Need some dog help

[ScoJo15]

We have a 10 month old miniature schnauzer. Our problem is what to do with him during the day while we are at work. We are gone from 7am til 5pm and we do have a relative who stops by at lunchtime to take the dog out for a walk.

We had kept him in a playpen (4ft by 4ft). One day, he ripped a 1" in diameter hole in our carpet, apparently digging for food. So we put some vinyl flooring under his pen. A few weeks after that, he jumped out two times. We figured that maybe he could manage having "free range" of our downstairs. Now he chews up books that he finds in our library. We can't really close up where our books are, as the room has an open entryway right off of our front door. Today he made a "deposit" behind our couch...I'm assuming this was just a "really need to go bad" situation since he hasn't had an accident in the house for 5 months.

So, what should we do with him during the day? Anyone else face the same issues? I've heard of just keeping them in a laundry room, but our laundry room is smaller than the 4ft pen once you factor in the washer & dryer.

Any assistance or advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Aidensmom]

Our dog, a Jack Russell Terrier, has free run of the living room/kitchen/dining room area during the day. That area is all tile, so we don't have to worry about the carpet if he has an accident (which is extremely rare anyways). However, he will get into all kinds of trouble - knocking things off tables, tearing up magazines, chewing up things (his favorite is my husbands flip-flops ) unless we always make sure he has a rawhide bone. As long as he has that bone to chew on, he stays out of trouble.

 

[jrmasm]

crate

 

[huckster]

we always caged our pups while we were gone that keeps them safe to , they love to chew and if they chew a lamp cord they really can hurt themselves they hate at first and cry but they learn to know it is there home and its for there saftey , then still have you r person come let them out during the day 10 hours is a long time to be caged.i really think it has out grown the play pen.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I would have crate trained the pup from the beginning. I'm not sure how the dog will take to a crate at theis point, but we did get our 2 grown dogs to adjust to crates for overnight use. A dog views a crate as a den and most do not mind being crated after they adjust.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I know this is going to sound harsh...and I apologize. Have you considered finding him a new home? Being alone 10 hours a day would be difficult for any puppy, but especially a Schnauzer. I have one as well and they are little bundles of energy and love companionship. They absolutely hate being alone. They are also very intelligent...which leads to trouble if they are bored. Your puppy will probably not really settle down until he is two or so. If you insist on keeping him (I'm sure he's wiggled his way into your hearts), find a doggy daycare to keep him at while you are gone.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Sounds like he has seperation anxiety. Many dogs do. I agree with the poster who said try doggie daycare. It's not all that expensive and your dog gets lots of exercise while there. I see you are in the Atlanta area so it shouldn't be hard to find one. When Petey was little I kept him in the bathroom when I had to leave. When I was at work during the day I paid DSis to be his daycare provider. He was much happier and calmer with kids and other dogs to play with during the day.

 

[ScoJo15]

Just to add a couple of things:

He is crate trained and goes to sleep in his crate at night. I don't put him in the crate until around 11pm and he sleeps until we get up at 5am, when he gets a nice morning walk.

I guess I need to look into the doggy day care idea. My wife is a teacher so he has company all day in the summers, that would help cut down on the cost...

 

[luvwinnie]

Doggy daycare is my suggestion.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Do you watch Ceasar Milan on AE? He has great tips for making the "walk" more exercise for the dog. (Heeling, putting a backpack on them, combining rollerblading with the walk to release the stored energy, etc. to make it more intense.)

I do not know a thing about your breed but I would do research and find out how to challenge your dog more. That is a good place to start.

I have 2 mixed breeds and they are 10 month old also. It is a challenge. I am a SAHM and they just have loads of energy!!!
One is a shepherd/retriever mix (Butters), other we think is collie for sure and terrier maybe (Gracie).

We are going to start combining rollerblading and walking with a backpack along with some agility training to get these guys in a more relaxed state of mind.

Have FUN! Oh and we use a big wire crate to house them when we are gone.

 

[corie161]

I would also suggest the crate. Our 7month old pup is crated during the day. I work in town so I go home for lunch and let him out, he runs around for the hour and back in he goes until we return home. It may sound horrible, but they do like their 'den'. I know the trouble he could cause if he was let alone in even a slightly bigger area.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

OP already posted that he crates the puppy from 11pm-5am...another 10 hours in a crate on top of that would be inhumane (IMO). Doggie Daycare is definitely the way to go. Lots of exercise plus socialization with other dogs.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

OP already posted that he crates the puppy from 11pm-5am...another 10 hours in a crate on top of that would be inhumane (IMO). Doggie Daycare is definitely the way to go. Lots of exercise plus socialization with other dogs.

Actually I would say it really does not matter that the dog is in the crate as opposed to being alone free at home.

Terriers need attention, people, and exercise. Daycare plus more exercise at home will do this dog wonders.

 

[jrmasm]

Gotta go home and take my dogs out of their crates and return them to the pound/rescues that they came from....

All 3 of mine are crated from 8:00am to 5:00pm. One is also crated from 11:00pm to 5:00am. So what does she do during her non crate time? Follow me around until I sit down so that she can sleep in my lap. Clearly, she feels like she's treated badly.

 

[mookie]

Our one lab had SEVERE seperation anxiety. It was so bad, we tried everything...crate (he broke out of it) anxiety meds (I didn't like the "drugging" him idea, and he just seemed so out of it.) a DOG SHRINK!! (Worked a little, but waaay too expensive)

We ended up with doggie daycare 3 times a week, and it was a godsend. He loved it, and was exhausted by the end of the day when we picked him up. On the days that he didn't go, he still slept from his action packed playdate from the day before.

It wasn't cheap either (I think we paid 30 bucks a day) but it was worth it to save my house!!!

 

[ScoJo15]

Thanks a million for suggestions. We are going to explore the day care idea.

Just for clarification, he was not in his crate during the day, just overnight to sleep in. He was in a playpen during the day. I know...it may not be much different, but at least he could move around more in that exercise pen.

We do show him much love on the weekends and all of the time that we are there. I don't want anyone to feel like we are trying to be inhumane.

I also read up on separation anxiety and noted that we make a few mistakes like greeting him for an extended period when we get home. I feel like such a bad owner!

At least with some daycare and some owner training, things should be looking up real soon.

 

[puffkin]

I guess I better go return my well-loved, people loving beagle to the pound since both DH and I work full-time and he is home alone from 7:30-5:30 every day....

We actually had the opposite experience with crating our dog. He hated it and created quite a mess in the crate. He was fine for a year in there, and then one day just decided that was it....we now give him free run of the house and we don't have any problems. My parents have a beagle who they crate and he loves being in his crate.

Another option besides daycare is to have a dog walker come in once a day. That might give him a bit more excercise and be slightly cheaper.

 

[Crankyshank]

uhoh I'm another bad beagle parent that should give her dogs away because DH and I work during the day

If the problem is more of the getting into things than anything else you could try bitter apple spray (unless the books in the library are antiques). Dogs hate the taste of it so it's an excellent deterrent. My Mother thought I was full of it when I suggested it but lo and behold it was the only thing that stopped their pug from destroying their hutch.

If that won't work is there any way to gate off your kitchen (pet supply stores have gates that are taller than baby gates or you can make your own). That will give him a bigger run area.

 

[Shugardrawers]

I worked for a boarding facility a couple of years ago. We also did doggie daycare, which I LOVED. What better job is there than playing with puppies all day?? We charged $9 to $15 per day depending on breed and needs. When you look into daycares, make sure they have an activity program and aren't just leaving the dogs in cages all day. Ask for a complete tour of the facility and watch how the employees interact with their charges. Is it obvious they love dogs or does it seem they are ignoring them? And ask for references and check them!!! Your vet may have some recommendations. One thing though, many vets that offer boarding also offer daycare. I tried that but they were so busy that they only took Petey out to pee a couple of times a day and the rest of the time he was in a cage. That's when he started going to "Aunt" Lisa's house and was MUCH better behaved at home. And she only charged me $5 a day which was a bonus.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Beagles are not terriers. Not fair to say that. Also all dogs are different and we are speaking to the OP's issues.