Loofy failed his test;(
So I was getting very upset about how long Loofy was spending in his crate considering how well he was doing outside of his crate. So, we planned a test:
For several weeks we've been leaving him out of his crate while we go to the grocery store or an other short errands. These trips leave him out and unattended for about an hour, and he's been doing great.
This weekend, we went out to see Mission Ridiculous and then ran a couple of errands leaving him alone for 4ish hours. The plan was, if he did well, he would be spending all day outside of the crate.
However, the 4 hour test, did not go well.
He didn't have an accident, which I was fairly confident of, but apparently he's a chewer. This was a huge shock, because he's been very good when he's around us. He made one mistake with my shoe a few months back, but we caught him in the act gave him a little whack on the butt and a stern "no" and he hasn't touched my shoes since (even though he has full access to them still.) But on this little trip he tore the doggy bed to shreds (seriously shreds, I had no idea how much stuffing was in that thing), tore up the couch arm (it was the doggy couch so its not a problem, but still) and tore the awning to our outside swing to bits. So, clearly he's not ready to have the run of the basement while Hubby and I are at work yet:(
So instead, we went to Petco and bought a 6 foot pen for him. So now he has some room during the day and is not confine to his little crate. He has access to water, and there are lots of toys in the pen for him to occupy himself with. I put a blanket in one corner so if the floor gets cold he can nest himself into the blanket which likes to do upstairs. So I feel a lot better about things now. I do wish he could have had the run of the basement with Petra, but clearly he's not quite ready yet. And at least now I don't feel like I am keeping him cooped up all the time. He has room to move about, he has cool floor if he wants or warm blanket if he wants it. He has water. So now I don't feel guilty and I know that over the next year or so we can start practicing again for eventual total freedom, but I won't feel as rushed because his situation now isn't nearly as cramped as it was just last week.
Sometimes I think to myself, geez if I am this neurotic over the dogs, am I going to be an overbearing, overprotective, neurotic mom too? I hope not. Because, its not that I am neurotic, I am compassionate. I just want my dogs (and my child) to be healthy and happy. Hubby says Loofy probably didn't care that he was in a crate all day because he got so much freedom when we got home, but that was not the point. He didn't care because that's all he ever knew. And I knew it wasn't right. What he has now is adequate and right and even if he doesn't care about the difference. I do, because I know its the right thing to do...
I guess that's the difference. I will always do what I know is right, even if it doesn't matter to anyone else, it will matter to me.
For several weeks we've been leaving him out of his crate while we go to the grocery store or an other short errands. These trips leave him out and unattended for about an hour, and he's been doing great.
This weekend, we went out to see Mission Ridiculous and then ran a couple of errands leaving him alone for 4ish hours. The plan was, if he did well, he would be spending all day outside of the crate.
However, the 4 hour test, did not go well.
He didn't have an accident, which I was fairly confident of, but apparently he's a chewer. This was a huge shock, because he's been very good when he's around us. He made one mistake with my shoe a few months back, but we caught him in the act gave him a little whack on the butt and a stern "no" and he hasn't touched my shoes since (even though he has full access to them still.) But on this little trip he tore the doggy bed to shreds (seriously shreds, I had no idea how much stuffing was in that thing), tore up the couch arm (it was the doggy couch so its not a problem, but still) and tore the awning to our outside swing to bits. So, clearly he's not ready to have the run of the basement while Hubby and I are at work yet:(
So instead, we went to Petco and bought a 6 foot pen for him. So now he has some room during the day and is not confine to his little crate. He has access to water, and there are lots of toys in the pen for him to occupy himself with. I put a blanket in one corner so if the floor gets cold he can nest himself into the blanket which likes to do upstairs. So I feel a lot better about things now. I do wish he could have had the run of the basement with Petra, but clearly he's not quite ready yet. And at least now I don't feel like I am keeping him cooped up all the time. He has room to move about, he has cool floor if he wants or warm blanket if he wants it. He has water. So now I don't feel guilty and I know that over the next year or so we can start practicing again for eventual total freedom, but I won't feel as rushed because his situation now isn't nearly as cramped as it was just last week.
Sometimes I think to myself, geez if I am this neurotic over the dogs, am I going to be an overbearing, overprotective, neurotic mom too? I hope not. Because, its not that I am neurotic, I am compassionate. I just want my dogs (and my child) to be healthy and happy. Hubby says Loofy probably didn't care that he was in a crate all day because he got so much freedom when we got home, but that was not the point. He didn't care because that's all he ever knew. And I knew it wasn't right. What he has now is adequate and right and even if he doesn't care about the difference. I do, because I know its the right thing to do...
I guess that's the difference. I will always do what I know is right, even if it doesn't matter to anyone else, it will matter to me.