Is it wrong to leave a dog alone?

[RD]

Ruckus never does Zoomies?

Here's what you're missing, wait 'til the end of the video (and yes, that obnoxious sound is in fact coming from my dog)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xQtVNQouIoA

 

[dogsarebetter]

im sure he does.
i will watch the vid

 

[dogsarebetter]

oh yeah! he does them ALL the time. in the house is his fav. place to do them.

 

[missbeckydee]

Ruckus never does Zoomies?

Here's what you're missing, wait 'til the end of the video (and yes, that obnoxious sound is in fact coming from my dog)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xQtVNQouIoA

That is so cute!!! I love how the cat is annoyed more than anything.

 

[RD]

oh yeah! he does them ALL the time. in the house is his fav. place to do them.

Okay. I was worried about him for a second, lol! I've never met a dog that *didn't* get zoomies.

 

[dogsarebetter]

always after a bath

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

always after a bath

Ah yes, the "Oh my gosh, they CLEANED me and I'm wet and this is gonna make the couch smell awesome!" zoomies.

 

[Beanie]

Ah yes, the "Oh my gosh, they CLEANED me and I'm wet and this is gonna make the couch smell awesome!" zoomies.

ROFLOL. Is THAT why they do it!!

Oh my gosh, RD, SUCH a cute video. I need to start taking more video!


We call it "in a frenzy" when they get like that... when Auggie was a small puppy, he'd start divebombing in a HUGE frenzy all over the living room whenever he was tired, LOL! "Ahhhh!! It's bedtime!! AHHHH!!! *run run run*"

 

[Brattina88]

Okay... I feel as if some have been offended by other's views on crating... So I'll tread lightly ... lol

The original question: Is it wrong to leave a dog alone?
No.
I think it's unrealistic to never leave a dog alone. Being with a dog 24/7 from 8wks until death is LoL material. I think that being with a dog way too much is a good way to develop "separation anxiety" if something ever happens, like a hospital stay for example.
I wish I could be with my dogs all of the time... but if I want to keep them (and feed them) I simply have to work. And I don't know anyone who doesn't need money, and to get money most people have to work...
and on top of work people run errands, shop, hang out with friends, jury duty (lol), school, whatever.

Now, how the dogs is left alone is a different story. It depends on the individual dog, how the dog is exercise, age, size, breed, ect...
Yes, I don't think its fair to crate a dog for 8+ hours at a time (if you work 8hrs a day, how much travel time until you get home? And on top of that a dog may be crated during the night? I think confining a dog to a smaller space, such as a single room (baby gates work wonders!), a 'puppy play pen', kennel, or a large crate (RD's crate for Ripley for example) is reasonable, and safe.
I can not imagine being confined to my bed (where I can stand up and turn around comfortably, lol, isn't that the recommended size for crates??) for 8 hours solid. And then maybe being locked back in there for bed time... which I would probably be wide awake because I slept all day long
I get that panicky claustrophobic feeling just thinking about it , but then again I have mild claustrophobia
I can see tolerating being confined to one room for 8hrs...
Some dogs just can't be trusted alone, and while training can help I'd rather not risk a dogs safety - your not home to supervise... you never know what can happen if your home is puppy-proof.

Like I said before, it depends on the dog and your schedule. Even when I work 8hrs, I have family that has different scheds that would stop by the house and let Maddie out. She was crate trained as a pup. I used to use crate training all of the time with fosters and such... But now they can be left to roam the house. Which I'm sure they have a field day lounging on the couches, going up and down the stairs, getting on the beds, and surfing the net :lol-sign:

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

ROFLOL. Is THAT why they do it!!

My dogs always run STRAIGHT for the furniture after a bath, and promptly rub that wonderful wet dog smell into the fabric. And then turn around and look at me like, "Ha! Gotcha!"

 

[Bobsk8]

The concept of crating a dog in general, sounds totally bizarre to me. I found out about it from my daughter who crates her dog. To me, it is like putting a child in a tiny jail cell every day for hours at a time. I would never do that to Smokey, especially after she spent 10 months in a cage in a rescue shelter. If she lives in my house, then she lives in my house, not confined in a little metal box.....

 

[Buddy'sParents]

If you cannot keep your dog out of danger, keep tins of paint outside the house, or under lock and key, you are not responsible for owning that dog.

Please.

We give our dogs the world, we provide everything we can for them and that includes SAFETY. I am no less a responsible dog owner than you are. Maybe where you live it is acceptable for your dog to go everywhere and safe for you to leave your dog out unattended, but where we live, it is not. Our dogs can not go everywhere with us and it is certainly not safe to leave them running loose in our backyard.

We tried leaving Buddy out of his crate a couple of times, he hated it. He was nervous, he was barking at everything and anything. The minute we walked back through the door it was obvious that he had not enjoyed his time. Ever since then, we have crated both him and Banzai. Granted, hubby works from home, so it's only when we are out and about doing our grocery shopping or whatever. Regardless, our dogs can not go everywhere with us, there will be times when they will need to be left at home.

The purpose of the crate is to create a den, a safe-haven for your dogs. Both boys love their crates. When Buddy has had enough of Banzai or vice versa, he goes to his crate. His crate, Banzia is not allowed in there, mom is not allowed, no one is allowed, except for Buddy, his blanket and whatever toy(s) he wishes to have with him.

Yes, the crate does get over-used and abused by some people, but certainly not by us. When we are gone they are crated. When we are home, they are wherever they would like to be. At night, they sleep with us.

For some people, they have no other choice than to crate their dogs for 8 hours/day. As long as that dog receives the love and care necessary for a happy, fulfilled life, there is nothing wrong with it.

It would be wise for you to step off of your high and mighty pedastal and realize that situations are not the same for everyone. Not everyone can take their dogs with them, not everyone has the sense of security available to leave their dogs out unattended while they are gone. There are others that live in a perfectly acceptable neighborhood, with proper fencing that woudl allow for their dogs to roam free. Others do not. Just because a dog owner does not have these means does not justify you calling them irresponsible.

 

[SizzleDog]

Even when I worked 8hrs, I had family that had different scheds that would stop by the house and let Maddie out.

This was the case for my dobes until this year, when the boyfriend had to move to another city for school. People have suggested that I get someone to come in and let the dogs out midway through my shift, but I would never do that - Ilsa is megaterritorial and Ronin is probably even moreso... I'd come home to a bleeding dogwalker, backed into a corner by two very ticked off dobermans!

Another reason why my two are crated - maintenance workers come into our apartments on a regular basis (I live in a ritzy apartment complex... and I do mean RITZY) so everything is maintained by the 24/7 maintenance staff - I shudder to think what two territorial, loose Dobermans would do to a strange man coming into the apartment to say, fix the toilet or change a lightbulb!

 

[elegy]

To me, it is like putting a child in a tiny jail cell every day for hours at a time.

hello, playpen? crib?

 

[SizzleDog]

To me, it is like putting a child in a tiny jail cell every day for hours at a time.

IMO, dogs are not children. They do not behave, think, or resemble human children in any way, and treating them as such is one of my biggest pet peeves. The only thing they share with human children is the amount of love they recieve and deserve.

When humans anthropomorphize their pets, it can cause heaps of trouble. Dogs do not see crates as "cages", and they have no concept of "jail" or "prison". Dogs have different needs and desires than humans - their thought processes are different.

The dog that thinks of a crate as a "jail cell" is the same dog that is "ashamed" for pooping on the floor, pees on the bed for "revenge" purposes, and understands what it did wrong when punished for it hours later.

Dogs don't feel ashamed, they don't seek revenge, and they have no concept of deferred punishment. These are three instances of anthropormorphism, and yet you hear people accuse their dogs of shame, revenge, and the ability to understand what it did wrong when it is punished for soemthing it did 6 hours ago. This is all anthropomorphism.

 

[Brattina88]

To me, it is like putting a child in a tiny jail cell every day for hours at a time.

hello, playpen? crib?

ROFL! I agree! I also see parents that strap their kids in a high chair and spill some Cheerios on the tray and leave them for hours. And when they get fussy, they move the highchair in front of the TV

IMO, dogs are not children. They do not behave, think, or resemble human children in any way, and treating them as such is one of my biggest pet peeves. The only thing they share with human children is the amount of love they recieve and deserve.

When humans anthropomorphize their pets, it can cause heaps of trouble. Dogs do not see crates as "cages", and they have no concept of "jail" or "prison". Dogs have different needs and desires than humans - their thought processes are different.

The dog that thinks of a crate as a "jail cell" is the same dog that is "ashamed" for pooping on the floor, pees on the bed for "revenge" purposes, and understands what it did wrong when punished for it hours later.

Dogs don't feel ashamed, they don't seek revenge, and they have no concept of deferred punishment. These are three instances of anthropormorphism, and yet you hear people accuse their dogs of shame, revenge, and the ability to understand what it did wrong when it is punished for soemthing it did 6 hours ago. This is all anthropomorphism.

*nods*

 

[tessa_s212]

While I am at home my dogs CHOOOSE to go to their crates and lay in them. They take their bones and toys, lay in their crates, and they LIKE It in there.

Again, I ask, if all my dogs do all day is SLEEP!, why is it SO CRUEL to leave them in a crate.. afterall, they'd instead just be sleeping on the couches or floors either way. Where does it matter where they sleep? They are going to sleep no matter where I put them.

But, with that said, my dogs are not crated all day long. I have a mother that is home all day. So our dogs are given free range of the hosue during the day. But I still believe it is perfectly fine to leave a dog in a crate if you must work, so long as the dog is comfortable with it, the crate is large enough, and some stimulation(kongs, undangerous toys, bones) are left for the dog.

Originally Posted by SizzleDog View Post
IMO, dogs are not children. They do not behave, think, or resemble human children in any way, and treating them as such is one of my biggest pet peeves. The only thing they share with human children is the amount of love they recieve and deserve.

When humans anthropomorphize their pets, it can cause heaps of trouble. Dogs do not see crates as "cages", and they have no concept of "jail" or "prison". Dogs have different needs and desires than humans - their thought processes are different.

The dog that thinks of a crate as a "jail cell" is the same dog that is "ashamed" for pooping on the floor, pees on the bed for "revenge" purposes, and understands what it did wrong when punished for it hours later.

Dogs don't feel ashamed, they don't seek revenge, and they have no concept of deferred punishment. These are three instances of anthropormorphism, and yet you hear people accuse their dogs of shame, revenge, and the ability to understand what it did wrong when it is punished for soemthing it did 6 hours ago. This is all anthropomorphism.

*applause*

 

[Bobsk8]

IMO, dogs are not children. They do not behave, think, or resemble human children in any way, and treating them as such is one of my biggest pet peeves. The only thing they share with human children is the amount of love they recieve and deserve.

When humans anthropomorphize their pets, it can cause heaps of trouble. Dogs do not see crates as "cages", and they have no concept of "jail" or "prison". Dogs have different needs and desires than humans - their thought processes are different.

The dog that thinks of a crate as a "jail cell" is the same dog that is "ashamed" for pooping on the floor, pees on the bed for "revenge" purposes, and understands what it did wrong when punished for it hours later.

Dogs don't feel ashamed, they don't seek revenge, and they have no concept of deferred punishment. These are three instances of anthropormorphism, and yet you hear people accuse their dogs of shame, revenge, and the ability to understand what it did wrong when it is punished for soemthing it did 6 hours ago. This is all anthropomorphism.

I think that some people like to convice themselves that the dog doesn't mind being caged up for 1/3 of the day in an area that is barely large enough for it to stand and turn around in, but I bet none of us would volunteer to take the dog's place. My dog likes to walk around the house, look out the window, be able to run to the door when I come home or it hears a noise outside, which is exactly what Smokey is doing as I type this.

My personal feeling is that justifying crating a dog is just like people defending their pratice of keeping a dog outside chained to a stake all day long. They would say " Oh it's a just a dog, they don't mind that at all"....

I realize some people do it, but I never would or could.

 

[tessa_s212]

Please.

We give our dogs the world, we provide everything we can for them and that includes SAFETY. I am no less a responsible dog owner than you are. Maybe where you live it is acceptable for your dog to go everywhere and safe for you to leave your dog out unattended, but where we live, it is not. Our dogs can not go everywhere with us and it is certainly not safe to leave them running loose in our backyard.

We tried leaving Buddy out of his crate a couple of times, he hated it. He was nervous, he was barking at everything and anything. The minute we walked back through the door it was obvious that he had not enjoyed his time. Ever since then, we have crated both him and Banzai. Granted, hubby works from home, so it's only when we are out and about doing our grocery shopping or whatever. Regardless, our dogs can not go everywhere with us, there will be times when they will need to be left at home.

The purpose of the crate is to create a den, a safe-haven for your dogs. Both boys love their crates. When Buddy has had enough of Banzai or vice versa, he goes to his crate. His crate, Banzia is not allowed in there, mom is not allowed, no one is allowed, except for Buddy, his blanket and whatever toy(s) he wishes to have with him.

Yes, the crate does get over-used and abused by some people, but certainly not by us. When we are gone they are crated. When we are home, they are wherever they would like to be. At night, they sleep with us.

For some people, they have no other choice than to crate their dogs for 8 hours/day. As long as that dog receives the love and care necessary for a happy, fulfilled life, there is nothing wrong with it.

It would be wise for you to step off of your high and mighty pedastal and realize that situations are not the same for everyone. Not everyone can take their dogs with them, not everyone has the sense of security available to leave their dogs out unattended while they are gone. There are others that live in a perfectly acceptable neighborhood, with proper fencing that woudl allow for their dogs to roam free. Others do not. Just because a dog owner does not have these means does not justify you calling them irresponsible.

*more applause*

 

[Brattina88]

I think that some people like to convice themselves that the dog doesn't mind being caged up for 1/3 of the day in an area that is barely large enough for it to stand and turn around in, but I bet none of us would volunteer to take the dog's place.

If its barely large enough for the dog to stand up and turn around, then it is too small, IMO !

And while I agree with Tessa, don't your dogs get up at least once or twice to walk around, maybe get a drink of water, and then maybe go back to sleep in their crate ?
8hrs and no walking... that's what dogs do, is walk...

idunno... I think its a topic we're never going to all agree on... I can't even "pick a side" lol!