Someone break the news to SchmilK that I'm now a stay-at-home doggah mommah.
So why don't you just crate your dog?
This could be a stupid question and I dont have a dog so who knows my logic here but if you have to leave a dog in a crate for 10 hours a day, 5 days a week...
Why own a dog? Thats 50 hours a week spent locked in a little ass cage, seems kinda mean to me. Again I dont own a dog so I cant say but it doesnt sound good.
Okay, I know what crate training is, I have had my dog for a couple of years now. You're really starting to annoy me with your "I got a dog so I know better than you" attitude. Just accpet the fact that dogs are different. Different breeds are different. They have different needs. I'm glad for you that your dog doesn't require as much attention as does mine, good for you. My dog is crate trained, my dog has gone though obedience, she knows how to walk on a leash, ride in a car and goes to work with me so she's good around people. What she cannot do with her 15 pound self is go 10 hours without peeing or drinking water, and this is on the advice of her vet, who we go see about every 2 months. My vet is well aware of her carpet munching behavior, and everything else about my dog. I have gotten advice from teh professional in this regard. You do not know better than me in this instance.
And yes, going too long without emptying the bladder can cause kidney failure, especially in smaller dogs. When the bladder is full the kidneys stop functioning and toxins back up in the body... too much of this can cause kidney failure and it's prevalent in smaller dogs which is why my vet said "do not crate her for 10+ hours a day".
But I appreciate your opinion, really, I do.
and yet your shoes are still more importantShe isn't my dog technically. She is a foster dog and she was saved from sitting in an even smaller cage for long periods of time or getting the needle in the sky. She was rescued from Polk County animal shelter... I dunno, I love animals and feel like I am not doing enough and I beat myself up over it, but this is the only situation I can offer...
...and it is a lot more loving and humane situation than a shelter could ever give her.
and yet your shoes are still more important
She isn't my dog technically. She is a foster dog and she was saved from sitting in an even smaller cage for long periods of time or getting the needle in the sky. She was rescued from Polk County animal shelter... I dunno, I love animals and feel like I am not doing enough and I beat myself up over it, but this is the only situation I can offer...
...and it is a lot more loving and humane situation than a shelter could ever give her.
Could always let it go in the wild
Nah, I see what you guys are saying and I guess I see how it is "normal" now a days. Your situation is much different than others because you are going out of the way to help an animal that is not yours. After looking at the facts I will admit that I was wrong for thinking it is mean to keep a dog in a cage for 10 hours a day. I now think it is wrong to leave a dog alone for 10 hours a day, cage or not thanks zengirl
Could always let it go in the wild
Nah, I see what you guys are saying and I guess I see how it is "normal" now a days. Your situation is much different than others because you are going out of the way to help an animal that is not yours. After looking at the facts I will admit that I was wrong for thinking it is mean to keep a dog in a cage for 10 hours a day. I now think it is wrong to leave a dog alone for 10 hours a day, cage or not thanks zengirl
It is wrong to leave a dog in a crate for 10 hours a day, but I do not have a choice right now.
Poor thing was living in the "wild" when I got her she was bony, had ear mites, kennel cough, heartworms, poor skin... I wanna cry.
eeeww... Lu had kennel cough when I first got her, she was really really sick and it took forever for her to get over it. Is she all better now?
Not more important, but important nonetheless.
Yeah she seems to be at 100% healthwise. The heartworm treatment is not a fun ordeal to go through. It sucked laying on the ground with her watching her shake in pain.
How bad was the kennel cough for Lulu? Our rescue guy says it gets so bad that they cough up green goo. All Montana did was cough up white phlegmy stuff.
Put yer shoes in a closet
and yet your shoes are still more important
You're right, Lu really does need longer walks outside.I will NOT have a dog destroy my house or its contents. If you wanna live in a shithole, feel free. Montana has more than enough room to move around and the house is nothing more than a bigger crate. And again, as Chikken says, all she is gonna do when we aren't there is sleep.
If you're not gonna crate it, a possible solution to the carpet problem is to take the dog on very long walks, or teach it to run on a treadmill. A tired dog won't do that kind of stuff. Montana has gotten much better about it now that we take her on long (45+ minute) walks. She'll also be going for a run with me tonight as well...