We have a 10 month old Saint Bernard. He is the sweetest thing ever and basically a piece of furniture in the house :) Normally when we leave the house for any great length of time, we take him with us as it's usually to visit family or friends and he's always been welcome.
Well, this weekend we have a wedding to go to that he - obviously - cannot attend. Since most of our friends and family will also be at the wedding, there is no one to puppy sit for us. And because the location is a 3 hour drive away, we will be gone from the house for about 12 hours - much too long for him to stay in his crate (which is where we leave him on shorter outings, like the grocery store).
So my question is, would it be safe to leave him tied up in our backyard? It's fully fenced, shady, and we'd make sure he has plenty of food, water and toys. We'd also take his blanket outside for him to sleep on. I hesitate to leave him *un* tied, just because he is still so young and is capable (though he's never done or attempted it) of jumping over the fence in one area. But then I read horror stories about dog owners who tied their dogs up and then returned home to find their dog had accidentally hung themselves :(
So what do we do?
Thanks everyone! We found some friends that were going to be around for the day and they agreed to watch our puppy. He had a fun day playing with their kids and was well loved :)
That's too long to leave him tied up outside. I wouldn't even leave him home alone tied up outside long enough to run to the grocery store. In addition to strangulation there's a significant risk of theft. Hire a pet sitter to come in and let him out a few times or take him to a reputable kennel.
Since he's never been tied up before I wouldn't do it now. I would be afraid he'd panic. Also, with the heat right now it just scares me. I would either ask a neighbor or I would look into one of the doggy day cares. I know a few people who bring their dogs to doggy day cares and they LOVE IT!!
Good luck to you and enjoy the wedding!!
If he was used to being outside chained up, that would be fine but it doesn't sound like he is. One of mine is on a cable b/c he runs through the invisible fence, but they have access into the garage, shade and sun and they're used to being out all the time.
I would crate him and ask a neighbor kid to come let him out one time.
You can board him. You can hire a professional pet sitter. There are options.... Call your vet, they may know someone who can help.
No way would I leave him tied up in the backyard alone for that long. There's just too many things that can happen, like bee stings, getting hung on the leash, developing bloat, or crazy people that troll through neighborhoods looking for dogs to steal and then try to sell them on Craigslist. You could leave him with a bowl of water and he could end up accidentally dumping it, leaving him with nothing. For your own peace of mind, I would see about having him boarded at a boarding kennel or at your vet's office if they offer it. Depending on your schedule, you can drop him off in the morning and pick him up the next morning if you are going to getting back after you close. Why spend the whole time you are gone worrying about your dog?
ETA: I have called Animal Control on people when I've seen dogs tied up outside in extreme weather (hot or cold) without adequate shelter and water. I'm guessing you probably don't want to get a phone call like that either.
Sadly, our young dog was one who died from hanging - coming home from the first day of school and finding him was very traumatic. I agree with the other posters - find a neighbor to check on him or board him. If there are any kids in your neighborhood (10 - 15 years old), they'd probably love to come to the backyard and romp with him a couple of times during the day.
There are plenty of doggy day care and kennel establishments for just this sort of thing, as well as professional pet sitters. Leaving a dog tied up makes them hot, tired, scared and vulnerable to coyotes or larger dogs. They can get tangled and spend the day really in a tight place. It's hot in California and it's just not safe to leave any animal outside for that long, water or no water.
The other option is to find a place near the wedding, lessening the time the dog is in other people's care. You could call veterinary offices in that area for referrals. Drive with the dog (allowing extra time), board him, go to the wedding, pick him up afterwards assuming the place is staffed at that hour of the day. Otherwise, board him near home and leave him there overnight.
You could also check with neighbors for a high school student looking for some income, and either have that person come in 3 times or even house sit. A lot of kids will happily sit in front of your TV for the day and play with a dog.
Do you have any neighbors who could pop over twice during that 12 hours (or even once in the middle) to check on him, take him out, etc?
I would not leave him outside for that long, tied up or not.
I say board him. I once worked at a kennel, where we offered doggie day care, with a few "open" kennels for occasional visitors like your situation.
They were kept in fairly large kennels, with a blanket (or bed, if the owner chose to leave one) and taken outside at least every 3 hours for 30 minutes outside. If they were social dogs, we had two large grassy areas. If they were not able to play nice, they went into individual outdoor runs.
It was a great setup, and I'm sure you can find something similar for a fair price.
Maybe you have a neighbor you can trust to take him for the day, or at least go let him out. Or an acquaintance... My day's boss used to have me dog-sit for him whenever he went out of town.
If you find that you absolutely can't go with any other option, you might try making him a dog run with a harness. The harness will protect him from strangulation, and setting up a run will help keep him from getting tangled.
I would still hesitate to do that though... He is a cute, young, specific breed of puppy. A lot of people don't hesitate to steal dogs right out of your yard. It has happened to people I know, and is heartbreaking.
It's kind of late in the game to be making arrangements, but you might call around to professional pet sitters. This person can come by and check on him, take him outside, etc. It shouldn't be too much for a day only. Check out Yelp for some recommendations.
Kennel him!!! Good to start it young too! Make sure he has his kennel cough shot - most require it. Really, it will give you peace of mind, he'll be safe and happy and get him used to it while he is still young! You'll definetly run into issues like this in the future too.
i tie my old dog up outside sometimes. we don't have a fenced yard, and he'll go a-wandering if i just let him out.
the problem with doing it for long, though, is that water bowls get knocked over, and ropes and chains get tangled, or (in my dog's case) the dog wraps it around whatever it's tied to until there's no running room left.
all this is assuming that the weather isn't extreme. CA has such a great climate, he's probably fine there, although SB's are awfully furry, aren't they?
so all things considered, i don't think it's a good idea. if you had a fence so high that he couldn't jump it, and some sort of un-tippable water source, it would probably be okay.
but under the circumstances i'd either take him to a kennel or get a dog-sitter. that way you can enjoy the wedding without biting your nails over what's happening with your puppy.
khairete
S.
I don't own a dog but I walk l some of my neighbors dogs....and my opinion is NOPE.....too long and what if there's a heatwave, etc....look into doggie daycare or see if one your neighbors could check in on him and take him out at least once or twice....
NEVER leave a dog tied up. He can choke - I learned this the hard way when I didn't know better, left my dog tied because the fence was broken, and came hom to find that he had gotten the lead tangled and had hung himself.
If you can't find a dog-sitter, board him at a kennel or your vet's office.
I know that you don't know me but BRING him here. I have a 2.5 y/o Cocker that loves to play and meeting new friends is his fav! They can play in the fenced backyard and when I have to go out he will be comfortable inside. Let me know by email and of course we can meet before.
No. Don't do it. Please call and get him set up for a kennel. This is part of the responsibility of owning a dog. Either you have someone dogsit for you, or you take them to a kennel.
Enjoy the wedding~
I'm not opposed to a dog being on a chain. Mine has to be because she is a chicken killer, already cost me way to much money, she has a 10ft chain, a kiddie pool (really a turtle sandbox), a dog house and sits under a massive tree that has no obstructions in the way. Not all day long, but she likes it out there.
Your's is a baby, and if he has never been put on a chain it could be traumatic. We started out slow and slowly progressed, we watched her and found the things that she could get caught up on, once we were secure in her safety we would leave, but only for a few hours here and there.
Find a neighborhood kid who wouldn't mind earning a few dollars to come and play with him, take him out and then put him back. The dog will thank-you and the kid will be happy to earn a few dollars.
Do. OT leave him outside, p,ease. Is there a neighborhood kid that can go in and let him out, feed him and play with him? If not put him in a kennel/
"Doggie day are type of place where they are free to play with other dogs.
Take him to a kennel. Please do not leave him outside.
Check with your vet and see if they can recommend a kennel or maybe someone there can take him for the day. You can also look into a pet day care, we have lots of them in my area.
PLEASE do not leave your puppy outside all day all alone.
Id be tempted to board him. You may be gone longer then 12 hrs or stay the night this way you don't have to worry about him. It'd be around 20-40 to board him
Hi E.,
My college-aged daughter does dog-sitting to earn extra cash. If you're interested, send me a note through Mamapedia with your contact information and I'll pass it on to her. She usually checks on the dog a couple times a day, but since we're in West Hills and you're in Beverly Hills she'd probably just hang out at your house for the day with the dog. Negotiating a fee would be between you and her. Alternatively, if you're heading in this direction for the wedding (like to Santa Barbara) she could sit the dog at our house. She will happily play with your dog, and feed it and walk it according to its regular schedule. I'm pretty sure she's free this weekend.
Not a good idea. Do you have a neighbor you trust? Someone who can come and put him out and play with him for a bit once or twice during the day and then can put him back in the crate?
I'm opposed to putting the dog in a kennel just because of personal preference, but I think I'd do that before leaving the dog tied up outside alone.
NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER leave a dog tied up - your dog is better off indoors in a crate... Ask a neighbor to come over midday and let him potty, or board him, but no, not tied up outside - that's cruel and unsafe.
I didn't read all the pp, sorry if I am repeating. Check into doggie day care or hire a dog walker. I know our local Petsmart has a daycare/boarding that is not too expensive. Also, I believe in CA, it is unlawful to tie your dog up for longer than two hours.
Have you checked into a Doggy Day Camp? He could stay all day or overnight if needed.
Nope, if you really live in Southern California - you leave a dog like that outside in the summer? You're frying him...
You need to find someone you trust to come take care of him or board him for the night at a reputable kennel.
If you leave here in the DC area - send me a PM - I'll be happy to take care of him! My dog would LOVE the play time!
I wouldn't tie him up if he isn't use to it. Plus it has gotten pretty hot outside to be out there all day.
I would just ask a neighbor that you can trust to come && let him out && play for a little while.
We usually leave our puppy out of her cage while we are gone at work && close off all the doors just so she has to stay in the living room && she will usually potty on her puppy pads. That way she isn't in a cage for hours. She usually does fine. Id only do that if your pup doesn't chew on furniture though.
Do you have doggie daycare places near you? There may be a place you can drop him for the day. We have those...
