Do you leave your dogs loose together?
- Thread starter straw
- Start date
Happy and Kota were for a long time. When my sister moved out and left them with us, I bought crates for them because Happy was a "oh my stomach is just slightly too empty so I'm going to vomit bile everywhere," and it was a lot easier to throw his crate pillow into the wash than clean a dozen spots off the carpet. Then Kota started to get older and would poop on the floor, but not in a crate. So both of them were in crates when nobody was home.
After my sister took them back, they weren't crated anymore, but since I didn't have to clean up their vomit/poop anymore either, it wasn't my problem.
None of mine are loose together, but they are crated for reasons besides "can't be left loose together." Excepting Pepper and Payton - they can't be loose together.
I did leave the boys loose together in my bedroom a few times, but the attempts at "leave Payton loose in the bedroom" ended when he managed to lock himself in my bedroom. So he is back to being crated so he doesn't trap himself in a room again.
I also feel like if I left them loose together with the full run of the house, they would team up and figure out how to open the fridge or get into the Vittles Vault or something like that. =P
After my sister took them back, they weren't crated anymore, but since I didn't have to clean up their vomit/poop anymore either, it wasn't my problem.
None of mine are loose together, but they are crated for reasons besides "can't be left loose together." Excepting Pepper and Payton - they can't be loose together.
I did leave the boys loose together in my bedroom a few times, but the attempts at "leave Payton loose in the bedroom" ended when he managed to lock himself in my bedroom. So he is back to being crated so he doesn't trap himself in a room again.
I also feel like if I left them loose together with the full run of the house, they would team up and figure out how to open the fridge or get into the Vittles Vault or something like that. =P
During times when it is cold like it has been recently (-30C in the morning), Snowball stays with our in-laws down the road, and there he stays with MIL's 16-year-old toy poodle. There has never once been an issue between them, people there or no... But I'm not exactly sure if Snowball recognizes the 3lb-sopping-wet poodle as being another dog...
At the moment, I do not have dogs loose together. The Akita has always and will always be crated for the cats' safety more so than dog issues, although it's certainly worth taking into consideration. In the beginning, when I first got the house (and the Akita), I just felt dogs should be crated. Josie came not long after, so she was crated. A year or so later, when I adopted a 10yo pit bull, all three were crated, but the old girl would get stiff and sore from being stuck in a crate, even a big one with a bed. I decided to leave her out. She had zero interest in dogs or cats. And then I broke the rule and started leaving Josie, the pit mix, out with her. Tia has since passed, but Josie still gets run of the house. If I brought in a new dog, it'd be crated for a long while unless/until I decided it was safe to leave out with Josie and the cats.
Shambles and Elsa.. lord no. We have a rotation system already because of Elsa and Jack, but I can't imagine leaving those two together. They're the best of buds but can get really over the top with play. They also encourage the other to do things like eat any papers left on the coffee table.
The others are loose on separate floors. Magpie and Jack, Smalls and Jonas.
The others are loose on separate floors. Magpie and Jack, Smalls and Jonas.
Both my dogs are loose together. My two are left out in the yard though. I'd never trust Sunny in a house, I'd trust Serenity but my dogs aren't allowed in the house so they have to stay in the yard. They both get on great, they can settle themselves down if they get into a small scuffle but they hardly ever have real issues. If they didn't get on this well, I wouldn't risk it. When I was looking after my brother puppy, I wouldn't leave them all alone together because I didn't trust the pup.
When Benji was alive, Daisy and Benji were left loose in the house together with no issues. Daisy and Rocky are left loose together all the time and there are no problems. Daisy is almost 12 and can be grumpy and Rocky knows to leave her alone when she's in a mood. Most nights they sleep together on the couch. It's very cute.
Norris is crated when I leave because he WILL chew and eat things if he isn't. So when I get another dog someday, they won't be left together because Norris can't be trusted loose in the house unsupervised.
Norris is crated when I leave because he WILL chew and eat things if he isn't. So when I get another dog someday, they won't be left together because Norris can't be trusted loose in the house unsupervised.
No, never. Not because they don't get along, but because I like my house in one piece and a semblance of order. LOL They don't even get left out if I shower. As Ivan so proved the other day when I ran uptown and Steven was in the shower. He went a trash picking. So at almost 9 he still can't be trusted to not get into things.
I rarely do with Quinn because she's an idiot and can decide to flip out the old fear aggression due to weird, new triggers. I do leave her alone with dogs for short periods of time but not long term. I live with her alone now so it's not really an issue. But when my friend and I move in together (she with her own, slightly reactive dog) they will def be separated when we're not around.
I am happy for her to be alone with my bosses GSD for forever and a day. They've known each other for a long time now, and given his size and temperament it wouldn't worry me.
At mum's house, Buster and my mother and sisters dogs all run together loose in the house for up to 10 hours at a time. They are all more stable dogs than Quinn though.
I am happy for her to be alone with my bosses GSD for forever and a day. They've known each other for a long time now, and given his size and temperament it wouldn't worry me.
At mum's house, Buster and my mother and sisters dogs all run together loose in the house for up to 10 hours at a time. They are all more stable dogs than Quinn though.
Nope, never.
While I, too, come from the APBT world, I also come from the veterinary world, where I've had to try and console the owner whose 2 Yorkies killed the 3rd Yorkie. And the owner whose Collie disemboweled the Chihuahua. And the owner whose Lab killed the smaller mixed breed. And the GSD that killed the Boston Terrier.
Dog fights were the #1 reason for trauma at our clinic. And it was very rare that a dog involved was a "pit bull", because it seems those owners took/take more precautions from the get-go.
NO BREED IS EXCLUDED FROM FIGHTING WITH ANOTHER DOG! And if you aren't right there to stop it, chances are you'll be saying goodbye to one of them.
Sadly, hindsight is always 20/20, and too many people don't take action until after such an incident occurs. After all, it could never happen to them...
While I, too, come from the APBT world, I also come from the veterinary world, where I've had to try and console the owner whose 2 Yorkies killed the 3rd Yorkie. And the owner whose Collie disemboweled the Chihuahua. And the owner whose Lab killed the smaller mixed breed. And the GSD that killed the Boston Terrier.
Dog fights were the #1 reason for trauma at our clinic. And it was very rare that a dog involved was a "pit bull", because it seems those owners took/take more precautions from the get-go.
NO BREED IS EXCLUDED FROM FIGHTING WITH ANOTHER DOG! And if you aren't right there to stop it, chances are you'll be saying goodbye to one of them.
Sadly, hindsight is always 20/20, and too many people don't take action until after such an incident occurs. After all, it could never happen to them...
No. Jersey has run of the downstairs, there are gates blocking off the kitchen and upstairs. Nero and Ripley are in our bedroom, she's in a crate, he's in an exercise pen. Ripley is still a monster left to her own devices so she will probably remain crated for awhile. The other two have earned what freedom they have. I have a cat but she stays upstairs by choice and Jersey is least likely imo to be a cat killer, she's kind of a wuss and my cat has attitude. If we are just taking a shower or need to have the dogs up for a few minutes we will put Ripley in the pen, Nero loose in the bedroom. My dogs have proven they will scuffle hard in a hurry if someone gets pissed so I wouldn't risk leaving them together alone.
Oh my petsitter this year apparently left them all together downstairs "for a few hours" last fall while we were deer hunting, we didn't find out until the following morning when he asked if it was ok. :yikes: One of us stayed home the rest of the vacation.
Oh my petsitter this year apparently left them all together downstairs "for a few hours" last fall while we were deer hunting, we didn't find out until the following morning when he asked if it was ok. :yikes: One of us stayed home the rest of the vacation.
I'm actually surprised at everyone's answers. I personally never had more then one animal in the house at a time and if I did, I didn't leave for too long. But I never felt to put them in a room or kennel. But I guess it always has to do with the type of dogs as well. The dog boarding camp always has staff with the dogs. And at night they are kept in stalls in its heated and air conditioned horse barn. But there are several dogs in each stall at most times.
There is normally someone home most of the time so it's not typically an issue. If I'm gone for a short while Traveler and Didgie stay together. If I'm gone for a long time one or both are crated separately or shut in a room together since I don't trust them not to get into things, though they've been really good lately.
I don't worry about them together at all fighting. I just, don't. I know it's one of those things that looked at logically is an "Anything can happen and they are dogs." But, seriously I just don't worry about it.
Now, Didgie masterminding some big jailbreak and conning Traveler into participating? That I worry about.
Kaylee and Hannah on the other hand... When they were both alive were never left alone together or with the other dogs when I was gone. I didn't trust Kaylee not fight, even with Traveler who there was never any tension with. Kaylee was just too unpredictable. And Hannah was too much of a police dog paired with Didgie being too much of a nag.
I don't worry about them together at all fighting. I just, don't. I know it's one of those things that looked at logically is an "Anything can happen and they are dogs." But, seriously I just don't worry about it.
Now, Didgie masterminding some big jailbreak and conning Traveler into participating? That I worry about.
Kaylee and Hannah on the other hand... When they were both alive were never left alone together or with the other dogs when I was gone. I didn't trust Kaylee not fight, even with Traveler who there was never any tension with. Kaylee was just too unpredictable. And Hannah was too much of a police dog paired with Didgie being too much of a nag.