Okay, so I have kind of a weirdo question for you.
I can’t be with Lucy all of the time, and lately I’ve been wondering what I could do to entertain her while I’m out running errands. I know that when I am outside, my little Lucy goose is happy to be along side me, but I’ve had to be out and about more lately. I was talking to Girly Girl and she said some of her friends pop in a DVD before leaving the house.
Seriously? Have you heard of this? Does it work? I have to admit, I am a bit skeptical, but when I typed “DVD’s for pets” into trusty Google, you would not believe the selection that popped up! You can actually order DVD’s specifically for your pet. Is this crazy? Do people really do this?
If DVD’s weren’t enough, here in suburbia, Doggy Daycare is also pretty popular. Apparently you can drop your dog off, run your errands, and then gather her/him up hours later–all tuckered out from a day of playing with other dogs.
It’s supposed to be pretty good for their socialization skills, plus, as much as I love getting my ankles and pant legs chewed on, it gives them another outlet for their childlike rough-housing. The downside, of course, is that you have to pay. I haven’t checked rates yet, but even though I think it’s a cool idea, I can’t imagine I’d pay for something like this {nor would the HH}.
What do you think? How do keep your pets occupied when you have to be away for hours on end? Do you have any cool tricks, because I could sure use them.
~Mavis
Emma says
I just pop a blanket on the sofa, since I know he’ll conveniently forget that he needs to ask and be invited to go up there once the car pulls out of the driveway. Honestly, if you’re exercising and entertaining your dog enough (and yours is a puppy so care should rather be taken not to over-exercise or stress her out through too much entertainment), then there’s no reason why alone time shouldn’t be quiet time.
That said, some dogs get lonely when alone. Hence some people turn on the TV, pop in a DVD, or turn up the radio. My old cocker spaniel was always more comfortable with the radio on. Heck, so was the rabbit I had in my teens. My mum decided that he should spend the summer in the conservatory as a little treat to get away from my loud heavy metal music… and within a week of silence he was so stressed out the poor thing had bald spots and was allowed back into my room. 🙂
Mavis says
I have the radio on low all day for white noise, just like I did when my kids were young and napping. So far so good.
Jo B. says
That’s why we have two dogs, they keep each other company. Mostly they curl up and sleep together.
Sarah says
Has she been getting into trouble while left alone? If not, I’d say don’t try to fix what isn’t broken. Most dogs should be fine for a few hours on their own. Mostly, they just sleep. This is one of the reasons crate training is invaluable.
I don’t think the videos are really worthwhile. We tried a free trial of “Dog TV” (yeah – a channel designed for dogs, really) and my guys totally ignored it. One of our dogs gets a bit worked up when she hears certain noises outside so we leave the radio on for her sometimes, but that’s mostly just to cover up outside noises than because she actually digs the music.
Mavis says
NO, she has not been getting into trouble. I was curious what people thought about it though. One of my neighbors from many moons ago took her {large} dog to doggy day care twice a week and really liked it.
Ariel says
I recently started using doggy day care for my pug pup and she LOVES it. It’s not only great for me so I feel less guilty about going to work, but she’s social, getting exercise, AND it tires her out. We didn’t start bringing Daisy until she was closer to 1yrs old and I researched many day cares. We live in the city and it’s about $25-30 per full day (up to 12 hours) which is a pretty decent deal if you ask me! 12 hours of babysitting would never be that cheap! It’s also really important to make sure those places require immunizations of the pups they watch and I also think it’s important that they do a trial day to make sure the pups are good with the other dogs/not too aggressive. For us, it’s perfect if both myself and my boyfriend have a really packed day where she would not get enough attention. It also, overall, helps her behavior because she is tuckered out and less likely to be bad! I would highly suggest looking into it for busy days!
Ted S. says
Save your money. We ran a camera in our house to see what our dog did while we were away. Slept, licked himself, slept, wandered around sniffing things, slept, licked himself. The only surprise was that he surveyed the kitchen counters (we have an Irish wolfhound and he can rest his head on our kitchen counters), didn’t lick them or anything but just did a survey—he is not allowed in the kitchen, so apparently when we are not there he takes a little stroll in there to see what we are hiding from him.
When we turn on the tv and it has animals on the screen, he starts howling and running aroudn the back of the TV, looking for his companions—meaning the TV revs him up more.
When we had two dogs, they only hyped each other up and play fought—which, with two wolfhounds, meant we would come home to knocked over stuff. We work from home so the dog has company most of the time and being left alone a few hours at a time a few times a week doesn’t hurt him.
We don’t pay for doggie daycare. Once a week, we have a friend’s dog come over to play, and my friend reciprocates about once every two weeks (she works a normal job so it is harder for her to accomodate our dog).
Misty says
The doggy daycare’s in Portland have rates almost equal to actual daycare.
Sakura says
One of our dogs is kenneled whenever she’s left alone in the house, because she is big enough to reach to the back of the counters on her hind legs. It’s much safer for her. Plus she is so energetic, I think she enjoys being in her kennel with the blanket over it for some down time.
Our other 2 dogs are small and have never been raised with a kennel, so when we leave the house they usually are either curled up in their blanket in a basket or the bigger one always likes to sit in my husbands favorite chair. She is determined to make it her own.
I only pay for kenneling when we have long trips out of town and my parents can’t take the dogs. I turn on music or the TV for my animals when I’m gone, but it’s more for me to feel good. I’m sure they could care less.
Kim Wink says
I turn on NPR for our 2 dogs when we leave the house.
Amanda says
All of our dogs are rescue refugees so they tend to come with their personal set of neurotic quirks. We leave a radio on most of the time when we are gone, so the noises outside don’t freak one of our dogs out (she is scared of birds…I don’t know what happened there). We also have a dog that can be a bit destructive when he is bored (even in his kennel he will go nuts if he isn’t busy). Our vet recommended filling a bone with peanut butter and freezing it. When we have to be gone for several hours we give him the frozen bone and let him have it. He will chew/lick at it for awhile, take a nap, chew/lick some more, take a nap…Works well for him.
Crystal West says
We leave the TV on, and usually turn it to Animal Planet! Also, a pup (and even the full grown dogs) usually catch up on their rest when you are gone. When I am feeling really guilting about leaving my dogs, Amazon comes in really handy! Keep Lucy stories coming — I love it!!
Lisa says
My dog is a trouble maker if left unattended. She is always in her kennel if we are not at home. We always give her something to chew on or keep her otherwise occupied. I’ll stick natural peanut butter and dog treats in a non-Kong thing or put the actual cookie that goes in the toy. During the summer months (aka when we have extra money) she goes to daycare once a week. Best $$ we pay. The daycare we use is way out in Puyallup so it wouldn’t be convenient for you, but once you find one you trust it will make life so much nicer. Look for one that does boarding too (so you can go on vacation as a family) and that the boarding cost includes daycare.
CS says
I now have 3 dogs so they do well keeping each other company. However when I just had 1 and 2, I would fill a Kong with peanut butter and freeze and that took a while for them to get through. They also have Kongs that you can put treats in for the dogs to get out…that usually takes them some time too. Other than that, I would be sure to have their toys accessible. Only 1 of my dogs likes TV…if the Animal Planet is on, he is glued! It’s pretty funny! The other 2 could care less if the TV is on or not. Just depends on the dog I guess.
Cindi Myers says
I have two dogs to keep each other company. I’d vote for toys — like a Kong stuffed with kibble or peanut butter — to keep her occupied if you’re gone for a long time. Dogs sleep a lot if left to their own devices. Even when I’m home all day with mine they sleep most of the time.
We have used Doggy Daycare for overnight stays when we went out of town and my dogs loved it! Better than being stuck in a kennel at a boarding facility all day. Not every daycare offers overnight stays, however.
Terri says
I used to leave PBS kids on for my cat when he was a kitten and I had to leave for more than an hour. I think he enjoyed it. 🙂
Jen J says
These responses crack me up! I love it!
We sometimes leave the TV on for our two dogs when we go out. Not all the time, though, so it’s not a dependency issue for them. Just a little noise and entertainment. I work from home, so they are used to someone being around and it’s probably me who worries when I’m away more than them.
My dog that passed away last year used to go to doggy day care every day when I was living in an apartment in FL. He was a rescue and would freak out about all the neighboring noises during the day when I was at work. Doggy daycare was a little expensive for me (about $20 per day), but worth it for my peace of mind. I swear when I picked him up each evening he was smiling! So, for me, it was a good choice.
I like the idea someone had of doggy play dates. Good socialization without the expense of day care.
Helen in Meridian says
And….whose dog was this to be?
Nicola says
We leave a radio or tv on for our dog some dogs watch tv our old dog loved to watch tv and we left animal planet on but decided to stop that when she would bark to much at the tv. Be careful with the big bones i had a dog as a child who bit of a splinter of the bone and it got stuck in her throat she survived but I’ve been cautious with our little dog. I found in one of the fancy pet stores something called Himalayan bones a very hard dense chew that keeps the dogs busy for a long time and they last a long time a little more money but they last and my westie loves them.
Nicola says
Don’t forget the dog park to socialize her when she’s ready and the vet says its ok
Elizabeth says
I think it depends on the dog. My Goldie/Newfie mix could care less, but she has low thyroid and other issues, so I’m not sure she has the energy or attention. Our border collie mix hears the animals on tv – and goes outside to hunt them down. She can’t figure it out.
But our pure Goldies have always liked television. They watch intently and bark at the animals. It’s hilarious. Puppy Bowl, Too Cute Kittens or Puppies – all go over really well. My Ellie Mae pays attention when the animals are bigger than her – and she may need to be on guard.
My old Goldie, Sophie, who has been gone a few years (sad face) used to LOVE watching the movie Homeward Bound.
Kendra says
My dogs are at home all day while the hubby and I are at work. Princess, a 6 year old Chihuahua-Dachshund Mix has free roam of the downstairs (we have a baby gate at the stairs so only the cats can go up there). She pretty much spends all day moving from one sun spot to another or looking out the window. Pip, the 2 year old Chihuahua is in his “house” all day with whatever toys he has hoarded in there and burrows himself in a blanket. When I get home, Princess greets me at the door and it takes Pip another 30 seconds to figure out how to un-burrow himself.
When we first got Princess I looked into doggie daycare but the $20/day turned me against it. We also have a camera that we can pull up on our smartphone and move around to see what is going on.
CathyB says
We would put our golden in her kennel/crate whenever we had to leave the house for the first two years of her life. After that she had mellowed and we started letting her have free reign when we left. As far as I can tell, she still seemed to respect her boundaries when left alone. I may run errands during the day or be gone for a few hours, but we are rarely gone all day so our doggie is not being left alone all day. If I was gone all day long every then I think I would be more likely to look into the other resources available. Our dog seems to completely ignore animals on TV. She prefers to look out the window.
Huey says
We turn on the radio so there’s some noise. Also if we’re going to be gone longer than usual, we give our dog one of the blue rubber toys w/a treat disc in it (all pet stores have them). It keeps her busy. It takes her a couple weeks to gnaw the disc down.
susan says
My little yorkiepoo hangs out in his crate when we’re out (for his own safety and because he likes it) but on the rare occasion that we’re going to be gone all day, he does go to the daycare… which has webcams and a facebook page(!)
I think seeing/hearing dogs on TV might get him worked up, sort of like when one dog on the block starts barking and they all join in.
Lisa says
Seriously, doggy day care? I’m sure they love it… A doggy play date or a trip to the dog park might be better (free!).
Is it just me or has the world gone mad? I love my two dogs. I try to make sure they aren’t bored, and that they have good care… And a good life.
But spending money on doggy day care seems insane. Some dogs seem to fare better than people. It just feels like the world is so out of touch with the reality of elsewhere. Of other people.
Anyway. I love your blog. It’s inspiring.
Carol says
Yeah, a few hours in her crate is really a good thing. You had your children take naps during the day, right?
Good luck!
Sandy says
I had a black lab that was very very energetic. Problem was, he hated going on walks (was a leash thing that he had when I got him). But he loved the dog park and he LOVED doggy day care. Loved it. That dog would get in the truck and just lay down. Amazingly he liked playing with the little dogs (I think because he was used to being around the cats) and the little dogs adored him. He would run them all over the place. Twice a week and he was a happier, more socialized dog, that’s for sure.
In my experience it was just like kids: take them out occasionally and get them around other people so they know how to behave!
Ashley says
I you are going to shell out money for socialization I would suggest obedience class over daycare. That way you and your family can learn how to train your dog and classes usually include group playtime during or after the session.
Nicole says
You could try a treat ball. My brother uses one similar to the Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball with his dog.
Charla Echlin says
I went through the same thing with my puppy. I actually brought him along in his little kennel if it was a short trip.
Re: the doggy daycare- make sure to wait until Lucy has all of her puppy shots- before integrating her with other dogs.
I used to always leave the tv on (Animal Planet of course) when I had my older dogs- but with the pup- he’s corralled in the kitchen area, so I just leave the radio on.- I’ve got 2 other dogs now as well and they keep each other occupied. I’m only gone for short periods, so it works out well.
ann says
my 3 jtr’s have the run of the house downstairs while me and the other half are at work all day. they have toys to play with and each other, but when i had just the one i used to leave the radio on! i think doggy day care is a good idea for socialising, but a lot of books i’ve read say the dog needs to get used to being on their own and not to make too big a fuss about leaving or they can develop separation anxiety. maybe you could try leaving her in her crate and leaving the house for 15 minutes at a time to begin with, then build up to a longer time.
Susan says
My sister has a Newfoundland with a lot of energy that she sends to doggie daycare 3 times a week. The doggie daycare person picks up her newfie at 9am, drops him back off at 4pm, and charges 25.00 a day (this is on Cape Cod, MA). For my sister, it’s definitely worth it. She works a full time high stress job 5 days a week, and does live-in foster care for three mentally challenged adult women when she gets home. Her dog absolutely LOVES going to doggie day care. If you can afford it, I think it’s great!