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Marcie
Complete Happiness :)
Member since 5/05 27789 total posts
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LOVE being a Mommy!
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
I lost my job in October, we moved into a house in January. Since I was out of work, DH and I decided that we would get a puppy. We got her Jan. 16 - I planned on staying home with her until she was about 2 months old. Well, she is 9 months and I am still home with her. We crate her - she LOVES it. We get ready to go out, she walks right in there and lays down. When she gets scared, she runs in there. You touch her crate - she gets mad (she grabs her blanket from me when I take it to wash it). It is her home 
I think that a puppy needs someone home for at least a little while in the beginning, especially when they are getting used to a new place. But then again, I know so many people that they get a puppy and go to work the next day and there puppies have been fine.
I guess it is up to you. You need to figure out if you are going to be too guilty of leaving a dog at home. You also have to think about the breed that you are going to get. Some dogs need alot of exercise and won't like being in a crate all day. Also, if you are going to get a breed that needs alot of exercise you have to ask yourself are you willing to spend most of the time you have at night after work - playing with this puppy - cause they are going to want all of your attention in the beginning.
We got a Golden Retriever and like I said before she loves her crate - she would spend all day in it (and has on a few occasions)
Good Luck to you!!
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Posted 8/22/05 6:12 PM  |
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Long Island Weddings
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mskimmy98
My twins are one!!!
Member since 5/05 2540 total posts
Name:
Kimberly
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
Yes I do think is kinda cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day.. Rudy is 1 year old (Today.. YAYYY).. and someone still checks on him once a day for about an hour.
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| Posted 8/22/05 7:41 PM |
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MissJones
I need a nap!
Member since 5/05 22136 total posts
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
Posted by Redhead
IMO i think that taking on the responisbility of a dog certainly does teach you responisiblity that in a way is training for parenthood...
There certainly are similarities
Totally agree. And I think that the devotion or lackthereof can be indicative of some parents. For instance, I can feel confident with how DH will be as a father because of how he treats the dog. Although some people treat their pets better than their kids, I know with him, our kids will get a lot of love because of how much love the dog gets.
Anyway, I think that a puppy requires a lot of work and training. Keeping a puppy in a crate all day is sad, IMO, but a crate is sometimes what they need. But not for 14 hours. They need water, food, toys, access to going to the bathroom. And when you come home, he or she will need attention. Dogs are like people. They need interaction.
If you can go home at lunch to walk it or just to say hi, that will be huge. The older they get, the more independent they become. But I know some owners get companion pets for their pets so they are not alone.
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| Posted 8/22/05 8:10 PM |
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Bri
I Love You to Pieces!
Member since 5/05 9919 total posts
Name:
Brianne
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
Posted by LadyLainez
Well. I think most people really have no choice since many couples both work full time. I don't think it's cruel, as long as the dog has access to water & food.
I agree
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| Posted 8/22/05 9:11 PM |
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CheeChee
HI THERE!!!!
Member since 5/05 3416 total posts
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
No. I did have someone come to my house and let her out at lunchtime to do her business, up until she was 4 months old. After that she was alone from 7:30am till about 4pm every day. She was fine, I felt bad, but what are ya gonna do? Now she's just alone for about 4 hours a day.
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| Posted 8/22/05 10:34 PM |
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
I do, and it has nothing to do with being in a crate all day. I know dogs like the security of it, etc. But I feel that puppies are just like babies and need interaction and socialization and especially if you are talking about Labs and similiar breeds - EXERCISE. They have plenty of energy and need to run. I don't think an evening walk after work is enough.
Older dogs (3+ years) possibly, as they start to rest more during the day.
This is why we have never gotten a dog tho' we both would love one. We were out of the house for 12-13 hours a day. To me that is not fair to the animal. Now that I am home its is still not ideal with the babyand working from home, because I still wouldn't be able to walk him as much and I would really want to be able to take the pup to the park and run, etc.
So it'll have to wait for a couple more years for us 
Message edited 8/23/2005 2:20:22 AM.
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| Posted 8/23/05 2:16 AM |
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
And I dont mean to be a downer but I dont think a shelter would let you be a foster parent to a dog if you arent home enough as far as their standards go.
I couldnt get one because my yard wasnt fenced in.
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| Posted 8/23/05 10:02 AM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
Posted by MrsDiamondgrlie
And I dont mean to be a downer but I dont think a shelter would let you be a foster parent to a dog if you arent home enough as far as their standards go.
I couldnt get one because my yard wasnt fenced in.
Yes, I know with the guide dogs you are actually expected to take it to work so they get used to the environment and people. One woman who works with me has the guide dog training with her every second, even in the bathroom.
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| Posted 8/23/05 10:04 AM |
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Kelly9904
Mommy to 2 amazing little boys
Member since 5/05 9306 total posts
Name:
Kelly
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
One thing to remember- every dog is different. We got our puppy in November she was 12 weeks old. For the first 3 weeks DH would come home at lunch and check on her and let her out. She had maybe 5 accidents in the house during the first 3 months we had her. But Lucy was sooo easy to house break.
I have had a dog since I was born so to me a house isnt a home without one! So it wasnt a question of whether we would get a dog it was when. DH and I do work long hours. So at first I did feel bad. But we dont crate (I personally just couldnt do that to her) so Lucy pretty much has access to every room. When we first got her we attempted to lock her in the kitchen using baby gates, YEAH RIGHT. JRTs are known to have some "climbing" abilities, she could scale those gates even after we attacted an add'l foot of wood on top! It was comical. So we gave her access to our living room, dining room, kitchen and hall. We close every door to the bedrooms though. When we first got her we didnt have any furniture in the living room, which I think was a good thing, because she LOVED to chew in the beginning and didnt know what was okay and what wasnt. But now we leave her for about 10+ hours and she has no problems.
However I have friends whose dogs ate furniture, walls, etc. So again every dog is different.
Just do some research on breeds. Labs are great family dogs, they are loyal and generally good with kids. Other breeds are not! So make sure you knwo what you are getting yourself into. Lucy is a Terrier mix. We didnt do our research before getting her but DH fell in love! Luckly she has really been great for us! But even as a mix she has some really strong Terrier traits! But she has been pretty easy to train and is really great with her schedule. DH and I joke that she gets annoyed when we take a day off and ruin her day of relaxing on the sofa all day!
All that being said, we have had Lucy for 9 months and some days she drives me nuts. Some days she is REALLY bad and other days she is a perfect angel! Either way, she is like a child to us and I couldnt imagine not having her! There is nothing like coming home from a bad day to see her come leaping towards me wagging her tails so hard that her whole butt is moving!
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| Posted 8/23/05 1:54 PM |
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Kelly9904
Mommy to 2 amazing little boys
Member since 5/05 9306 total posts
Name:
Kelly
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
Just wanted to add: Personally I think the best time to get a dog is afew years before you are TTC. that gives you the time to train and bond with your dog before having a baby. But if you are planning on having kids then try to just get the dog familiar with children from the start. I joke that from day one I was training Lucy to be "Kenneth proof". My nephew is 2 now and has no fear of dogs so he goes up to them and pokes, pulls, kisses, hugs, jumps on them etc. My parents dog loves any attention he gives her so she just licks him. I was alittle concerned with Lucy when we first got her. But she LOVES kids and they can pull her ears, tail, poke her in the face and she just licks them! And she ADORES my 8 month old niece and is very protective of her!
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| Posted 8/23/05 1:55 PM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
I just wanted to add that a puppy is a great expense, especially if you are considering buying a pure breed. Even maintenance/vet visits/food can really add up, and since you mentioned you are barely making ends meet look over your finances before commiting to one. DH took his parent's cat to the vet and it required over $600 worth of work for an infected scratch. There are always unexpected expenses.
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| Posted 8/23/05 2:05 PM |
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Kelly9904
Mommy to 2 amazing little boys
Member since 5/05 9306 total posts
Name:
Kelly
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
That is true we spend about $40 a month on food, at least another $20 a month on rawhides and toys. In the first few months we had her, we had to take her for all her shots and that was at least $100 each visit. Then there was the time I thought I broke her foot ( I tripped down the stairs and landed on her) the emergency visit was $220. Then there is the expense of all the other stuff you need: leash, collar, flea collars, beds, brush, shampoos, additional vacuum bags during shedding season,  etc.
My parents dog had to have a tumor and her tail removed and that was like $1,000.
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| Posted 8/23/05 3:36 PM |
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CaseyGirl
Mommy to 3 Boys :)
Member since 5/05 19978 total posts
Name:
Jen - counting my blessings...
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
So all of you that think I am a cruel person - what would you do in my situation?
My husband and I are animal lovers. We have Casey (1 yr old golden retriever), 2 cats, a tank of fish, and we used to have hamsters, a bird and frogs.
Casey has been crate trained since we brought her home. She considers it her "bed" and while she is in there I know that she is safe and so is my furniture. She is still a baby and chews things. I don't plan on keeping her in there forever and we are now letting her stay out on her own when we are at the store, etc. But as you can see from my avatar, that's not always the best idea.
So what am I supposed to do? Let her run wild in the house and chew everything? I don't think so. My DH and I take her on plenty of long walks and to play ball in the yard. She gets tons of exercise. My DH comes home at lunch and walks her. And I do feel guilty sometimes but for now, that's what I have to do.
Message edited 8/23/2005 5:28:26 PM.
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| Posted 8/23/05 5:26 PM |
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Diane
Hope is Contagious....catch it
Member since 5/05 30683 total posts
Name:
D
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
How long do you plan on leaving him??
We crate trained our puppy, and he was in there for no longer than 5-6 hours.
He LOVED his crate and slept in there with the door open.
Now that he is almost 2 he wants NOTHING to do with it, and just walks around the house.
I think if you want a puppy then I feel you should crate train it, and it is very time consuming. Good Luck, and let us know hat you do
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| Posted 8/24/05 8:23 AM |
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Redhead
You Live, You Learn
Member since 5/05 31871 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
Posted by MrsTC
So all of you that think I am a cruel person - what would you do in my situation?
My husband and I are animal lovers. We have Casey (1 yr old golden retriever), 2 cats, a tank of fish, and we used to have hamsters, a bird and frogs.
Casey has been crate trained since we brought her home. She considers it her "bed" and while she is in there I know that she is safe and so is my furniture. She is still a baby and chews things. I don't plan on keeping her in there forever and we are now letting her stay out on her own when we are at the store, etc. But as you can see from my avatar, that's not always the best idea.
So what am I supposed to do? Let her run wild in the house and chew everything? I don't think so. My DH and I take her on plenty of long walks and to play ball in the yard. She gets tons of exercise. My DH comes home at lunch and walks her. And I do feel guilty sometimes but for now, that's what I have to do.
absolutely not. ALthough my DH and i had different schedules when we first got our dog, allowing him to be home during the day and then me at night....After four months my DH got a promotion and we weren't going to turn that down because of our Dog..
Our dog is perfectly fine in his crate....He LOVES it actually. the majority of dogs SLEEP when we aren't there...so it doesn't really make a difference....It isn't cruel at all.
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| Posted 8/24/05 8:31 AM |
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Kelly9904
Mommy to 2 amazing little boys
Member since 5/05 9306 total posts
Name:
Kelly
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
Posted by MrsTC
So all of you that think I am a cruel person - what would you do in my situation?
So what am I supposed to do? Let her run wild in the house and chew everything? I don't think so.
And I do feel guilty sometimes but for now, that's what I have to do.
I dont think you are cruel. You are giving Casey a good home with lots of love! Thats what a dog needs more than anything! And it your situation it seems a crate is not only the best thing for you but also for Casey if she is still chewing objects other than her toys. In that situation leaving her out for long periods of time can be dangerous to her (who knows what she would find). You shouldnt feel guilty at all! You love your dog and treat her well!
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| Posted 8/24/05 8:40 AM |
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
Posted by MrsTC
So all of you that think I am a cruel person - what would you do in my situation?
My husband and I are animal lovers. We have Casey (1 yr old golden retriever), 2 cats, a tank of fish, and we used to have hamsters, a bird and frogs.
Casey has been crate trained since we brought her home. She considers it her "bed" and while she is in there I know that she is safe and so is my furniture. She is still a baby and chews things. I don't plan on keeping her in there forever and we are now letting her stay out on her own when we are at the store, etc. But as you can see from my avatar, that's not always the best idea.
So what am I supposed to do? Let her run wild in the house and chew everything? I don't think so. My DH and I take her on plenty of long walks and to play ball in the yard. She gets tons of exercise. My DH comes home at lunch and walks her. And I do feel guilty sometimes but for now, that's what I have to do.
NO! I dont think you are cruel, I think it would be cruel if Casey was going to the bathroom in his crate and he had to lay in it all day with no way to get away from it.
My main concern is the puppy stage and being alone all day.
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| Posted 8/24/05 9:34 AM |
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CaseyGirl
Mommy to 3 Boys :)
Member since 5/05 19978 total posts
Name:
Jen - counting my blessings...
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
Nope she is 100% potty trained. I give her a kong of frozen peanut butter in the AM along with a bunch of chew toys when I leave for work in the morning.
I want to video record her during the day to see what she does. I'm sure she eats the PB, plays with the toys and naps. And I am sure her 2 cat brothers slink around and tease her that they are allowed to roam the house 
And I always tell her that if she is good, when she is a big girl, she won't have to stay in her crate anymore It really is good training for human kids! 
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| Posted 8/24/05 10:05 AM |
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MissJones
I need a nap!
Member since 5/05 22136 total posts
Name:
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
Posted by Kelly9904
Posted by MrsTC
So all of you that think I am a cruel person - what would you do in my situation?
So what am I supposed to do? Let her run wild in the house and chew everything? I don't think so.
And I do feel guilty sometimes but for now, that's what I have to do.
Not at all! Knowing from experience, crates are essential! Especially wiht a chewing puppy! There are so many dangers to puppies, just like babies. Pens, Electrical cords, medicine, blind cords, etc. Until they can be in the home without posing a danger to themselves, crates are essential. I know, believe me. Most of our dogs were crate trained as puppies. It kept them safe and gave them their own space. And I'd do it again. But I've seen people crate their dogs and use it as punishment. And I've also seen people crate their dogs from 7 am to 9 pm. Without any interaction during the day. And then blame the dog for going in their crate and getting wound up. That to me is cruel. Not crating itself but how the crating is used.
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| Posted 8/24/05 10:10 AM |
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Redhead
You Live, You Learn
Member since 5/05 31871 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Do you think it's cruel to leave a puppy home alone all day?
Posted by MrsTC
Nope she is 100% potty trained. I give her a kong of frozen peanut butter in the AM along with a bunch of chew toys when I leave for work in the morning.
I want to video record her during the day to see what she does. I'm sure she eats the PB, plays with the toys and naps. And I am sure her 2 cat brothers slink around and tease her that they are allowed to roam the house
And I always tell her that if she is good, when she is a big girl, she won't have to stay in her crate anymore It really is good training for human kids!
same here.....but Martin never eats the bones i leave him...
he waits until i come home and then immediately chews away
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| Posted 8/24/05 10:24 AM |
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