Kongs

[TC]

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Hello Everyone,

Just after a bit of advice really.....and I hope that you don't all judge me too harshly, as I have hankered after a dog for so many years, and made the decision that i couldn't wait any longer even though all of you have varying opinions on people working and owning dogs.

To give you some background;

I bought home Ollie, a fawn whippet with a blue mask in January and had three weeks off work (the most amazing time!) to settle him in. During this time I did everything by the book. Building up time out of the room to time out of the house without any problems. Ollie has a crate that he is in when unsupervised which he took too immediately, and has always been happy in his own space.

Everything has been absolutely fine, toilet training, puppy school (graduated last night)

Now the routine is as follows;

I leave for work at 08.45

The puppy walker (who my dog absolutely adores, believe me I have seen the welcome that he gives her) arrives at 10.30 and takes him out for an hour

I arrive home at 13.00 and play with Ollie, give him his lunch etc and am there for 45 mins.

I am home again at 15.30

Thus, Ollie is never on his own for more tha two hours and has seemed very content with his life. The evenings are a mixture of walking, playing, and visiting. The weekends are fantastic, and he thoroughly enjoys himself.

I had four days off for Easter and returned to work yesterday. When I came home at lunch time all was well, and Ollie willingly got into his crate as normal. However, when I got back after work, the bed was full of saliva and my next door neightbour said that he had been crying a lot (not in a nasty way, we get on very well and they have dogs as well)

The same has happened today, and I am now really concerned about my little man. I don't know whether this is short lived due to the four days of constant companionship and once he realises we are back in the normal routine he will accept it or not.

He has had a kong before stuffed with biscuits and a bit of cheese for the odd evening treat before and has really enjoyed this, and I am wondering if I can leave him with one tomorrow afternoon in case he is still stressed. People advise that this is a great use for kongs, but the packaging states that dogs shouldn't be left unattended for obvious reasons.

All help will be greatfully received and welcomed, please don't judge too harshly as he really was happy up until yesterday (and I have the tape recordings and videos of him snoozing to prove it!!)

Thanks

Tracy

 

[TC]

Dawn / Melanie,

Many thanks for your advice in the chat room. Unfortunately, I tried three time to send a reply and it never appeared on the screen. It finally just showed the blue background :- (

Tracy

 

[TC]

Maybe I should have entitled this post

"Please help desperately worried owner" and I might have got more replies

 

[~JO~]

You sound as if you have done everything completely right, It sounds that Ollie is a very lucky boy to have you as his owner

If he is used to you having weekends off, the Easter break was only 2 days longer so it seems a bit strange that he is finding it hard to get back in the routine - strange, but probably possible!!

How old is he now?? Is it possible that he is teething and thats why he is unhappy and needs something to chew on and keep him occupied when you are out. Personally as long as it isn't a really small kong I wouldn't worry about leaving him unattended with it - in fact it sounds a great idea :thumbsup: . I often recommend people to use them when they go out. I think the warning from the Company is just to cover themselves.

I'm sure lots of people will have lots more ideas!

Welcome to K9 to you and Ollie from Jo, Archie & Stan :cheers:

 

[TC]

He's eighteen weeks now, and I do leave him with different toys each time I go out, but you could be right about his teeth though.

Maybe he's just feeling really sorry for himself what with the teeth, and the four days of attention.

Thanks for taking the time to reply

Tracy

 

[Juley]

Hi. You say he is in a crate, would it be possible to leave him in a larger space? Try getting lots of toys, give a different set each day. I agree a Kong is a good idea. What about leaving a radio on? You aren't leaving him alone for hours on end so don't feel too bad. Can you give him some training or a fast run when you get home at lunch time so he is more tired. Of course another Whippet for company might help. LOL

 

[~Helen~]

I don't think anyone could judge you for going to work and leaving Ollie for two hours at a time! It sounds as if you're doing really well, and have made brilliant arrangements for him. Dear little lad. If he is teething, some people recommend a frozen towel or teatowel knotted, for him to chew against and soothe sore gums. I imagine you could give him that as one of his toys, and it's pretty harmless (and interesting if you have two or three with wacky patterns you could alternate).

 

[shane]

Sounds like he has just got out of the routine, perhaps a play mate, my two keep each other company :huggles:

 

[dawn]

Dawn / Melanie,
Many thanks for your advice in the chat room. Unfortunately, I tried three time to send a reply and it never appeared on the screen. It finally just showed the blue background :- (

Tracy

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Sorry I disapeared when it all froze I thought it was our network that had gone down so just :rant: at the PC and switched it off :thumbsup:

 

[Strike Whippets]

He has had a kong before stuffed with biscuits and a bit of cheese for the odd evening treat before and has really enjoyed this, and I am wondering if I can leave him with one tomorrow afternoon in case he is still stressed. People advise that this is a great use for kongs, but the packaging states that dogs shouldn't be left unattended for obvious reasons.

My lot have filled kong's on a daily basis without any prob's :thumbsup: ......If he is teething then filling a kong with peanut butter, meat or such like then feeding it frozen to the pup work's wonder's, not only does it take longer to eat, it will numb his gum's at the same time ......

 

[rubenblu]

Hi, I use kongs and smoked bones with my whippet and two jack russels with no trouble at all. I don't know how secure your garden is but last summer we had an out door lock put on the kitchen door(insideDoor if that makes sense). So now when its warm and we have to go out i leave the back door open with the inside door locked and they can go in and out when they please. We built it up slowly, just an hour at first and so on. I am lucky as my dogs come with me to work, but like if i have a wedding or shopping or one of my dogs is showing and the others aren't, I leave them with kongs and smoked bones and in the warmer weather with the back door open. My whippet is now two and still cries his head off if his routine is changed in the slightest, on easter mon he stood at door crying for half an hour because we normally go to work at 8, he finally realised it was a day off and settled down again.x

 

[chelynnah]

I wouldn't be without kongs. Mine only get filled kongs when we go out, so they know the routine. If we've not been out for a few days (as I'm not working now) they start to knock the empty ones around as though to say "do ya think you could get outta here for a bit??". They are wonderful for keeping them busy while you're leaving and takes the stress out of it.

Wendy

 

[Rae]

Hi and welcome to K9.

We are big kong fans too and I normally only give them to the dogs when we are are going out, to keep them occupied.

One of mine has broken her leg so when we take the others out she gets her kong toy and she waits in her cage for it. I forgot one day last week and she howled when she was left so it obviously distracts her. As Strike Whippets has sais if they are frozen they do last longer.

I dont think 2 hours at a time is too long to leave Ollie, you've made great arrangements for him. :thumbsup:

 

[TC]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for your words of wisdom, and also support about leaving Ollie.

I forgot to say about the radio, that is always on, but thanks for that.

I have left Ollie with a Kong this morning after speaking to Dawn and Melanie yesterday. I have only just picked up all of these messages as I was out (with Ollie) last night.

I will definitely try the teatowel idea, and freezing the kong sounds good too. Ollie really enjoyed his first ice cube this weekend so I think he'll like that and it should help with teeth too.

As far as the other pup for company is concerned, I would love one!!!! I really haven't got the money though, it is amazing how much his lordship has set me back ( Petplan seems to have gone up so much since I last had a dog?!) Also, all of my instincts tell me that Ollie should be quite a bit older before I think about introducing another dog re training etc.

I thought that the crate was the safest option when I wasn't there. Maybe I will try leaving him in the kitchen if the kongs etc don't work. I don't currently have a door on my kitchen, but it is very large (30' x 26') so he might be happier. I have a baby gate there at present, which I use if I just pop out to the garage or something. Mind you I can imagine coming in from work and Ollie will have discovered he can jump that and has destroyed the house and then fallen asleep on the settee!!

I will try all of these things and keep you posted, hope this won't bore you all to tears though.

I am very gratefull for all of your suggestions

Tracy

p.s. I will try and get up the courage to try this resizing of pictures :wacko:

 

[chelynnah]

Tracy

If you do leave him in the kitchen get down to his level and look for what kind of trouble he can get into. Also keep in mind if you leave a collar on him - what kind of handles do you have? Could he get hung up on them if he tried for the worktop and missed? And those teeth could definitely make some new decorations in your cupboard

Don't give up on the crate yet - you're right - it is the safest place if you can find a way to make it work for him.

Teya did try it on for the first couple of weeks - screaming whenever I went out, but eventually she was fine and she races in for her kong or cookies and is totally fine when we get home. I was a bit worried I had a crate-hater on my hands, but it worked out.

Wendy

 

[TC]

Tracy
If you do leave him in the kitchen get down to his level and look for what kind of trouble he can get into.  Also keep in mind if you leave a collar on him - what kind of handles do you have?  Could he get hung up on them if he tried for the worktop and missed?  And those teeth could definitely make some new decorations in your cupboard 

Don't give up on the crate yet - you're right - it is the safest place if you can find a way to make it work for him.

Teya did try it on for the first couple of weeks - screaming whenever I went out, but eventually she was fine and she races in for her kong or cookies and is totally fine when we get home.  I was a bit worried I had a crate-hater on my hands, but it worked out.

Wendy

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Hi Wendy,

Thanks for this advice, everything you've said sums up how I feel and why I wanted to go with the crate. I really hope that things will work out for the best in the crate but we'll see.

Just so everyone knows, when I went home at Lunchtime all was well, but the kong remained untouched :wacko:

I have left him with it for the afternoon and really hope that he is calm and asleep when I get home this afternoon. If he is at least I know that I must over-induldge him on Bank Holidays next time, and if not I'll have to try the other ideas one by one.

Thanks everyone

Tracy

 

[avon]

Hi Tracy

:thumbsup: with Ollie. You have had a lot of replies with good advice, I have nothing to add to that - but isn't it nice to be able to share whippet problems with other like-minded people and get their opinions.

 

[TC]

Hi Tracy

:thumbsup: with Ollie. You have had a lot of replies with good advice, I have nothing to add to that - but isn't it nice to be able to share whippet problems with other like-minded people and get their opinions.

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You're absolutely right, it's fantastic

It has helped a great deal just reading all of the other posts, but to be able to actually ask questions yourself and get such good advice is invaluable.

When I look through all of the books that I have bought, they really can't compare on this level.

Thanks Everyone :wub:

 

[chelynnah]

Just so everyone knows, when I went home at Lunchtime all was well, but the kong remained untouched  :wacko: I have left him with it for the afternoon and really hope that he is calm and asleep when I get home this afternoon. If he is at least I know that I must over-induldge him on Bank Holidays next time, and if not I'll have to try the other ideas one by one.

Thanks everyone

Tracy

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Hi again Tracy

What was he like when you came home? Did you listen outside the door for a couple of minutes to see if he was quiet? The kong may stay untouched the first few times. Often mine would leave it half full and then finish it as soon as I arrived home.

Make sure you put really yummy stuff in the kong so he is motivated to unstuff it. And don't make it too difficult for him to unstuff the first few times. It may take him a bit to figure it out.

If he's still not emptying it, then make a big production when you get home of helping him unstuff it, so he knows it's fun and good. I also make a BIG deal of it when I'm making it (well, I used to). A lot of 'Oooh what's this? Mmmmm it's gonna be good' to get them excited about it.

If he recognises the sound of your car try parking a little bit away from the house and spying on him for a few minutes before coming in. He, of course, will be frantic and excited as soon as he knows you're coming in, so it may not be an indicator of what he's been like the whole time you've been gone. Also, what helped with mine was actually to ignore them for the first minute or two after letting them out of the crate. It was suggested to me to NOT make a big deal of coming home and letting them out or they learn OUT is exciting and IN is bad. So I open the crate and immediately turn away and head to the back door to let them out, or finish putting the groceries away or something. I acknowledge them and give them a pet, but they dont' get 'loved on' till I've been home a few minutes.

Wendy

 

[Seraphina]

Hi;

I just came accross this thread and am wondering how are things now?

Lida