should I get an x-pen for Sandstorm-currently uses crate

How old is Sandstorm now?

I finally stopped crating/xpen when the dogs were about 1.5 years old. Then I contained them in the kitchen/family room area until they were about 2 years. Now they have full run of the house.

I still try to come home for lunch as much as possible to let them out, but they don't really want out anyway....mostly they sleep even when I come home.

But at least they can get up, move and play if the spirit moves them.
 
Paeoniaa said:
I agree that Sandstorm is most likely bored and an X-pen won't help with that. Marlowe has an X-pen that is 6' by 3'. If we leave him in it for the workday, we come home to find that he has pushed it out of its original position and the liner that we put under it has been pulled up and disarranged. Now, on the days that I am not working from home, he goes to daycare.

When we do go out for a few hours, we put him in the X-pen with an Everlasting Treat Ball and a Doy Pyramid (the Pyramid is a Nina Ottoson toy), which we stuff with dried liver and kibble, respectively. They give him a little bit of a mental workout and keep him out of trouble.
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I am really thinking about getting Sandstorm a Nina Ottoson toy- I also do want him out of his crate, but I don't want anything destroyed. Something to work on!
 
My 2 cents for what it's worth.

I don't leave my pup in his crate for an entire day. I wouldn't like to be stuck in my car for 8 hours so I wouldn't impose that on my dog unless it was absolutely required.

I'm also trying to build a bit of trust, my thoughts on this were to give him a small area where he couldn't do any damage, and expand it until I felt comfortable that I could leave him in the house alone for a period of time and nothing would get destroyed.

The x-pen has worked wonderful for this. I bought the plastic silver states one (I think thats the name), and I frequently find extensions on craigs list that I can add to it to expand my pups living area.

As for making a dog not bored, I've honestly found that challenging. The toy's either too easy (he solves it in moments) or it's too hard (he gives up).

The most successful toy is one that's home made. A soda bottle with a few holes (less holes = more difficult) with dogfood in it. I buy all sorts of odd shaped bottles when I see them and let the pup have at it after removing their labels. On average it takes my pup 15-20 min to eat his meal when I give it to him like this in his x-pen.

The Tug-A-Jug works ok too until it gets low and then Vash gives up.

One thing I did want to try with Vash was some sort of Scent game, but the little squirt follows me everywhere so I can never hide anything on him. (We need to work on stay)


I did notice when I was working more and spending less time with Vash that about every 1-2 weeks he would hit the point where he was being unbareably annoying, I largely solved this by taking him to doggy day camp when he started acting like that. One full day of play from 7am to 7pm and he came home, found a place to flop and just went to sleep. After which most of his annoying behavior stopped for a few weeks, then it was back to daycamp.

I sometimes wish they'd let you rent out a grayhound track for a few hours so that I could let Vash chase a rabbit around in circles till he was tuckered out.
 
BarbV said:
How old is Sandstorm now?

I finally stopped crating/xpen when the dogs were about 1.5 years old. Then I contained them in the kitchen/family room area until they were about 2 years. Now they have full run of the house.

I still try to come home for lunch as much as possible to let them out, but they don't really want out anyway....mostly they sleep even when I come home.

But at least they can get up, move and play if the spirit moves them.
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Hi Barb,
Sandstorm is 1 1/2 yrs old, and now has full run of the house!!! See my new post below!
Thanks,
 
jerros said:
My 2 cents for what it's worth.

I don't leave my pup in his crate for an entire day. I wouldn't like to be stuck in my car for 8 hours so I wouldn't impose that on my dog unless it was absolutely required.
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At the risk of sounding a bit rude, I don't really care what people think of my leaving Sandstorm in his crate for 7 hours while I am at work, and I don't think being stuck in my car for 8 hours has to do with anything. Thankyou, however, for your other good ideas.
 
I don't crate my two because Dad is home with them, but if Dad and I are out of the house together, I shut the bedroom and bathroom and laundry room doors so that they cannot have access to anything there. Other than that, they have the range of the living room, kitchen, dining room and hall. If I am leaving a treat I stuff a kong with peanut butter and stick their cookie in it. We are not out of the house as long as you are but I know it can be a very tough decision whether to keep crating or do containment. I can see Liam being the one I would have the difficulty with, when the time comes that they will be home alone, as he is very active and needs to be entertained. I would be interested in hearing how you make out the the Nina Ottoson toys.

Did you leave him alone for a few hours like you planned to? If so, how did he make out?
 
KarenCurtis said:
At the risk of sounding a bit rude, I don't really care what people think of my leaving Sandstorm in his crate for 7 hours while I am at work, and I don't think being stuck in my car for 8 hours has to do with anything. Thankyou, however, for your other good ideas.
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I suppose I didn't really think much about how what I said could be interpreted. It came off as judgemental and I'm sorry for that, I wasn't trying to judge or say what you were doing was wrong. I was just attempting to explain the reasons I used an x-pen during the day and apparently didn't do a good job of it.

So I hope there aren't any hard feelings here, again sorry about that.
 
jerros said:
I suppose I didn't really think much about how what I said could be interpreted. It came off as judgemental and I'm sorry for that, I wasn't trying to judge or say what you were doing was wrong. I was just attempting to explain the reasons I used an x-pen during the day and apparently didn't do a good job of it.

So I hope there aren't any hard feelings here, again sorry about that.
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Thanks, I appreciate that! More importantly, this is a wonderful forum and despite some things you said, I know you were trying also to help.
 
KarenCurtis said:
Thanks, I appreciate that! More importantly, this is a wonderful forum and despite some things you said, I know you were trying also to help.
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And this is why I love this forum! Differing opinions but the maturity to accept and move on.
 
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