Is it harmful for a big dog to be crated 9 hrs on a hard surface?
dustien
11 years ago
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gardenandcats
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Crating dogs instead of training
Comments (34)I agree that crate training is a very good thing when done properly. Like the dog whisperer says, "There are no bad dogs, just bad owners." I agree. I don't entirely agree w/ what the ppl that JCLE is talking about are doing, however, I have to add that I had a Choc. Lab. & after I got him familiar w/ his crate he enjoyed being in it much more than being loose in the house while I was gone. I only work part time, but sometimes I would have to leave him in his crate from 7 am to noon then again from 1 pm to 4 pm & he was totally content. Again, I only work part time, so this wasn't an every day occurence, but... Sometimes I would leave him loose in the house when I just had to run out for a few minutes & he would go crazy from the time I left until the time I returned, barking & tearing up stuff. That's the thing, I did train him not to chew stuff & he didn't *while I was around*, but as soon as he knew I was gone it was almost like he had seperation anxiety and that being in his crate made him feel safer & more secure. When I would come home when he was crated, he would, 95% of the time, be sleeping and if he wasn't, he would be calmly chewing on a toy or treat. BUT, my dogs do get lots of inside & outside play time, so exercise & interaction was not an issue. So, like I said, yes, I agree that 12 straight hrs. is not good, but maybe the dog actually would prefer that to being left loose in the house. I have heard of several dogs that have sep. anx. I'm not in anyway trying to take up for them or excuse what they are doing, just trying to get you to see the other side. Believe me, nothing angers me worse than ppl who get dogs & then don't love them like they need to be loved! Also, to whoever said being left outside doesn't help w/ house training a puppy, I have to disagree. When we got our Choc. Lab. it was warm outside & we knew that he was going to be an inside/outside dog (our other one is too), so when we did have to be gone for a few hrs. & couldn't take him w/ us, we tied him outside w/ my other dog (next to a doghouse of course). I honestly think this got him to pick his "spot" quicker & that's where he wanted to go when he had to & where he went until the day he died. We recently got a new puppy & since it's been so cold here & he's so tiny there's no way I'm going to leave him outside, so he's crated when he can't go w/ us & he has not caught onto training nearly as fast as our lab did, even though I'm training him the exact same way. Yes, I know that each dog is different & each will learn in it's own time, but I truly believe that being outside does help. Sorry to ramble, just wanted to add my 2 cents. :)...See MoreNew dog and old dog not getting along
Comments (10)Fl-CountryB, You are in a difficult situation. You miss Rocky. You miss her more than Holly does. Holly misses her but dogs seem to have a sense of acceptance about death that we as humans don't. I suspect bringing Buddy home was more for your comfort. This is okay. Thousands of dog lovers do this. We can't help it. We love our dog packs. I have had the good fortune of always adding a puppy to the pack. The puppy has to work for and learn who is boss. I will say I have one male who still tries to challenge the top female. She is old and frail but she is still top dog and number 2 knows this. No one has ever bitten. But there was plenty of wrestling, playing and at times a nip would occur that would make someone yelp. Biting means they have forgotten you are the TRUE boss. It's easy to do. You had two old dogs and they knew the routine. Now, you have to start all over. I would not fret too much. Things will work out but you have to be the Top Alpha in this pack family of yours. Hard work but you can do it. There are two ways to go with this. Different dog trainers use different paths. 1) The first path is You are the alpha who choose the totem pole order.... Holly needs to respect your orders not act like she can push Buddy around. This does not mean that Buddy should not be pushed. He needs to learn your top dog. Buddy is trying to find his place and push her to the max. He wants to find his boundaries. All new dogs and puppies do this. And you can decide which should be number 2. If you decide it is Holly. Buddy will need to visit the crate more often for time outs, he will need to be fed 2nd, get in the car 2nd, he will need to be leashed more and respectful of his place. Since you are the alpha you dictate who does what, where, when, how. Holly will feel happy not to be displaced. She might even be nice to Buddy when you are not looking. And in time she may come to take a nap next to him. Give her time to realize her place will always be #1. Buddy will have to accept this and he will come to respect Holly or he goes to the crate. I personally think this path is the best in your situation because Holly is older and needs your support being top girl. And with her happy, Buddy will fall into acceptance. he is the new roomie after all. 2) The second path or dog training option is to let them work it out.... ( I do not think this path is for you but let me explain so you can decide.) This may be the most difficult . It hurts to watch nature. This is easy to do when adding a new puppy. Puppies never challenge an alpha so the order is set. 2 adult dogs vying for the Alpha spot. Holly has a lot to loose and Buddy wants to survive. All interesting dynamics with a violent nature. If you have a big yard that is the place to "fight it out". Have a friend nearby to help watch them play and possibly call 911 if you get hurt separating them. They COULD work it out. I say COULD because with two adult dogs the fighting could start up again a month from now. Or even 6 months from now. The unknowns are there. If Buddy does win you need to let him be the new top dog. This means Holly has given up. She may be injured when she does this.. I must warn you it is painful to watch. It will be very hard because you are still mourning Rocky. We mourn our dogs centuries later. I still miss my first. But this is the nature of canines. If Buddy becomes number 1 he will need to be treated as such. You will mourn this change terribly with Holly. This is my personal reason for thinking you should go with number 1 path. You are the Alpha in number 1 and making a natural pecking order. Easier to do. Best of luck and don't give up on this. You can make a great home for both. Sorry to be so long, but I truly understand your woes. ~boxerpups...See MoreOT - How to keep house smelling fresh w/ a dog
Comments (32)Thank you ALL !!! It was so fun to read your posts, I found myself smiling often :-) I will give a few things a try. He goes to the vet this afternoon, so will ask about food and of course be sure there are no health concerns causing the doggy smell. Its not a pungent odor, just dog smell. Like many of you said, we have been without a pet for the nearly 14 yrs we have been married, so its a noticeable change in the air :) To all you Weim owners out there specifically, I welcome ANY and ALL advice! In fact, feel free to email directly at mvandemark001@woh.rr.com since this isn't a pet forum. We didn't take this decision lightly and frankly, came up against some opposition in choosing this breed because of their physical demands. But, we felt all the great benefits of Weims outweighed this potential "con" and we could put the time and training into him to get the great family pet we wanted. He will start puppy kindergarten the first week of Nov (because that's when the next session starts). I work about 6-10 hours a week, and all three kids are in school full time now, so I am confident we have the time to train him. Thank you all, I appreciate it!...See Moredo you think repeated tilling is harmful?
Comments (52)Lauren, If I could go back to the beginning of my garden, I would have hired somebody with a tiller to break it all up once. This would have collapsed the gopher holes, loosened the dirt, etc. My vegetable garden is done in a potager style with permanent beds. Most are not technically raised because I could have spent a small fortune on wood for the size of garden I wanted, not to mention the cost of soil amendments. My beds are double dug and lined with hardware cloth to keep the gophers out. Digging those beds out would have been much easier if the area had been tilled first. We are currently expanding the garden and the good news for me is I have 2 teenagers to press into service when it comes to the digging. I will agree that there can be more flexibility without permanent beds, should you desire to change the design of the area on a whim. The Art of the Kitchen Garden is a wonderful book where they show some different design possibilities. The authors actually till it up and do a new design each year, so it may be something to look into if you like the aesthetics. Part of me would like to do it, but I have enough going on that I may not have the mental energy to devote to a new design each year. I have checked that book out from the library many times so your library may have a copy as well but I also see Amazon has a used copy for less than $1. Have fun in the design process....See Morebetsyhac
11 years agonycefarm_gw
11 years agoemma
11 years agoryseryse_2004
11 years agoLizRVT
10 years ago
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