Advice Please - Crate Training Question From Newbie

[BlueAngel25]

Hi all,

I just recently got a house, with a nice back yard. I've been waiting all my life to have a dog (my family has always had cats), and its now becoming a reality.

My question is related to crate training, and the fact that I work all day (leave house @ 7 AM, back at ~5:45 PM). I work 45 minutes from home, and therefore I won't be able to go home at lunchtime to let the dog out. When the dog is a puppy, how would you best suggest that I handle this situation?

My only idea is this: My girlfriend, who lives with me, is a schoolteacher so she has summers off. Maybe it be best to get the puppy somewhere at the beginning of the summer, so that she could be with it during the day, and then during the summer we could get the puppy used to being in the crate at longer time intervals? By the end of the summer, maybe the puppy would be used to being in the crate during the day, and we could then get into a "normal" routine? Does this make sense? Would the summer be enough time to get the puppy used to being crated during the day? I spoke with some Boxer breeders at a dog show, and they said that they work all day too, and that their Boxers were crated during the day. Stupid me, I forgot to ask how long it took to get the dog used being crated all day.

Sorry for the long post.

Thanks in advance,

Keith

 

[Layla's Mama]

Crate

My dogs all four of them are in the kennel from 9 am till about 5-6 pm. I sometimes get home during lunch to let them out but if I do not get a chance then they are ok till I get home but when I do get home at night the first thing I do when I walk in the door is let them right out. I also do not feed my dogs untill night time that way i know there is nothing in their system to have an accident. However I do leave them with Kongs stuffed to keep them busy. Hope this helps.

Layla's Mama

Layla-Boxer 1 year 9 months
Roxy-American bulldog 2 years 9 months
Flash- Bassett Hound - about 9 years or so
Boomer-Mix breed- about 7 years or so

 

[abby's mum]

It can be done but if you are getting a puppy I would get in the summer so your girlfriend can be home with it. I would also get the puppy when it is at least 12 weeks as apposed to the ordinary 8 weeks so he/she is that much further along witht their develpment. You could also after crate training set up a puppy proof room with crate in it or crate with ex pen attached to give him/her more room and a place for accidents just in case. Another option would also be to get a rescue that is around a year old. There are many boxers in need of good homes and they are already house trained to some extent. Good luck in whatever you do.

 

[Jan]

As a rule you can crate your puppy for one hour for every month of age, plus one hour. Even if you got your puppy at the beginning for the summer, by September you would be able to crate for only 5 hours. Would your girl friend be able to come home at lunch to let the puppy out? Another alternative would be to hire a dog walker. You will actually be gone for almost 11 hours and there is no way that I would ever leave a puppy or an adult for that matter, in a crate for that long. A dog walker would still be necessary and it can be expensiive. Have you considered a rescue? An adult may be better than a puppy.

I hope your girlfriend is on side with getting a puppy as it sounds like she will be spending a lot of time looking after the puppy. What will her hours be away from the house?

Good luck!

 

[apollosdad]

if you do decide to move forward and get a dog, i would definitely try to time it with your friend's summer vacation. i did the exact same thing when i brought apollo home. i actually planned my vacation time and made sure that i was around him for the first two weeks that he was home in order to assist with his new transition. it would normally be very stressful to go from being with your mom, brothers and sisters in the litter to a new home and then being left all alone.
another suggestion i would have is to make sure that he spends the first couple of nights in his crate in order for him to adapt the fastest to his new home. apollo was used to his new crate within two days and was getting the hang of the housebreaking routine within those two days as well. the boxer breed is a very smart dog and as long as you keep him on a consistent schedule you should be okay. i would definitely recommend crate training to any new dog owner. they are by far the best way to housebreak a dog and are even better for boxers since they are both very intelligent and clean dogs. be sure to get one large enough for your dog so that he has plenty of room when he's full grown. also be sure to get one with a divider panel to allow you to adjust the space as he grows. only give him enough space to be able to stand up and lie down it at first since this will discourage him from soiling the area in which he sleeps. when away, be sure to provide him with plenty of toys to keep him occupied.

 

[BlueAngel25]

Hi all, thanks for your comments, they are very helpful.

Since I've never had a dog before, this whole thing is new to me (i.e. crate training).

Ultimately, I had in mind that when he gets older he would not have to be in a crate all day (while I'm at work). Is this wrong to think? I guess I'm not completely clear on what the crate is used for....I know that it is his place, and therefore a place that he feels very comfortable. But, if he's old enough/trained will he necessarily need to be in a crate while I'm at work?

To provide some additional information, my girlfried almost always gets home before I do. Typically anytime between 3 and 4:30. Jan, yes, my girlfriend is definitely on the side of getting a puppy. Actually, she is the one that recommended that we get one during the summer when she is at home.

Sorry to ask questions about things that are most likely fundamental to dog owning, but I must admit that I simply do not know the answers.

 

[Ciscobxr]

Sorry to ask questions about things that are most likely fundamental to dog owning, but I must admit that I simply do not know the answers.

Don't worry, that is what Boxer World is for!
Cisco is 10 months and I have very recently started leaving him out of his crate at night. Never during the day when I am not at home. Boxers are considered puppies till they are about 2 yrs old so you are just asking for trouble to leave one out earlier than about 2. Every dog is different, but I have read many, many stories here of people getting home and they don't have a couch left, literaly.

 

[Cami]

I was very lucky with my girl who will be turning two at the end of the month. She was crated until 9 months of age and then slowly she started being given free roam of the entire house and by 12 months was 100% crate free (day and night). She has never once destroyed anything in my home and has not had any accidents since the age of 4 months. It can be done but it requires total commitment every day. I am self-employed and very fortunate to be able to come and go from work as I chose and live within minutes of home. I never left my girl in the crate for longer than 2-3 hours at any one stretch. And even now have only ever left her alone for 4-5 hours. Since our way isn't the norm it will probably take longer to entrust your dog with free reign of the house alone. But it can be done. Definatly wait until your girlfriend can be home with the pup for long stretches, it will be easier to potty train etc....Good-Luck!

 

[apollosdad]

don't feel bad about asking questions, that what this entire site is for. besides, we all had the same questions jumping around in our heads at some point or another. there are a few other things you might want to consider when deciding whether or not to crate train a dog. whether or not you will be getting a male or female and whether or not they will be spayed or neutered. females might go into heat and that can lead to really big mess, and males can begin to lift their legs in order to mark their territory. also boxers tend to be very clever and learn very quickly. even at times when we might not think they are paying attention. a few of my previous boxers had watched me enough times to figure out how to open a regular door and would try to get out from time to time. i always left the storm door locked and they could never get past that.
you might also want to consider that sometimes your dog's stomach might get upset with something they might get into while your away, and even when your not, and that can lead to vomit or diarrhea to clean up. in addition to no longer having a couch, you might come home one day and discover that you also have some chewed up table legs, destroyed throw pillows, broken objects, etc. crating a dog prevents all of this from happening and if his/her tummy gets upset, at least the total area to clean up will be smaller.
dogs like to be in dens and a crate acts just like one. they will soon consider their crate a safe sanctuary. some other things to remember is that a dog should never be sent to his crate out of punishment. you don't want him to associate his crate in a negative way. also in order to speed up the housebreaking process when you first bring your puppy home, you should take him to place in your yard that you want him to relieve himself at and allow him to do his thing. this should be done each and every time he is let out of his crate in order for him to get into a routine. you can even train to go in the same place over and over again, so you don't destroy your whole yard. once he gets completely housebroken, he can be taught to let you know when he needs to go outside, by either barking by the patio door, tapping at the glass, or even ringing a bell. there are plenty of forums and websites about each of those topics.
my best suggestion to you would be to read up on a few books and do some research here on what might work for you and your friend. a few books i would suggest that you read would be:

Boxers for Dummies
Training your Boxer by Joan Hustace Walker
Boxer: A Kennel Club Book by Richard Tomita
Boxers: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual by Barron's
The World of the Boxer by Richard Tomita

I had read all of these books prior to bringing apollo home and found their information to be very helpful.
The books by Richard Tomita are especially helpful since he is a world famous Boxer breeder and owns a very successful Boxer Kennel and dog related businesses.

 

[lexintitus]

I've heard of people leaving their dogs out during the day. I know it takes LOTS of training. However, even if you get to the point where you can leave your dog out, you will still need to make the outside available for the bathroom. It seems like your best option is to hire someone to come by and let your dog out about mid-day. Either that or think of friends/family members who could come by. Maybe rotate. You're smart to work all this out before you get the pup. Hope everything works out for the best