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can you tell me what your 4 month old routine is?
- Thread starter Feebee
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MARK MARSHALL
Well-known member
4 month old puppy
By now, the pup(s) should have had all his/her injections and for me the big objective is 'socialisation' by meeting as many people and other dogs, as possible but the latter needs to be closely supervised.
I have my pups infront of the TV some nights so that they are intruduced to all manner of noise. I also take mine into town (on leads) but take them to busy places, beside roads and even stand on overbridges of major roads - just so that they are happy to experience the unusual from the norm.
As we own Kennels, all the visitors meet the extended family and to date, my dogs love humans and mix very well.
It is of course down to good breeding lines - so if nervousness is in your puppy you may have issues whatever you do.
Puppy classes and ringcraft training are also of great use and you meet people to share ideas.
Good luck, Mark Marshall.
By now, the pup(s) should have had all his/her injections and for me the big objective is 'socialisation' by meeting as many people and other dogs, as possible but the latter needs to be closely supervised.
I have my pups infront of the TV some nights so that they are intruduced to all manner of noise. I also take mine into town (on leads) but take them to busy places, beside roads and even stand on overbridges of major roads - just so that they are happy to experience the unusual from the norm.
As we own Kennels, all the visitors meet the extended family and to date, my dogs love humans and mix very well.
It is of course down to good breeding lines - so if nervousness is in your puppy you may have issues whatever you do.
Puppy classes and ringcraft training are also of great use and you meet people to share ideas.
Good luck, Mark Marshall.
We lead a busy life and I'm a great believer in some routine, but also lots of flexibility.
There's nothing worse for me than walking or feeding or whatever exactly the same time every day, cos that's what the dog will learn to expect - then the one time something crops up and the routine is thrown, there'll be a very jaded and impatient dog
There's nothing worse for me than walking or feeding or whatever exactly the same time every day, cos that's what the dog will learn to expect - then the one time something crops up and the routine is thrown, there'll be a very jaded and impatient dog
You would not want to crate a dog all day-- but there should be several good alternative arrangement for your workdays. Can you designate a dog room? Set up a puppy playpen in the kitchen or a laundry room? Life in a crate is a very low quality of life for a dog, which needs room to move about and play, especially a puppy this young. Crating is really only a nighttime or short term daytime management tool for couple of hours, max.
Ideally someone should come in an take him out for a walk and exercise midday. Some towns and cities also have doggy day care as an option.
But you will need to find some other way of managing your dog than a crate during workdays.
PS -- I know people often are eager for answers to a question, but please don't bump up a post made only an hour earlier. If no one replies after a day or two then please feel free to bump up a post. You posted during a very quiet period of the day -- before 6am for many members and the middle of the night for most others!! and really would have been unlikely to get a reply for a few hours, which as you can see, was the case anyway. Let people reply in their own time, please. Thanks!
Can you designate a dog room? Set up a puppy playpen in the kitchen or a laundry room? Life in a crate is a very low quality of life for a dog, which needs room to move about and play, especially a puppy this young. Crating is really only a nighttime or short term daytime management tool for couple of hours, max. Ideally someone should come in an take him out for a walk and exercise midday. Some towns and cities also have doggy day care as an option.
But you will need to find some other way of managing your dog than a crate during workdays.
PS -- I know people often are eager for answers to a question, but please don't bump up a post made only an hour earlier. If no one replies after a day or two then please feel free to bump up a post
. You posted during a very quiet period of the day -- before 6am for many members and the middle of the night for most others!! and really would have been unlikely to get a reply for a few hours, which as you can see, was the case anyway. Let people reply in their own time, please. Thanks! 
cool thanks for the replies, sorry Karlin, didnt realise the time difference, its just when i went new posts mine didnt show up...
oh i should add that on tue/ thur im out from 11:30 till 4, so not the whole day, but when i get his registration from the local council, i can leave him outside with a kennel, and nice big area to run around in..
and even on those days i could possibly shoot back home till around 1:30 when i would have to go back to the families house (im a nanny)
oh i should add that on tue/ thur im out from 11:30 till 4, so not the whole day, but when i get his registration from the local council, i can leave him outside with a kennel, and nice big area to run around in..
and even on those days i could possibly shoot back home till around 1:30 when i would have to go back to the families house (im a nanny)
Agree, a crate is better than an outdoor kennel especially for a puppy but is a terrible choice out of two terrible options for any dog, especially this breed. It is just not fair to keep a dog under such circumstances but there are many other options a caring owner can provide. I'd recommend simply looking into an Xpen indoors, which would give much more room. Also I suggested in another thread, downloading Ian Dunbar's book which gives suggestions for an xpen with a crate inside so the dog can go in and out. Have you had a chance to do this and had a look at his suggestions for puppies and dogs?
There is a very high theft rate of breeds like cavaliers when left outside and a puppy in a kennel is going to be a prime target. Also if you dump a puppy or adult dog outside alone it is going to whine, bark and howl -- this breed gets very distressed left alone like this outside. This is grounds for a warden to remove the dog from you. You will need to work around somehow giving an indoor home and roomy area of confinement. Can the puppy not just go in a kitchen area, gated off with a baby gate? This is a common, simple solution many use for their dogs. Leaving a dog for 4 hours+ in a crate, especially an active young pup, is not adequate. A crate is really just a management tool, not a miniature indoor kennel for long hours of confinement. A zoo animal would have more room-- Ian Dunbar should have some good suggestions for alternatives.
There is a very high theft rate of breeds like cavaliers when left outside and a puppy in a kennel is going to be a prime target. Also if you dump a puppy or adult dog outside alone it is going to whine, bark and howl -- this breed gets very distressed left alone like this outside. This is grounds for a warden to remove the dog from you. You will need to work around somehow giving an indoor home and roomy area of confinement. Can the puppy not just go in a kitchen area, gated off with a baby gate? This is a common, simple solution many use for their dogs.
Leaving a dog for 4 hours+ in a crate, especially an active young pup, is not adequate. A crate is really just a management tool, not a miniature indoor kennel for long hours of confinement. A zoo animal would have more room-- Ian Dunbar should have some good suggestions for alternatives. 
IndyTulip
removed from board
We've had our puppy for a month now, he has had 4 in home training sessions and has learned, come, sit, stand, and down.
now that we are back to work fulltime
mon thru friday he wakes at 6 30..goes out, then eats, plays, goes out again
then he is in his crate at 8
my friend comes over at 12 to let him out for an hour
then i come home at 4 30 or 5
i walk him, feed him, and he is out of crate for most of the rest of the night until 9 or 10 bedtime
i have now let him play and roam outside the kitchen around the carpeted half the apartment and he'll go over to the front door when he needs to pee..(smart dog!)..before that he knew carpet was offlimits and would go right back into the kitchen..now it is hard to get him to come into the kitchen unfortunately.
but i keep a close watch when he is on the carpet. I also let him on the couch when we are watching a movie (he growled at the movie the Village at the guys in the yellow cloaks!) too funny..
and we have taken him on many car trips and given him baths, he is used to the car now and he has not barked, bit, or growled at ANYONE yet. i hope it stays that way and we are off to a great start.
he can hold it for about 5 hours and he is extremelyt happy to see me come home. but i don't think i could let him outside of his crate even in a small area because he probably won't hold it. if i had to leave for more than 5 hours and no one could come over ..then i would do that.
now that we are back to work fulltime
mon thru friday he wakes at 6 30..goes out, then eats, plays, goes out again
then he is in his crate at 8
my friend comes over at 12 to let him out for an hour
then i come home at 4 30 or 5
i walk him, feed him, and he is out of crate for most of the rest of the night until 9 or 10 bedtime
i have now let him play and roam outside the kitchen around the carpeted half the apartment and he'll go over to the front door when he needs to pee..(smart dog!)..before that he knew carpet was offlimits and would go right back into the kitchen..now it is hard to get him to come into the kitchen unfortunately.
but i keep a close watch when he is on the carpet. I also let him on the couch when we are watching a movie (he growled at the movie the Village at the guys in the yellow cloaks!) too funny..
and we have taken him on many car trips and given him baths, he is used to the car now and he has not barked, bit, or growled at ANYONE yet. i hope it stays that way and we are off to a great start.
he can hold it for about 5 hours and he is extremelyt happy to see me come home. but i don't think i could let him outside of his crate even in a small area because he probably won't hold it. if i had to leave for more than 5 hours and no one could come over ..then i would do that.
Please reconsider this overuse of crates. A crate is a housetraining and very short term management TOOL -- never intended to be living quarters for a dog or a puppy.
Why not give puppies a better quality of life and give them an xpen in a kitchen, or the run of a kitchen or utility room?
Eg: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16677&cmpid=sc
A crate offers such a hideously poor quality of life -- imagine sticking a 5 year old child in a closet and letting her out only to pee for 20 minutes at lunchtime. That is the equivalent of crating a dog 8 hours a day then most likely, all night too (but then, as the dog sleeps the whole time, it matters less). So figure it out --how many *unconfined* hours of actual free life does the dog have? 8 hours a day perhaps? That means two-thirds of the dog's life is being lived in a 2x3 foot box. That is cruelty, pure and simple, in my book. Please re-think the ethics of keeping a dog if its life is limited to a wire box. There are so many other ways to give a dog a happier, mentally far healthier life.
It might not be the right time to own a dog if a social, living animal has to be compromised with so little stimulation and activity?
Trainers say NEVER to use crates in this fashion!
Why not give puppies a better quality of life and give them an xpen in a kitchen, or the run of a kitchen or utility room?
Eg: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16677&cmpid=sc
A crate offers such a hideously poor quality of life -- imagine sticking a 5 year old child in a closet and letting her out only to pee for 20 minutes at lunchtime. That is the equivalent of crating a dog 8 hours a day then most likely, all night too (but then, as the dog sleeps the whole time, it matters less). So figure it out --how many *unconfined* hours of actual free life does the dog have? 8 hours a day perhaps? That means two-thirds of the dog's life is being lived in a 2x3 foot box. That is cruelty, pure and simple, in my book. Please re-think the ethics of keeping a dog if its life is limited to a wire box. There are so many other ways to give a dog a happier, mentally far healthier life.
It might not be the right time to own a dog if a social, living animal has to be compromised with so little stimulation and activity?
Trainers say NEVER to use crates in this fashion!
ok my schedule has been so far, Thursday, 6:30 am get up, toilet, feed, play, me do a few household chores with him, car ride to pet store, back home, sleep on my knee, then about 11:30 feed, toilet, then in crate, home by 4:00 let our for toilet, play, again household chores (with him following me, with me every 10 mins or so giving him some attention, either by petting, or throwing ball etc) then 5:30-6pm feed, let him watch me make dinner (unfornatly dinner went up in flames in oven, so fire men had to come over! they are not sure why the baking paper went in flames, told me to get a new oven, its very old!) more play, then outside for toilet (note i do leave front door open, but also take him out) bed around 8:30- 9pm, he cried for about 5 mins? i heard him at 3am, let him out for toilet nothing happened, back into crate, cannot remember him crying not sure..
Friday, 6am get up, toilet, feed, play, 8am, get in car to work, play till 9am, when i had left him outside, with his crate, home back around 11, he was in crate, and one chew stick was gone! played with him and the boys i look after till 12:15, left in crate, back home 1pm, when i fed him, played on and off/ sleep on me, training, like sitting on command, getting him use to harness and lead, until 5:30 fed dinner, took him home (had to make a stop at my sisters, where he stayed in car, happy as fast asleep!), once home, played again, used the brush on him a little bit, however he just wants to eat it at the moment! then bed around 8:30, as he was really tired and just wanted to sleep on me! no cries at all!
Saturday today got up around 6:30 let him out for toilet, back into crate, till 8:30 as he was still sleepy, and we have played, harness/ sitting/ come training, him watching me do household chores - he is getting better at letting me do things, without trying to jump on me all the time! etc, and now he is fast asleep on my lap
to come Sunday, similar as Saturday, however from 10-1 ill be out, i can look at blocking off kitchen, ill see what i can do..
Monday 6-8 play/ feed/ toilet/ household chores, then work he will be left alone from about 9:30- 11:30, and again 12:15- 1m then back to family house for rest of afternoon (where he will be), hoping to try to go for a walk with him and the kids then back to my house around 5:30-6pm, play/ toilet/ training or whatever..
Tuesday, similar to Thursday, he will be at my house all day, with only being left alone at 11:30- 4pm
wed same start as Monday, left alone from 9 though till 10:15ish, with him till 12:15 - 1:00 then same as monday afternoon..
then we back to where i had started....
soo apart from night sleep, and tue/ thur he isnt left alone that much? and like i said both tue/ thur i could come back to mine for a while, and once he has toilet training better, and he will go toilet with lead on, then i can take him to work with me on tue's as that family dont have a fenced in property so i would have to take him out to the toilet, however thur's dont really work as i teach swimming straight after work at a indoor pool (where he isnt allowed) and i dont want to leave him car! however, once my partner is back from overseas, im going to try and get him to start work really early on tue/ thur so he can be home by about 2pm!
sooo is that ok? i hope so, if anymore concerns, please let me know, or ways i could improve it, or teach him to go toilet with harness/ lead!
Friday, 6am get up, toilet, feed, play, 8am, get in car to work, play till 9am, when i had left him outside, with his crate, home back around 11, he was in crate, and one chew stick was gone!
played with him and the boys i look after till 12:15, left in crate, back home 1pm, when i fed him, played on and off/ sleep on me, training, like sitting on command, getting him use to harness and lead, until 5:30 fed dinner, took him home (had to make a stop at my sisters, where he stayed in car, happy as fast asleep!), once home, played again, used the brush on him a little bit, however he just wants to eat it at the moment! then bed around 8:30, as he was really tired and just wanted to sleep on me! no cries at all!Saturday today got up around 6:30 let him out for toilet, back into crate, till 8:30 as he was still sleepy, and we have played, harness/ sitting/ come training, him watching me do household chores - he is getting better at letting me do things, without trying to jump on me all the time! etc, and now he is fast asleep on my lap
to come Sunday, similar as Saturday, however from 10-1 ill be out, i can look at blocking off kitchen, ill see what i can do..
Monday 6-8 play/ feed/ toilet/ household chores, then work he will be left alone from about 9:30- 11:30, and again 12:15- 1
m then back to family house for rest of afternoon (where he will be), hoping to try to go for a walk with him and the kids then back to my house around 5:30-6pm, play/ toilet/ training or whatever.. Tuesday, similar to Thursday, he will be at my house all day, with only being left alone at 11:30- 4pm
wed same start as Monday, left alone from 9 though till 10:15ish, with him till 12:15 - 1:00 then same as monday afternoon..
then we back to where i had started....
soo apart from night sleep, and tue/ thur he isnt left alone that much? and like i said both tue/ thur i could come back to mine for a while, and once he has toilet training better, and he will go toilet with lead on, then i can take him to work with me on tue's as that family dont have a fenced in property so i would have to take him out to the toilet, however thur's dont really work as i teach swimming straight after work at a indoor pool (where he isnt allowed) and i dont want to leave him car! however, once my partner is back from overseas, im going to try and get him to start work really early on tue/ thur so he can be home by about 2pm!
sooo is that ok? i hope so, if anymore concerns, please let me know, or ways i could improve it, or teach him to go toilet with harness/ lead!
pippa
Well-known member
"then he is in his crate at 8
my friend comes over at 12 to let him out for an hour
then i come home at 4 30 or 5"
Indytulip, I find it very sad that your dog spends 8 hours a day in a crate.
Is there any way you could reconsider this option and maybe get an x-pen,or some doggy daycare sorted,even for a couple of days a week. To be honest I wouldn't like to leave mine alone 8 hours daily, 5 days a week. It's a long time for a dog to spend alone
FeeBee I think generally your pups routine is ok, but maybe you could try an x-pen instead of a crate?
my friend comes over at 12 to let him out for an hour
then i come home at 4 30 or 5"
Indytulip, I find it very sad that your dog spends 8 hours a day in a crate.
Is there any way you could reconsider this option and maybe get an x-pen,or some doggy daycare sorted,even for a couple of days a week. To be honest I wouldn't like to leave mine alone 8 hours daily, 5 days a week. It's a long time for a dog to spend alone
FeeBee I think generally your pups routine is ok, but maybe you could try an x-pen instead of a crate?
Last edited:
IndyTulip
removed from board
the crating all day isn't forever...I think he is too young to have freedom alone. he will pee on the kitchen floor and then he will step all over it and then get it on his dog bed.
i'm certain after an hour he will wait to go out by the crate door and see no one there and then pee right there. Doesn't this defeat the purpose of potty training outside?..it isn't 8 hrs in a row...
but i could try making a little pen with his crate attached to it and i'll video tape him to watch his behavior.
i'm certain after an hour he will wait to go out by the crate door and see no one there and then pee right there. Doesn't this defeat the purpose of potty training outside?..it isn't 8 hrs in a row...
but i could try making a little pen with his crate attached to it and i'll video tape him to watch his behavior.
Please reconsider this overuse of crates. A crate is a housetraining and very short term management TOOL -- never intended to be living quarters for a dog or a puppy.
Why not give puppies a better quality of life and give them an xpen in a kitchen, or the run of a kitchen or utility room?
Eg: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16677&cmpid=sc
A crate offers such a hideously poor quality of life -- imagine sticking a 5 year old child in a closet and letting her out only to pee for 20 minutes at lunchtime. That is the equivalent of crating a dog 8 hours a day then most likely, all night too (but then, as the dog sleeps the whole time, it matters less). So figure it out --how many *unconfined* hours of actual free life does the dog have? 8 hours a day perhaps? That means two-thirds of the dog's life is being lived in a 2x3 foot box. That is cruelty, pure and simple, in my book. Please re-think the ethics of keeping a dog if its life is limited to a wire box. There are so many other ways to give a dog a happier, mentally far healthier life.
It might not be the right time to own a dog if a social, living animal has to be compromised with so little stimulation and activity?
Trainers say NEVER to use crates in this fashion!
pippa
Well-known member
IndyTulip said----"it isn't 8 hrs in a row..."
No, but it is 4 hours in a row, which is still quite long in a crate....it's 40 hours per week not including his bedtime time,if he sleeps in his crate.
I had Pippin in an x-pen from 9 weeks but I never left him long enough that he needed to pee on the floor and at night I put down newspaper or a wee-wee pad that you can get in any petstore,not ideal for day time but if you are working all day you don't really have any other choice.
A closed crate is not really the answer.
No, but it is 4 hours in a row, which is still quite long in a crate....it's 40 hours per week not including his bedtime time,if he sleeps in his crate.
I had Pippin in an x-pen from 9 weeks but I never left him long enough that he needed to pee on the floor and at night I put down newspaper or a wee-wee pad that you can get in any petstore,not ideal for day time but if you are working all day you don't really have any other choice.
A closed crate is not really the answer.
edel
Well-known member
I agree, thats just not fair on a little puppy. A crate is such a small, confined space, I'm sure he would be much happier in an x-pen. Perhaps he will pee in the kitchen but he's a puppy, thats what they do. I know the toilet training schedule is important when they are young but I think quality of life should take priority.
IndyTulip
removed from board
my vet said the kitchen is too much freedom for such a young pup.
and so did my trainer.
i left him in the kitchen for an hour when i went out the other day, and left the video camera on him. he stared at the door for a while, sniffed around, and then eventually went into his crate like a good boy... he isn't giong to run around the kitchen by himself. his crate is big enough for him to sprawl out in ..it is the size of his queensize pillow.
and so did my trainer.
i left him in the kitchen for an hour when i went out the other day, and left the video camera on him. he stared at the door for a while, sniffed around, and then eventually went into his crate like a good boy... he isn't giong to run around the kitchen by himself. his crate is big enough for him to sprawl out in ..it is the size of his queensize pillow.
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