is best place for dogs cos u can clean up much easier with uncarpeted floor...less things to chew, is it possible for you to leave her in the kitchen with chews/toys and perhaps your jumper for comfort smell. If she made a mess don't tell her off but take her straight out for walk or in the garden and once she does her business give her lots of praise...

do let us know how she is when you get home
 

this is the advice given by the RSPCA, the Dogs Trust and the Blue Cross - it follows guidelines set out in the new AW act


"Do not leave your puppy or adult dog in her crate for long periods, for puppies an hour is quite long enough and for adult dogs 2 hours is about the maximum, the exception to this is of course sleeping overnight..

A crate is only a place for your puppy or dog to sleep, it is their bedroom not the place they spend their days

A crate is not an excuse for not teaching your dog how to behave in the house - an adult dog should not need to be locked in their crate but should be able to use it freely with the door open. "

since when has it been acceptable to lock dogs up for hours at a a time in cramped metal cages ? at the very least provide it with a proper kennel and run and a bit of company for stimulation.

Much cruelty is not done deliberately but through thoughtlessness ....and this folks IS cruel
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Actually I have just read the OP, and it appears to be an adult dog and not a puppy. I was told a long time ago at dog training classes that a dog has no concept of time, so presumably it won't know how long it has been in there. Hopefully, it will just sleep. Crates are a contentious issue, and the important thing is to have one that is large enough for the dog, and of course to provide water. Dogs are kept in very small cages in a vet hospital for days on end and do not suffer, so I am sure one stretch of nine hours won't be the end of the world. Somewhere between that and the RSPCA guidelines sounds a reasonable situation!
 
wow! chill out people! it will obviously not ever happen again! the dog will be fine! will just want a fuss! stop being so mean
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buckybee just give her/hm a HUGE kiss!! hehe xx
 
Well.................We would not beable to rescue if we did not use crates......for safety purposes if nothing else....we simply could not leave dogs unsupervised without knowing a potential fight might break out.

They are a great training aid for puppies.....aswell as a safety aid.....I have a rescue puppy cavi in at the moment.....granted I dont leave the puppy as long as I leave the adults......but I need to know if I go to feed my horses the puppy is safely in his cage away from the other dogs and temptation of chewing dangerous wires/cables.

All our rescues go out crate trained.....which makes there settling period much easier.

Not everyone is lucky enough to beable to leave a dog without destruction and messing....esp those who rescue and havnt had the dog from a puppy.

BUCKYBEE has not had the dog a long time and is trying to teach her to be in a space whilst un-supervised without destroying/messing in the house.
There will become a time when she will be able to leave the crate door open or maybe do away with it all together....but for now whilst she is chewing and messing I dont think she has an option.
Not all people can kennel dogs either esp those on close nit estates......where any barking will incur a complaint.
I think she realises that the dog was left in the crate too long and I am sure she will make adequate provisions in the future.
 
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Well.................We would not beable to rescue if we did not use crates......for safety purposes if nothing else....we simply could not leave dogs unsupervised without knowing a potential fight might break out.

They are a great training aid for puppies.....aswell as a safety aid

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I know, from working at home, that after my dog returns from an hour's walk in the morning, she does not budge from her bed for six hours. Even if I go out and return, there she is -- surprise! -- in her bed. She might take one sip of water, but that's it. Right on cue, when the clock strikes 3pm, she stretches and gets ready to go out again.

I crated only for housebreaking, but I know of several dogs that are notoriously destructive and therefore crated when their owners are out (for a few hours). These are responsible people who've spent a bomb on behaviourists, vet checks, walking their dog for hours on end, sealing off the kitchen with a gate, leaving stuffed kongs/bones, herbal remedies to relax the dog, and still, they've come home to a sofa without stuffing etc.

I don't use a crate. I don't need one, as my dog is brilliant, chilled, and has never chewed a thing in her life. But if she was a chewer, I would have no qualms about crating her for three or four hours when I was gone, provided I'd gone running with her/taken her to the park for an hour's play beforehand. I'm not sure it'd make much difference to her if she was in her bed all that time versus being in a crate.
 
Hi guys,

I understand all your cruel comments TBH, i feel really bad don't worry and it won't happen again.
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When i got back she was fine, she was just having a sleepy stretch as I went into the room and no mess or anything. She's now been for a nice long walk and is curled up on the sofa.

I know you guys probs won't believe me but if we leave her in the kitchen, she gets really stressed out and poo's, wee's, howls etc. (even if only left for ten mins) but in the cage in the bedroom she is really chilled and just goes to sleep. Not that this is in anyway justifies leaving her for so long, but it was a mistake and luckilly no harm done.
 
Glad to hear she is ok.......I knew you would be a little stressed......you have come so far with her training BB......you will stumble at times.

I take it shes dried up now?
 
Yes she is all better now - thank god!! I quite like cooking for her (that and i don't dare risk the dog food poo's again!
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) so she has either rice, noodles or pasta with chicken or minced beef and mixed veg - along with all the other bits of human food of course!
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Will that be okay for her nutritionally?
 
BY human foods hope u dont mean pizza, and your left overs
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I would definatley try to get her on a good balanced dog food.........did you try the one I suggested?

Iwill PM U.
 
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dogs have no concept of time so she probably just had a good sleep!


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Lets hope so! She really did seam totally fine and not even that hyper - she does like her sleep!
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I am glad to hear that she's ok!.. My pup would do same... when i get home he does that sleepy stretch then jumps and bark the house down for walkies!!!! He Knows he will get his walikes after few hours of being on his own (well the cat was there too)
 
Interesting that you say that Sooty - if dogs have no concept of time then explain this. My old collie is not allowed to come on trail rides with me any longer as she is too slow. When I leave on my trail ride...which takes EXACTLY 1 hour to do....I ride away from the house and almost immediately we are out of sight of the old dog who never follows us. Then we go up the hill on my driveway and down the other side and then straight into the woods.

Even if the dog moved from her lying place at the front of the house, she would not be able to see us returning until we are almost at the house......however, this is not what happens. Every single ride I take out, on my return my dog is making her way up the driveway to meet us. Now she's half blind, nearly totally deaf.....so how does she know that the hour is up?

I have asked my hubby if she ever moves whilst we are out and he says no she doesn't...right up till the hour is up. As I say she cannot possibly see us as we are over the hill and once I reach the brow of the hill, she has always started making her way to greet us......

I hate crates by the way. I think locking a dog in one for hours on end is absolute cruelty. Imagine not being able to move and walk around for all this time....nope not for me I'm afraid.
 
Tia i had a similar atitude to you before i needed one. I agree that Star was left for far too long today but it wasn't intentional. Please tell me what you would do if you are so against crates - bearing in mind i do have ot leave her sometimes.

1 - give her away
2 - leave her to get stressed, mess and chew with the run of the house
3 - leave her to get stressed, mess and chew in the kitchen
4 - put her in the crate where she goes to sleep

PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME!!??

This was the first time she has been left for any lenght of time and she was and is totally fine.
 
None of the above.

I'd have a kennel built for her; where she can walk around and stretch and play with her toys if she wished.
 
would be brill but we live in a built up area (not my choice and not for much longer hopefully) and she would probs bark lots and next door have already been round complaining cos she barked 1 night! also she gets really cold so would only suit in the summer.

Just to give you a bit of background - i work FT but OH works at home 3 days a week and we have been getting peeps to come round and take her out. Just didn't quite work this time. We are hoping to give her the run of the house eventually but we rescued her and so was very insecure but is getting heeps better - even with the cage!
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That's good news. Shame you can't give her a room of her own, but I'm sure it will work itself out eventually. Good luck.
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There is always an exception to the rule!
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Our crate is huge, plenty of room for Morgan to stand up and move about. Not that she goes in it much. Our old dog absolutely loved it, and used it all the time. We rarely closed the door, if ever. Some people don't think it is kind to keep dogs outside, I guess we all do things differently.
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Yes agree, however for me I see the two as complete opposites; one is prison and the other is freedom.
 
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