ajcooper Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 We're bringing home our new golden retriever puppy next week and are going through the options of sleeping area, toilet training and leaving her when we're at work. We've come up with a mixture of crate for overnight and when we're in the house, and putting her in the laundry room (nice size room which is secure) for when we're at work. She'll only be left for about 4-5 hours when at work. Is it okay to mix these two areas or is it best just to do the crate. There's a lot of information out there and on these forums, so that's why we've ended up with the above. On the subject of the crate, should we buy for her full size or for current? Thanks all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 A laundry is no place for a growing active puppy. If you need some where safe and secure to leave your puppy during the day, secure your yard or build a dog run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Ok.. first thing - puppies need to run/play/explore. They need to experience different textures/sounds. They need very much to see sky , and be happy in their own company . Ok. some more 'tailored' reading for you. LINK LINK LINK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 (edited) I bought a full sized crate, but made it nice and cozy inside. 5 hours is a long time for a puppy to be in a laundry or crate. Some don't agree, but I think puppies are fine outside when you aren't home as long as your yard is safe and secure, with adequate shelter. Lots of fresh air, smells, sights and space to run around and play. My boy was spending small amounts of time from 8 weeks alone outside, he is now a well adjusted adolescent that is more than happy to spend the working day outside, sometimes he even prefers to go outside than stay inside. Edited February 11, 2014 by LisaCC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poodle wrangler Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 All I could think was: OMG- the pup will trash your laundry! Crates... what are you using it for? You can buy a full-size i.e. big enough for full-grown dog to stand up and turn around in. I'm guessing L or XL? Crates are great for keeping bitey puppies from visiting children. Likewise, for keeping pesky children from hassling puppy. I'm amazed how many kids are scared of dogs! Any dogs! For toilet training, put a large box in one end, so pup has only a smaller, puppy-size space. The idea is that a puppy will only soil it's bed/ den as last resort....i.e. they still need to come our to pee 1-2 hourly, after meals etc. If crate's too large, then pup will just use one corner to pee (defeats purpose for toilet training). I'd think pup should be ok outside for 4-5 hours as long as s/he has shelter, shade, fully fenced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 4-5 hours is way too long to be in a crate, but the crate will be great for overnight when you're there and can let him out to toilet. We had our pup in a large playpen in our laundry for his first few weeks with us - we weren't comfortable having him outside when he was that small, but he certainly didn't enjoy being contained inside. It all depends on your situation, and the layout of your house/yard. I agree that he will trash your laundry :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 outside in your puppy proof yard. She needs to learn right from the start that outside is a good place, unless you are planning on locking her in the laundry when full grown! And plenty of time outside the crate when you are home. Not really fair to the pup to lock it up all night and a lot of the day. You just need to keep an eye on her. Devote time now for a great dog later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanae Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I started with the crate in my room and when our puppy could sleep the night with no toilet breaks his crate was moved into the laundry, he is still locked in crate at night. When we aren't home we leave the crate open in the laundry, there is a doggy door in the laundry that gives him free access to the yard which is secure. Thankfully he toilets outside and has never soiled his crate or laundry. My concern would be your puppy learning to toilet indoors and does not learn the difference between outside and inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKG Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Go and sit on the floor in your laundry for 4 hours and see how interesting it isn't. Poor pup. Get him outside in a safe yard where stuff might happen like birds fly by, sounds to listen to, smells. Every pup I have had has been outside during the day with a dry safe place for sleeping and shelter in a safe yard. Inside at night. Start out as you plan to go on. Pups are tougher than they look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 My problem is I get snakes in the back yard. We have no way of making the yard snake proof. What alternative might work? At the most Herbie may be alone 3 hours, and certainly not daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 My problem is I get snakes in the back yard. We have no way of making the yard snake proof. What alternative might work? At the most Herbie may be alone 3 hours, and certainly not daily. Snake proof a run. You can't expect a pup to cope with being locked in a laundry for hours, especially as it grows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 There is no way I would leave a pup or dog outside in our summer. We are getting days that are 45 + degrees. Snakes, theft, accidents, other dogs getting in & the risk of dehydration or heatstroke too. Of course you can't leave a puppy in a crate for that long so it either has to be the laundry & make sure there is nothing in there unsafe or for puppy to wreck or make a larger room or passage or hallway puppy safe & leave her in there. You can get creative with metal panels, the compost panels from Bunnings. Sometimes I join them together to make them really high & screw 2 or 3 hooks into the side of a doorway to secure & partition part of the passageway off for pups to have a long run in safety. I would never go out & leave a puppy outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 There is no way I would leave a pup or dog outside in our summer. We are getting days that are 45 + degrees. Snakes, theft, accidents, other dogs getting in & the risk of dehydration or heatstroke too. Of course you can't leave a puppy in a crate for that long so it either has to be the laundry & make sure there is nothing in there unsafe or for puppy to wreck or make a larger room or passage or hallway puppy safe & leave her in there. You can get creative with metal panels, the compost panels from Bunnings. Sometimes I join them together to make them really high & screw 2 or 3 hooks into the side of a doorway to secure & partition part of the passageway off for pups to have a long run in safety. I would never go out & leave a puppy outside. These will not safely contain a larger pup. My Whippet pup got over one in five minutes. Laundry's are full of chemicals if pups get a cupboard open and I do know of a pup that got onto a washing machine and then got its leg caught getting off. Not a safe long term place to leave a pup IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 There is no way I would leave a pup or dog outside in our summer. We are getting days that are 45 + degrees. Snakes, theft, accidents, other dogs getting in & the risk of dehydration or heatstroke too. Of course you can't leave a puppy in a crate for that long so it either has to be the laundry & make sure there is nothing in there unsafe or for puppy to wreck or make a larger room or passage or hallway puppy safe & leave her in there. You can get creative with metal panels, the compost panels from Bunnings. Sometimes I join them together to make them really high & screw 2 or 3 hooks into the side of a doorway to secure & partition part of the passageway off for pups to have a long run in safety. I would never go out & leave a puppy outside. These will not safely contain a larger pup. My Whippet pup got over one in five minutes. Laundry's are full of chemicals if pups get a cupboard open and I do know of a pup that got onto a washing machine and then got its leg caught getting off. Not a safe long term place to leave a pup IMO. They can be overlapped slightly & joined in each square with cable ties & the ends trimmed off so they can't chew them. That makes them about 5.5 foot high. Some of my toy poodles can jump them too but not when they are put together that high. All the stuff can be taken out of cupboards, as you would be doing with a baby/toddler around the place. A large cardboard box can be placed on top of the washing machine at the edge to deter if you feel the pup may attempt to jump up, although unlikely. I put a row of them on top of wardrobes in my bedroom to make them appear too high for my siamese cats to jump on when they are pregnant as I don't want them up there. Lunatics :laugh: It works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 How big is your yard and what is stopping you from snake proofing it? It's going to be an issue for the next 15 years or however long your dog lives so it would be better to solve that issue now! I got a 50 metre roll of fine galvanised wire mesh off ebay for about $30 and that did most of my yard by attaching it along the bottom of the fence and digging the bottom edge in to the ground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I don't think danger of snakebite is all that high in most cities/town settings, is it? fair enough if your yard borders a park , or is near agricultural land /industrial estates ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I think it really depends where you are Perse, where I grew up in Melbourne tiger snakes were quite common, we actually had signs at my work to put out to warn people to stay away if a snake was spotted in the grounds and there were pretty clear guidelines about what was expected of us if we saw a snake at school, etc, someone's little dog died from a snakebite got at my primary school in suburban Melbourne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I don't think danger of snakebite is all that high in most cities/town settings, is it? fair enough if your yard borders a park , or is near agricultural land /industrial estates ... My back yard is swamplands. Plus the back neighbour has horses, chaff, rodents and thus snakes. My SO has done a great lot of work to make the back yard 'secure'.... Is it Murphy's Law or what? Snakes we have had on the property all came from the front area. I'm a wee bit OTT at the moment with the new puppy. As he grows, I expect to settle down more. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I think I would be making a simple fenced off area for him out of tall aviary mesh right down to the ground and star pickets so that he has a safe area to be outside. Can you maybe make a sideway safe or similar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 I would make a small safe area such as a dog run you can either fully secure with Shadecloth buried into the ground or snakemesh buried into large bluemetal stones or the ground. I have a dog yard I have fully surrounded in snake mesh and then buried it into bluemetal. I wouldn't want a pup crated at night then during the day as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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