apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

nature's miracle really is miraculous. it is almost indescribable how well it cleans up gross organic messes (magic enzymes!)

Lots, lots, lots, lots of chew toys. I keep my 10 month old lab puppy well supplied with easy to chew, hard to chew, different textured, etc chew toys. Our favorite is the Everlasting Treat Ball.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012V1G0Y/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

It keeps her occupied the longest and she finds the treat the most rewarding, although I find the treats hard to get in and out!

What a cutie that Wilbur is! I would say to get a bit of whatever they've been feeding the animal and gradually change over to what you are going to feed if it's different so that the pet doesn't get ill or refuse to eat something new.

I second the baby gates and I think that a comfortable crate is ESSENTIAL! I have a golden retriever who is a big chewer. And I managed to make it through puppyhood without any chewing damage to my home. Of course, I also made sure he was always in the same room as me so that I could stop him as soon as he started to chew!

Other than that, the best way to make sure the dog doesn't destroy your house is to make sure that he gets lots of exercise, playtime, attention, and training.

i second the dog crate - crating a dog is far from mean; it is providing your dog with a sense of security. think of it as his "room"

i also think a small bottle of grannick's bitter apple does a world of good. you want to stop inappropriate chewing as soon as it starts, and this is a huge deterrent.

something we started doing when we got our dog is putting matching-color towels on our couch for everyday use. when guests come over we pull them off and store them. keeps the couch looking nice and sure beats putting a *gasp* plastic cover on it!

I've read that Nature's Miracle has changed it's formula an you need to get the original formula. Sorry, I've forgotten the name of the new product.
I second the Kong or the Treat Ball something you can fill that gives the dog something to chew and play with to occupy their time. Bitter apple spray to discourage chewing.
A good tip I was given was to get on your hands and knees and view your apt as your dog will and fix what you see.

Kongs rock! My pit/lab mix can destroy everything but his kong toys (except the bone shaped kong - he can chew through the middle of those). I break up his treats and stuff them in the Kong and he can amuse himself for quite some time.

And crates certainly are controversial. I think the longer the dog is in there, the crueler it is. People make themselves feel better about them by saying dogs like having their own space, but I think they are rationalizing away the reality. What animal wants to be locked in a cage? Dogs even get bored and restless when cooped up in an apartment/house for too long, much less in a box. And then, when they get out they are often super hyper - and end up driving their people crazy. Families coexisted wonderfully with dogs for a long time before crates came into fashion, and we will for a long time after they go out of fashion.

If you're going to have a dog, you're probably going to have some destruction. They do more for us than they will ever do to us. And we should do the same.

I believe strongly in spaying or neutering your dog. HOWEVER, if you "fix" your dog before it is fully mature---at the very least one year old---you will have a dog that never grows up. A dog that never grows up is extremely hard---if not impossible---to train.

Professionals who train dogs to be service and rescue dogs are adamant about allowing the dog to mature before spaying or neutering it. If you don't think you can control your dog for a whole year, then don't get one.

The animal shelters are FULL of dogs that were fixed before they were mature, and as a result, they are out of control and extremely UN-trainable, so their owners dump them. The spay/neuter enthusiasts will never tell you this bittersweet yet valuable piece of information, but it is absolutely vital to know. If your vet advises you to neuter your male dog when he is 7-months-old, you need to find a another vet.

Most guide dogs for the blind aren't neutered/spayed until they are THREE years old. And I think we can all agree that service dogs must be extremely well trained. On top of all this, the larger the dog, the longer it takes for it to mature. So if you love Great Danes, you are in for a long wait for your dog to "grow up."

Dogs communicate by whining, growling, barking, snapping, and biting. So if your dog bites your child, chances are that it is the child who needs to be interviewed, educated, and (possibly) punished, not the dog.

Kongs are amazing. Both of our dogs (one Lab/Shar Pei mix, other long-haired daschund) were adopted - both came from pretty bad environments) and were very insecure & needy. They still have issues but the Kong toys have really helped with destructiveness.- they satisfy the urge to chew.

sam,

While I wholeheartedly agree that dogs do soooo very much for us, as a dog behaviorist, I respectfully disagree with your comments about crating. Your intentions are good (as are possibly your instincts about having a dog, and therefore you have perhaps not had problems with your own).

Dogs do naturally live in dens. A crate is their den, and does provide a safe, secure place to go, not only to relax and sleep, but to provide a break if they need it (from for example, toddlers, loud parties, thunderstorms, etc.)

Also it is HIGHLY beneficial for things like long trips, plane rides, and even my own dog's 14-hour ferry ride in which ALL dogs needed to be crated in a strange, loud rumbling room, separate from the people. The dogs that had been crate trained were chilled out, the ones that were forced into the crate for 14 scary and alone hours (with pee breaks periodically) were traumatized...

Anyway, a dog that has never been in a crate will have a much harder time adjusting to that type of stress than one that feels the security of a familiar and safe place.

Crating is a responsible thing to do for your dog. Period. The problem is that people often don't fulfill dogs' other needs, and then the crate becomes a cage, which I do agree is cruel.

Destruction in dogs is not because something is in or out of fashion, it is (after ruling out any possible medical conditions)a direct result of not exercizing the dog's body and mind.

My $.02

We actually have a 2.5 month old pup that we just got and are going through this whole process. Somewhat luckily, we're living in a hotel while we wait to close on our house (relocating). We're slowly going stir crazy, but I'm somewhat glad that the hotel room is taking the beating- not my furniture.

As for the crate, we have a separate crate for traveling. Our girl's 24/7 crate is a full wire one that provides more light & air if she's in there but it's daytime (ie cleaning people are here), but we keep it covered with throws at night/when we leave. My parents do the same and I think it's a little nicer than the typical travel crate shown above. It also allows them to still feel like part of the pack if you have company over but don't want the pup roaming free.

My 8 week old pit bull/golden retriever mix puppy's favorite toy is a plastic soda bottle with a penny in it (cap tightly on). I imagine it will work well with a treat inside (cap off) when she is old enough to figure out how to get the treat out. One of her other favorites is an old rag. Out of all the nice toys I bought for her, she likes the cheapie DIY ones!
Also, a tip for training, Zuke's mini naturals are awesome treats for puppies (and older dogs). They are small and soft, but not mushy or greasy. My puppy is too little for crunchy treats, even small ones. She makes a huge mess with them. Zuke's are awesome and she loves them! I bought the 16 oz. packages of salmon and peanut butter from Amazon for $10 each with free shipping, which sounds expensive but those are large bags and they hold a ton of treats. They also have a 6 oz. package for about $5 and they also make them in chicken flavor which I have yet to try.

three things: Lupine brand dog leashes -- 100% guaranteed even if chewed entirely through.

For serious chewers (labs, for example) the only toys I've found that stand the test of time are Tuffys (mydogtoy.com) -- which are toughness rated on a 1-10 scale.

Last, exercise. My mama always said, "A tired dog is a good dog." Take it with you wherever you can, introduce it to lots of situations early so it doesn't develop issues later on, and give it lots of exercise outside!

p.s. I don't think crating is wrong and unnatural at all! Sure, you shouldn't do it for long periods during the day, but my puppy willingly goes into her crate for naps and at night. When she cries, I let her out to go potty and then we play until she needs another nap. She's got toys and a comfy bed and blanket in there, she loves it. What's mean about that??

crates are vital to have. its up to the dog itself if it seeks it out or not. I have found that our rescues LOVE it, we rarely close the door with them in it, they just love the security and knowing its their place. Other dogs are confident and don't need it unless they are chewers or we can't trust them, so having it is just helpful, whether you use it or not.

#1 thing for a dog - exercise, exercise, exercise, it cures EVERYTHING!! Dogs are meant to do, move and go - you can buy all the chewies in the world but nothing replaces exercise, run, play, catch, chase (not a cat), whatever, just get out and GO..............there isn't a better site than to see dogs running and jumping for fun and love of life.

(we have 5 dogs, and 3 are HUGE, high energy)

SunnyBlue, you are incorrect to say that dogs neutered before one year are untrainable. There can be issues associated with early neutering, but behavior problems and difficulty training are not among them.

Crates are great! I adopted a severely abused Lab from the Humane Society in my high school days- the crate gave him a safe space to run and hide when things got to be too much. I don't use the crate as "storage" for my dog when I'm bored of him. I use the crate to give him a secure little den of personal space.
I also second the person who avoids chewing damage by keeping the dog with them. A supervised dog is a well-behaved dog. As soon as "bad" behavior starts, you can intervene and redirect to "good" behavior. Does it take work? Yep. But isn't that why you got a dog?

I don't know what SunnyBlue is talking about. I have had many dogs in my life, all of which were neutered before the age of 1. All were great, easily-trained dogs. I don't know where people pick up their ideas.

If that's a Whippet puppy (and not an Italian Greyhound), the baby gate will only work for a few weeks. Whippets are amazingly athletic and can easily jump over fences and gates. In fact, you should probably keep your kitchen counters clear of food.

My dog loves his crate--it really is like his little den. He is mature enough that I don't shut him up in it while I'm gone anymore, but he is often lounging in there when I come home, anyway. He gets upset if I have the cage door closed and he can't get in!

#6 patience

and lots and lots of toys, a big variety of toys. We have two labs--a 14 week old pup and a 9 year old man. Neither one has been destructive to our furniture/belongings because they have a crap load of toys to play with.

I figured I would be alone in my opinion about crates, and that's fine. But nobody has answered how we managed to live happily with dogs before crating became so popular. How many of you crated your dogs while you were growing up? I grew up with three amazing boxers and not a single one spent a second in a cage. It really is all about training and exercise.

And certainly letting your dog have open access to his crate is not what many people who crate their dogs use it for. You know there are millions of dogs who spend 8 hours or more locked up in their crates while their owners are at work. So, while you may use them humanely, many people don't.

I also don't agree with the idea that fixing your animal before maturity makes them untrainable. Mine was fixed around 6 months and is incredibly well trained. We practiced "nothing in life is free" from the day I found him as a stray. He sits, stays, lays down, high and low fives, leaves it, rolls over, kisses, gets in his bed, and does the weave poles like a champ.

As for toys, strong chewers like mine can tear through Tuffy toys in minutes - so just make sure you supervise your dog with new toys. Many of the indestructible brands aren't.

Sam-if not for the crate, how would you deal with a puppy while being gone 8 hours a day?

If I want my house and puppy to both be safe, then the crate is the only option when I can't be watching or playing with him.

I find the crate debate interesting. I got my Lab/Chow mix (A Chowador, if you will) at 2 months, and began crate training the first day. My vet and the humane society strongly recommended the idea, so I went with it. At about 6 months, Bear got too big for his crate. Since he was potty trained, I decided to forgo the whole idea, and give him run of the house.
He searched for about a week, and then made my bathtub his new crate. He climbs in with a toy and pulls the curtain closed so that he can peek out but you can't neccessarily see him.
If that's not a point in favor of crating, I don't know what is.

a really great toy is an empty water bottle in an old sock! our puppy loves it... especialy the sound from biting on the bottle.

Be careful with the soda bottles! Be sure to monitor the bottle's condition; these little pups have such sharp teeth that they will gnaw on the plastic and sharp edges could be created in minutes. You don't want them to hurt their gums. (My pup loved getting a soda bottle; I just tried to change it out when I saw she had made a big dent in one. She also slept in a travel crate, like the one shown, at night, with the door closed. As long as I was sleeping nearby, she was content. When she was a few years old, she would go into the crate for a nap, with the door open. It was a not-so-warm but private, cozy place for her.)

During these first few weeks with your dog, it's important to figure out your preferred potty training method and be consistent about it. Not just taking him to a certain spot on the street (altho that's important) but also using specific, consistent terminology: "Do your business" or "Pee time" or "Poop time." The bells system has worked well for some friends of mine.

Also, if you have a small dog (one that's gonna stay small), stop into your local dollar store and see if they have the boxes of plastic diaper-holding bags. Usually they're 50 to a box. They make great, inexpensive poop bags. And for small dogs, they are sturdy enough.

MsAmanda,

I would deal with a puppy the way people have for eons. Give them a small safe area to play. Keep anything that they would damage or would hurt them out of reach. There is a big difference between a small room and a crate. Puppies destroy things because they are puppies. Adult dogs should not if they are well exercised and well trained. Some adult dogs have anxiety issues, which need to be dealt with. But crates aren't the answer.

I would not lock a dog in a crate for 8 hours. Personally, I think if you are going to do that, perhaps you shouldn't have a dog.

Priscatip, why did you decide to stop using the crate? Did it make you bummed to think of him locked up for so long? If that's not a point in favor of not crating, I don't know what is. The fact that he can choose when to get in his tub is very different than being locked up in a crate for hours. My dog chooses to sleep in his bed under the dining room table all the time. That doesn't mean he wants to be locked in a crate while I am at work.

Wilbur looks like my Milla =)

I strongly support using a crate. (we call it his "room") In the case of a wire crate, I drape a small (beautiful) throw-rug over the top toward the back so my dog can hunker down in the dark when he's had enough of us. Once potty-trained, we only close the door when he enters it on his own while we have guests. It usually means that either the chaos or some toddler has become too much for him.

Young children should NEVER be allowed to put their hands in the crate or annoy Rover when the dog has gone to his crate. Poor Rover is doing everything he can to signal that he wants to be left on his own.

As my mother used to joke: The only good dog is a tired dog. Exercise, exercise, exercise.

And why do you have a dog if it will be locked in a crate 8 hours a day? You need to have someone come in during the day to let the puppy out for potty and play. And once house trained, consider doggie daycare a couple of times a week. He'll be exhaused the next day and happy for the down-time.

Leaving the whole crate debate alone (pausing to add that my Great Dane would probably have eaten something inappropriate and died in puppyhood without one), here is what I would add to the puppy preparedness check-list.

- A pair of slip on shoes, to put by the door for middle-of-the-night bathroom runs. Some pajamas that won't draw undue attention on the street might be good, too.
- Two extra rolls of paper towels every time you buy them (if you're a paper towel person, which you may find that you are while house breaking).
- Coffee (for you, not puppy).
- A goog sturdy kitchen trashcan with a lid (especially if you're venturing into giant puppy land, as we did. You think he's not big enough to get into the trash, but a week later, he is. And they're quick to figure out how to tip it over...)
- A good pair of sneakers, because you will be walking way more than you ever did before (which is a good thing).
- The phone number of the breeder or a good friend who has dogs and will let you call at odd hours freaking out and tell you whether or not to call the vet.

I would also advise anybody to try and obtain a washer and dryer before obtaining a puppy. Even after they're house trained, there's still going to be dog hair and occasional illnesses to deal with. We got our washer and dryer about a week before puppy came home and I thanked God for them everyday for a month.

TeoNYC -

The puppy pictured is indeed a whippet - and he's now four years old! Can't believe it's been so long since he was a puppy. We never had issues with him jumping on the counters, although he did clear the baby gate once or twice. We mostly used it just to keep him in the room with us, rather than using it to confine him while we were gone (for those short periods of our absence, he stayed in the crate). As long as we were around, he didn't try to jump the gate. But you're right - he definitely could have!

- Susie

frontporchpirate, i too have a great dane--who, at one, is just ALMOST not a puppy any longer--and i enthusiastically second each and every one of your suggestions.

I should have been much more specific about what I mean by crates being inhumane. Those who use them for short periods of time, or allow their dogs to use them as a place of respite, cause me no concern at all. But too many people leave their dogs in there for 8 hours or more 7 days a week. That is inhumane.

TeoNYC- good point about them scaling the baby gates. It really depends on the breed how high it should be.

I just wanted to put out there just in case we have anyone considering an Italian Greyhound I have an IG and although they may be more dainty and small than Whippets they sure can jump REALLY high too! Although mine is only 12 lbs and doesnt go past my knee he can jump as high as my shoulders! (im 5'10"). Point being don't trust an IG with with a little baby gate either!

My doberman was incredibly bummed when we took his crate down. It was huge, our apartment is really small, and he was a big boy. Like the dog that found a new den in the bathtub (adorable) our dude spends a lot of his time under our bed or half under the bed. He can see what's coming and going and feels safe under there.

I never felt bad that he was crated for extended periods because he liked it in there and felt more secure than when he was loose. With plenty of exercise, most dogs will sleep almost the entire time you're away from home anyway, so I don't think there's any harm in keeping them enclosed in a crate that you've made clear is their home space. Only good things happen in the crate! If you're using the crate as a punishment, you're doing it wrong.

May I offer my two cents worth? The first essential is research, not just of breed but of dog behavior...I recommend reading ( and after puppy has arrived), and re-reading Temple Gardin's Animals Make Us Human. It proveds great insight regarding the dog's welfare (and yours).

This is a lifelong commitment and you want to be successful.

My second suggestion is training...many people don't bother with puppy classes or canine good citizen classes or clicker training..."I can teach them what they need to know..."

We send kids to kindergarden not for book learnin', but for socialization. How to hang with others, how to share, how to problem solve...

Puppy class is a great way to socialize your dog, bond with your dog and give your dog something to think and dream about later. Often rescue dog's come with issues, and they can be difficult, but classes give them an opportunity to learn trust and problem solving. Your dog needs to execise his/her body and brain!
Thank you for listening,
and my happy pup thanks you!
Karrie

sam, your arguments are specious at best. You argue that a dog kept in a crate for 7-8 hours is undergoing cruelty. Surprisingly enough, many dogs learn to sleep through the night - the human sleep cycle - which is about 7-8 hours long.

My Shiba was crated during the night up to 1 1/2 years old and is now a happy and healthy 2 year old who generally sleeps with us on the bed. However, he still voluntarily goes into his crate to sleep at times. One would think that if he suffered by being in his crate for 7-8 hours every night, he would avoid the thing at all costs.

I would say: Puppy Playschool, or some similar thing. Basically, puppy socialization classes. Puppy gets to meet new people and other dogs in a controlled environment, and *you* get trained on how to successfully train your puppy!

A few years ago, we got a teeeeeny little black Golden Doodle puppy (mix between a Golden Retriever and Standard Poodle). We were told that he would grow up to be 50-60 lbs, and my parents wanted to make sure he was well behaved, so they enrolled in Puppy Playschool. Now, he's a whopping 120 lbs! and he's sweet, even tempered, loves kids even though he didn't grow up with any, and he's well trained. He doesn't chase or attack other animals (except squirrels, unfortunately), and he ADORES all people. I can't say enough how much I think getting early puppy socialization classes that include training for YOU is important. And seriously, drag your whole family. Your dog will just be confused if you're not all on the same ball.

I've never heard of animals becoming untrainable from spaying or neutering them too early. Both of my dogs were spayed at about 8-10 weeks and have never had any problems.
Also, I've never crated my dogs, they didn't care for it, but my old would go into her kennel at night to sleep. I think it's based on your lifestyle and preference (kind of like everything else in life) and arguing about it on a message board is childish and useless.

I was dubious, but crate-trained my shepherd mix until she was completely housetrained and out of her "terrible chews." Then I removed the door and let her have the run of the house 24/7. At first she was confused and a little distressed - I had broken our daily routine! Eventually, though, she came to love her crate and seemed to consider it her den. The thing you have to remember is not to make the crate a time out corner. It's more like a doggy bedroom.

But Sam has a point - I explained crate training to a neighbor and even gave him one my dog had outgrown. But the lazy fool just used it to cage up the dog most of the night and day - and complained that the poor animal wasn't house trained. I knew it wasn't my fault but I felt really guilty about giving him the means to mistreat that animal. The happy ending is that the neighbor eventually gave the dog away to someone who really understood what pet ownership meant.

And experts agree - Kong's rule!

Quick two cents on the crate: Murph, who is 6 months old, has just reached the stage where he goes to his kennel on his own, putting himself to bed in the afternoon and at night when he's tired and done with playing with us. It is 100% his space, no one bothers him there, and 9 times out of 10 we don't latch or even close the door because he'll only come out when he's good and ready, 2-3 hours at the least. I'd never have survived potty training without it, and it's a great way to begin establishing that there are ok spots and not ok spots to go to the bathroom.

As far as stuff to have: Both a harness and a collar, harness to be used intermittently as a training tool and restraint, as it's much safer for the little ones, and collar for ID tags. But the biggie is a plan: who feeds, when, who is responsible for getting him outside, what commands and how you reward for good behavior, what's allowed and whats not, what's the puppies schedule and who is responsible for each step. Without the plan, you'll never get a rhythm between you and your puppy. When he and you know the rules and schedule everything gets easier.

Juliescript, and what about people who leave their dogs in crates for 8 hours a day while at work? Are you telling me they stay up all night and play with their dog? Doubtful. The dog is in his crate all day and then all night while his people sleep. Defend that, if you must, but I won't.

I left my dog in a pen when I was at work and he was too small to be safely allowed to roam the house. As long as the dog has proper exercise before and after and socialization and training, it doesn't hurt them at all. Predators spend a LOT of time sleeping; the domestic dog's sleeping hours are modified to suit the working day. I'm not going to apologize for keeping my dog safe from things he was too little to know not to touch.

A king-sized package of puppy training pads and an extra-large sack of rawhide chews. Without these, we most certainly would've lost our minds (and most of our furniture).

It also helps to have a husband who is willing to take 2am walk duty. :)

So what do the majority of people do with their pup/dog for the 8hrs or so while they are are at work and live in an apartment?

We are two months into our new life with our 4 month old yellow lab Phyllis, and Puppy Kindergarten literally saved our lives, for the same reasons outlined above - it's not about book learnin' but about socialization.

A routine has helped a lot, too - breakfast/lunch/dinner within 30 minutes of the same time each day, consistent language for commands, etc. Phyllis knowing what to expect and what is expected of her only helps all of us.

We also began a journal on the second day to document her patterns and trends (and also so our sleep-deprived minds could remember what she did when and what the results were). Phyllis has a regular morning walk every day with Dad, socializing walks with Mom and Dad in the afternoon, swims a couple of times a week, socializing walks with a slightly older lab puppy three evenings a week, play dates with a lab the same age on the weekends, and early morning walks with the neighbors dog two mornings a week.

Also, as corny as it sounds, expect the unexpected and realize that your life will completely change.

And once the housebreaking hurdle is cleared, you will feel like you can handle anything! :)