We have arriving on Tuesday a very beautiful chocolate & white Border Collie pup named Banjo.
We have been on a waiting list for 6 months for a pup from this breeder & he is a very much planned for & much wanted family pet.
But, here is the deal, we plan on taking him everywhere with us that is possible, but of course, there are time when he is going to be left home alone (albeit these will probably only be a couple of hours at MOST & probably only happen 2 - 3 times per week, you know - swimming lessons, Kindergym, etc...). So, for these occassions when he is going to be left, I was planning on putting him into the playpen/exercise pen that we have for our bunnies.
It's actually a big hexagonal play pen (prob a little bit bigger than the baby playpens they sell in the baby stores), big enough for my 2 girls to get in there & freely run around chasing the bunnies in & it comes up to about the top of my leg, so I know that it won't be long until he figures out to how to jump over it - being the smart cookie he is going to be!
I would of course have it under shelter, have fresh water available, all the works, but my SIL told me she thinks it's illegal by RSPCA standards to do this? & that she thinks I am being mean to the pup, that he should have ownership of the entire back yard?
I'm only planning on doing it for his own safety & it will only be until he learns which are his toys & which are human toys - you know, outdoor furniture, sprinklers & that kind of thing, & then of course once he realises he can jump over the top - that will be history anyway.
IMO he needs to learn rules & boundaries of what he can do - like shred his toys & what he can't do - like chew my outdoor setting. All the smaller things, like the kids bikes & things are going to be placed up on the ledge of our barbecue so he can't get to them, until he knows what are his things & what are ours.
I'm definitely not doing it to keep him confined, he NEEDS to be able to run around the entire back garden but while he is a pup I was going to put him in the playpen while we went out, so that he is safe & our belongings are safe.
Any help would be appreciated!
Do you think this is mean? Or would the RSPCA not be happy with this?
There's actually a well documented training technique used with pups called "crate training" which is highly effective. If you look into it, you'll start using your play pen a lot more
Its not mean, in fact if you do it correctly, you can see that they will respond a lot better in obedience and house training.
Of course it doesn't mean they are in there all day, but that they learn how to be left alone in their space. I used crate training with my lab when she was a puppy while I was studying dog behaviour and it was awesome.
A friend of mine had a play pen inside for her dashund when a puppy as she didnt want her outside as was so tiny would get cold or get through any tiny gap. She put her in here when she went to work.
In play pen she had toys, water, biscuits, bed, newspaper.
I think that you're being a very responsible person to plan for this! It's what I've done with all my dogs, and most people do it with theirs. The alternative is to crate-train the puppy which would be even less room for him.
So no, I don't think its cruel and I can't see the RSPCA having a problem with it. Although beware, our lab didn't even last a minute in the playpen until she worked out how to escape it!
It sounds like a reasonable enough idea to me, but then I've had to to to the extreme of putting one of those shock collars on my Jack Russell to stop her barking her head off at *everybody* that walks along our fence. So, I'm no expert. But I don't think putting a pup in a large playpen for a little while as part of training etc is going to hurt it
Enjoy your new pet!!
When my cavalier king charles spaniel was a puppy we left her in the house while we went out and found that she was very overwhelmed by the space. She actually preferred to be confined to a smaller space when we went out and left her - I think she was less scared. She was our second dog so it was convincing our older cavvy that being in a fenced off area was okay when he had been used to having rule of the house when we were out.
Cavvies are a bit smaller than border collies, but I imagine that puppies are all the same and like the security so a small space that is his might be very helpful to him feeling okay about you leaving him.
Here is a link to the RSPCA website with a heap of fact sheets about puppies. RSPCA Australia knowledgebase / Puppies If you look at the one called 'What should I do when I bring a new puppy home?' there are some suggestions for things you can do to get your puppy used to you leaving them at home on their own. Hope that helps.
sounds fine. as you say it's not like he's going to be left in there all the time. and he will probably be quite comfortable in there, a big bacyard can be quite overwhelming for a little puppy. i think thr rspca have a lot more to worry about than that, which i think would be a non-issue anyway as he won't be in there 24/7 and will have shelter and water. i wouldn't worry hun, just enjoy your new addition, he sounds gorgeous!
Sounds like a good plan to me Jayne! It sounds as thought you've thought it through well, don't worry about what your SIL says . Crate training has lots of benefits, which you can always research and tell her about .
Have you done any obedience training before? I ask only because I hadn't when we got our puppy, so I went to a training school and it was the best thing I could have done. We ended up staying there for over a year, and going through a few levels, because I could see how good it was for our dog (for socialisation too), and because I learnt so, so much. I only stopped when I was pg with DS and too sick to go anymore. DH grew up around lots and lots of dogs and puppies (his parents bred them), but he found it very useful too, once we got past the beginner stages. I would really recommend it to anyone getting a puppy, particularly if you have kids . Our dog would have ended up walking all over me had we not done it, and as a result probably ended up thinking she ruled the kids in the household too. She certainly knows her place now though!
How exciting Jayne, I can't wait to hear all about Banjo!
I used a dogie pen, kind of sounds the same. I was advised to by my vet to use it while they are pups. Helps with training. He said they like it.
With my first doggie we used it more and she is perfect!! The second one we didnt use it as much and well she doesnt listen.. lol Might have to do with it being hubbies dog. lmao
Thank you so much ladies. I felt very, very, very responsible about this idea but then SIL went & shot me down.
This is my second dog actually. Very miserable experiece with our first dog, which is why this dog has been planned to the enth degree & has caused so much deliberating, anxiety, etc... etc...
Basically our last dog - Rhodesian Ridgeback - bit Jessica's face when she was 11 months old. I did the most awful thing I have done in my life & that was have her put to sleep. I just had to do it, I couldn't live with myself keeping her here in case she did it again, but worse (she had bitten a couple of strangers before, but that was provoked on their parts, once she bit 'one of us' I couldn't chance it happening again). Also, my vet advised they weren't allowed to rehome as she had a history or biting other people & also children.
So all that aside, I am try as best I can to make this experience a much better one & I am trying to act as though this is my first dog.
But JANIE in response to you, YES YES YES obedience is going to be a 'must' for Banjo. I did it with our previous dog (Poppie) & we earned a CD title I think? She was very good at obdedience & I loved going there, but same story with you, I got pregnant & stopped going. I also plan on doing the agility & time trial agility with Banjo. This part is more for MY fitness as I have to fly around the course with him. Do you wanna know my mantra??? 'Banjo is going to make me skinny'
You sound like a very responsible dog owner that knows what they're doing. Your SIL must have just been being a SIL!! What you are going to do sounds fine to me! Although is there anyway to maybe drag some of the playpen onto the grass rather than have any wee and poop on bricks? (assuming it's under a paved patio here - just invisaging my house in Perth!)
I kept my OES inside when he was little while I went out to work....I confined him into 1 room and as he got older, I just extended the space so he had free run of the house. He would sleep most of the day away I think.
I show my dog and know how much fun doing activities with dogs can be (although I stopped showing when I got preg...notice a theme happening here!). My sister shows him now and he's living with my Mum while I'm in Singapore, which I'm devastated about!!
I love hearing stories of responsible dog owners that know what they're doing and research what they want. You just know that they will be going into a fantastic home. Good on you and have loads of fun with Banjo
Just stopping by to say I agree that you're being very responsible and organised - sounds like Banjo's going to have a wonderful life as part of your family!
And remember, dogs sleep most of the time when you're out. So as long as you give him lots of love and attention (inside, preferably) when you're home, and a long walk each day, he'll be fine.
As the owner of a border collie I think this is a really good idea. As a pup our collie used to eat the reticulation, plants, outdoor furniture etc, when we were out even though he got a lot of attention when we were home plus a long walk each day. Eventually they learn what they can and can't chew so this is a good way to preserve everything in your backyard! Our outdoor setting still has chew holes in it...
And obedience training is a definite for border collies. He will love it and so will you!
Thanks so much guys, I feel so much better now & I forgot to mention that the playpen is on the grass, but under the eave of the house, so it's in sun & shade. I can move it around accordingly, but I didn't fancy hosing doggy-do's off the paving either!
Well he arrives tomorrow night & I'm soooooooo excited. I just put the mat down in the back of the wagon for him & I got him a car harness thingy so he doesn't trip over or jump over the seats while I'm driving & land on the girls or anything.
I may sound a bit OCD, but I really, really, really want to get this 'right'!
I'll let you know how beautiful he is when he gets here, but his pictures tell me he is a total spunk rat! The girl doggies at puppy school will have to be chased away!
Jayne
PS _ YES! I'm starting to think SIL was just being a SIL
I think she may have been making things up - I had never come across this sort of RSPCA guideline (and it's certainly not a law!) when I was more actively volunteering there and reading through their literature (guidelines on treatment of dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, ducks, chickens...you name it!!).
If you're doing everything else with the dog, it shouldn't give the dog enough time to realise that destruction is a good way to alleviate boredom! And a dog that isn't resented by its owners is going to live a very happy life
Jayne you can tell her that you know someone who has studied dog training and works as a vet nurse, who says "confining a puppy is all good"
In face, what do you think they do at the RSPCA? Do all the dogs roam around? They are in small enclosures and are walked 4 times a day. For 15 minutes at a time.... they are not in big yards or handled much at all.
Can I do this? Is this mean?
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