Advice needed over here...

[Cookiebaker]

I just got offered a full time job today!!! I am really thrilled about it--it just kind of landed in my lap. (Actually I have mixed feeling because that means I won't have so much time for Pet talk :( ;) )

Anyhoo, I'm kind of concerned about Malone being alone all the time. I will probably be able to come home on my lunch hour to feed & let him out, and also my hubby works from home probably 1-2 days/week. What do other people do with their dogs while they are away?? He is not yet able to be alone & in a room by himself (he'll chew everything) and we've never left him outside before (spoiled pooch!) So any advice, would be SO appreciated! Thanks!

[Cookiebaker]

p.s. I start next Monday, so I don't have very much time to get him used to the idea...

[Logan]

A companion is always good!!! You knew I would say that, didn't you?? :D My girls are 5 months apart in age, and are best of friends. I am fortunate enough to work full time in a home office, so I rarely have to leave them. But when I first got them, I wasn't at home during the day. Once they were big enough, I did leave them in our fenced yard, but only because they made no attempts to leave under or over the fence. And if the weather was too cold, or rainy, I would leave them in the gated kitchen until I could trust them with full run of the house. I am fortunate that I have no carpet in my whole house (at least I think I am fortunate that way), so they could do very little to mess things up.

Logan

PS. Congratulations on the new job!!!

[aly]

I would either leave him in a crate or maybe baby gate the kitchen.

If he's used to being with you all the time, he may experience some seperation anxiety. I would start today getting him used to being alone for short periods of time and the gradually extending the length of time periods he's alone.

Another good way to avoid seperation anxiety is to ignore him 15 minutes before leaving and 15 minutes after getting home.

I crate trained my dogs for the first couple months after adopting and then started just leaving them in the bedroom until I trusted them to have free reign of the house while I was gone. Actually, with Reece it was a couple months in the crate and I never crated Lolly because it traumatizes her due to her past :( But when I adopted Lolly, Reece was just over his seperation anxiety and had graduated from the crate so they had each other to keep company.

[monaliesa]

Well...we both work full time...when we got Riely...Jason was able to come home fairly often because work was slow...we got Buddha to keep Riely company during the day...Buddha stays in the crate while we're at work...and Riely now gets the run of the house...she still chews some stuff up occasionally...but she has perfect bladder control...and usually only chews things we dont care about anyway....

The day before we got Buddha...i confirmed with my friend that he was going to be in town for a couple months...and he was looking to make extra money while he was up here because he was broke...so I started paying him 75 dollars a week to come by during the day...hang out for a couple hours...watch TV...let them play...take them potty, etc etc....

I don't know if you have anyone you know who wants to make some extra money doing some pretty easy work...but it seems to be a good solution...maybe a teenager looking for a job...or a neighbor...?

[Cincy'sMom]

We started Sadie in a kennel. When she became more trustworthy, she got the kitchen (which has pocket doors), now she has the main rooms of the house (just not bedrooms or bath). Cincy is still in a kennel, most of the time...shorter periods we may try her inthe kitchen or house, but she has been know to chew door frames.

[Crikit]

While when I first got Smudge we tried leaving him in the kitchen but that was when his "issuses" were still quite major so he found a way out of the kitchen and ate my mom's mochasins :( well just the fur. So he ended up going in his crate. but by the time we got Winter Smudge had graduated to full run of the house so we just left it like that, we still dog proof the house though otherwise they trash things. And luckily my older sister is home with my dad most of the time so she keeps an eye on their water and lets them out, otherwise they cuddle with my dad on his lazyboy or play and stuff.

Have you thought of maybe finding a doggie daycare for Malone? that way he wouldn't be alone and he would have other dogs to play with.

[Cookiebaker]

Thanks for the advice, everybody. We do have a doggie day care that we have used for when I work at my temp. job (2-3 days/mo.) But if I am going to be working 40 hrs./week the cost is pretty prohibitive. I would pretty much be working just to pay doggie day care, and that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. We have a crate that is the enclosing kind (kind of like a large carrying cage) and I am thinking of investing in one of the very large open ones.

Unfortuanately we are not located near any of our friends or family. The closest is a half hour away. And we only have 2 neighbors neither of whom we are "friendly" with. They just aren't that kind of people. Cordial, yes, but Friendly, No.

I'm still nervous about leaving him, but it's either that or quit the job. So I'll see how it goes.

[DoggiesAreTheBest]

How long will you be gone during the day?

Drake has the run of the house and doesn't mess anything up (he did at one point though!). I go home on my lunch break every day to let him out and relax myself. I work about 7 miles away, so it is convenient. Perhaps he could go to doggy daycare once or twice a week instead of everyday.

If he is not used to being left alone, start practicing! And congrats on the new job!

[anna_66]

Originally posted by DoggiesAreTheBest
Perhaps he could go to doggy daycare once or twice a week instead of everyday.

I was going to say the exact same thing:D
We used to leave the dogs crated, and like everyone else said, come home at lunch and let them out. Now, they just stay out (in their jail!) while we are gone. Usually no more than 3 or 4 hours at a time. It may take a little getting used to, but I'm sure he'll be just fine!
Congrats on the job, hope everything works out with Malone!

[wolf_Q]

What about a dog run in the backyard? That's where Nebo stays while I am gone. It's pretty big (10x14), it's covered, and it has an igloo and toys to occupy him. I always feed him right when I leave, along with give him a kong or other toy with food in it. I also have a lock on the gate. It took some time for him to adjust to it, but now he's just fine.......he's quiet all day. I have a crate for him too, but I like leaving him in the dog run better, as he can still go potty, eat, move around, etc. He didn't like being left alone at first either...when I got him it was the summer and I didn't have a job.

Reggie and Smokey stay in crates while we are gone. My parents never have, and never will trust a dog alone in the house while we are gone. Smokey likes to pee on things. I do occassionally leave them loose in the house if I'm only going to be gone a half hour or so. Never left Nebo alone in the house though.....that'd be total destruction time! :eek:

If you *do* end up getting a dog run, I'd adjust him to being alone in a crate first.......don't want him barking up a storm if you have neighbors close!