Going to be away longer than usual- any advice

[brindlemom]

We are moving further away from school and work, therefore I will not be coming home after class and eating before heading to work. Striker was never alone more than 3 hours. Well we move Sept 1, and will be gone from about 7-4 everyday. He is in his cage when we're gone for long periods of time. He's never been out of the cage more than 3 hours alone. I don't know what the best way of dealing with this is. Is 9 hours way too long for him to be crated? He has an extra large cage where he can play with his toys a bit, and it has his bed. We don't have water or food in it right now. Any suggestions???

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Cindy
Striker's Mom
7 month old Christmas baby, born 12/25/99. Brindle with white "socks", chest, blaze. Cute as can be!!!

 

[Badassboxer]

If your cage is that large he can play, eat and sleep then maybe it won't be so bad. But could you puppy proof maybe - your living room and kitchen and close all the doors to your home (I have a small home, so it's easier) - but 9 hours is a long time - Debo would get into something if left alone for 9 hours.

What about alternating puppy proofed rooms one day and the next his play area???

Do you have any other pets? I have two cats that keep Debo company if we leave for awhile. I think it helps.

 

[HELENE]

When Gunther, my husband, and I both worked we were gone all day, so we put Winston, our first Boxer, in the back of the house where the back door was. We only had one small window too high up for him to see out of, so if he heard a noise that he didn't understand he couldn't find out what it was. One day we came home and half of the paneling was off the wall! We decided to try him loose, we left him for half an hour in the house then went back, everything was O.K. The next day we let him have the run of the house again when we went to work, and got the neighbour to check on him a couple of times. We didn't have any problem with him after that. We were told that it was because he couldn't see what was going on outside and also that he was bored.

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Sergeant. 6 in October. Light brindle, natural ears. Full of fun.

 

[Tina-SCBR-NY]

Is there a neighbor that yo trust to take him out for a walk during the day to get some exersize?
I also clos all my bedroom doors so our dogs only have free run of the livingroom and kitchen...but 9 hrs is a long time.

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Proud momma of 3 boxer babies and 1 foster:
Dallas, F, Brindle 3/21/95
Dakota, M, Fawn 7/10/99
Missy, F, Brindle 8/7/99
And 1 Second Chance Foster dog
www.secondchanceboxer.com

 

[brindlemom]

We are going to have to meet the neighbors to see if we could get someone to maybe stop by. I'm going to see if maybe he could stay at one of his friends house during the day and they could play.

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Cindy
Striker's Mom
7 month old Christmas baby, born 12/25/99. Brindle with white "socks", chest, blaze. Cute as can be!!!

 

[Jan]

I think 9 hours is really too long to be crated. It would be better if he could be restricted to the kitchen or a couple of rooms. A window to look out is also a good idea, boxers seem to just love looking out the window and watching the world go by.

Good luck,

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Jan
Markus, dark brindle
neutered male, 6 yrs old

 

[Bxrlvr in KC]

Clyde & Cricket are crated for about 9 hours a day. I would like to get them to the point where they could be left out, but Clyde is quite destructive when bored. (Cricket would be OK.) I don't think 9 hours is too long for our dogs, but it's a very individual thing. I will admit, that our two need a lot of attention and play time when we come home.


I would be worried, too, that they might go through a window if they saw something disturbing. I've heard stories of dogs (not Boxers) doing this. Clyde did go through our back fence a couple of weeks ago chasing a squirrel, so I wouldn't put a window past him!


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Michelle

Mom to:
Clyde - Flashy fawn male, natural ears, 3/28/98
Cricket - Beautiful rescued black mutt, 1/98