Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

Our new addition, a 6 month old lab, is coming today and, beside having a minor freak out, I have some last minute questions. Any answers would be SO greatly appreciated. Here goes:

1. I know you are supposed to create a schedule to feed the dog, walk the dog and take the dog outside to do his business. Do you keep the schedule the same on the weekends or can it be adapted to be a little later? (please tell me I can sleep past 6 on a Saturday!)

2. Should water be kept in the cage at all times including when I'm at work and overnight or do you remove it at a certain time?

3. When feeding, should I take the food away after a certain amount of time has passed?

4. Should I feed him canned and dry food or only dry food?

5. Should the cage sides be covered to make him feel more secure?

6. When he is in his cage and I am not home, can I leave Kong or other tough toys in there with him?

So sorry for all of the questions. I'm kind of neurotic (in case you haven't picked up on that ) Thanks!

Message edited 11/20/2009 8:30:39 AM.

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

1. I know you are supposed to create a schedule to feed the dog, walk the dog and take the dog outside to do his business. Do you keep the schedule the same on the weekends or can it be adapted to be a little later? (please tell me I can sleep past 6 on a Saturday!)

i would say in the begining, yes -- after he gets used to a schedule, then you can sleep later (if he lets you!! haha) on the weekends and feed him later than you would during the week.... for us, we feed hershey at 7am during the week and usually on the weekends he eats around 8/830

2. Should water be kept in the cage at all times including when I'm at work and overnight or do you remove it at a certain time?

when we were crate training, we never left water in there overnight so he wouldnt drink too much and have to pee a lot in the middle of the night.... during the day we did leave water for him in the crate

3. When feeding, should I take the food away after a certain amount of time has passed?

dogs arent like cats.... cats are grazers and dogs gobble up their food right away.... give him the amount that he should be getting (read the back of the dog food bag) and then just leave it there until he finishes it

4. Should I feed him canned and dry food or only dry food?

this is totally your preference... we dont feed hershey any wet food, but some people do feed their dog wet food.... i would reccomend doing research and talking to you vet before deciding what food he will eat

5. Should the cage sides be covered to make him feel more secure?

no def not!!!! i think this would just make him feel more scared

6. When he is in his cage and I am not home, can I leave Kong or other tough toys in there with him?

we used to leave hershey's kong and chew bone in his cage... anything with a squeaker we never left in there b/c you never know how fast they can chew through the fabric & then they could choke on the squeaker

HTH -- good luck & post pics!!!

Message edited 11/20/2009 8:49:50 AM.

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

1. We push it by about 30 minutes on a weekend but generally we keep it the same. It depends on the dog and how long they can hold it or how keen they are to wake you up.

2. I never kept water in Brinkley's crate but he was never alone for more than five hours, since I would come home at lunch or we had a dog walker. Not sure about 9 hours.

3. I know some people free feed but for various reasons, we chose not to. Mostly because we want ours to know his boundaries and to avoid other issues down the line.

4. Again, personal preference. Like I said in the other thread, you have to research foods and figure out what's best over time. For now, I would definitely find out what he's been eating and keep him on it. Food is something that doesn't have one right or wrong answer, you have to educate yourself and do what's best for you and your pup. We feed dry food but soak it in water for five minutes to avoid a bloat situation (something else you need to read about; usually not a problem prior to 4 years of age)

5. Depends on the dog, ours never liked that and Labs are usually people dogs so they want to be in the middle of the action, able to see what's going on.

6. We only left toys that were not choking hazards in his crate, and it gave him something to do when he got bored.


You'll become an old pro in no time. Keep in mind that nervousness transfers to the dog too, so try to keep calm when you're doing things like training or walking, so that they don't pick up on it anxiousness.

Good luck!

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

hey! can't wait to see pics of your pup!!

the answers to your questions will probably vary but here is what i did and it worked for us but every /situation pup is different

1-i always tried to keep the schedule the same on weekends with feeding...we usually feed before work and at 6pm...so on the weekends we usually still feed at 6pm but the morning time would vary a llittle---
as far as bathroom, mine were unusually really good w/that...they trained sooo quickly..they'd wait at the door or bark to go out...i was very lucky with that....we did get up a lot of times during the night at first to take them out but...they were pretty good and slept through most of the night without having to go...as far as walking, we fit it in whenever we could

2-i always kept water in the crate all day and removed it at night
3-i never took the food away from them...my girl eats as soon as i put it down and my boy takes a little longer to get started so i just leave it down for him
4-i only feed dry food...make sure the first ingredients of the food is a meat...example..chicken, lamb, beef...make sure that it is not a byproduct or wheat, etc...
5-i didn't cover the sides of the cage the majority of the time...on occasion i would place a blanket over one end of the cage
6-i have left strong toys in the cage while i wasn't home...i always checked the toy first though....it was usually a nylabone (not the edible ones)..something i knew they couldn't tear apart

good luck and have fun...give that furbaby lots of kisses!!! let me know if you have any other ??

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

1. I have a 6 month old puppy. I get up with him at 6:30 on weekends, walk him, feed him, then go back to bed but yes you will still need to take him out early.

2. I personally believe that a dog should always have access to water so I always provide water. Others will disagree I'm sure.

3. My dog doesn't ever have food left over so I don't have this issue. But if I did, I would give him about 20 minutes to eat and then take it away.

4. Dry food only. (I would mix in a little meat sometimes if you want to make it more interesting, to me that is way more natural than overly processed canned food.)

5. I have never covered a crate.

6. My puppy has toys to play with while we are gone including his Kong.

Everyone will have something different to say...take what you want from everyone's comments and do what makes you feel comfortable.

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

Posted by Renee615


1. I know you are supposed to create a schedule to feed the dog, walk the dog and take the dog outside to do his business. Do you keep the schedule the same on the weekends or can it be adapted to be a little later? (please tell me I can sleep past 6 on a Saturday!)

I would give a try to see if you can go later than 6 but prepare for an accident.

2. Should water be kept in the cage at all times including when I'm at work and overnight or do you remove it at a certain time?

How long is the dog in the crate until he/she gets let out again?

3. When feeding, should I take the food away after a certain amount of time has passed?

For sure, to do it right, take the food away after about a half hour...I am guilty of NOT doing this and my dogs are terrible eaters.

4. Should I feed him canned and dry food or only dry food?
For your own sanity, go with dry for sure. Wet is messy, bad for their teeth and more of a hassle. Dry is better to clean their teeth. And once they get used to wet they may never want to go back.

5. Should the cage sides be covered to make him feel more secure?

I would not cover the cage....I would want my dog to see out, not live in the dark all the time in there.

6. When he is in his cage and I am not home, can I leave Kong or other tough toys in there with him?

Yes, you can leave tough, very tough, already tested and watched by you toys in there...nothing new if you kwim.'

So sorry for all of the questions. I'm kind of neurotic (in case you haven't picked up on that ) Thanks!

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

Thank you all! I feel so much better after reading your answers. I was wondering if I could get up early on the weekends to take him out, then go back to bed for a while. I'm glad to know that could be an option. You ladies are true wonderful. Thanks again!

Oh and Greenfreak (I'm sorry, I don't know your name :) don't worry...the puppy will not be in the cage for 9 hours. DH should be home at 12pm to let him out and if his schedule changes, I will get a dog walker

Message edited 11/20/2009 10:23:00 AM.

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

Posted by Renee615

Thank you all! I feel so much better after reading your answers. I was wondering if I could get up early on the weekends to take him out, then go back to bed for a while. I'm glad to know that could be an option. You ladies are true wonderful. Thanks again!

Oh and Greenfreak (I'm sorry, I don't know your name :) don't worry...the puppy will not be in the cage for 9 hours. DH should be home at 12pm to let him out and if his schedule changes, I will get a dog walker

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

Posted by Goobster

Posted by Renee615

Thank you all! I feel so much better after reading your answers. I was wondering if I could get up early on the weekends to take him out, then go back to bed for a while. I'm glad to know that could be an option. You ladies are true wonderful. Thanks again!

Oh and Greenfreak (I'm sorry, I don't know your name :) don't worry...the puppy will not be in the cage for 9 hours. DH should be home at 12pm to let him out and if his schedule changes, I will get a dog walker

If its a few hrs I would def leave a bit of water...since he will have a bathroom break soon enough...but not a whole cup full, kwim?

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

i didnt go through everyone's answers so i'm sorry if its repetitive.

1. I know you are supposed to create a schedule to feed the dog, walk the dog and take the dog outside to do his business. Do you keep the schedule the same on the weekends or can it be adapted to be a little later? (please tell me I can sleep past 6 on a Saturday!)

i keep the same schedule mon-fri but saturday and sunday i walk them as soon as i wake up (whether its 8am or 11 am). even as a puppy my yorkie was ok with it and he was very hard to train.

2. Should water be kept in the cage at all times including when I'm at work and overnight or do you remove it at a certain time?

we let them have water all the time even as puppies.


3. When feeding, should I take the food away after a certain amount of time has passed?

we use to give them about an hour to eat and if they didnt eat we'd put it away and bring it out after a few hours or when they would ask for it. they would go by where the food bowls would be and sniff for it.

4. Should I feed him canned and dry food or only dry food?

we've always fed them a mixture of wet and dry. they seemed to like it more and ate right away.


5. Should the cage sides be covered to make him feel more secure?

we've only had crates so 3 sides were covered. i'm not really sure what to do about a cage.

6. When he is in his cage and I am not home, can I leave Kong or other tough toys in there with him?

i was always too scared to leave toys with them even tough ones but when they got a little older we left nylabones with them.

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

Posted by Renee615

Oh and Greenfreak (I'm sorry, I don't know your name :) don't worry...the puppy will not be in the cage for 9 hours. DH should be home at 12pm to let him out and if his schedule changes, I will get a dog walker

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

1. I know you are supposed to create a schedule to feed the dog, walk the dog and take the dog outside to do his business. Do you keep the schedule the same on the weekends or can it be adapted to be a little later? (please tell me I can sleep past 6 on a Saturday!)
Be as consistent as possible. Puppies cna't hold it as long, over time they can hold it longer.

2. Should water be kept in the cage at all times including when I'm at work and overnight or do you remove it at a certain time?

Nope, I never do. When we are home water is out all the time.

3. When feeding, should I take the food away after a certain amount of time has passed?

I don't do this all the time but I suggest you do to get the pup on schedule. I have 2 dogs and one is a very picky eater and she grazes and I am always afraid she doesn't eat enough

4. Should I feed him canned and dry food or only dry food?

I think that is personal preference. I do 90% dry. We have wet and put a spoon or 2 in their food for an extra treat.

5. Should the cage sides be covered to make him feel more secure?

I do this and I put a comfort item in that she has grown attached to. It's a stuffed snowman. Also an article of your clothing with your sent works too.

6. When he is in his cage and I am not home, can I leave Kong or other tough toys in there with him?

I think it's ok as long as its big enough that the pup can't fit the whole thing into his/her mouth

Re: Ok, I've been saving them up...please don't hate me!

Message edited 11/20/2009 8:24:26 PM.