Well for once I am going to defend KCJack. She has given her opinion in a polite manner and she does have a point. Any active breed left for long periods without company/stimulation can go stir crazy. I don't think she is saying that Woody has become demented, she is just warning of the possibility.

This is one of the reasons that when I decided that I was ready to get a dog again (after many years without) I deliberately didn't get a pup but an older dog who I could fully exercise before and after being left.

So now I'm not exercising him enough?

I thought in earlier posts I was exercising him too much.

Also, am amazed at "some" people's ability to diagnose my 5 month old puppy with dementia online that's pretty clever!

Look, KCJack has had it in with me from day one because she couldn't cope with her two springers she thinks that I'm not able to.

Hali, what do you do to earn a living?

KCJack, what do you do to earn a living?

Wow I have just read through this whole thread, Pidge sorry hun I think this is a sharp and unneccesary reply.. the ''what do you do for a living bit''.

Sorry Hun not getting at you or anyone else, but this thread is going the way so many others go lately, someone doesn't like a reply and before we all know it it's blown out of proportion.

Firstly IMO Woody is doing what 5 month old pups do, ok some of us are lucky not to have had it, Bruce is 14 months can be left (could always be left) and has never chewed anything structure wise in the house, but this isn't always the case. Just because Woody has never done it before doesn't mean he won't start it, and you said yourself he did it whilst you were in shower, so you weren't at work then.

I had a BC that chewed when I was in bed, but I have luckily never had one since. They grow out of it hun, thats what you have to remember.

Can you not take him to work, I nearly always took mine when I worked full time at the vets.

I personally do not agree with grates, and to be honest have never owned one, but I agree with what KCJack said, some breeds are like no other and long periods in grate will only highten the problem, I know for definate if I grated mine they would go mad.

Sorry don't want to offend anyone here, but if taking him to work isn't a option is there someone who could pop in a walk him or even have a doggy sit with him.

Good luck anyway, but I am sure he'll grow into a lovely young man.

The "thing for a living" question is purely out of curiosity to see what they do for a living? How do they earn a living without going to work. I don't think it's harsh to ask that, is it?

Thanks, I'm not aware of any either. I was interested in the comment re the neuroscience too and why you felt having learnt about it, it kind of supported your stance about dogs in crates? I'm doing first year undergrad. and we've done some neuroscience but I wouldn't say it would have supported me one way or the other regarding crates, dogs left alone or whatever. Thanks anyway though!

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Pidge, I am a chartered surveyor - a partner in private practice. I'm on Dogsey quite a lot during the day because work is relatively slow at the moment, but I'm in the office as we speak.

For most of my adult life I lived alone and worked full time and therefore did not have a dog, much as I wanted one. I waited almost 20 years for the right time.

Once we got married and moved to our current location, my OH was working just down the road from home; my job was further afield. We discussed having a dog but wasn't sure that it was fair but then our next door neighbour who also had a dog said that he would be happy to help out at any time. So, we went out and rescued an older dog. Kip was left for 2 x 4 hours mon-fri BUT because he was older - (1) he could have plenty of exercise before we left him (2) as he was older, he genuinely did sleep much of the time we were out. But even so, I started feeling guilty and he ended up sleeping in our bedroom because I couldn't bare that he would be alone all day and then all night. We then also got Hoki to keep him company.

When we decided to get Stumpy who was our youngest addition yet (at approx 3 years old), I didn't think it was right to leave her (even with Hoki's company) for the time we had left our two older ones. Also, our next door neighbour had moved away so that we didn't have 'back up' for when we were out. Before taking Stumpy, we therefore decided to forego some of my OH's salary so that he would work part time instead. Yes, we had the luxury of being able to live without this extra income, but if we hadn't have been able to do so, we would not have got Stumpy, but would have looked for another older dog.

I get up before 5am every morning to give the dogs a 1 1/2 hour walk before I got to work. Even when they are unable to have that much exercise (e.g. after ops) I still got up at that time to spend time with them - a bit of training, a bit of grooming, just a bit of 'our time'. OH walks them for an hour or so in the evening.

Ya did! Hehe - I do that too sometimes!

Glad you think my comments helped but I'd like to just clarify a little more if I may?

Basically all dogs need to learn to cope with "alone time" but it must always be an enjoyable experience from puppyhood so that they can learn to accept it and become habituated to it from an early age, and it must all be done kind of slowly and easily and made fun - I'd worry if you shut Woody behind a door on my account as for me it's more about slowly introducing the concept of being alone ... and always about it being generally a pleasant thing.

Hence I used a childgate at first and put my dogs behind it with a tasty chew/stuffed kong when they could see me but I was busy, and they weren't expecting to be able to get to me (eg when I was washing up) and did it for short periods at a time. Then gradually built it up. And i let them out before they got worried and started to bark, although on the odd occasion when at first they did bark, I waited for a lull and then immediately let them out.

If you do it too fast it may backfire is what I am trying to say I guess. I hope it's not too confusing but basically, slow definitely = sure in this case, in my book

Woody (IMO) will need loads of attention but kind of structured? Keeping him calmish (but being a pup he will have his crazy moments which you can enjoy!).

Re the stimulation - it's hard to comment specifically to you and Woody, but when I said he was perhaps overstimulated I meant in this particular situation, for you then wanting him to settle afterwards

He is an adorable dog, I hope you manage to work your way through this testing time!

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Right... I'll put my 2pence in...

When we first got Max, we had to leave him all day whilst we went to work (after we'd both had some time off). We puppy-proofed the garage (the entire downstairs of the house was open plan) and he went in there. I would come from work, walk him, have my lunch and go back to work.

We gradually built up so that he could be left all day. There was nothing that he could really destroy in his part of the garage, so that was fine.

When we moved house, he started to chew (12 months old). He did it when we were at work, but also when we were at home/in the next room/eating our dinner etc.

We had some spectacular scene of destruction (sometimes when we'd only been out of the house for 30 mins). He's always been left with Kongs, chew sticks, puzzle toys etc.

Max stopped chewing when we got Murphy (Max was 18 months old). Murphy did some chewing, but during the 'teething' stage, rather than later in life. He destroys soft beds (even overnight when he should be sleeping on them).

However, despite that fact that I am horrible dog-owner as I leave my dogs all day; they are both well exercised, well fed; 99% well adjusted dogs (disclaimer: they are Boxers, so that accounts for the 1%).
They have adjusted to our lifestyle with no real problems. We are up at 6am for a walk, we spend another hour outside dealing with the other 16 animals. I go to work for the day. When I get back, we go for another walk. They then get the choice of being in the garden or the house until about midnight.

We walk for miles at a weekend, the boys come camping with us and on holiday, they go to regular dog training classes and work towards Good Citizen tests.

If I didn't have to work, I wouldn't. I'd love to spend all day at home with my dogs, garden and other animals. We have a mortgage and bills to pay. That is life unfortunately. I can't afford to stop working to have children, so I throw myself into my dogs, livestock and kitchen garden.

I think crates are a great invention. If I had to crate a dog for 4 hours a day to stop it chewing walls/wires and injuring itself, then I would. Sue me.

I'm sure that Woody will get past this stage (as most dogs do) and Pidge will be able to take him into work (I am so jealous!!) and everything will be fine.

Chill out everyone!

No it's not, but it came across as harsh hun. Anyway Hali has anwered your question....sorry I wasn't picking but she works hard and long...I know that

It's the chewing stage hun, some of us have it, I am sure Isochick can show you some lovely pic's.......but they do grow out of it, it is just perseverence, although i agree it is so frustrating too. I remember the BC I had who chewed, I made the mistake of looking to see where she was and she was fast alseep near my bed, so I went off into the garden, when time flew by and when I walked back upstairs to check on her, she was sat on my bed, all the bedding everywhere and a huge hole in the mattress

Nice piccie! I think it's the Blue Cross (is it? ) who runs a "Take your dog to work day". The mag Dogs Today used to remind us of it every year

It is ideal but I guess not always possible. Great if it can be done though!!

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