Hi I thought I'd ask some experienced people a couple of questions. I posted last week about our crate training issues and am happy to report Daisy is much better in crate now. Sleeping 7.5 hours overnight with barely a fuss at 11pm and the last 2 days I've left her for 2 hours in crate in morning while we've been out and she didn't bark the whole time First question- she now can't stand being outside alone, howling and getting really worked up. We are happy for her to be an inside dog but I didn't expect her to hate outside (we are in Aus so weather is mild at present). We have a smaller enclosed part of our yard we'd like to get her used to for when I work 2 days a week. It has shade, small patch of grass, kennel and is secure. The question is should we start getting her used to this area now or wait til she's more settled outside in general? Second question: if we need to leave her in the evening should we leave her outside or in the crate? What age did you first leave your puppy for 3-4 hours in evening?
Hi, I would start getting her used to the outside area very slowly, like you did the crate. Feed her there, give her frozen kings there, make it a place of good associations for her. As for not wanting to be outside on her own - of course she doesn't want to be, she wants to be with you! Dogs are very sociable animals, and a puppy feels in mortal danger when separated from their 'pack'. If you remember that, you will find it easier to understand how and why she is reacting. She is just a baby, after all. My dog hates our garden, by the way, and refuses to spend any time outside on her own, so it's not necessarily something they grow out of...
My girl doesn't want to be in the garden by herself, she wants to be where we are. Leaving her in her crate or outside is entirely up to you as long as you approach slowly and gradually extend the time alone. I've never left my girl alone for 3 hours day or evening but there is a recommended length of time based upon a puppy's age which I'm sure someone else will be able to provide
It's not that she hates outside...it's that she loves company and feels attached to you Dogs need company, and especially Labradors. I'd leave Daisy in the crate inside when you go out. Maybe you could work up to 3-4 hours once she's 4-5 months old. Our dog doesn't really go outside without us. When we're not home he's in the house. He has the freedom of the whole house. He just sleeps. Is that something you'd consider?
Charlie doesn't go outside without me. If I leave him in the garden, he just stands by the back door waiting to be let in, so I don't do it. He clearly has no wish to be outside alone, so he just stays in the house and I go out with him if he wants a wee etc. It wouldn't occur to me to leave a dog in a garden if I went out (or at all), but I do understand this isn't uncommon in other countries (no doubt with better weather! ). When I leave him, I leave him in a largish pen, with his crate in it and the door open. My dog was ok to be left for about 3 hours - in his pen, not a crate - from about 4 months. I didn't leave him in a crate because he wasn't 100% toilet trained until 5 months, and I always wanted him to be able to move away from his sleeping area if he really needed a poo or a pee urgently. From 5 months, he was fine to be left for 4 hours, in his crate if necessary, so long as he'd had a walk before I left.
I don't have an outside lover either. I thought that odd at first, but realise its pretty common with the way we bring our pet dogs up. The only time she wants outside on her own is if I feed her anything "special". That might be a frozen kong, a raw bone knuckle, a rawhide (previously) or even one of the vegetable chews (hogs are our favorites) or pizzles, tripe sticks...... Then, she will take them to the back door and insist on going out before she eats them. Scottish weather and all that.......those treats are rationed to drier days since she potentially could be out 10mins to several hours depending upon the "treat". I guess I have inadvertently trained her that outside is the place to go if you have something messy/stinky/bloody.
We're in Australia too (Melbourne) and, weather permitting, Ella stays outside when we're not at home. Most of our friends comment on how much time Ella seems to spend inside so I do think it is more common for dogs to be in the back yard in Aus than in the UK. Ella didn't love being outside to begin with either but I think the fact that we spend a lot of time outside as well (BBQ, on the deck etc.) helped her settle down. She'll now ask to go outside when we're at home and may stay out there up to an hour on her own quite happily. She just comes up and looks at us through the window when she's ready to come in. Start slowly and leave Daisy outside for tiny periods of time. We also had our neighbour help out as we found that, in the beginning, Ella was unsettled when we put her outside and we were still in the house but if we went out she settled straight away and we'd come home to find her settled. Our neighbour said that she was fine as soon as we left. We also gave Ella treats and toys when she went outside so now if we say 'outside' she'll run out the back and wait for her treat ☺
Eeek! I'd be so nervous to leave Ella inside with freedom. If we leave her inside it's in a gated area otherwise I'd be paranoid that she'd decide to destroy something. Maybe I'll relax more as she gets older..
We were very much like you about giving Molly more freedom in the house. My husband was all "if we leave her alone she will eat the house" (to be fair she had already left her mark on the banisters). I insisted that if we didn't give her the chance to behave she would never learn to. She was given freedom of the downstairs by degrees. It was successful. How come you are posting on the web site when you have a newborn? It took me many months to even have a warm drink I think it only fair to earn you that they sort of 'wake up' at about six weeks, at least that was my experience with my 3 children, and grandchildren. Hope he is sleeping well, it makes SO much difference.
I don't leave my 3 year old dog with the run of the house. Not because I think he'd chew the furniture, he probably wouldn't (although would have when he was younger). But because he'd find something to harm himself with, no matter how carefully I'd picked up. Ever since he nicked and chewed batteries, I will NEVER trust him not to find a way to get into some kind of dangerous mischief..... He is never left longer than 5 hours, with a break, so I reckon he can stay in his pen for that length of time. Save me worrying....
We never had a pen so it is a case of crate or nothing. Also, having visiting Grandchildren I am quite good at policing the area. Please note that I am not NOT claiming to be tidy as that would be a total lie I have been campaigning for the removal of the stair gate for many months under the banner of "we cannot train her not to go upstairs if we never give her the opportunity to decide not to". This evening my husband asked me what I thought of getting rid of the stair gate. The idea being that if we make sure we shut all the upstairs doors it will be boring and she won't want to go up there. Dogs are easier to train than husbands
He's still at the sleeping stage (around 4hrs in between feeds) so it's not too bad right now. If I completely disappear in the coming weeks you know he's decided to wake more ☺ Ella's had more freedom in the house overnight since we had the baby as she tends to sleep in our room until he wakes for a feed. She's then been taking herself off to the lounge to sleep on the couch for the rest of the night ☺. I think that might be our limit with house freedom for now.
Obi was much older than Ella when he was allowed the run of the house He was a year old. And we did have one spectacular incident in which he completely gutted an armchair.
Thanks for all the advice. We are in Melbourne too so very mild weather (when not too hot!) We have set up a great outside area for her and think we'll start leaving her out there gradually. It's not possible to leave her in the house- I'd be a nervous wreck from the batteries, power cords etc the teenagers leave around. The puppy should be easier to train than them! Until she has had her vaccinations she has to be left alone while I pick up and drop off kids so I needed a solution that works for us. Em - re inside dogs in Aus yes it's an anomaly, particularly larger dogs, but Daisy will be an inside dog when we are home- she's already part of the family so feels right for us- despite some of the negative comments we've had from other people!
Yep, we've had the comments too! Ella is inside with us all of the time (unless we're outside, she chose to be outside or if we're all out together). We have also had comments about the fact that we try to take Ella everywhere with us (e.g. meeting friends at a park for a BBQ - why wouldn't she come!?). Where are you in Melbourne? We're eastern suburbs Blackburn/Nunawading area ☺
You've had negative comments about her being an inside dog when people are home? How rude to criticise you for not wanting to treat the furry member of your family like a garden ornament. I know lots of people with dogs and all are inside when people are home (many of these are outside when the people are not home). This is in Canberra. Admittedly when we got our dog Obi at 9 months he had been an outside dog and slept outside (this was in Sydney). Knowing him, he would not have been happy with that degree of isolation. Now he sleeps on our bed, hehe. When I got my first dog (1998) my parents said he'd have to stay outside when I came to visit, so I said what a shame that I won't be able to visit you anymore. They changed their minds rather quickly. And ended up loving my dog to bits.
I find it really, really strange to hear that people leave their dogs in the garden - I completely appreciate that there is nothing wrong with that for short periods in a country where the weather is reliable - but to be critical about a dog being inside? Yikes. Exact opposite here, people disapprove of dogs being left outside. My dog doesn't even go out to the garden alone, ever! I always went out with him when he was a puppy, and continued doing so. Going out to the garden is something we do together, and the rest of the time he is with me in the house. We started off with him sleeping in the kitchen, but quickly realised that was just throwing away good cuddle time....
Re outside dogs I think it's a cultural thing in Aus of small houses and large gardens (this is changing though) and the proliferation of working dogs (kelpies, border collies) as pets. Children used to be sent outside to play (with the dog!) a lot- this is changing too. Rachael- yes some people can be so rude. Unsolicited advice wherever you go... I work on ignoring as much as possible. Julie- so far Daisy has only been outside with us and when we briefly attempted to leave her alone she seemed to panic. We can see her at all times through glass doors and windows. We will work on getting her much more used to outside - or stick to crate for the moment. Em - we are near Chadstone
First timer I was just wondering why you say Daisy has to be left at home while you pick up the children as she's not vaccinated. In France and UK we have our pups out and about as much as possible for socialization, just not on the ground at all.
