CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => General Cocker Spaniel Discussion => Topic started by: Ian on June 01, 2004, 04:32:45 PM
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Hi,
Is it best to leave a Cocker Spaniel in the house during the day when we are at work or would it be better to leave him outside in a kennel (we have a big garden which is secure). He is 8 months old and I have no problem in leaving him in the house as he is fully house trained but I want what is best for him.
Thanks
Ian
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Definitely in the house. If he's outside lots of things could happen - he could be stolen, he could find things to bark at & make your neighbours complain for example. How long do you leave him? At 8 months of age, he shouldn't be left for long periods on his own.
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Up until now I go home at lunchtime but cannot continue to do so, he is on his own from 08:30 till 12:45 and then from 13:15 until 17:00. He gets to walks a day and a lot of attention when we are there.
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Are you planning on leaving him from 8.30 - 17.00? Has he been left that long before, as i uspect if not, you may find his house trianing is not as good as you thought, i think he can hold himself, that long, but after sleeping all n ight , its unlikely he will want to sleep all day, and this means he will play, and possiblily do some damage to your house, the more he moves the more he will want to go to the toilet. He may become distructive. Why don't you try leaving him a bit longer each week. Like 8.30 - 13 then till 13.30 then to 2, etc... To get him used to it gradually.
Its not ideal for them to be left along for so long, but if there is nothing else you can do i would suggest doing it gradually... Is there anyone that can just pop in whilst you change the routine, that way you don't have to come home.
I feel guilty for leaving jazz for 4 hours, and lmake sure she gets a good run before i leave her, so she can rest, whilst i am out.
do you leave them in a crate or with the run of the house?
Cathy
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That's an awful long time for a puppy to be left if you're planning on leaving him from 08:30 to 17:00. Mine are 5 & 12 years old but I wouldn't leave them for that long. Isn't there some way you can carry on going home for lunch? I work full time but I always go home at lunchtime. It's sometimes a bind & it means I can't go out with others from the office when it's a birthday or something, but my dogs come first.
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He is left in the kitchen with the TV on. The kitchen is pretty big so he can run around a bit. He has not been that destructive really, he had a bit of a chew on the door frames but stopped that after a few days. I was thinking of getting a dog walker for 2 or 3 days a week (depending on cost!). Do you think that is a good idea and if so where will I be able to get one?
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Hi Ian,
I have to agree with the others, I don't think it's very fair to leave a puppy inside or out for that length time, they could develop anti-social habits that are not easy to rectify.
The dog walker sounds like a good idea, if this is going to be too expensive how about a nice neighbour or a relative popping in to see to him.
It's sometimes easy to forget that dogs are pack animals and they need to be with their humans!
I don't mean to sound harsh but I can't imagine leaving my two outside all day, I think they would die of a broken heart :?
Lizzy Molly and Evie
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where abouts in the country are you?
i know of some in my area, but i live in Luton. If you give me your area, ill see what i can findout for you.
I leave Jazz for part of the day, but once a week, i take her to doggy day care, where the lady only charges 10£ for he whole day from 7.30 to 6.00. This gives Jazz a full day of playing and socialising with children and all types and sizes of other dogs.
I think £10.00 is well worth the money as she has such fun, and stops me feeling guilty about leaving whilst i am a work.
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If you've got no other option a dog walker would be a good idea, but at only 8 months old, he really needs his family. Sorry to sound nosey but if you've managed to go home at lunchtime up to now, why can't you carry on doing it? Alternatively if you have neighbours or relatives living nearby who could pop in from time to time, that would be better than leaving him all day.
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Can't understand why you have posted on here asking advice on where you should leave your 8month old puppy either inside or outside from 8.30 till 5 o'clock(eventually) and then expect some good advice is it to ease your conscience? what about the puppy and when he/she starts 'acting up'and eventually destroying your house etc through sheer boredom and lack of company you start going on about the cost of dog sitters :!: sorry if you don't like this but I'm giving it to you straight as I see it unless you can explain yourself a bit better we are all pushed for time but can I ask why you have this little pup in the first place :?:
Edith
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I think thats a little harsh, peoples curcumstances change, and although its not ideal, sometimes these things happen.
I think it shows some responsibility in taking the time to ask for advice.
I do not think its the best curcumstance, but if the puppy gets good walks in the morning and evening, and time to play, with lots of love then there are alot worse situations out there.
M mum and dad used to have a golden retriver whilst i was growing up and she was left in the kitchen form 8.00 - 4, from one year old . She was walked well in the morning, and again in the evening, she was very well behaved, playful, and very loving, she lived until she was 16 years old, died of old age.
The doggy day care works great for me, maybe you could find the same thing a couple of days a week, and even if you can't get back every lunch time, you may be able to work something out for most of the week. Like I sadi before Private mail me if you want where you live and ill see if i can help.
Cathy
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Hi Ian,
It's difficult leaving a young dog alone during the day
We have 2 cockers, one at 16months and a second at 5months.
With Millie when we first left her she started chewing things, first the bathroom mat, then the contents of the bathroom bin, then the wallpaper, skirting board and plasterboard .. :roll:
Eventually we decided to lock her in the kitchen where she didn't chew anything - she was also house trained at an early age, with very few accidents from the age of 16 weeks, which meant that we could leaave her during the day, for 4 hours at a time with an hour at home for a a run and then another 4 hours in the afternoon. My mum would pop in every other day in the morning when she was working in the area and have a play with her / let her out. Then some afternoons, particulalry if we knew we would be working late she went to my mums.
With Jenni though, we can't leave her for longer than 3 hours alone because she simply won't hold her pees/poos - if she's not in her crate she just messes on the floor ... but she isn't destructuive (yet! touch wood!! :lol:)
So you see it is very difficult to gauge how your cocker will react to being left on his own for a longer period of time.
I have to admit that if we know we aren't going to be able to get home, or if we go out for the day but can't take the girls, we arrange for my mum to come down for an hour so that they aren't alone for longer than 4 /5 hours
I liked that idea that someone had for gradually increasing the amount of time he is on his own for, to gradually get him used to it.
But you need to appreciate that a dog who is left alone and expected to sleep for 8 hours during the day, and then expeced to sleep for 8 hours at night as well is going to be full of beans.
Perhaps a long walk in the morning would help settle him down during the day, and then another at night when you get home.
Make sure you leave him plenty of things to stimulate him during the day so that he isn't attracted to you kitchen cupboads ;) things like kongs stuffed with treats / peanut butter / jam/ frozen gravy (this is fun, make sure you use proper kongs though not imitations and stuff the little hole in the thin end with bread to stop the gravy running out when as it thaws, fill with gravy and whack in the freezer - guaranteed to entertain for ages! :) ) Perhaps a ball whichs drops out kibble when rolled so he has to play to get the food .. and toys, but nothing he could chocke on.
Of course if someone can pop in a couple of times during the day (do you have any 'dog walking friends') or for an hour or so thats great - doggy day care sounds great, all that socialisation!
I think he will be quite sad for the first few weeks, and will be very very glad to see you, but he will adjust if he has too. Just make sure you are aware of the extra 'work' he will be because of being left alone and that you do the most you can for him during the day.
What ever you do it needs to be what is best for him - remember that he has feelings and emotions too - if he has been naughty when you oget home you need to remember that it's been he's lonely /distressed/bored - which ultimately is your fault (sorry to sound harsh! :) )
Make sure you do whats best for him, whatever it is - and get posting a picture in the gallery! we all wanna see him!! :)
HTH
Kel
PS boy don't I waffle on and on!! hehehe
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well everyone is entitled to there opinion that's why we have forums like this sorry Ian if I attacked you
Edith
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Edith I can totally understand your reaction :wink:
Somehow I feel this post was written to get a reaction :? so I'm politely not going to add anymoe than anyone else has said :wink:
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Thank you Gilly I thought as much myself about the reaction thing wish that I hadn't risen to the bait now and I won't in future..lesson learnt
Edith :wink:
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Somehow I feel this post was written to get a reaction :?
I was beginning to think that too
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i think that if a dog is going to be left at long periods of time it should be done gradually and not all at once,so this allows the dog to adjust to the idea :idea:
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i think that if a dog is going to be left at long periods of time it should be done gradually and not all at once,so this allows the dog to adjust to the idea :idea:
A dog really shouldn't be left alone for more that 4 hours, IMHO! Especially cockers, they so love company and people, dogs are like people, they can become depressed if left alone too long on a frequent basis.
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To those who offered reasoned and helpful advice then thank you very much. To those who simply saw fit to belittle me then get a life. He is my first dog and I am simply seeking advice, if you have nothing constructive to offer then keep your blinkered opinions to yourself. I will not bother asking so called “experts” again and will make decisions on his wellbeing myself.
Once again thank you to those who offered useful advice.
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Ian,
This link may help you find a responsible pet sitter
http://www.dogsit.com/pages/869224/index.htm (http://www.dogsit.com/pages/869224/index.htm)
Good luck :)
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Ian,
I am sure that no one meant to offend you. We are all entitled to our opinions, although obviously you don't have to agree with them :wink: We have had cases of "internet trolls" on this forum in the past and I think some of us may have thought your post was made to goad people into an argument. Maybe if you made an introduction on the board and told us a bit about your cocker etc...we can start anew :wink:
You are not the only board member to have a cocker who works full-time, although not ideal in some cases it cannot be helped.
Gilly
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Welcome to COL Ian.
Both myself and my husband work full time, however, we are very fortunate in that we work 'odd' hours and Charlie only works every 4 out of every 10 days (but he works really, really, really hard when he's in work :roll: :roll: :roll: ).
Anyway, my point is that we have a dog walker. She is fantastic and Piper just adores her and her doggies. On a couple of occasions Piper has also had a sleep over with the dog walker - which I am reliably informed she thinks are wonderful :D We pay £5 for an 'hours' walk which I think is good value but to be honest Piper is often picked up and only returned to the house 2 or 3 hours later after a most excellent walk at a country park! :D
Chances are that you won't be near to me (Wigan) but if by any chance you are I can certainly PM you with her number.
Hope you get things sorted out.
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Hi ian
when my last spaniel was just six months old, circumstances changed and i could no longer be at home for him. We got a dog walker. Not an ideal situation but it was better then leaving him home alone all day. He was picked up at around 11 and returned about 2ish. He was walked with about 10 other dogs which some people will cringe at, but to be honest I think it done him the world of good because we never had problems socialising him.
I did check out the walker first, watching him at work for a few days before I approached him to see how he handled the dogs and to see how long he actually was out with them. The walker was insured, came with references and took Gunnar out for a trial to see how he coped before agreeing to take him.
Maybe not an ideal situation but its one that worked for us.
Hth
Suki
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Hi
I have been reading these posts with interest over the past few days because my situation is about to change too and I feel so dreadfully guilty. My husband has decided that he no longer wishes to be married and so Jake and I are about to move out on our own. I am worried about how this will effect Jake as hubby worked from home for the majority of the week. Having said that, from a young age we got him used to spending a bit of time on his own as we realised there would be occassions when he just could not come out with us. He doesn't make a fuss and usually if we creep in the back gate quietly he can be found upside down asleep in his bed so I think he is quite glad of the rest sometimes!
On the plus side, the house I am buying is practically next door to work so getting home in breaks and lunch will be easy. The garden is much bigger than the one I have now and is surrounded by the walls of at least 6 foot high or the sides of other houses, with no access other than through the house or garage. I am having a dog flap fitted for him so he can go in and out as he pleases because I am happy that he will be secure. Fortunately mum is around quite a bit and so there will be days when he is with her westie and my sisters cocker. My mother in law has also offered to call in and see her 'grandson' sometimes too. Before and after work Jake will continue to come to the stables with me where he has 170 acres to run round or we go to the beach so he will still get plenty of walks. I will take time off when we move so we can settle in together.
It's not quite the way that I planned things for us but at the moment, Jake is really keeping me going. I still feel guilty and worry about him though, I just don't know what I would do without him. I think I will also look into the dog walker idea as suggested in some of the other posts. I think he will get used to his new life reasonably quickly but is there anything else I can do to help him with the transition? He is such a happy boy and I want him to stay that way! Any tips gratefully received.
Many thanks
Joe
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Hi Joe,
I am really sorry to hear that your situation is changing :( and I hope that all works out well for you.
I totally understand what you are saying about Jake helping you through things and of course you want to do your best for him. It sounds as though you have everything in place to ensure that Jake's life continues to be as wonderful without his dad as it was with his dad. I am sure that Jake will adapt to his new routine and environment and the most important thing is that he's still got his mummy :D :D :D
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Ian COL is such a brilliant site and I am sorry that you felt belittled by some of our comments believe me I have never belittled anyone in my life and I am not going to start now :wink: If you had only introduced yourself we could have got to know you a little better and none of this would have happened you are not the only person who is leaving your pup we all have to work to earn a living the people on here are great and we aren't know it alls we all have individual experiences and that's what we share on here our experiences of cockers we don't try and convert people or tell them what they can and can't do so just want to get that straight ..I hope you sort out some doggie day care for your little pup
Edith
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Hi Joe
Sorry you are going through such a tough time atm.
It sounds to me like you are doing everything you can to keep Jake safe and happy and its great to hear you mother in law is going to be around to help out.
If you do decide on a professional walker, do check him/her out before you go ahead. Another idea is to find a retired person in the area who used to have a dog and are reluctant to get a new one because of age and expense. Many folk in that situation miss the walks and the company and may be open to the idea of dog sitting/walking.
Hth
Suki
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, but once a week, i take her to doggy day care, where the lady only charges 10£ for he whole day from 7.30 to 6.00. This gives Jazz a full day of playing and socialising with children and all types and sizes of other dogs.
What a fantastic idea!!!
i don't suppose theres anything like that down in the Torbay area of Devon is there??
I also work full time. My office is 10 mins from my house, i start at 9, home for lunch (1 1/2 hours) and finish at 4.30.
Luckily my parents and my sister live really close so they're going to pop in and out through out the day when i can't be there and may on occasion go and 'spend the day' with them. I know its not ideal but we have got it worked out that she's never on her own for more than about an hour at a time. and luckily for me she is already fairly well house trained.
but if there was a doggy day care near me i would certainly love to look into it a day a week.
Having said all that...i don't get to pick my lil dog up until sunday....sooooo excited!!! :D :D :D <bounces like tigger>
Nic
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Hi Joe,
I'm really sorry to hear about you and your husband, but please dont worry about Jake as long as he has you Jake will be just fine :wink:
I'm sending you a big (http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/love/love28.gif) and wishing you and Jake lots of luck in your new home. xx
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Joe I am truly sorry that things are bad for you at the moment but you do sound very positive especially about Jake and you certainly have nothing to feel guilty about :D you sound as if your doing a great job and trying to keep things as normal as normal can be :wink:
take care both and given time things will get back to 'normality'
Edith
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Thanks to all of you for you kind messages. I'm really glad I posted now and feel much more positive.
Fortunately Jake's mummy and daddy have known each other for 25 years, since playschool and so daddy will be able to have lots of visits. Both sides of the family love Jake to bits and so I am sure he will still get lots of fuss and attention. Worse case scenario, if I was really stuck Jake could spend the day with his daddy at our old house but we are not sure if that would confuse him. I guess we will see how he settles.
Jake seems to know exactly when I'm feeling upset and wants to give a big cuddle. Then, he runs off to his toy box, rumages around for a while and pulls out a toy. He races back over and pushes it into my lap as if to say 'Well, come on then, that's enough crying now mum, let's get on with it!'. I'm sure nearly all dog owners think their breeds are best but you really can't beat a cocker and how can you stay upset when they are just so beautiful?
We don't have any human children but I was really feeling like a bad mum, so thanks again, perhaps things won't be so bad.
Lots of love
Joe and Jakey
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Hi Joe, you certainly have nothing to feel guilty about at all. In fact in IMHO Youv'e taken everything into account, To make sure your boy will be safe and happy, in his new home, and i'm sure he will adjust very quickly.
Youve thought of everything, even down to getting your MIL involved, i take my hat of to you, ( thats if i was wearing one :wink: )
Just read your second post , i think your a brilliant mum. (http://www.hondenhuys.nl/forumsmilies/gruppe.gif)
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Hi Joe, I'm sorry about your split with OH, but believe me, Jake will be fine. When I got divorced I got custody of Teddy, my very first Cocker, who was 12 at the time. I also have a human son who was only 5 at the time of the divorce. Both of them adapted to only having Mummy around. Teddy was epileptic for the last 6 years of his life, but it didn't stop him enjoying life even in a single parent family. Dogs don't seem to get confused by change as we might expect them to.
I think as long as Jake has you & knows that you love him he'll be fine. Sounds to me like you've got it all sussed. Good luck :D
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Ian (hope you are still here)
I think it is very difficult for any dog owner to give a puppy a text book up bringing.People have to work, its a fact of life. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be at home during the day, but there are ways of making things easier on our little chums. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Billy is on his own Mon-Fri 830am until 330pm but we do manage to get home at lunch time each day for at least an hour. Its not ideal that billy is left alone this long but circumstances changed that made it impossible for us to make his time alone any shorter. And there was no way we were giving him up.Before i leave for work Billy and i go to the park where billy has 30 minutes off the lead. We play games where i hide treats and he has to find them etc so by the time i leave for work he has spent approx 90minutes with me and is probably ready for a sleep. It is hard, i have to drag myself out of bed in the morning much earlier than i used to. :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
Then when we come home we have to spend quality time with Billy, we take him on another walk and play more games and yes it is definatley true that when a pup is left alone you have to expect them to be more full of beans. I sometimes feel guilty but I know that billy is very well looked after and we do ensure that before and after work we make quality time for Billy. It is hard especially when you have had a hard day and billy
wants to play tug of war with his blanket as soon as you walk throught he door :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
At weekends we are at home all day and to be honest billy sleeps in the morning on saturday and sunday after he has had his walk so that must be what he does during the week too!!!
I think the dog walking is a great idea, we dont have anything like that here but if you can manage it then i would do so. Have you considered a dog door? My dads neighbours are at home allday and they have a springer pup. They do nothing with it, dont even take it out for a walk. when i compare the lives of the two dogs i know my billy has the better one. It is quality not quantity time what counts :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:
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Ian , if youre still there ive sent you a message
Emma and Bracken xxx
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I have to admit that I don't agree with puppies being left alone for such a long time. If it can't be helped, the doggy day care sounds brilliant though :D A dog walker is also a great idea.
I feel in Joe's case that lots of provisions have been made for the dog, I'm sure things will work out fine.
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Hi there
We also have to leave our pooches alone some days for longer than we would like, but we always find the time to break it up by having at least one visit home so they dogs can have a garden/walk/game break!
Usually someone is around and the max they are left is around 4 hours at any one time but now and again (usually when I am travelling with work) its two 4 hour stints thru the day.
However I agree with Jan and that if the time you are around is 'Quality' time then the dogs are kept happy! Ours get 3 20min walks on lead a day, every day and also weather/time etc permitting an hour off lead a day and at the wkend a couple of hours a say off lead. They sleep loads on Sat and Sun especially in the mornings agter their walks...which is the same routine as in the week.
Its nit ideal but if we didnt work we wouldnt be able to afford to have 2 dogs, take them to training classes etc etc so we make the best of it. Having said that a friend of mine has just bought a pup and who isnt stimulated as much as ours and they are having trouble with boredom destruction...(I have now lent them my perfect puppy book and asked them to come training with us...as they are novice owners and need a bit of help :wink:
Jane, JessieCocker and SaffiWestie!