Lindainfa Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Hey guys, Tonight I have to work and I will be gone for 7 hours. Normally hubby is home so I leave my little one in his crate for an hour or two. This week, we will both be working night. I have a gorgeous 13 week old Cavalier, Arnie. He is really great in his crate, I can leave him when we sleep for 7-8 hours and he wont do anything in his crate. I just hate that I will have to leave him for 7 hours while I am at work, get home at 1am and take him to do his business, play with him for half an hour then put him in his crate again for another 7 hours while I go to bed. The problem is that at the moment our back gate is not secure, it will be fixed next week. I could put him in the laundry but I didnt want him to get used to doing his business inside, when he pretty much knows its only outside now. I was thinking of getting a Bunnings compost thing and using it as a pen with his crate in there. But can I risk the fact that if he gets out of this pen, my yard is not secured and he can go anywhere - I could pretty much lose him. So the options: 1. Toilet him before leaving for work, leave him in the crate, take him out when I get home and perhaps just let him sleep on my bed when I get home. 2 Leave him in laundry with his crate, but my 2 indoor cats will also be in there, they get along fine though. 3 Put up a puppy pen, but have to worry all night that he might get out, advantage is he is not confined to the crate. aghhhh..wish the gate was bloody fixed!!! So what would you do?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serket Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 (edited) If you're planning to put the pen up outside, get some weed mat pins and peg it into the ground to make it more secure. Also, the spiral things that come with the compost crate to connect the panels are not very secure - if the puppy throws itself at the sides enough they spiral down and eventually the puppy could get out, so cable tie at regular intervals or find another way to actually put the pen together if you won't be there to supervise him while he's in it. ETA: Could you fence off the back gate section with the compost crate + weed mat pins so he would have the backyard to run around in? I've got my garden fenced off like that at the moment. Edited September 22, 2009 by Serket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 A determined pup could climb out of one of those pens. You really need one with a lid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaC Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 (edited) my GSP pup climbed out of his puppy pen (compost cage version without a lid) the 3rd day we had him home (aged 8 weeks) .... we made him a temporary toilet inside as he was inside in the sunroom whilst we were at work during the day (approx 8hrs a day) .... use a piece of fake grass (added some extra holes to the base) over the top of a sheet of plastic and put it in the corner ... he took to that fine and we didn't have any issues - we removed the fake grass when we were home and only used it when we were at work ... by 7mths we removed it all together after he hadn't used it for 2 weeks ... now he holds for the day Edited September 22, 2009 by FionaC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 my GSP pup climbed out of his puppy pen (compost cage version without a lid) the 3rd day we had him home (aged 8 weeks) .... He lasted 2 days longer than Howard did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaC Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 my GSP pup climbed out of his puppy pen (compost cage version without a lid) the 3rd day we had him home (aged 8 weeks) .... He lasted 2 days longer than Howard did. hee hee - but GSP puppies aren't the smartest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Why not invest in something like these, you will have it forever, place a warm kennel in there, provide shade and it's always going to provide somewhere for your dog. http://www.colwesternsheds.com.au/page/dog...nels__pens.html http://vebopet.cart.net.au/store/4%20Metre...%20Tall%5D.html http://dogmaster.com.au/cat/index.cgi/shop...CFQQupAodPxtGbg There's plenty of others available, we've got a pet safe run that would be more than suitable for a Cav and also a few Kramar runs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serket Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 You can use the panels of the compost crates to make a roof as well if you think climbing over will be a problem. Also you can put the pen together with the panels upright so it's taller. You'd need to buy two compost bins for that to work though as you need 5 panels to include a roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindainfa Posted September 22, 2009 Author Share Posted September 22, 2009 Thanks for the fast replies - already based on these I will not be risking him unsupervised in the pen. I would just die if something happened to him. SBT123 - Thanks for that idea. The thing is I need a quick fix, my cats have an outdoor enclosure, alas it is getting put up next week!!! or that would have been perfect. I think in the laundry with a piece of fake grass is great, can I get a piece from Bunnings? I dont have to go to work till 6, so all day to organise this! Thanks so much! Here is my little man (12 weeks here) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindainfa Posted September 22, 2009 Author Share Posted September 22, 2009 Just rang Bunnings, they sell fake grass by the metre. Starting price is $49. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvs Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 I would not leave a cav unsupervised in a pen without a roof... they are cunning little things and climb out of everything.... I have one dog at home who scales the childrens gates and has done so since 8 weeks old.... he is such a hard dog to contain :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellatrix Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 (edited) Hi Lindainfa, your little man is just adorable!!! I bought two bunnings compost bins and made a pen out of it. I used cable ties instead of the metal pins that come with it. This was my little set up for when I was not home and worked really well. I still use it to this day to section off bits of the house that are no-no zones. I understand what you mean about you not wanting him to toilet inside, but personally, I would rather keep him in the laundry with his crate and perhaps get some training pads to put on the floor? Would be cheaper than the fake grass, but its entirely your call. Also, as long as you know that the cats and he will be fine for that long. Otherwise, you could set up a pen if you have a tiled area in your home? If its not going to be a regular thing (you and hubby working in the evening) then I wouldnt worry too much with the odd accident here and there. My girls were like that but they soon learn that they are to go outside and both mine are now fully toilet trained. If I have to go out and its raining outside, ill leave them inside (as they usually come back and jump on our couch with their muddy paws) and they usually hold until I get back (only a couple or so hours). Goodluck with what you decide to do! I think we need more pics of Arnie though :D ETA Edited September 23, 2009 by Bellatrix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pie Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 My new puppy climbed out of her bunnings pen (2 packs in a square) within an hour of first being put in there First up and over the side, then by jumping onto the crate and over the side. I put chicken wire along the top like a sort of roof that just goes around the perimeter on the inside to stop her being able to climb out, it was all I had on hand at the time, and put the crate in the middle instead of near the edge. She hasn't been able to get out since. I agree with not using the springs - they easily work themselves loose, I used cable ties instead. I put the pen on black plastic and put Paving bricks around the outside to stop it being pushed around. It's inside the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaC Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 re: training pads v's fake grass .... I chose the grass cause it was the closest visual match to the real thing - to me training pads look a lot like other items in a household that you mightn't want peed on ..... we only bought 1/2m of fake grass - and a plastic painting sheet (for underneeth) ... you can then wash it off with detergent easily (it just hangs over our line when needing cleaning) Ideally if we had the capacity to have him outside/indoors safely (whether via a dog door or in a run) we would have gone with that but we have an indoor cat (so can't use the dog door concept) and we didn't have a run ... the grass was our next option and for us it worked really well as Mort was inside from 8am - 4pm by himself M-F from the start (I had a relative call over at lunch or I dropped home at lunch to give him his meal for the first 2 weeks but after that we moved him into 2 meals a day) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all that glitters Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 I second the fake grass too, pee pads I personally don't like as they can be like other household items to a dog (like Fiona said), whereas if you want them used to going outside on grass, you can't go past using the fake grass indoors! My mums min pin was trained on pee pads and still misses them most of the time "thinking" shes on them cos the pad isn't much different feeling to the floor. Whereas with the fake grass they will have that course tickly 'grass' feel and know they are on it mostly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyG Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Why not just get a roll of real grass and put it down on paper or in a litter tray- I think Bunnings sell them - cheaper than fake grass esp if it is a temporary measure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindainfa Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 Judy - Real grass didnt even enter my mind! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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