# Crating while at work



## DerekM (Apr 25, 2018)

We have a 3 month old pup who unfortunately has to be crated during the day while my wife and I are at work. I work 5 days/week and my wife works 3 days/week, so she is only in the kennel for a max of 3 days a week (sometime 4 but rarely). I also work close to home and am able to come home on my 1-hr lunch break to take her on walks, play outside, etc. A typical day schedule of her being in the kennel is from 830 am - Noon and 1 pm - 430 pm. We make sure she gets plenty of exercise before she goes into the kennel and we put some soothing music on the TV while we are at work, as well as a deer antler for her to gnaw on. For the most part she does well in her crate. Some whining here and there (my neighbor says about 30 min in the morning and 45 min in the evening). I would have my neighbor watch her but she "isn't a dog person". My wife and I are first time vizsla owners and want to make sure that we give our pup the most joyous life possible. Any recommendations on what else we can do to keep her occupied while we are at work?


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## Betty (Apr 14, 2016)

Take your pup to work with you!


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

Fill a kong with food and freeze it. They have to lick it out. It takes a little time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

Get a sitter who can let the pup out in between / play with her. i would have her come at 10 and 2 for a 30 min play/potty/cuddle time. later on you can decrease it, if u can still go home at noon, but she is too young for being alone for such a long period of time.


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## TexasBirdDog (Aug 30, 2017)

I would advise something with a challenge rather than an antler. Personally, I wouldn't give a bone/antler/or similar item to a dog unsupervised. If they injure themselves or get too rough with it you need to be there to help. Also, toys with a little bit of a challenge will occupy them just the same as an antler would but with the added bonus of mental stimulation having to figure it out to get the treat. 

I use a kong most of the time. I fill it with peanut butter(sometimes with some stuff added to it like kibble or treats) and freeze it. Freezing it adds a level of mental stimulation because they can't simply lick it out like normal. They have to work at it a bit more and it lasts much longer than not freezing it.

Congrats on your new pup and I hope to hear a lot more about your experiences with her. Also, be sure to post some pics. We all love to see pics of puppies!

Here's my 7mo old boy, Cash.


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

have to comment on Cash pictures, very handsome!


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## flyfishingma93 (Apr 20, 2018)

Im retired so my thoughts on crates are its not fair for the pup to be crated for more than a run to the store 1hour max?? When you were deciding on a pup why a vizsla? They need to run minimum of 1.5 to 2 hours a day they are high energy. I also Hunt so training is an hour a day.
They want to do everything possible to show their love and dedication to you!! So crates and vizslas don't really go together? Best of luck with the pup
Mark from Boston


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I am retired too. 
But I do not think that you have to be retired to own this breed. 
It's just a fact, that people have to have a income, in order to survive. They get up early, come home at lunch, spend their evenings taking care of the pups needs. Hire dog walkers, and take to day care. 
They make it work, and both them and their dogs are happy. 
These pups are a big time consuming commitment. But can handle more than a hour in a crate.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Well, just move so you have decent neighbors..I mean, how can anyone not be a Vizsla puppy person? Why would you want to live there? J/k....

I agree with Gabica as I often do....but in the absence of not being able to find suitable puppy sitters, you have to do what you have to do..it's not ideal, but if you give him 100% while you're home and exercise him, then you just have the guilt to contend with.

Use the crate while you are at home so he doesn't associate it only to loneliness, though.


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## Leo2804 (May 4, 2018)

Hi, we have been Vizsla owners for twelfe years. Our boy just died last week. We travelled the world from Europe to the USA, back and forth several times, across the USA by car several times and between Europe and the Middle East during the last years.
It was not easy sometimes. We always ajusted to the dog. The first year he nearly drove us nuts, we trained him for hunting and had him do exams i Europe because vizsla are hunting dogs, they want to work!. My husband`s work took us from place to place, we would not take positions without being able to take our hairy friend to the country we would work in and where he we were sure that it was somehow dogfriendly, meaning there were places for dogs to run free, which is essential for a Vizsla. By all means.
A question I would like to ask the new Vizsla owners. Why did you take a Vizsla in? Don`t you know that a Vizsla is a hunter, a very, very active dog who does not only need to run every day but also needs mental, brain work? 
Keeping a Vizsla in a crate is torture! Not only for a Vizsla but for any dog! 
I am a MD with a Ph.D. and when I image a child or young person being in a very narrow space, not only for a short period of time but every day and day, what do you think will happen? What will happen to the muscles, to the brain? 
Crates should be forbidden by law, it is torture if dogs except when it is for a short period of time or in case of transport. 
Stop doing that to your dog. Find a way for your dog to live! 




Maybe a cat is an alternative for you.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

flyfishingma93 said:


> Im retired so my thoughts on crates are its not fair for the pup to be crated for more than a run to the store 1hour max??


Crate time issues come up frequently, and it's really important to remember two things: The first is that like everything in life, outcome often depends on preparation and expectation: If your V is properly cared for and exercised and well loved and the crate is used not just for confinement but as their "space", they'll adjust fine. And, *dogs are den animals* which means they like enclosed spaces...their sense (and need) for space is vastly different than ours. Properly used, a crate is actually beneficial to their emotional well being as it meets their instinctual needs for an enclosed, protected space..and ours for sanity and the preservation of our possessions when they are unsupervised. 

They are very human, and in so many ways..much better, actually. But, they still are canines (*Gasp*!) and the most well adjusted V's live in families that appreciate their unique needs as canids and do not overly project their quaint humanness onto them, at least not too much.


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## pez999 (Apr 22, 2017)

Leo2804 said:


> Keeping a Vizsla in a crate is torture! Not only for a Vizsla but for any dog!
> I am a MD with a Ph.D. and when I image a child or young person being in a very narrow space, not only for a short period of time but every day and day, what do you think will happen? What will happen to the muscles, to the brain?
> Crates should be forbidden by law, it is torture if dogs except when it is for a short period of time or in case of transport.
> Stop doing that to your dog. Find a way for your dog to live!
> Maybe a cat is an alternative for you.


No offense but it's hard to take anyone seriously whose first post is this ^ . Let alone someone who validates their "dog parenting" by throwing their PHD in people's faces. The cat comment is cute though. :kiss


As for OP, I'm sure they know just how much attention their dog needs as vizslas will always let you know. I realize that not everyone has the luxury of not working or being able to take their dogs to work and as someone that comes from Hungary where lot of owners in Budapest don't exactly have big houses and acres of backyard AND work, I know that you can't be around your dog all the time. We work too and our V stays home, although not crated.

Here are some options that I hope can be helpful:
- instead of crating, try getting a puppy gate and maybe restrict him to the kitchen or bathroom or somewhere with tiles (incase they can't hold it)
- you can also try getting a playpen and set that up somewhere (this is what we did and it gives the dog much more room), there are crates that playpens can attach to so they can stay in crate if they want or they can roam around inside the playpen.
- frozen kong with peanut butter or treats inside
- kong wobbler, you can put his kibble in there, it's fun for them to try to get it out
- if you have tv that he could watch, they have channels or videos to stimulate dogs...mine loves watching those (I don't know how much is too much though so be mindful, they might just get bored or go to sleep)
- pet sitter or walker would be best option if you can afford it

3 days a week isn't that bad and it's definitely doable as long as he gets proper exercise, fun and attention when you're around and can stop in during the day. I think crates are actually great because it can give the dog a break as well and calm them down and gives you time to do things. 4 hours is starting to stretch it though so if you can get a play pen or close off an area in the house that'd be better.


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## fosterlisa (Jun 30, 2016)

My Lucy gets crated 3 days/week as well for about 4 hours. On the mornings my husband has to work I make sure Lucy & I run extra or walk longer than usual. We also get walks end of day. I always put a kong or other durable toy in with her (filled with frozen treat). Lucy is 2, I have tried a couple of times to let her be free in the house when I left for a short while....that doesn't work. I feel it is much safer for her to be in the kennel than to possibly harm herself in the house.

Lisa


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## TexasBirdDog (Aug 30, 2017)

Gabica said:


> have to comment on Cash pictures, very handsome!


Thanks! I think he's good looking too. He's such an awesome pup!


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## TexasBirdDog (Aug 30, 2017)

I use a crate and have zero guilt about it. Better yet, my pup has zero hard feelings towards me about it. He's in his crate at night, he's in his crate for at least an hour after eating to prevent bloat/stomach torsion, and he's in his crate when I have to leave the house for an appointment. 

From day one I have trained him that the crate is "his room". It's his place. I would put him in there while I am working(work from home) for a min or two. Then let him out. This is to let him know that being in his crate is not forever and that he will soon be able to come out. I would slowly increase the amount of time until I could leave him in there for an hour without a peep. He just lays down happily. Because I have trained him that the crate is "his room" where he can come and go as he pleases and that when he's put in there, he knows he'll get out soon enough, we have no issues. If I were a cruel person, I could leave him in there all day without any issues. However, I work from home and he's out of his crate all day. He enjoys his crate. I made it a happy place for him. It's where I introduced him to all his puppy toys so he would associate happy feelings with "his room". I would hide treats in there for him to smell when he walked by and have to hunt in his blanket/bed for them and then be able to leave freely after finding his treat. When I say "go to your room", he happily trots in. 

Cash doesn't have separation anxiety like quite a few V's do. If I tell him to go to "his room" and then leave the house, he's perfectly fine. If I do the same and I'm at home, it's the same. However, if I go outside with him and then go back to get something I forgot, like my drink, he'll whine at the door like "hey, where did you go? Why did you leave me?". That's just a V for ya. A lot of personalities and a lot of affection.

I've found that people who don't like crates are the same people that have had a bad experience in the past with them. This is almost always a direct result of not knowing how to properly introduce them to their dogs and not knowing how to train their dogs to know it's their place and a happy place. 
Crates are a necessity for so many reasons from avoiding destruction of property to safety traveling in a vehicle. Personally, I have a car dog hammock with a safety harness buckled into the seatbelt buckle. This allows Cash to move freely to see and experience the ride while also providing safety for him.


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## armgwag (Sep 22, 2017)

DerekM said:


> We have a 3 month old pup who unfortunately has to be crated during the day while my wife and I are at work. I work 5 days/week and my wife works 3 days/week, so she is only in the kennel for a max of 3 days a week (sometime 4 but rarely). I also work close to home and am able to come home on my 1-hr lunch break to take her on walks, play outside, etc. A typical day schedule of her being in the kennel is from 830 am - Noon and 1 pm - 430 pm. We make sure she gets plenty of exercise before she goes into the kennel and we put some soothing music on the TV while we are at work, as well as a deer antler for her to gnaw on. For the most part she does well in her crate. Some whining here and there (my neighbor says about 30 min in the morning and 45 min in the evening). I would have my neighbor watch her but she "isn't a dog person". My wife and I are first time vizsla owners and want to make sure that we give our pup the most joyous life possible. Any recommendations on what else we can do to keep her occupied while we are at work?


Hi Derek,

I haven't seen you comment on this post, but just in case you do I want to throw in my 2 cents. I am not as seasoned as other members on this page, however I know one dog real well :big-grin I'm in a similar situation to yours, I work from home on Monday and Friday. Tuesday through Thursday Jaxson has to go in his create, but like you I come home at lunch, feed him, throw the ball in the field, etc. The only advice I can give you is don't give up, Jaxson didn't like it early on but eventually the whining subsided. Now he loves it! I spent weeks training him, 5-10 minutes twice per day, to enjoy it. At bed time he sleeps with me until he's ready then he goes to his crate on his own, then he comes and wakes me to potty whenever he wants. There's a few good ways to introduce your dog to his or her crate. That training really helped him understand the crate isn't a bad place, good things happen in there. 

Good luck!


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