Advice for a new dog owner?

Question

15 mos old indoor/outdoor pit mix. sweet kind gentle but phobic about being cooped up (chained, tied or crated).
What do you suggest hubby and I do when we have to be at work at the same time and leave her at home alone about 2 days a week?
We have a nice, well-kept fenced backyard but we dont want her possibly getting into trouble (i.e.digging or pulling up plants or barking).
Don't trust leaving her unattended in the house w/o a crate.

the 2 days we are both at work is like mondays and wednesdays for about 6 hrs during the daytime.

Answer 1

Please try an electric fence in the backyard. There are now wireless varieties that you can't even see, available from PetSafe. You can also run the parameters to exclude flower beds and other things you don't want her messing with.

However, please don't expect her to totally stop acting like a dog. Dogs do bark and dig and pull up plants and chew furniture. :-) Pits love to dig, especially as hot as it is, to get to some nice cool dirt. As for not barking, that would be like us not talking, and you certainly would want her to bark if someone were threatening you or your property, right?

It sounds like you both have lots of time to spend with her, and dogs rarely indulge in bad behavior unless they've been neglected or ignored.

If she already has a phobia, putting her in a crate is just going to cause bad behavior when she's released each time. Getting her back in one after a whole day in there could be a big battle, too, and she will see the crate as punishment, not as a secure place (which is a crate's purpose, contrary to how many people use them). That could be unpleasant for all concerned.

She sounds like a wonderful dog with just a few quirks, so I would allow her the phobias and provide her with a nice backyard. I wouldn't leave any dog that young unattended in the house, especially if you haven't had her too long. A bored dog's idea of entertainment can be an owner's nightmare.

You could even get a babysitter to stay inside for the first few days and observe her in the yard, to make sure she settles down in your absence, and to watch for any nuisance behavior you might be unaware of.

Good luck to you and give the girl a pat for me. My pit mix was one of the best dogs I ever had.

Answer 2

Well you said two days a week is that 2 days together and overnight or 2 days separate? There's a big diff. because of anxiety and you should take the time to train to crate start with 15 mins /30 mins /1 hr / 3 hrs and so on until it becomes natural for them to know its OK even for overnight with food and water and big enough to move around in of course. Not just a lil bit bigger then his own size (you wouldn't like it either, would ya, that is being cooped up in a SMALL space)

Answer 3

My puppies were crated when I wasn't home, but that was for a maximum of 3 hours or so at a time, now that they are older I let them run freely... we have a dog door so they can be inside and outside to go potty. I understand about not trusting her yet... but you need to give her test runs... leave for 10 minutes and see what she has done, increase that time and see if she is okay. My puppies still get into trouble... but I'd rather them be able to run around than be chained or cooped up anymore. Good luck!!! It's rough having a new pup!!!

Answer 4

She's still may be young enough to work with on the crate training. Are you sure she'll trash the house? Either lock her in a room where she hopefully won't do much damage, or consider using an electric fence. Fence off a smaller area for her. It usually only takes 3 or 4 shocks. My won't dare touch the fence anymore, and I haven't had it on for months. Or look into any doggie daycares around you..........

Answer 5

Your dog has what most vets' call separation anxiety- she misses you and hubby on days you all are gone. Try to work with her patiently, start out for about 5-10 mins. and increase the time about every five times she is crated and place a piece of clothing like an old sweat shirt with her to calm her with your scents. Give a lot of praise and maybe a treat each time she successively stays without freaking out. Positive attitudes get positive results.

Answer 6

I second the notion of trying to crate train.

We started out by feeding our pup in her crate, and also making her sleep in it. We have it in our bedroom where she can see the bed, but not our faces. Now, she loves her crate because it's her "comfy spot" and she actually goes into it by herself whe she is ready to go to bed.

If you want to try it I would suggest trying it out for very short periods of time, like 5 minutes and working up for there. Give her a little piece of food when you put her in, talk sweet and then leave the room.
When you take her out, give her a little piece of food and praise her for being a good girl.
It might be hard to hear her whine and bark, but, you have to be strong. Ph, and make sure the crate is large enough for her to stand up and turn around in. And don't forget to provide water, soemthing soft to sit on, and her favorite toy. I recommend the water dishes that can me clamped onto the side of the crate to prevent spilling.

You could also look into doggy day care, or ask a neighbor or friend to check on her while you are gone. I know that where I'm at there are places that you can hore to come by during the day to walk, feed and check on your pets. Try asking your vet for references!

I don't know where you live but keeping her outside all the time might not be ideal with inclement weather. Plus, there are so, so, many thing outside in a yard that could be hazardous to her if she is let to roam the yard (lily of the valley, oleander, rhododenderon, azalea, yew, foxglove, rhubarb leaves, some mushrooms & corn plants).

Good luck!

Answer 7

Take the dog to the vet for a thorough exam. An underground fence with shock collar works well protecting flower beds and the like. And you can purchase a collar that will control barking.

Answer 8

When you are there with her observe her behavior does she show signs of destructive behavior. Train her when you are there. Don't tie her up. Crate her if you must ,but make the crate a happy place.Try to get her to hang out in there when you are home with her ,blanket, toy make it a nice place rather than a prison.What about a friend, neighbor or dog sitter to visit her mid day, get her out of her crate and tier her out. Eventually you will have to train/trust her you can't expect to crate her forever.

Answer 9

We had a problem like this with out Keeshond mix and had to put him on Clomicalm. He would trash the house when we lwft and was hurting himself in the crate by scratching at it- we were desperate. We used it for about two months and then he stopped freaking out when we left. Now, he dosen't need it anymore! It is just and anti-anxiety pill like we might tke. Ask you Vet.

Answer 10

We live in the country but we've got close neighbours. When we're both out for the day, we just leave our dog to run around the garden, which isn't fenced. Try it. Our dog doesn't dig holes or make a nuisance of herself, but if yours does, just chain her up again. Dogs are like teenagers; if you trust them with a bit of freedom, they usually behave responsibly.