Hunter

I'm not really sure on the tone of your reply and what you mean I am not serious about offers of help but I would rather inconvenience my husband than anyone else, so it isn't that I don't want your help I just don't want to put you out. So thanks for the offer I do appreciate it - so sorry if that wasn't clear.

We started to try and leave him outside after he had got used to being left in his crate and he just went crazy and no matter how many times we tried, just as we had with the crate training (leaving which was fine with this), he is still howling like mad when we leave him outside and go away. I posted a question about what to do but got no response. I did some research on the internet and it said that the home is their den so when excluded it is like they are "homeless". So I just gave up and left him in the house! Maybe I should try again and advice much appreciated?! Anyway thanks for your help and offers - my husband has got the day off so it is sorted ...for the moment.

Thanks - yeah I have responded to a few ads in the paper but the women that seemed the best hys gone away I think! Do you leave your dog for 10 hours, does he/she have a doggie door? Just curious about what you do as we have got up to around 5-6 hours with no probs at all with ours but as he is still only 5 months I am not sure what his limit is- we don't have a doggie door yet as we are in a rented house at the mo?! I am a bit scared of sending him to the kennel for the day in case it freaks him out being so little! I am going to contact a few today and see what they say!?

Does anyone have any recommendations for a dog minder in Cairns or the surrounding area that will look after a 6 month old dog - we need to be away from the house for about 11 hours and don't want to leave him on his own for so long. We are new to the area so don't know anyone yet who can come around to let him out/walk and play with him. Any info much appreciated? Flycow - thanks for the mail - I tried to reply but when I sent it my entire computer closed down and I lost your info so I am sorry I didn't get to chat with you - hope all is well!

Hi Guys Everyone was so helpful with my boy when we first got him and all the helpful advice meant he is now successfully going in his crate with no crying at all for up to 3 hours (don't want to leave him in it for more than that). We have now been trying to move him from inside to outside so that if we need to be away for a bit longer (another hour say) that he can walk around, go pee, etc . We seem to be having a heap of trouble and almost seem to be back to square one. Here's what we have done. Started leaving him in his crate with door closed - he was fine. Soon as we started with the door open lots of crying and howling and peeing. Did exactly the same as we did when crate training but it seems to be taking so much longer without much improvement. He is now 4 months old, cocker spaniel (English) male. He has heaps of toys, food and water and a big a yard to play in but his crate is in a closed, covered area in a corner as I have seen he tends to favour curling up in a corner. He has treat balls, kongs, chews, etc but he seems to touch nothing until we come back. When we come back same thing, no fuss from us and he doesn't seem to make a big fuss. As when we crate trained him - I work from home so I am always listening out for trouble and praising, etc as soon as quiet. I really want to start being able to go out and feel comfortable with him being OK on his own - am I asking too much too soon? Do you think he just prefers being inside - if so - how and when do you make the transition from leaving a dog in his crate to being alone in the house? I am deperate not to ruin all the hard work we both did getting him toilet trained? Let me know what you all think!

Thanks everyone - it's so good to get peoples info even though I have been reading every bit of puppy info I can get my hands on. Got the wire crate - has defo helped. He is getting much better. I think he is going through a growth spurt as he is getting heaps more interested in his food and now the Kong is finally getting his attention. He stops whining and barking after about 20 mins so that's getting better!! Horray. We never make a fuss leaving or coming back just straight outdoors and the only time we pick him up is for a treat to lie on our knee for a tummy rub or to go pee! His house training is again getting there and he is starting to go to the door when he wants to go but this isn't quite consistent all the time but he is doing very well. Any advice on snapping and biting - he bites a lot when he plays and when you tell him off he gets a bit snappy - we have tried squealling and walking away, tapping his nose, holding his nose but as soon as we go back he is right back in there. I know he's a puppy and needs to chew just want him to grow out of it and not turn into a snappy dog. OK its been 20 mins with no crying time for a pee, playtime and a treat!!!!! (for the dog of course! Thanks again folks!

Thanks for the speedy replies! I will go and by a crate - I have also seen a fence pen type thing that you can make out an area for them then I could put his crate in there with a space outside for water, etc? I will then put my ear plugs in and have to harden up a bit. I have the radio on already. I just get so worried he'll overheat or something!! The last time we did it he peed and everything even though we had just spent time outside for toilet stop and playtime.

Hi Guys I have been spending all my time looking on the internet and reading up about this but just get the feeling I am doing something wrong and I do not want to turn my pup into a neurotic dog. We have just got a male English Cocker Spaniel. We got him last Friday (4th Aug) and he was 9 weeks on 6th August. He is a very good dog and is learning fast with all the other aspects of puppy behaviour except he cannot bear to be out of my site. We have a box at the moment which is his den - it is open at the top (so I can dangle my arm in at night) but he can't see out of it - perhaps this is the problem? At night he is fine nothing at all from day one - clean crate always and we are now at one pitstop a night. I work from home so it isn't that I plan to leave my dog all day when I go to work like many do but I am trying to get him used to having his own time because obviously we will need to leave the house at some point! He can't seem to do anything on his own - if I leave him when he is eating he just stops eating and leaves his food to come and be by me. He isn't interested in his toys that much unless you initiate play with him. After two days settling in we put him in his box with several chew toys, a kong, an edible chew bone thing and a soft dog thing plus his blanket he came with. He totally freaked out even though we were still moving around in the house and letting him know he wasn't on his own. He didn't draw breath so I was puzzled how I go back and reward his behaviour immediately and not go to him when he is carrying on because he didn't stop so in the end we have to go back. He wound himself up so much he peed and was hot and shaking. (We had made sure we had a good play session and toilet time before we did this.) We tried it another couple of times and once he did stop after 20 mins and fell asleep and I was there when he woke up but after that it went back to the usual none stop whining. So what do I do if he doesn't give me chance to go and reassure him and I shouldn't go back if he is barking as it rewards him what do I do? I am also worrying that he will begin to associate his box/crate with unhappiness and seperation rather than a safe place? HELP - I don't want to spoil my dog and turn him into an unhappy dog!