How many of you work full days?

[Queenmum]

Wilma also has the run of the house. She rarely gets bored and misbehaves. We loose an occasional "something" left out on the counter, but that really doesn't happen very often. She uses her doggy door when she needs to potty. She has never been crated. Her last accomplishment was a bag of wrapping tissue confetti. I came home to find blue snow all over my living room.

Wilma knows her limits and I always have plenty of toys and things on hand for her to have her "Boxer Fun". When she gets bored, she goes outside and chases lizards and birds. She tolerates the heat really well (it was 109 degrees today) and when I came home she was asleep on the patio. When we get home, we all go for a swim and she eats dinner with us.

I never worry about her. She is probably alone from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday thru Friday.

 

[pipandscott]

We both work full time too. I am very lucky that I work less than 10 mins from home, and am out visiting people not in a office environment. I come home at lunch every day and spend at least on hour here. There are a few day when I have to go on a training course in london, and Harry does well 7 - 8 hours in his crate those days but they are few and far between.

 

[Ak_Red]

I work all day. Gator is still way young and spends the time in his crate. I do my best to get home for lunch to let him out, but sometimes it doesn't work for me. DC has the run of the house (I took the door off his crate last month) and has been fantastic! He has his toys and when I come home he is generally right next to Gator's crate, playing footsie. I look forward to the day they both has the run of the house.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Riley and Maggie are a few days apart. I feel guilty when I have a lot to do and leave Maggie alone. Sometimes on Saturdays I work 2 jobs and leave her all day and all evening with stopping home for an hour in between. I do make up for it, by being home a lot during the week.
I know people leave their dogs crated all day and they do fine, but I couldn't deal with her crated for any length of time. I started leaving Maggie out of her crate around 5 months ago for short times,then eventually all the time after several weeks. She is always is sitting at a second floor, ceiling to floor window, sleeping and waiting for me to come home. She has never done anything while I've been out. If she had been bad or destructive, then I would not have felt guilty crating her. Maybe you could try it. I wish you lived closer- I would check on Riley for you.
Ellen
Maggie 17 months

 

[KonaKoffe]

We've always have had to leave our babies (4 over the yrs) all day( 9-12 hrs) either crated when they were younger or with the run of the house once they could be trusted. My understanding from a breeder is that in the wild dogs would typically sleep all day and occasionally hunt for food. So by nature they sleep all day - especially when they get older. So long as they get min 20 minutes of excercise when you are home they should be fine.

I know when we are home on the weekends the dogs are exhausted by the end of the weekend just from being up all day.

 

[NFBoxerMom]

My husband and I both work full days, but he works earlier than I do. He's off every weekend with additional days off or afternoons off during the week. I only have every second week off so I'm off at least 1 weekday every week.

Our two oldest boxer babies aren't crated and have the run of our downstairs. The younger 2 are crated while we're out. Usually if we'll both be gone for an extended period our friend and nextdoor neighbour lets the dogs out for a pee break and feeds them if it's that time of day.

I still feel guilty for leaving the babies home alone but I feel better knowing that there's 4 of them to keep each other company.

 

[Adelle]

My husband and I both work full time also, I am gone between 8 - 9 hours a day. So we have a dog walker that comes by at lunch time and spends 30 minutes out in the back yard with them playing fetch and the likes.

Both of mine are crated so there is no way I would feel right about leaving them crated all day without a break. If they were not crated I might not feel so bad but neither of them can be trusted ouf of the crate.

So I always make sure they get plenty of exercise in the morning before I leave and alwasy rush home to them at the end of the day and again make sure they get more exercise at the end of the day.

 

[Clover's Mom]

I work full days, and feel horrible about Clover spending the day alone. She isn't in a crate anymore, but is however babygated in a bedroom and bathroom area. She has a ton of toys in there, and gets a peanut butter bone to snack on with a bowl full of water.
As soon as I get home we go off to the dog park for a hour or two. And she goes to daycare once a week (use to be more, but money got tight - but if I get the new job...). I try my hardest to plan my nights that I work late or have to go somewhere afterwok on her daycare days. On the weekends she only has to be babygated for an few hours if we happen to go see a movie or something.

 

[Diesel Dog]

We both work full-time too. BUt lucky for us I have some really good neighbor and SIL, who check in on him from time to time and let him out to play or just hang out. Most days he's in his crate for 7-9 hours. I get off early on Friday so I'm home by noon, I'll walk in the house and go get him, most of the time he's asleep. or laying down watching the history channel. I have noticed on days that I take off, most of the time hw'll just sleep all day.

 

[Bail's mommy]

Was just wondering how old is too old for crating??

I am imagining that a 70 lb dog is not crated or you all have really HUGE houses!!

just wondering.....