Crate Training Pup

[fluff1234]

Why?

My two other samoyed's were never allowed out without supervision? Samoyed are knows to dig up and under fences, escape them, get out of enclosures, get stolen and run and run. I have always been told by the rescue and pretty much most books I have read to never leave a sammy outside unsupervised and I never have, I had them for 10 yrs.

If I had a outdoor run, it would have to be on grass as we dont have any concrete, I am betting how long it would take for him to dig out under it and escape

The rescue I was involved with, was telling me all the antics, such as digging out through the back door into the garage, when unsupervised and uncrated!

They have always told me never to leave a sammie unsupervised, uncrated.

I will be making sure he is safe and secure at all times whilst having lots of fun and love. We wont be following him arund the yard or house and hounding him, but quietly watching and supervising to check he doesnt get himself in trouble. Just like we have been taught and told to do in the past and from our experience as sammie owners.

We will give hime 'alone' time when we are out and if he chooses too want it during the daytime, Inside. Our other sammies just went and sat in their crates when they wanted alone time and a break from us :) We leave it open all day and it was their little dens :)

Outside we will be 'about' and sat outside when he is chasing and racing around the yard.

My question anyway wasnt about outdoor play or supervision, i was just checking 2 hours was OK as a maximum time left until he gets his shots, as I couldnt remember and in the UK I lived 5 mins from school :)

Thanks for replying and the advice :)

a couple of hours in a crate he's been trained to enjoy sounds ok ....

Outside in a secure pen would be ideal :) he really does need to be out there without an attached human

Edited June 10, 2013 by fairystar

[fluff1234]

Thanks, I will do. I am looking at a open bottom crate but worried he will just dig under it, so going to work it out. looking at DS schedule, he will normall only be left max 1.5 hrs. I found several information sites saying 1 hr for each mth of their age +1, so he should be fine for maximum 2 hrs :)

thanks all for all the advice, appreciate it.

Its a long time since we had a puppy and so excited...

I had a big double play pen set up with the crate inside for when I had to go out for longer periods but didn't want him crated. I just had one side with paper for him to go to the toilet on & his food, water & crate up the other end. I would just give him great things to eat/chew for those periods.

[fluff1234]

thanks :)

I am planning to take him for a wee, have a big play inside or out and then another wee and crate with a stuffed kong, each time I have to do the school run :)

I am sure It will be all good, I am just a worry LOL..

he will probably sleep, with all the kids to tire him out most of the time and the cats to chase LOL

Why not? I would say good socialisation to be around heaps of kids

You would most likely find that dogs are not allowed inside the school grounds & therefor, he would have to be left in the car, which of course, is a no no.

I wouldn't think a couple of hours in the crate alone would do him any harm providing he is wee'd & poo's before he goes in. Have a bit of a game before & he will most probably sleep the whole time.

[minimax]

My dogs aren't left outside unsupervised, I live on a corner block and regularly find all sorts of things thrown over my fence, most commonly cigarette butts.

Dogs don't "need" outdoor unsupervised time, they need what's best for them considering your environment and lifestyle.

[smashtank]

I'd probably take him with you to school and carry him for one of the two trips and leave him for the other.

I think with Tank one of the best things I did from day one was take him everywhere to meet new people, see new sights and smell new things. Now (at 12 weeks) he walks on his lead on the footpath completely unfazed by other dogs, people, birds (although he jumped this morning when three cockatoos flew off in a hurry), motorbikes, noisy rubbish trucks, etc.

My partner and I work full time so Tank has had to learn quickly to deal with being alone. He does really well now - just plays in his pen and sleeps in his crate during the day (I pop home at lunch and usually find him snoozing). He makes next to no fuss now when he's left alone in his pen although he doesn't really play in there at all when we're in the house - I think he has developed a bit of an issue with his pen - ie he knows that if I close the gate we're going out or he is having a time out from us.

[Christina]

Not safe to leave a puppy outside alone while you are out.

Anyone could pick him up & steal him. If another dog got in pup can't defend itself.

Cold & bad weather now too.

He should be fine in the crate if he has to be in there otherwise can you not make a room safe like the kitchen or block off a hallway or something.

As long as he can't climb or get to any wiring he should be safe in a puppy proofed room.

Years ago we didn't use crates & our pups were fine. We just shifted anything we thought they may get into mischief with.