[dandmlow]

I work 8 hours a day and I come home for lunch to let my dog out when I get home. Every time I get home the dog is tiering up my house. Can it be wrong to keep the dog out side when I am at work? Please help

[macksmom]

Why don't you just get a crate and crate the dog while you are at work?

[Olly]

Why don't you allow the dog to be in and out the house, install a doggy flap and then put a little gate in the house to partitian it a bit, this is what I did and it has worked.

[labman]

Leaving a dog by itself all day just isn't a good plan. While a crate does a fine job of preventing the dog from shredding everything in the house, I think 8 hours is just too long. Left outside, it can bark, be stolen, abused, chew up stuff outside, etc. Given a doggy door, it is free to raise havoc inside and outside. The crate will work if you can make it back for a mid day break, or find a neighbor or professional dog walker to.

Doggy day care is a great alternative.

[dandmlow]

I can't have a dog door for him because it is cold out side. Would it be wrong to have it in a cage?

[simoneaugie]

Many dogs need to be crated while owners are away. You dog may only need crating during the second half of your work-day. Is it wrong? I don't think so. Dog experts frequently recommend crating. Mine sleep in their crates. If I am just running to the store, crating them makes me feel better. I have large parrots who are caged whenever I am unable to supervise them. If I leave the dogs free in the house when I am not there they manage to get their toes bitten by the birds. Like children, when Mom's away they are especially prone to finding trouble.

[ayashe]

Crate train the dog, it will give you a great peace of mind. Put aside the fact that the dog is destroying your things, the dog may eventually get into something that can harm him/her, or choke on something he/she has chewed.