Where does your dog stay when you are gone?

[wolf_Q]

Where does your dog stay when you are gone (work, school, shopping, etc.) ? I wish we were one of those lucky families who have somebody home all the time, but we're not, we all have to work.

I've been trying to figure out what to do with Nebo lately. I don't like leaving him in a crate for more than a couple of hours, he gets really restless in there. I was leaving him in a dog run (it has a cover, brick bottom, and it's always padlocked) but the ants are really bad this year and I can't stand the thought of him sitting in a pile of ants. I also worry about him being stung by a bee again. So recently I had been leaving him in one of those play pens (about 4 foot tall) in the basement. I left him with kongs, treat/food dispensing toys, etc. to keep him occupied. Well today he tipped the whole thing over and got out. I know once he's figured it out he'll keep getting out so I can't leave him in that again. I was rather shocked when I walked in the door and there was Nebo happily sleeping in the kitchen. I checked all over the house and didn't find anything ruined at all. Of course, I asked my parents but they refuse to let him just free in the house while we're gone, they don't believe me that he wouldn't rip the house down. :rolleyes: Ugh so I guess it's back to getting rid of the ants...

When Reggie was younger he always stayed in a crate. When he got older my parents started just leaving him in an unfinished room with his crate/food/water in the room. We used to leave Reggie and Sydney in this unfinished room but now we're turning it into a bathroom. So they were staying in the playpen then I used it for Nebo so we had them up in the other bathroom. They were fine in the bathroom and the playpen.

Whenever I have my own place I'd like to leave Nebo just in the house or in a section of the house, I think he'd be fine.

[Shelteez2]

The shelties just get locked in the basement. My room is down here as are most of their dog beds and a crate without a door on it. When I leave I put some treats in their treat balls, turn on my radio and babygate the stairs so they can't get upstairs. Works for us.

Oh btw, they are completely trustworthy in the house. The reason they are put in the basement is because they (mostly Emily) will bark at people on the street when we are gone.

[Kfamr]

Simba and Nala both are free in the house.

We used to crate Nala when she was younger because she'd tear things up.


I was worried aobut leaving the both of them alone together, but they are wonderful with each other and the both of them sleep while we're gone. Although, my dad doesn't have a job (he's disabled) so he's there sometimes... but not all of the time.

[Moose]

Our pups are free to roam the house. :)

[binka_nugget]

There are usually a few people home (mom and grandma) but occasionally, they're left on their own. My mom said they sleep the entire time we're gone though... so they're pretty trustworthy in the house.

[Cincy'sMom]

We started all of ours in crates and still use them occasionally, if we are gone more than normal...if we don't, that is when they tend to get upset and tear things apart. We first gave them just the kitchen where there isn't too much to get into.

Now, in generally, they are in a section of the house...we close off the bedrooms, bathroom and basement, and they have the living room, dining room and kitchen.

[anna_66]

I voted "other" since they are either in the house roaming free or outside in the fenced yard (of course it's always their preference of where to stay:p ).

[cali]

depends on the dog. perky is locked in the bathroom(she will not go in a crate despite our effert to crate train her) misty is locked in the big wire kennel, blair in mistys travel kennel. happy and Ripley get free roam, shadow used to get free home before the others decided they hated her, now she stays in my moms room just about all the time(her food arrives tues so she can go to her foster home then)

[Pam]

Ours are free in the house all day. The first day I left Bella free (in late puppyhood) I was almost afraid to come home and see what she had done. Imagine my surprise to find she was good! Then when Ripley came along I also worried. I didn't know how he'd be with Bella alone all day. It turns out my worries were needless. Nowadays I imagine they just sleep a lot, although my next door neighbor says that every time she goes outside to get mail or run an errand, they are both at the window looking out. What busybodies! :rolleyes:

[lizbud]

Smokey stays anywhere in the house he wants. Somebody
has to keep the kitties company.:D Really, the only time I've
had to keep Smokey or Buddy "partioned off" was when they
were being house trained. The potty & house training came
when they were still pups. I've been really lucky to have such
(mostly) cooperative doggies.:D

[Twisterdog]

They stay in the "doggie" part of the house ... the kitchen, laundry room, hallway and stairway. The bathroom, bedrooms, living room and office is off-limits.

If we're going to be gone in the evening for a few hours, Wishbone goes in his crate. He tends to pick fights by being grumpy, and then loses. And Queenie gets to sleep on her bed in my room, because she's old. And Twister just likes to sleep in her crate in the bedroom, she doesn't have to, but she asks to.

[Rio and Me]

Anywhere they want, Mizzy doesnt do stairs (before Rio and Beth, Kelly and mizzy were NOT allowed upstairs) all thats changed for Rio and Beth, but mizzy cant get upstairs now.
They not allowed in the bathroom because the door doesnt stay open = looked in small room till we get back.
Not allowed in Utillity room as it leads outside, and kitty cat food is out there.
But other than that there free, Also the only thing they eat is the bin so that just goes on the side.
Ky

[cloverfdx]

I also voted other, because it depends on the weather.

Clover and Elvis have either free run of the back yard (Fully fenced and a chain and lock on the gate) when the weather is fine, but if it is cold and raining they have the back room (It is a large sunroom) with food toys, kongs food balls Etc. Before Elvis (BE) Clover was trustworthy in the house with Penny and Theo, but Elvis is a bad influence on them and they destroy things now LOL. ;)

Penny and Theo have free run of the house at all times, all except for a few bedrooms (Mine mainly), they have beds, food, water in most rooms. Spoilt little brats. LOL

[KYS]

If I am going to be gone long and the weather is nice,
I will leave the dogs in the back yard.
If it's only going to be 5 hours or less and the dogs
want to stay inside, then they
can have the run of the house.

They are both very good in the house, (I remove the toys).
I think they probably just sleep.

[K9soul]

I work from home so I have the opportunity to be home with my pups a lot of the time. I can't watch them while I work though and I used to keep Tommy confined to the room I work in with me when he was younger, but now I just keep them upstairs with me (so that he doesn't get into the laundry downstairs). Even when the whole house is opened up they tend to just stay where ever I am, or sometimes he likes to lay in the kitchen.

When we are gone, I gate off the hallway and they have the hall, my office, and the room with their beds to lay in. I have to keep the bathroom closed off or Tommy will get into the bathroom trash. If it storms while I'm gone, Tasha will knock the gate over and run downstairs to curl up on the sofa down there, her "safe spot," but Tommy won't even step over the gate if it's laying across the floor.

I still worked out of the house when I got Tasha as a puppy, and did not want to crate her all day, so I bought an exercise pen for her then. I had a neighbor I knew and trusted who went in a few times a day while I was gone and took her out and played with her. I like it much better now though that I can be home with them. :) They were definitely a large factor when I was making the decision to go into medical transcription.

I hope you are able to find the best situatin for Nebo so that you have piece of mind while you are away.

[ramanth]

Kia is crated.

I once tried to leave her out and she threw herself at the window as soon as I shut the door. :eek: :(

My parents once just shut her in the spare bedroom thinking she'd like to roam around. She dug up the carpeting by the door and scratched the back of the door all up. :(

Every once in awhile I've shut her crate door and have forgotten to latch it and sometimes there is a mess and sometimes not when I get home.

Best of luck with Nebo. :)

[robinh]

I had to say Other.

I have three that are free to roam the whole upstairs. We keep the basement stairs gated, because I'm afraid someone will fall down them.

Two stay in crates all day. Kirby is used to being crated and I think he could cause too much trouble being loose. He likes to pick at Carly and Molly. I don't want anyone to get hurt. Muffin is crated too. She would be fine roaming, but Carly is getting older and her patience wears thin with Muffin trying to be submissive by licking her. Since Muffin doesn't mind the crate, it's safer for everyone.

[ParNone]

90% of the time, Oz and Murph stay loose in my bedroom. Oz sleeps on my bed all day. Murph, I'm afraid to leave on the bed, for fear he'll decide to jump off (I'm looking into a ramp), so he's got a lil' dog bed on the floor to sleep on.

On days that I know I'm going to be gone long though, Oz and Murph stay outside in the fenced yard. I've got a really nice, big, covered patio, that stays shaded and cool almost the entire day, except for maybe about an hour, around 5 o'clock or so. But the side yard is nice and shaded when the patio's not, so they hang out over there then. There's also 2 dog houses on the patio, if an unexpected rain storm should come up, while they're outside.

They seem to be equally happy inside or outside. When it's not too hot or raining, they actually seem to prefer outside, because there's things to do and watch during the day vs being cooped up inside just napping.

Too soon for Gully to be left alone unsupervised with Oz and Murph, so he stays crated in my bedroom. Once he's big enough and trained, he can hang with Oz and Murph.

Par...

[Blanquito de la habana]

Our dog is running free int the house all day...


He have some toys to play whit... and my da com's home sometime on the day to eat.

[Miss Meow]

The sausages have a section of the house that's theirs while we're at work. We tried giving them the roam of the house, but Schnaggles is still in a chewing phase and has made a meal out of shoes, clothes and anything else that's within reach ...

If we're out for a few hours and the weather is nice, they have the whole backyard.