Another stupid dog question

[Momily]

So we bough My Smart Puppy and DS has already watched the video a couple of times. Here are 2 facts we have learned:

1) Give your dog a food filled toy when you put them in the crate. That way they'll learn to chew on appropriate things and to like the crate.

2) Your dog will need to go to the bathroom soon after eating.

So, if I give my dog something that will make him poop and then lock him up where he desperately wants to avoid pooping . . . Am I the only one struggling with this contradiction.

Would you leave something stuffed with food when you're out?

[graymom]

nm

[fresh_veggie]

From experience with having dogs -

Full grown dogs eating the correct diet only need to eat one full meal per day in the morning. And yes, they will definitely want to make big poopies RIGHT after that. But small treats that go inside of a toy will not necessarily make them have to potty, so they can be safely in a crate for a while.


ETA: Even when our dogs are puppies, small treats did not make them have to potty. Unless you're feeling extremely generous with the treats

[DogMomforNow]

When Jake was little we always put him in his crate with a small treat. I think the going to the bathroom after meals is more with actual full meals. Plus - you'll be taking the dog out to potty right before you put them in the crate

When Jake was really young we just smeared a dab of peanut butter in the *bottom* of the kong. He could smell it, but had to really work to get it out with his tongue. I've also mashed green beans, smeared them along the sides of the kong and frozen it. Stuffed the kong with banana or sweet potato or canned dog food or potato and frozen. For a puppy they don't have to be full, just enticing - so they don't notice you slipping away. There are also great toys that dispense food like these:
Busy Buddy Toys

They keep the dog occupied and mentally tire them out - making them more likely to go to sleep in the crate once they finish getting the food out. I like those toys too for older dogs that are prone to being overweight, because you can just partition out some of the "dinner" toss it in the toy and voila! Easy to keep track of the amount of food being given.

Have fun looking at dogs tomorrow!

[slimkins]

: what fresh_veggie said. I would stuff peanut butter in a kong or something for my pup and she never had a problem in her crate. Her potty schedule when she was a pup was all the time. Immediately after waking up, after breakfast, thirty minutes after playing, after lunch (we did three meals as a pup), always after waking up (anytime), after dinner, and so forth. Her poop schedule was after waking up, about 30 minutes after eating breakfast, sometime around lunch time, about 30 mins. after dinner, and sometimes before bed. She would usually just sleep in her crate (when we were gone), so she never went in there. As a baby, I never maxed over 3 or so hours. An older dog can go longer.
Also, NEVER use their crate as punishment. If you have to do a timeout use the bathroom with the door closed for a minute.

[Momily]

Lyle's probably 1 or 2. Right now in foster he's in a crate all day while his "mom" is at work, she says that we should probably keep that routine for a little while (except with the midday walk, it just seems a little mean to me to leave him all day until he's adjusted) and then eventually give him more freedom. He's 100% housebroken, never had an accident at either foster home he's been in.

So I should feed him breakfast, take him for a nice walk or a romp/game of fetch in the yard (whatever he prefers or is one better?), make sure he does his business and then put him in the crate with water and a peanut butter kong? And then maybe leave a second kong for the dog walker to give him when he leaves? Then I'll come home around 5. My thought is that DS can run around in the backyard with him while I cook dinner, and then we can all go for a family walk before it gets dark, and a quick pee break before bed? Does that sound like a suitable schedule?

I am so excited!

[Frogmorest]

I always put the pups in their crates with food... but not very edible food I usually put them in with a hoof or a bully stick. Something to do and chew... but not enough to trigger a bowel movement.

[Ola_]

I think that "potty right after eating" thing is mostly true for puppies, not so much for older dogs. I think giving him a stuffed kong when you put him in his crate is a great idea. When I say "stuffed" I don't really mean it should be full though - I would usually smear some peanut butter or cream cheese on the inside walls and then stuff a cookie in that wasn't too easy to get out. Leaving a second one ready for the dog walker to give is a great idea.

At the beginning I would do the walk, then breakfast, and then a quick potty before you leave. After a while you can cut out the quick potty trip. I wouldn't exercise him a lot right after eating though, before is better.

[DogMomforNow]

Originally Posted by Momily

So I should feed him breakfast, take him for a nice walk or a romp/game of fetch in the yard (whatever he prefers or is one better?), make sure he does his business and then put him in the crate with water and a peanut butter kong? And then maybe leave a second kong for the dog walker to give him when he leaves? Then I'll come home around 5. My thought is that DS can run around in the backyard with him while I cook dinner, and then we can all go for a family walk before it gets dark, and a quick pee break before bed? Does that sound like a suitable schedule?

I am so excited!

Sounds like a great schedule! Lyle is going to think he's in heaven with his new family : Definitely leave a kong for the dog walker. We got one of these for Jake's crate when he was younger because he'd get too excited and knock his water bowel over: Lixit

[beanma]

Yeah, I don't think the potty thing is a big deal with grown dogs. Is Lyle grown up? I can't remember. I would give him a good walk in the morning like you planned and then crate him. You might let him nose around the yard, after the walk too. Our pup doesn't like to poop on her walks, though most dogs do. She prefers the privacy of her own backyard, I guess. (It's very wooded and she can hide her poop in the ivy).

Kongs and the like are great. We're really relying on them heavily for our new pup. Our older guy has never had so many treats! Almost makes up for constantly being pounced on and tackled by the whippersnapper. My dogs also absolutely love raw frozen beef bones (what dog wouldn't?) and we give those when they need to be really occupied for several hours.

[Ruthie's momma]

Originally Posted by fresh_veggie

From experience with having dogs -

Full grown dogs eating the correct diet only need to eat one full meal per day in the morning. And yes, they will definitely want to make big poopies RIGHT after that. But small treats that go inside of a toy will not necessarily make them have to potty, so they can be safely in a crate for a while.


ETA: Even when our dogs are puppies, small treats did not make them have to potty. Unless you're feeling extremely generous with the treats

:

[betsyj]

I really like giving my dog two meals a day.

[oneKnight]

I feed my dog at night usually, she eats best in her crate with the least amount of distractions so I found that feeding her right before I went to bed worked best. She doesn't poop till morning. I think the poop right after eating thing mostly applies to puppies.

(We use this for water in the crate. It screws to the side so it can't be tipped over.)