03 18 05 1062 W, 1 I - + 146 - 108
CRATE TRAINING BONDING AND OTHER STUFF
How long is too long for a puppy (3 month) to stay in a crate in one session? I work all day, 1hour from home, and can't make it home to let him out during the day. If I where to crate him all day he would be in for 10 hrs! I leave him fenced off in our mud room right now and he seems to be getting along fine right now, but the destructive chewing is starting to get out of hand. Any suggestions, I can't take him to work with me either.
RTF Thread
My Response
First, in my opinion, there really are no bad dogs. Rather, there are many dogs who have never been taught how to be good dogs.
I recognize that we all must do the best we can under our own individual circumstances. Nevertheless, raising a puppy, and later, a dog who is a good citizen is a HUGE commitment. Each of us needs to be honest with ourselves and ask whether we have the time and are willing to spend the time to train a dog to be a good citizen.
There are plenty of dogs who
Bark incessantly
Dig without end
Run to and fro without regard to their owner's commands
Frighten people by jumping on them
Rummage through trash cans
Etc. etc. etc.
They can be found everywhere. From gated golf course communities to trailer parks. The proliferation of ill-mannered dogs has led to restrictions in public parks throughout the country. Rare is the park where you can - legally - walk your dog without a leash. We have no one to blame but ourselves - if dog owners are not going to be responsible, then the government is going to step in and force them to be responsible.
Please do not contribute to this problem! If you are not able to fulfill your commitment to your dog(s), do not get one.
Second, there is no substitute for time spent with your dog.
There is a myth that we perpetrate in America in order to indulge the fantasy that it is possible to have it all. That is the myth of "quality time." The myth goes like this - I don't spend much time with my ____ (fill in the blank, wife, family, dog, etc.), but the time I spend is quality time. Bunk!
Quality time is a function of quantity time. To put it another way, you cannot have quality time, without spending quantity time. By spending time with ____ (fill in the blank), you develop the relationship and rapport that creates quality time. The two go hand in hand.
If you want to have a good relationship with your dog, you must spend quantity time with your dog. It is the relationship with your dog that is the foundation of any training program.
Third, quantity time spent properly integrates your dog into its pack (your family).
Dogs are pack animals. Dogs are social animals. Their natural tendency to be part of a pack. You, the owner, can use this to your advantage by incorporating the dog into your family (pack).
However, in the pack setting, dogs are constantly seeking to determine who the leader (the alpha) of the pack is. Watch dogs milling around, they are also busy determining their pecking order in the group. This occurs whether the group contains only dogs or dogs and humans. If you do not establish yourself as the alpha of the pack, your dog will feel duty bound to do so for you.
You become the alpha by
Establishing control over necessities of life - food, water, airing
Establishing control over the pleasures of life - running around, retrieving, etc.
If you leave your dog in your back yard with food, water, and the run of the place, the dog has little appreciation for you. In fact, he comes to treat the yard as his domain (which can create many unpleasant consequences for those who would dare to trespass on his domain). He may grow bored and start digging or chewing. You may blame him, but the blame really lies on you for abdicating your responsibility - and frankly, for being lazy about your duties to your dog as leader of the pack.
If you establish control over the necessities and pleasures of life, you go a long way to establishing yourself as alpha leader of your dog's pack.
As described earlier, I start crate training early. As a result, Cha Cha who is now 12 weeks old, will run inside a crate - in the bedroom, in my office, in my SUV, in my dog truck, whereever - when I say "Kennel." She thinks that the kennel is a pretty spiffy place. This makes transporting her in the future by air - or kennelling her at the vet's an easy proposition.
Fourth, taking your dog to work need not be a big production.
When I take Cha Cha to work, I keep her in a kennel in the back of my Expedition.
As it is winter in Colorado, I throw a towel in the dryer before we leave. The towel goes in the kennel. Every two-three hours, I come to my SUV, open it up and take Cha Cha for a short 10-20 minute walk. We work on her "sit", her leash manners, and from time to time, I throw fun bumpers. This quantity time adds up and as I mentioned before becomes quality time.
Because I have been doing this with Cha Cha for a month now, we have a pretty good feel for one another. I know the difference between a "I want out of the kennel because I am bored" whine and a "I need to go now" whine. I have a good feel for her moods and I think she has a good feel for mine. I am reading my dog; and she is reading me. We have the beginnings of a pretty good relationship.
Quantity time is being transformed into Quality time.
CONCLUSION
In short, I would find a way to spend quantity time with my dog. If I could not, I would not get one or keep one. It is simply unfair to the dog.
Ted;
Couldn’t agree more. I would add that, even at night, it is important to spend quality time with pups. Crating them in one’s bedroom is a must. They quickly learn to settle and do not whine unless it is for “duty” purposes. Sleeping “together” in this way also builds a rhythm and routine of life. They know when it’s “lights out” it is time for a long snooze until breakfast!
I spend many weekends on the road with my dogs pursuing this crazy hobby of mine. I can honestly say that the dogs handle the travel beautifully, and are stellar motel/hotel guests because of this early puppy hands-on work. The crate doesn’t mean “Mom’s gonna disappear for hours”, but rather, “Good things are gonna happen.”
Lisa
Lisa Van Loo (Email) - 18 03 05 - 07:11
Great. Thanks!
Suse (Email) (URL) - 30 04 06 - 04:43