lonely dog what should I do?

[jboboxer]

I've been putting Roxy that's 5 months old in her crate for 4-5 hours, then somebody comes over and lets her out for about 15 minutes in the backyard, then I come home 4-5 hours later.
Originally I was expecting for my wife to be home a lot more, but with her job she's working crazy hours and basically leaves before I get up and comes home really late at night. She does taxes for a living, so she has certain busy seasons, but eitherway I'm home more with Roxy.

Well I've read that dogs sleep on average 12-14 hours. So I figured she sleeps on our schedule 8 hours and then she sleeps I hope 4 hours when we're gone and shes' in her crate.

I used to come home everyday and she would be sleeping by the time I get home. Now everytime I get home I can hear her barking before I even open up the door. I'm not sure if she's barking the whole time or if it's something else. I don't think she can hear the car, because the music is on and she can't hear when people are about to ring the door bell or anybody is at the front door.

So I'm not sure if she's barking a lot or throughout the day or just before I'm getting home. I tried to ask my neighors, but they just tell me they hear it a little bit and it doesn't bother them.

I feel bad that she has to be in the crate for so long and by herself, so I'd really like to get her another dog eventually, but right now she has red mange a UTI and so many other issues right now that I think getting another dog isn't going to help out the situation.

I'm really not sure what to do to keep her entertained while in the crate for that many hours or any suggestions? Right now I put in a chew toy, the kong with dried chicken that she sometimes doesn't finished (black kong, so not sure if it's too strong).

I started to turn on the radio, but wasn't sure if that's a good thing or not and she would rather have it a little bit quiet, so she can sleep some.

When I come home I walk her, play fetch with her, have toys she plays with and she enjoys the time with me it seems, but it's sad when I come home to hear her barking in the crate. Doesn't seem like an excitement bark, more like the same bark when I have to put her in the crate for an hour when I mow the lawn each week and she barks the entire hour.

I have a doggy door for her, but I still don't trust her to be out of the crate when I'm gone to be honest right now.

 

[sargboxerluv]

Park up the street and sneak up to the house to see if she is doing it. If not, go back and get your car and pull in like usual. Is she barking now?

That is a very long time to be in a crate even for an adult dog. Is it possible to gate her in the kitchen or a similar room? That way she would have more room to run.

 

[ehayes21]

I am sorry, but that is too long for a puppy to be in the crate each day with only a 15 minute break. Whoever your person is that comes in and lets her out, would there be a way they could lengthen the time they spend with her? I would have them tire her out with a good walk or play time...that way she's not couped up with all that energy.

 

[Caney Creek]

I also think that her break is not long enough considering the amount of time she's crated. I used to pet-sit an English Bulldog puppy who was on the same schedule. I went to let him out every weekday afternoon to let him out, feed him and walk him, I spent at least an hour with him each time and still can't remember a time that he was ready to go back in his crate when I left... except on days I took him out for a "playdate." At least once a week I'd take him back to my place to play with Caney for a couple of hours, that really wore him out!

Can the person who comes in the afternoon possibly stay longer with her, or take her for a walk during that time? I know she needs the break in the afternoon, but 15 minutes is almost like a tease to her. Or, could one of your neighbors come over a second time during the day?

You also mentioned she still has a UTI... shouldn't she be going out more frequently then? I can only assume that the UTI is connected to the amount of time she spends in the crate. Regardless of what caused it I'm sure that she would recover sooner if she could relieve herself more frequently throughout the day.

 

[jboboxer]

Park up the street and sneak up to the house to see if she is doing it. If not, go back and get your car and pull in like usual. Is she barking now?

That is a very long time to be in a crate even for an adult dog. Is it possible to gate her in the kitchen or a similar room? That way she would have more room to run.

Not really, because it's a open area with the kitchen more of an island style, so there's really no area to block off.

I'm home with her now and she doesn't bark when I'm home with her really unless it's to come back in the house or something like that. I'm home every other Friday and Monday was a holliday.
So last weekend I was with her all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday. This weekend I'm going to be with her all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

I'll try parking down the street, but I would be shocked if she can actually hear my car and not another one, because she's all the way on the other side of the house and she can't ever tell when my wife gets home, until the door is opening up, so I wouldn't understand and my wife has been getting home at late hours with less traffic on our street. I get home at a time that there's some traffic

 

[jboboxer]

I am sorry, but that is too long for a puppy to be in the crate each day with only a 15 minute break. Whoever your person is that comes in and lets her out, would there be a way they could lengthen the time they spend with her? I would have them tire her out with a good walk or play time...that way she's not couped up with all that energy.

The weekday schedule is basically she goes in the crate around 8am and somebody comes over at 12pm to 1pm to let her out. Then I'm home about 6pm everyday at the latest and as I said before every other friday I'm off work and the friday I do work I make it home by 5pm.

So as far as how much time she's out of the crate, it's 15 minutes maybe up to 30 minutes during lunch and then shes' out of the crate from 6pm until about 11pm give or take.

 

[jboboxer]

I also think that her break is not long enough considering the amount of time she's crated. I used to pet-sit an English Bulldog puppy who was on the same schedule. I went to let him out every weekday afternoon to let him out, feed him and walk him, I spent at least an hour with him each time and still can't remember a time that he was ready to go back in his crate when I left... except on days I took him out for a "playdate." At least once a week I'd take him back to my place to play with Caney for a couple of hours, that really wore him out!

Can the person who comes in the afternoon possibly stay longer with her, or take her for a walk during that time? I know she needs the break in the afternoon, but 15 minutes is almost like a tease to her. Or, could one of your neighbors come over a second time during the day?

You also mentioned she still has a UTI... shouldn't she be going out more frequently then? I can only assume that the UTI is connected to the amount of time she spends in the crate. Regardless of what caused it I'm sure that she would recover sooner if she could relieve herself more frequently throughout the day.

The UTI was caused by antibiotics, but maybe the hours in a crate didn't help. I know I've read a puppy shouldn't be expected to hold it more than 1 hour more than her age. So I was under the impression if she's 5 months old she should be able to hold it for 6 hours.

She is housebroken, but I do clean up her urine from the crate every now and then, but really don't blame her, because she has no option when she's in the crate.

I actually can't ask the person to stay longer and the person has indicated they don't even want to do this anymore and basically has quiet. Since Roxy has red mange, her hair was following everywhere and skin was dropping that it's made people's allergies really bad. The person who was coming says she has too bad allergies and can't do it anymore.

I'm going to try and drive home myself for lunch to take her out, but of course that might make my stay at work a little bit later. Originally I thought that my wife was going to be able to help me a lot more with my puppy, but with her work hours....... I'm the only one who's really spending time with her.

I walk her every single day at about 6pm for about 20 minutes. She's only 5 months old and I can see she seems really tired with just a 20 minute walk, so I didn't want to over walk her. I think walking her twice a day would be great, but I do have a problem waking up in the morning, so it's why I've only been doing it when i get home at about 6pm and then feed her at 7pm and she's sleeping by probably 10 or 11.

The lady who was coming over to let her out used to walk her a few times, but just decided to stop. She's a family member that we were paying, but she just didn't want to walk Roxy anymore, maybe because Roxy was pulling too much a month or two ago and the lady is really thin and I'm sure she got sick of the struggle.

Do you think if I come home for 30 minutes that I'm better off taking her for a 30 minute walk than letting her in the backyard for 30 minutes? My concern is that I'm in Florida and even though the heat is not as bad as it was before that the concrete is so hot that I can't walk barefoot for more than 5 minutes. So I would imagine Roxy would be in pain if I walked her during my lunch break.

 

[ehayes21]

I know you are trying to the best for your pup, but every dog is an individual and as you've realized this schedule is just not cutting it. UTI's are not caused by antibiotics, they are caused by bacteria. Keeping her confined for long periods of time without the ample opportunity to potty is more than likely the culprit.
You need to find a new solution...if you were paying a family member, then why not pay a dog walker to come over and give your pup the relief she needs?
And just to clarify, she's in her crate for about 10 hours during the day and then goes back in when you go to bed?? I hope that is not the case, because that is no life for any dog.

As far as walking during the day, I also live in FL and while it's freaking hot...the dog's have no problem walking on the sidewalks...they have well equipped pads that work well in the heat. So don't let that detour you.

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

Also if your dog already has a bladder infection I'd ditch the dried chicken (which I'm thinking is chicken jerky?) dried food only sucks the water out of them. Also does she have access to water through a water bottle during this time? You're basically not giving her the opportunity to drink anything for 10+ hours a day, that would give many things animals and humans alike a bladder infection, not to mention possible kidney problems. You can very easily get a gerbil bottle/rabbit water bottle and attach it to the outside of the crate with the spicket going through one of the metal bars (assuming it's a foldable metal crate) and then all she has to do is lick that spicket to get water. I have one attached to my boy's crate and have for over a year and it works great, he doesn't spend a ton of time in there but when he is he has full access to water. Not drinking enough water to flush out the bacteria causes bladder infections, and not going to the bathroom enough so that the bacteria sits in the bladder causes them as well. So assuming she doesn't have access to water while in the crate PLUS doesn't have the opportunity to relieve herself is more than likely what caused it. And yes, she CAN hold her bladder for 6 hours if need be, but would YOU want to have to hold your bladder for 6 hours all day every single day? I am not one to balk over crate time when it's a temporary situation, however this seems to be rather permanent. And for your family member that you're PAYING to just decide to stop walking her is unacceptable. You're PAYING them. I agree, if you're already paying for a family member to come over, get a professional dog walker or pet sitter or even just a teenager or stay at home mom in the neighborhood to come over everyday for an hour or so and play with her, interact with her, let her out to potty and drink, run around, etc.

Also do you stuff the Kong with anything other than chicken jerky? If you Google Kong recipes there are a TON of recipes for them online. You can take canned food mixed with a little peanut butter, mixed with some boiled chicken and mix everything together and then stuff it and then freeze it so it's solid and she has to work to get it out. One of those usually lasts my boy a good 3 hours or so and it's all healthy stuff in there. But I'd do fresh boiled chicken as opposed to chicken jerky.

And yeah UTI's (bladder infections) are not CAUSED by antibiotics they are CURED by antibiotics. Bladder infections are caused by bacteria and antibiotics kill bacteria.

 

[tasham]

Gosh I feel guilty to put my puppy in his crate for more than a couple hours a day total. I'm sorry, but the schedule you have her on is just way too long for any dog to be in a crate. I don't want to sound critical, but it's not fair for a dog to be in a crate and be let out so few hours of the day.

What about doggie daycare? I'd definitely consider the expense of that in exchange for knowing that my dog is happy and playing. There are several doggie daycares usually in any given area. I'd highly consider doing that. She'll be happier and have all her energy out and be able to have more of a dog's life than being stuck in a crate 10+ hours a day.