Advice For New Dog Owner – What Is the Best Routine? (update @post 7)

Hello, I plan on adopting a dog this weekend and have decided with rescuing a Labrador from the county shelter! While my family and roommates have owned dogs in the past; this will be my first dog that I own. I have been doing research for over a month and think am ready! Ideally I will like to adopt a male adult black Labrador around 3-4 years old.

I do not have a fenced-in yard but do have a pretty big size apartment with 2 roommates. There is also a good size ‘dog park’ within the apartment complex. I work about 10 miles away from my apartment and am usually gone Monday – Friday from 7 AM to 6 PM. However, I do have the ability to come home for about 30 minutes during lunch time. Also, one of my roommates works from home and is home for the majority of the day.

I am trying to establish a good routine for me and the dog while trying to avoid keeping it in the crate for the majority of the day. While I am hoping he is mostly house trained, for the first month or so I plan on keeping him in the crate when me or a roommate cannot supervise him. The thinking is it would keep him from getting himself in trouble chewing the apartment up. Once it feels more comfortable in his new home the plan is to let him out of the crate while everyone is gone for short periods of time. Then eventually avoid locking him up in the crate all together! Below is a routine I think might work well.

• 6:00 AM – Wake up / Bathroom time (#1)
• 6:15 AM – Breakfast
• 7:00 AM – Bathroom time (#2) (I heard a dog usually has to go #2 about 45 minutes after eating a meal)
• 7:30 AM through 11:00 AM – Crate time
• 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM – My roommate will be home so he should be out of the crate the majority of the time. He might spend a short time in the crate during these hours
• 12:30 PM – Bathroom Time (Either my roommate or I will come home from lunch)
• 1:00 PM – 6 PM – My roommate will be home so he should be out of the crate the majority of the time. He might spend a short time in the crate during these hours
• 6:00 PM – Bathroom time / 30 – 45 min of exercise in the dog park (during the weekend I plan on having two 30 minute exercise sessions)
• 7:00 PM – Dinner
• 8:00 PM – Bathroom Time (#2)
• 9:00 PM – 30 Minutes or so of training
• 10:15 PM – Bathroom Time (#1)
• 10:30 PM – Bed time in my bedroom uncrated.

Of course this is just a rough outline and once I have him for a few weeks I can adjust it based on his tendencies. I have a couple of questions / concerns am hoping you can help with.

1. I heard a dog usually needs to use the bathroom (#1) right after waking up. But also about 45 minutes after eating (#2). Do you think if I feed him first thing in the morning then wait about 45 minutes to take him out (So he goes #1 and #2) that will suffice or should I take him out once right after waking up and then an hour later after he eats in the morning?
   
2. Since I have to leave for work around 7:15 in the morning it means I am going have to put him in his crate right after he goes outside to the bathroom. I want to avoid him thinking he is being punished for using the bathroom outside. I plan on giving him a small treat for using the bathroom outside but any other advice on how to avoid thinking he is being punished.
   
3. At least until I feel confident he will not get himself in trouble tearing up the apartment when not supervised, I am thinking he is going spent about 7-9 hours in the crate during the day (no longer than 4.5 hours at one time). Do you think this is too long of a time in the crate? He is probably going be around 60 LBs and it is 42 in. crate so he should have plenty of room. I also plan on giving him a couple Kong stuffed treats and other toys to keep him occupied.
   
4. Any huge disadvantages of having him sleep in my room uncrated? My thinking is that there is not much he can tear up in my room plus its time he is not confined in the crate. Once I feel comfortable he will not tear anything up, I might even try to move his sleeping into a common room.

I apologize for the lengthy post bust wanted to make sure I didn’t leave out any important details. Any suggestions / opinions / advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I'm sorry, you won't like my reply, but you have asked for opinions from experienced dog owners, and this is what I feel in my heart.

Labradors are game dogs. This means they are crazily active and intelligent. A routine largely centred around being in a crate, or locked up in an apartment, will drive him crazy. And it will probably result in behaviour that demonstrates stress.
He will quickly learn 'crate means abandonment' and won't want to go in. He may get aggressive when you try and put him in, even if you tempt him in with treats at first - he'll soon figure out that treat isn't worth the price!

A play in the dog park once a day is nowhere near enough - a Labrador needs a proper WALK, every day, for a couple of hours AT LEAST, preferably more. You can incorporate training in the walk - in fact that's a great time to do it, teach walking on a loose lead, wait at roads before crossing, recall, etc etc. BUT you can't get away without that walk!

As for your working hours . . If the dog sees more of your flat-mate than you, who do you think he's going to bond to? Is your flat mate prepared to dedicate him/herself to this dog? Will they play with the dog, interact, or will they largely ignore the dog? What happens if your flatmate isn't there, because they get a new job or go on holiday somewhere? Is the dog expected to stay in a crate for 11 hours a day?

You can't guarrantee a dog will want a bathroom break at a time convenient to you, particularly when he's just had the upset of a new home, routine, food, etc - just like us, their digestive symptoms vary from dog to dog, and you might find yours can't fit into the routine you hope for - there's not much room for accommodating a less obliging digestive system in your plan!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE think again! This is a rescue dog, he's already had a tough time once, don't make it worse for him!

You clearly want a dog and want to commit to one, and that's great. You're thinking about how to achieve that comfortably and realistically - wonderful! BUT this breed and routine don't go together.

Have you considered adopting an older dog who will happily snooze away the hours you can't be with him? Maybe a smaller breed who will be happy with a scamper in the play-park? There are many older dogs desperate for a good home, and they are not all 'doddery' or suffering health problems.

I really hope you find the right dog to fit your routine, because clearly from what you've said, you cannot adjust the routine to fit the dog. This is a decision that might affect you for several years, but it affects the dog's LIFE. Get this right now and it will save you heart-ache. You CAN have a dog with your current lifestyle, but not a Labrador, not any 'active 'dog. Look at the smaller, 'pet' breeds that won't need the exercise. Chihuaua, Yorkie, Pomeranian, Pekingese, Pug, French bulldog, Shih Tzu, etc,,etc. NOT an active, busy terrier, gun-dog, herding breed, etc! There are lots to choose from and they all make wonderful companions.

I wish you all the luck in the world!

You're not going to like my reply either! I agree wholeheartedly with Ponslady. Having owned several Labs you can't expect them to be happy, living a life where they're mainly confined to an apartment and a crate, especially with a rescue dog who will be carrying "baggage" from it previous life which you aren't yet aware of. Labs are a high energy breed and need far more exercise than you can offer them.

I have two well trained "medium exercise" breeds, but for the past three weeks because of the deep snow and icy paths we haven't been able to do any walking and despite the fact they have a half acre of garden to run around and play in, we're all going slightly stir crazy from the lack of exercise and stimulation.

Please think again before you make a final decision.

Please please listen to the advice you've been given. Leaving a dog, any dog, that length of time confined in a crate is asking for trouble.

Hello David welcome.
Just to add to the advice given by other members..
It is good to have a routine but it should be born in mind that dogs are not machines and don't do everything by the clock.

An adult dog should be fully house trained and capable of waiting to eliminate for a number of hours, three times a day is usually ok.
Most dogs like to go out to eliminate when they first wake up, dogs should not have prolonged exercise before or after a meal.
Puppies chew when they are teething and when the teeth are settling in.
However one of the major causes of chewing and destructive behaviour in adult dogs is boredom/lack of mental stimulation/ displacement activity.

Crates are fine when training puppies or as a den with the door open but I would not crate an adult dog for more than about half an hour and then not on a regular basis.

Think your looking way to much into the room mate who works from home. There working and your talking a fairly high energy dog.
Your plans looks like around 4hrs a day crate time but could be as much as 11 hrs.
One of the other issues is bonding, a rehomed adult could take up to a year to bond with you, and with quality time together I'm seeing I just don't see that happening.

This past weekend I adopted a black lab from the shelter that they believe is about 1 year old. He was found as a stray just a few days ago so they don’t know much about his temperament but so far they said he was very playful with humans and his kennelmates. I get to pick him up tomorrow evening (he is being fully vetted, neutered, vaccinated, etc…) I have been researching a lot over the last month or so but have a few final questions

Almost everywhere I read about crate training it says to feed all meals in the crate. Does anyone have any really positive or negative experiences with this? Are there any cons in doing this (like being overprotective over his food)? Also how long should I feed him in his crate for? Should it just be until he is comfortable being left alone in his crate or longer? If possible, I would like to avoid feeding him in his crate for the long term.

I believe he is getting neutered sometime on Wednesday (I bring him home Wednesday evening). What can I expect the first few days? During the first few days I plan on training him to really get used to his crate (I am off Thursday – Sunday) Is he just going be tired and want to sleep all day? I have read that extensive exercise should be avoided for 10 – 14 days? I was planning on taking him to a fenced in area in our complex to play fetch at least an hour a day to burn some of his energy. Should I avoid this the first week or so?

He is 1 year old lab mix just shy of 70 pounds, how much food should I feed him? Researching online it says a total of 3 cups but taking a peek at the back of some dog food bags it says 4 cups. Also, I plan feeding him 2 times a day. But also giving him a treat ball with some of his kibble in it during the day. So let’s say I give him 1.5 cups in the morning, 1.5 cups at night, and between 0.5 – 1 cups in the treat ball. Is that too much or too little amount of food? I also plan on using lure and reward training using small sized training treats throughout training time.

My boy is 90 lbs. He's a Labby guy, too. He gets 4 cups of Victor High Pro Plus or High Energy dog food during the colder months, and 4 1/2 to 5 cups in warmer, more active months. Depending on the exercise level of the dog, his individual metabolism, and the quality of food you're feeding, his requirements may be vastly different.

My last Labby guy was a stick, no matter how much I fed. He never could put on weight. My current Labby guy is prone to weight gain, so I try to monitor him. He's just a tad chunkazoid right now, but spring is coming so he's fine.

Feeding in the crate is great. My dog didn't like eating in his crate (since he also slept there) and he'd just knock his food over and not eat, but my German Shepherd mutt loves the crate and eats and sleeps in it. She often goes in randomly as it's only locked in the evenings. Most dogs don't mind it at all. It doesn't link to resource guarding or food aggression.

No fetch for a week or so. The neuter is a minor procedure, and he will be fine to fetch in no time. Good luck with him. Labby guys are my favorite, be sure to show us some pictures soon.

I am so angry with you, I can hardly speak - I am actually shaking with fury right now. HOW could you have gone ahead and done this, despite all the advice you were so strongly given on this forum just a few days ago - the thread where you said your planned routine was to SHUT THE DOG IN A CRATE for most of the day, with just a few short breaks!

The fact you ignored that advice shows just how little value you place on our opinions. So why ask for them again?

In my eyes, your 'planned' routine for this poor creature is nothing short of abuse, both physically and mentally. I pity this poor dog who has done nothing to deserve the hell you intend to condem him to, and I wash my hands of you.

Whoa, I missed that. Let me go back and look...