Should i feed my dog before i put him in the crate and walk him?

Question

or put food for him WHILE he's in the crate so he can eat during the day while i'm gone at work

he's in the crate for 7 hours, so i'm mostly concerned about his bladder.

chihauhua mix. 17 months

please do not tell me crating him in a bad idea, i don't want to hear it!

Answer 1

crating him is a great way to keep him safe while you are not home. Keep the water and food out of the crate.

What I do is feed him when we eat dinner that way I am home from work and I am able to give him plenty of exercise and time to use the bathroom.

Answer 2

no food or water in the crate.  feed and water him with enough time to potty before you go to work.  nothing wrong with keeping a dog in the kennel for 7+ hours, as long as you exercise him enough when you get home.  dont let anyone else tell you differently - crate training is 100% the right thing to do.

Answer 3

Crating is a wonderful thing - it keeps the dog safe and out of trouble.

Do not feed him in the crate.

Feed him at least 20 minutes before you leave the house.  Then take him outside for a walk, let him go potty, then bring him back in and into his crate.  Make sure you take him out again as soon as you get back home.

Answer 4

7 hours a day is an awful long time for a companion breed dog to be left home alone.  It's a long time for ANY dog to be left home alone.

I have no problem with crating, but it's not a substitute for proper care.  Are doggie day care or a dog walker not an option?  They really would be better for this dog.  

"should i feed my dog before i put him in the crate and walk him?"  Yes, you should.  If you allow him to graze, he'll be more likely to have an accident.

But I want to reiterate that this is not a good situation for the dog.  Our rescue group would not place a dog in this environment.  

Answer 5

make sure he gets outside within 15-20 minutes after eating.  dog's digestive tracts are much faster than ours.

when we were (very successfully) crate training, our dog got to eat and drink as much as he wanted in the morning, then we went for 1/2 walk/jog/sniff, then he got a biscuit and a sip of water, and then into the crate until we got back at lunch or after work.

He got backyarding, then dinner then his second big walk/jog/hello-to-the-neighbors.  We left his fresh water out all evening, backyarded him before bed.  

And the cycle began again.  He is a happy, healthy 145 lb Great Dane.  He eats more.  He gets rid of more.  But the principle holds for any dog.

Answer 6

As many have said, crating a dog while you are not there to supervise it is a great tool to keep the dog safe, happy, and secure.

Any rescue group that refuses to place a dog in a home where it would be crated while the owners are at work is missing out on some wonderful adoptive homes.

Since Chis arent prone to bloat/torsion, when you feed itsnt *that* big of a deal. We have a multi-dog household, and all our dogs are crated to eat, and then relax in their crates for 2 or 3 hours before coming back out to run and play. We also have a breed that is prone to bloat/torsion, so we do not allow our dogs to exercise in any way after eating a meal or drinking a lot of water.

I recommend to all my puppy buyers that they feed mainly in the evening, as that is when you are spending the most time at home. I generally suggest that you feed while you are eating dinner (also keeps the dog from begging at the table, as it eats in its crate) and by the time you are done and dinner is put away, the dog is ready to go out to potty or walk.

Answer 7

A crate is a wonderful idea.He should only have some thing safe to chew on like a nylabone.Any time you feed or water a dog it will have to go pee or potty.If locked in a crate where will he go? You need to get him out of the crate in the morning early so if you have to get up a hour earlier than usual that's ok.Feed and water your little guy before you do any thing else.Then give him time to go potty and pee before you return him to his crate.Most of the time they sleep in there crate so food and water is not really needed.Tilks Mom

Answer 8

I have a Pomeranian and I have an eight hour work day. The schedule I have, with which he never pees or poops in his crate is: Take him outside to pee around 7am. Let him pee. Walk him around the block (that makes him want to pee more) and let him pee again. Feed at 7:50 in the morning, keep water at a miniumum. Then take him out to p**p and pee again, then leave at 8:30. When I get home around 4 I let him out quickly, let him pee, then feed him at 4:30pm. Then take him out to pee again and p**p. Once you are home he/she should have all the water available. Only limit water in the morning as that will prevent peeing in the crate.