[john_titor]

John and Jenny Jr. want a pet.

My wife and I both work. I am torn; on one hand, every kid should have a pet. On the other, it doesn't seem right to keep a dog in a crate all day.

I grew up with a dog. My wife and I had a cat, pre-children, but as cats are essentially the Devil's throw-pillows I would rather not have another.

Does it work to have a dog and everyone be gone all day?

[Kenneth Burns]

I just moved to a neighborhood with many dog owners, and as I watch them walk their dogs after work I wonder the same thing.

[Dairylander]

Does it work to have a dog and everyone be gone all day?

It's not humane to condemn a pack animal to 8 hours of solitary confinement each day.
There's only one way to do this - get two dogs.

[AaronTheSnob]

John and Jenny Jr. want a pet.

My wife and I both work. I am torn; on one hand, every kid should have a pet. On the other, it doesn't seem right to keep a dog in a crate all day.

I grew up with a dog. My wife and I had a cat, pre-children, but as cats are essentially the Devil's throw-pillows I would rather not have another.

Does it work to have a dog and everyone be gone all day?

We have a dog and a cat and we are gone all day. They are housebroken (well, litter box for the cat). They sleep and play together during the day. Of course, they are happy to see us when we get home, but they are deeply loved, well cared-for and go for many, many car rides and walks.

And, John, there IS such a thing as house-training a dog, you know...I hope you weren't serious about thinking of keeping a dog in a crate all day long over an extended period of time. For a puppy, crate training does wonders for housebreaking, but that should only last less than a year.

Get a dog...or two dogs or a dog and a cat. (Dogs and cats get along great together if you get them pretty much at the same time and when both are young. My male tabby, who is now almost 11 years old, has always thought the dog was his mother...he is with her constantly, sleeps with her, plays with her, eats at the same time...if she does downstairs, he is right beside her...if she sits and looks out the deck doors, he is sitting right beside her, looking out too. Cuter than shit.)

[Endo Rockstar]

Most Dogs sleep somewhere around 18 hours a day, Leaving them around the house for 8 hours while you're at work really is not a big deal.

The other thing is don't be quick to denounce the crate. My old Border Collie, Brody, used it like his Bat-cave. Whenever he felt like crashing or taking a nap, he'd wander down to the basement and sleep in his crate. It was his own space where we left him alone, granted this came from a lot of training as a puppy, but he loved it.

Read "The Art of Raising a Puppy," by the Monks of New Skete. These Monks on the East Coast train world class German Shepards, their system of puppy/dog training is extremely effective and beneficial to both dog and owner. You'll look at having a dog in a different light.

-Dan Motor

[AaronTheSnob]

I agree about the crate also. We kept our dog's crate for a few years long after she was totally housebroken and no longer needed it. We put it in a corner of our bedroom with the crate door open and she would go in there on her own two or three times a day and cuddle up and take a nap in there. We called it "Judy's room".

[TheBookPolice]

Dog crates, when both the dog is trained and the crate is used properly, are like swaddling for infants. It doesn't make sense that restriction would be comforting, but remember that dogs often seek enclosed spaces to sleep (under leaves, under porches, under blankets, under snow, under other dogs). If the crate isn't associated with punishment, there's no punishment assumed by the dog.

Crate train your dog and you've got a sure thing to never take a leak on your Christmas cactus. Even better, you can train them to ring a bell when they want to go outside to do their business. Works like a charm for our otherwise very snotty pug.

But I'll second what others have said. When we just had the pug, he was a little bratty. We got a Boston terrier, and she whips up on him when he misbehaves and plays with him when they're feeling rambunctious. When they're tired, they curl up together and rest their heads on each other. It's been revelatory and awesome to see the two interact, considering they're different and unrelated breeds.

And hey, they might snag you a tax credit.

[jjoyce]

If you've got a little extra cash, you can always send him to day care. There are a few around town and they appear to be the perfect solution for active dogs. You can also hire a dog walker to stop by and take him out.

I know people who put together a combination of the two and then each one takes a lunch shift a week to head home for a bit.

But pets are a big responsibility, especially if they're young. It's possible to find an older, mellow dog at the Humane Society. If you have to be away from home for a while each day, that might be the way to go.

[Right Bower]

We've used both the crate and confinement in certain rooms of the house for our black lab. As a puppy she needed to be in the crate so she wouldn't chew anything in sight. She's 4 now, and we just need to be careful what we leave out (we need to put a chair in front of the lazy Susan or she'll eat the brown sugar).

We've been gone for 8 hours at a time and she's been fine. Sometimes I'll stop by during the day to check on her and usually she doesn't even get up off her bed to greet me.

[Girl Friday]

If you decide to get a pet, please consider adopting from the humane society or a rescue organization. There is a rescue dog out there no matter what your needs are.

It might also work well to get your dog (or dogs, I agree two are better than one) in the summer. That way your kids have a lot of time to work on training (and housebreaking if you get a puppy).

I personally don't put my dogs in crates, but they do have a bed of their own they can retreat to when they want some alone time. Beds, crates, even a blanket, they all serve the same purpose as the dog's safe haven of their very own.

Doggy day care is a great idea as well. If you can afford the extra money, there are some great ones in Madison and the surrounding area. You can also do a few days a week, instead of every day at day care.

Good luck finding a pet for your family!

The dog was created specially for children. He is the god of frolic. ~Henry Ward Beecher

[Endo Rockstar]

If you decide to get a pet, please consider adopting from the humane society or a rescue organization. There is a rescue dog out there no matter what your needs are.

This claim is one that's made too often, and I'll fight it to the bitter end. I'm not trying to be heartless, but very very realistic. Never bring home a pound puppy unless you are in a situation in life where you can spend a lot of time integrating them into your family. Work and a couple kids? Maybe like to play volleyball once or twice a week? Forget it. The dog will be miserable, and so will you. I have the utmost respect for the folks of Dane County Humane, and people who are truly dedicated to giving these animals a loving and nurturing home. The animals at the shelter are there for a variety of reasons, but 9 times out of 10 the average animal lover is going to be out their league by bringing one home.

-Dan Motor

[Uncle_Leaver]

It's not humane to condemn a pack animal to 8 hours of solitary confinement each day.

This is pure horseshit. As others have said, done correctly, crate training is perfectly humane. That said, depending on the dog, crate training can be a long term commitment. The bias against crate training stems from those who didn't have the time, energy or patience to do it right in the first place.

There's only one way to do this - get two dogs.

This is horrible advice, especially for someone who may be a dog training novice. I know of more instances than I can count of people adopting two dogs because they shared your opinion, and later needing to surrender one because they didn't know what they were getting into or stupidly adopted litter mates of the same gender who, once grown, would constantly scuffle for dominance.

None of this is to suggest that dogs don't need a lot of attention. A dog is a huge commitment. If you're unsure you're up for it, reconsider the cat option.

[TheBookPolice]

If you decide to get a pet, please consider adopting from the humane society or a rescue organization. There is a rescue dog out there no matter what your needs are.

This claim is one that's made too often, and I'll fight it to the bitter end. I'm not trying to be heartless, but very very realistic. Never bring home a pound puppy unless you are in a situation in life where you can spend a lot of time integrating them into your family.

That's a fair position to take. How about this middle ground: breed rescues. Those operations are set up to evaluate specific breeds of dogs on specific standards in order to establish what kind of home they can safely and happily enter into. As a result, it's often harder to get dogs from breed rescues, but you get what you pay for (sometimes literally, as it's often more expensive to go that route).

You're still taking in a dog that needs a home, but you're more likely to know what you're getting into ahead of time.

[Endo Rockstar]

That's a fair position to take. How about this middle ground: breed rescues. Those operations are set up to evaluate specific breeds of dogs on specific standards in order to establish what kind of home they can safely and happily enter into. As a result, it's often harder to get dogs from breed rescues, but you get what you pay for (sometimes literally, as it's often more expensive to go that route).

You're still taking in a dog that needs a home, but you're more likely to know what you're getting into ahead of time.

Very good point. Brody had a couple of foster buddies for a few months from Aussie Rescue. Very good (and dedicated) people who knew how to place pups....

-Dan Motor

[Girl Friday]

How about this middle ground: breed rescues . . .

You're still taking in a dog that needs a home, but you're more likely to know what you're getting into ahead of time.

Thank you, TheBookPolice, that was exactly what I was going to respond. I did mention breed-specific rescues in my original post. I have a beagle from a rescue group and she is a great dog! They are out there if you take the time to look for them!