I have a friend who owns a large dog and is going on vacation for 10 days. No problem you say. Except...the family really should not own a dog.  This poor dog is going to be left in her crate for the entire time that they are away only to be let out in the morning and evening for potty breaks (much needed!) and to eat I guess.  I am just very upset with this friend that she can go away and leave this beautiful dog in a crate for so long, alone and with no exercise or companionship.  She does not realize how much these dogs rely on us for attention, affection among other things.  I would take the dog to my home (and still may) but I am working part time now and I'd have to leave her in a crate in a strange home for at least 6 hours.  And, my three dogs have the run of the house all the time.  I don't know what to do about this poor dog.  It really tugs at my heart to think that the dog they "love so much" is being left behind and treated like this.  It's bad enough that she is put in this crate everytime they feel she is too playful or looking for too much attention.  And heaven forbid, she should have an accident on the floor!!  Back to the crate she goes!!  I just hate it and don't know what to do.  Does anyone have ANY suggestions???  Please help...Thanks, Holly's mom, Ruth

Maybe you could arrange to keep her at your house when you are at home and leave her in her crate at her home when you are working. Or you could put the owners in the crate and send the dog on a vacation.

Ruth I am so sorry to hear that, and I can feel your frustration.  Until very recently, there was a neighbor that lived down the street from us with his very elderly mother.  She was lucky enough to care for herself, and her son would leave his German Shepherd tied up to a short rope on a tree in the front yard and leave for the day.  Many neighbors referred to him as the "dangerous German Shepherd" when really he was frightened to death if anyone approached him as all he knew was that small space.  Also he has terrible hip dysplasia and I could tell he was in pain.  I was so sad because if I called in rescue, he would just be unadoptable and have to be put to sleep, it was a very difficult place to be.  The dog recently passed away and I am sure he is now in heaven and out of pain.  Sorry I didn't mean to go on, but I know how that feels.  I do like Carla's suggestion above (and I must admit the dog should be the one going on vacation) ... If they do decide to leave her that way, would you be interested in adopting her?  You can call a local rescue and just talk to someone anonymously and tell them the situation.  They may have answers that we are unaware of, it is worth a shot.  In the meantime I will say some prayers for her ... I can tell you have a very big heart as you care so much ... Sharon, Kitsu & Suki

What an awful story of cruel treatment. I would be upset too. I am upset just hearing about it. I think the idea of keeping her at your place when you are home is a good one and the better one is carlas, send the dog on vacation. I'm sure he needs one living with people like this

I'm probably going to catch a little flack about this, so let me first say that the dog should go to a place where the interactivity each day would be greater and personal - if there's any possibility that this dog can stay with another large dog person, it would be better than being crated all day long.

having said that, right now, unless he's had help or pulled a Houdini, I've got a foster dog who's crated (the open wire crate, not the plastic kennel) right now .  He's got a plush bed in the crate, his binky and the crate is partially covered so there's a little hidey-hole factor to it.  He's been there since 12:30 this afternoon and he'll be there until 11:30 tonight.

My other hounds are roaming the house freely (but if you think they're roaming, guess again - I've watched them on video and they sleep the day away, except when they hear a diesel engine or children).  So is it unfair to the foster to be confined while I'm at work?  Note that I'm gone for eleven hours a day - a half hour commute each end of a 10 hour shift. 

Of course its not fair, but its safe, in a relative sort of way.  While he's confined, he won't be bullied or attacked by one of the resident dogs (and the fosters are always the most junior dogs, even if they don't think so).  He's got room to stretch but not room to play around and get rowdy.  He's got a water bowl but not much water (about two cups in a demand-feed bottle dripping into the bowl, which is ample) -

However, I am home after that 11 hour work day, for another 13 hours.  And yes, I do sleep and so do they.  But the foster has a CHOICE to sleep in the crate after I'm home, not a requirement...(his previous family said "he's afraid of the crate" - but so far, five nights out of five, he's slept in it the whole night) - the door is open when I'm home. 

Knock on wood, he's not had any accidents in the crate or in the house - mostly because everything's on a schedule at my house.    That doesn't mean he can't - just means he hasn't.  And if he does eliminate in the house, then its because either a) he's sick or b) I didn't listen (which goes for all the dogs). 

There's no access to the outside when I'm not home.  My worst fear is the house catching fire when I'm not home - and that fear remains whether the dogs are in crates or roaming the house. 

Of course, I'm not on vacation - and if I were to go on vacation (no idea what that means nowadays), I'd take everyone or board the ones not going with other sheltie people I trust. 

I am home every day and do play with the dogs each day - although I'm sure they would like to play more than I do.

But if I were leaving for a few days, my first choice would be to leave the dogs at home in their normal environment and let my nearest family (mother and father live about three blocks away, no way I'd trust my sister) look after them (which means three to four visits a day - morning potty/breakfast/potty, afternoon potty/play/supper, evening potty/sleep).

Next option would be to farm the dogs out to other dog people I know intimately (working in rescue circles opens many more doors for that kind of friendship) - where the dogs would stay at the friend's home temporarily.  The downside of this kind of arrangement is the dog is at the bottom of the totem pole at the other house - you need to be very careful about the kind of situation the dog may end up in.

Third option would be to hire a pet sitter to visit my dogs - I'm very reluctant to let a stranger into my house and if I ended up in this situation, I'd cancel the out-of-area plans if at all possible.  The pet sitter should be able to cope with most situations - including entering the house with unconfined dogs, but many of them want the dogs crated - for the security of the sitter.  Some people are pet-sitters in idea only and can't deal with dogs very well; other folks may be professional sitters, who play with the dog socially and do more than just fill the food bowl and pick up the poop.   Option 3 sounds like what your friends are doing - but probably not using a professional sitter.

Considering the last two options, the dog might be better off...

The last two options include boarding at a kennel.  This logistically might be tough (I ended up paying a friend to drive 1800 miles round trip for me because boarding five dogs for three days would have been more expensive than paying him)...and you've got to be very very picky about the kind of kennel service you'd use (my parents' GSD was brutalized in the kennel he was in for three days when all of us had to travel to the west coast for a funeral).  The more options you chose (socialization play time/individualized services), the narrow the scope of available boarding kennels become and the higher the price.  Then there's always option five...

Option Five is seen primarily in the Animal Control world, and in rescue.  Option five is when the family decide that options 1-4 are too difficult/expensive or are too lazy to pursue them.  Its cheaper to just let the dog 'escape' and let the local A/C pick the dog up.  And if the dog doesn't ever get found or dies, then oh-well.  In our town, the daily impound fee is $5 for up to 15 days; after 15 days, the dog becomes open for adoption.  In contrast, boarding kennels run at least $30 a day. 

Okay...now that I've blabbed on and on and on....

The dogs can handle being confined for half a day every day - thousands of people do it every day.  Its not criminal to crate a dog; but its unhealthy for the dog to be crated continuously 23.5/7.  They're social and active creatures.  If you're using a crate for security while you're gone (and some dogs can be destructive if left to their own devices and allowed unrestricted access - there a host of 'training' that can be done to mitigate that), that's acceptable - as long as there's an equal amount of time outside the crate (the number is not absolute).

I'm not objectionable to crating - but I go home every day.  I'd rather not crate a couple of my dogs (Reiley primarily) - not because they're afraid of the crate, but because its a helluva time getting them out of it.  Reiley's arthritis, size and general disposition to move the bedding to one side makes it tough for him to stand up - which makes it even harder for me to get him out of the crate!  Honey thinks the Crate is Her Castle and she challenges anyone who comes near the Door. 

That's where I sit...make of it what you'd like.    Crates should not be used for punishment; they are for security (both physical and emotional).  In your situation, its a tough call if you can't help out yourself - perhaps a large-breed rescue is in your area and they might have a trusted sitter or available foster (I can hear the "yeah right, available foster?" sarcasm already!)...

dwain

If they can afford a ten day vacation they can afford to kennel their dog. I have been working in dog rescue for almost twenty years, and I have never crated a single dog for anymore than five minutes as a time out. When I go away my dogs are kenneled in a facility that allows them free run. We have a great kennel here locally where dogs are given rooms of there own with outside deck access. If you have a pack like I do they can be kenneled together in the same "room". They are released into a large fenced area daily to run and play (your pack plays together they do not mix dogs from different homes.)