[MissMolly]

we are leaving Molly alone in the kitchen while we're at work. She usually goes in her crate, but we want to try this out. I puppy proofed everything, but i'm nervous!

My husband is going to go check on her during lunch.

Any experience with this?

btw: we have left in the kitchen before for 2-3 hours while out shopping, and she did well.

 

[murraysmom]

Good luck- I bet she'll be fine. The only advice I'd give is to not make a fuss when you come home, or when you leave- just go about your business- this helps to prevent separation anxiety and the destructive behavior that accompanies it, but you may already know this. Let us know how she does!

 

[Guest]

Only advice I could give is to - cross your fingers!

 

[Guest]

We keep Jasmine in the kitchen during the day, and she's fine. We've learned to keep things well back from the edge of the counters, and we now place the bin up on the table when we're out. Initially we had someone check on her at mid-day and let her out for a run around, but she's fine on her own now. I give her a Kong or a piece of toast with peanut butter in the morning when I leave, and she doesn't make a fuss. There's usually a puddle for me to clean up, but we're alright with that. I'm sure Molly will adjust just fine. Just leave her some toys and a treat.

 

[Elvismom]

Molly is growing up! I hope you come home and find out that she did fine. I know crates are great, but I personally like them to have all the room they can be responisibly left in.

Jasmine's Mum - toast with peanut butter is a GREAT treat.

 

[MissMolly]

I also do the peanut butter toast thing with Molly, how funny.

 

[copsmom]

Copper also has a peice of peanut butter toast every morning.Won't eat his dog food and stares at the toaster until he gets it.

 

[Guest]

I left Byron in a pen for the first time yesterday. I came home to a bog puddle on the floor. I guess maybe I should try leaving him for less time at first so he adjusts. This housetraining thing never seems to end with him.

 

[Guest]

If she's been especially good on her morning walk, she gets two pieces of peanut butter toast. And while it can get a bit tiresome to have to clean up a puddle every day when we get home, Jasmine only does it during the day - and we're working on the theory that since we get to use the bathroom while at work, we can't judge her for needing to do the same. Hopefully she'll grow out of it, but we'll just have to wait and see. We've never crated her, so I can't weigh in on that, but she seems happy enough to roam around the kitchen.

 

[Valerie and George]

We let George have the run of the house all the time. He doesn't even have a crate. I can often make it home for lunch to let him out, but if I can't and he can't wait and leaves me a puddle, at least he's thoughtful enough to leave it in the kitchen where it's easy to clean up. LOL Usually he shows it to me, too -- I'll come home and he'll come say hello and then stare at his puddle until I notice it. His expression is, of course, "Gosh! Look at that! Wonder how that got there?" I think he must spend most of his day sleeping when we're not here because he's certainly wide awake all evening when we are here.

 

[Sissy's mom]

So far Sissy has full run of the house! She used to never climb the stairs just stand at the bottom and bark for us to let her out. However, just the other day she magically appeared in our bedroom I felt the stare while I was sleeping. I bought a child gate and put it up. I prerer her to be downstairs with the hardwood floors and I am afraid she will hurt herself on the stairs. When we leave we try to be back no later than 4 hours to let her out. She gets into things very rarely, she seems to have not moved from the couch at all.

 

[Guest]

Francis was about 5 months old before I finally gave him the run of the kitchen while I was at work. I had tried it when he was 4 months old. BIG mistake! I had put all the chairs up on the table and had pulled everything far back onto the counters. Since he couldn't chew the table legs he pulled all, and I mean ALL the wallpaper off the walls up to the chair-rails. There was wallpaper stuck to everything in the house including him. I think it took me a month before I finally had him and the kitchen totally clean. He was pooping it out for days (thank God I had papered it myself with a plain paste glue without vinyl!)Needless to say, I didn't re-wallpaper until I could trust him alone.
I still shudder when I think of it.

 

[Guest]

We let Droopy have the run of the house while we are gone. Granted, we are never gone for more than a couple hours at a time though. So far, she's been great. Has not chewed, pottied or done anything she isn't supposed to. We do still keep her in the crate at night time though. Good luck.