bkn3959
Rattie
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| 04/17/2008 2:19 PM |
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Hey All - just found this website. THANK YOU GOD! Anyway - my husband and I got a cute little rat terrier in November - his name is Patches - he is a little over 7 months old. We are arguing on whether it is okay to leave him in the garage while I'm at work and my husband is away on vacation for a week. I leave home at 8 in the morning and get home at 7 in the evening. We have a one car garage that we leave Patches in for 5 hours at a time and he has actually been there longer when we have medical issues with my husband. Can you give me your thoughts about leaving him in the garage for almost 12 hours. Thanks in advance for all of your input.
Barb |
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Barb Neal |
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Daxter
Obsessed
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| 04/17/2008 2:24 PM |
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Welcome to the site! I am also new here. I think 12 hours is too long, maybe if possibble have someone come in midday and walk him for an hour, so he is not that lonely being by himself. I have not have my dog yet - in the process of adopting one from Ratbone, but that mostly what people told me to do, since I work all day too. |
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Monica & Daxter |
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Kasey's Mom
Terrier Terror
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| 04/17/2008 3:08 PM |
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hello,
welcome to the site.......
and congrats on getting a puppy......
How about getting him a crate? So he could be in your home?
and the suggestion that monica mentioned is a good idea too. to have someone to come out to help relief the dog... in the midday.... unless you are able to break away from work, if you are close by to do that yourself......
and i don't know how your garage is set up.... but be careful because puppies likes to get into things that could be dangerous to the pup.
I have 2 dogs, Kasey is old enough and I can trust him to be loose in the house... but kasey is 5.... however, Indy is about 1 year old or so.... I still can't trust him in the house without getting into something that he should not get into..... so I crate him... I have crated him almost all day, but I was able to come home and get him out and potty etc. before i have to be gone for a few more hours. So he is fine being crated.... the crate is like his "den" for his safety.... it's like his room then you don't have to worry about him getting into something or potty in the house and such.
everyone does things different..... and if he's gone for a week on vacation while you work, then you have to do what works for you.... and if you can't trust him loose, then maybe crating might be a good idea....
Just a thought.
oh..... another thought.. if you haven't already... maybe getting up earlier, and play with the pup? before going to work.... so that way he'll get tired out? and then when someone is able to let him out inthe midday, can play with him a bit, and then he shoud be fine by the time you get home?
i hope this helps.... |
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Mardi
Momma to Kasey and Indy
~~Dance like nobody's watching~~ |
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Emg
Terrier Terror
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| 04/17/2008 3:30 PM |
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Welcome to the site Barb! 
My dog, Sam, is home for about 6 hours during the day Monday through Friday. We have him crated in the house, and he handles it pretty well. But 12 hours is a little too long. Do you have a friend that won't mind having Patches home for a day, or could come around a walk/feed Patches?
I would also suggest getting him crate trained and crating him while your gone, so he won't get into something in the garage that he shouldn't.
And congrats on your new pup!! |
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Sara, Sam's mommy |
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bkn3959
Rattie
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| 04/17/2008 6:19 PM |
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Thanks everyone for your ideas. I appreciate them. I knew 12 hours was too long. My husband is really weird about having someone that we don't know come into our home and everybody I know works just like I do. I guess doggy day care it is at least for 3 of the days and the other 2 he will have to be at home - he really gets worn out from the doggy day care so maybe he will just rest on the interim days.
Can someone tell me what crate training is please?
I love my puppy!! |
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Barb Neal |
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justan0therjess
Newbie
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| 04/17/2008 6:30 PM |
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| crate training is kinda what you do with the garage, just on a much smaller scale.. you can find them at pet supply stores. Joleighs is huge but its because someone gave it to me, im saving up to buy her a smaller one... just put a blanket and a few toys in it. it keeps them from running around and getting into everything. Also it helps GREATLY with potty training Like someone said earlier it become their "den" and they will try to hold it as long as they can b4 going where they sleep.. im sure someone can explain it better than me... i thought it was cruel at first leaving her in it for a few hours but its become heavenly not having to worry everytime i leave that my house will be torn up when i get back. |
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Emg
Terrier Terror
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| 04/17/2008 6:32 PM |
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Crate training is teaching your dog to love it's crate as it's own den. It's best to do it when they're puppies...you put him in his crate when you aren't supervising him. It isn't 'cruel', it just teaches the dog that it is 'they're space' and it makes it easier on the dog when it needs to be left alone in it's crate for long hours.
It also makes it easier to house train puppies, because the puppy learns that there is a place to eliminate and a place to eat/sleep.
Put the crate in a family room were everyone usually is, not the basement or garage, so that he is more comfortable. The crate should be big enough for him to stand, lay down, and turn around in. Any bigger, and if he isn't house trained yet, he will just pee/poo on one side and sleep in another, which teaches him it's ok to soil his sleeping area. If it's small, the puppy won't want to go in it's crate, because that means he'll have to sleep in his poo/pee. A smaller crate also makes a dog feel more secure. |
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Sara, Sam's mommy |
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Emg
Terrier Terror
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| 04/17/2008 6:33 PM |
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Good luck with your new pup! |
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Sara, Sam's mommy |
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Mitzy's Mom
Alpha Feist
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| 04/17/2008 6:41 PM |
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| I agree that 12 hours is a long time for him to be in a crate without being out to potty. Can you section off a room in the house with a baby gate and leave him in there with potty pads? (Preferable a room without carpet.) There is just so much that a pup could get into in a garage that could hurt him. |
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Mary Beth, mom to the Lollipop Kids
Georgia Foster Mom
www.ratbonerescues.com; www.newrattitude.org |
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bkn3959
Rattie
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| 04/17/2008 6:47 PM |
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Thanks again for all of your information - I really appreciate it. Trust me how our garage does not have anything in it that Patches can get into . We did a thorough cleaning of the garage and the surrounding walls to make sure he could not get into anything. I would not leave him in there if it was not safe. We did that crate training thing when he was little - we put him in there for 5 - 7 hours when my husband when to dialysis. At first he cried and hollered a lot but he got over it - then he got too big for his crate and we decided to use the garage. The only thing in there now is the car when we are home and the washer and dryer and garbage can - HEAVY DUTY LARGE GARBAGE CAN. I think I'm going to just put him in there 2 of the days that my husband is gone and the other 3 Monday/Wednesday and Friday I will take him to doggy day care. He will be so tired on the other two days that he will be relaxing. I'm going to see if my BF can go over and take him out or her husband since he works second shift. That is the best I can do. Wish me luck! |
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Barb Neal |
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buttonbutt
Firehouse Big Dog
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| 04/18/2008 8:26 AM |
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Welcome to you and little Patches. I live in Texas and have two ratties. Since a crate is so useful at times, I think I'd go on and invests in a larger, adult size crate. You won't regret it. I'd be totally lost if I couldn't crate my girls when I want to take them with me in the car, go camping, or when the vet orders total "bed rest" to recover from injury. They're also nice when service people must be in/out of the house on a project.
The real danger with the garage arrangement, is even if you have dog-proofed the garage and picked up everything you "think" is dangerous, you say you keep a car in there and that is a scenario for tragedy. Cars can leak antifreeze and transmission fluid and we humans often don't notice the spots. I hear it is particularly tasty for animals and they are drawn to it like prime ribeye steak! The very TINIEST amount will kill a dog. Vets are helpless even if you get them there fast. I would never keep a dog in a garage where a car is stored. |
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Peggy
Mom to Button & Zipper
My sweet RatTexans
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Mitzy's Mom
Alpha Feist
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| 04/18/2008 2:47 PM |
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I agree with Peggy - there are things like antifreeze that we might not notice and could hurt a dog. And having a crate sure comes in handy for traveling and for when you need to keep them quiet for medical reasons. JMO
Maybe you could just scrub the garage floor with something that mechanics use to get rid of stains? Then park the car outside. Just a thought. |
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Mary Beth, mom to the Lollipop Kids
Georgia Foster Mom
www.ratbonerescues.com; www.newrattitude.org |
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Fuji's mom
Rat Royalty
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| 04/20/2008 6:58 PM |
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Another concern I would have is about the heat. I am not sure where you live, but in our area the garage can get really hot. Too hot for a puppy to be safe or comfortable. I know somebody who left her puppy in the garage while she was at work and came home to a dead puppy. Please be very careful. |
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Nydia
"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."
-- Mother Theresa |
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bkn3959
Rattie
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| 04/21/2008 5:18 PM |
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Thanks for all of the advice. I appreciate it. My husband is not going to go away and so we don't have to worry about it at this time but I really appreciate all of your ideas. We keep the garage really clean and my husband pulls the car out of the garage and cleans it before he leaves every time so there is no worry there.  |
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Barb Neal |
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My3Rats
Ratterific
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| 04/24/2008 1:54 PM |
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He still should not be left in a garage. The fact of the temperature changes, just not good for a puppy. He really needs to be crated inside, or put a baby gate and keep in one room. The garage is not safe no matter how clean it is. |
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Gizmo (8), Squirt (5), Bailey (7)
~~Life is better with dogs~~ |
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GothGirl
Terrier Terror
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| 04/24/2008 3:06 PM |
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Have you thought about enrolling Patches in a doggy day care? That way you know he'll be safe while your at work, and he will also be able to play with other dogs.
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~*~ Mikki: Prince & Ozzy's Mama ~*~ |
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bkn3959
Rattie
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| 04/24/2008 7:38 PM |
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Yes we have had him in doggy day care from time to time and we will use doggy daycare when necessary - my husband was giving me a hard time about spending that money so I wanted to get the opinion of others so I could let him know what others said. Patches will not be staying in the garage anymore because my husband will be starting at home dialysis soon. Thanks again for all of your advice - I appreciate it - don't know how my husband feels right now though |
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Barb Neal |
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Caesar & Julia's mom
Pack Leader
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| 04/27/2008 12:14 PM |
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| I'm so gald that Patches won't be staying in the garage anymore...that makes me feel so much better! Good luck with crate training and I wish your husband well. |
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Diane~ loved by Caesar and Julia
"Don't count the days, make the days count..."
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