Dog gazebo

[Suzy Rowe]

I bought a dog gazebo. Since we live in Southern California, we get pretty warm weather thru November.

We will be gone almost all day this Sunday. Does anyone see a problem with leaving Ruffie in the gazebo with a bed, food and water out on the grass, rather than in a crate? It has a 5 foot diameter, so there is room to move around in it. There is a cover on it for shade. Temperature on Sunday should be about 72.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I'm guessing left alone, AnnaBelle would dig her way out!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Yes....between the huge space and ability to dig in grass....it wouldn't take long.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And puppies are kind of "boneless" and easily compressed, lol. 

My last puppy once somehow wedged herself in between the glass and the screen on my sliding door! 

[Gail and Bailey]

If it were me....I would feel much better knowing my pup was safe and sound inside the house.  Perhaps you could set the gazebo up in your kitchen.  If Ruffie has to potty while you are gone...at least it would be easier to clean up.  Of course it would be best if you had someone who could come over to let him out for a break.  Ruffie would probably feel safer inside as well ....since he is so new to your family!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I agree with so many of the others.  I am not for leaving a puppy or dog unattended in the yard all day! I would think he would be so much safer inside possible in a room with just floor babygated off from the rest of the house.  Even if you do that, he is going to get bored.  Ask someone to come and let him out mid day.  You will both be so much happier.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I live in So. Cal. and have a dog door that we do keep open 24/7 into a securely fenced yard where we don't have coyotes or any critters,  BUT when our dogs were puppies we kept it locked and we supervised potty time.  We left our dogs for about 4 hours at a time. We crated Ned and our shelter foster, but with our uncratable-climber-anxious puppy we set up an ex-pen using walls on two sides and securing with furniture that he couldn't push on the other two sides.  We used carobiners to latch the sides together.  We had a tile floor so accidents weren't a problem. We weren't paper training, but we put newspaper in a corner to encourage any pottying to be done there.

[Carolyn Shusterman]

When we had to leave our young dogs at home we would lock them in the kitchen with a potty park, water bowl that can't be tipped over, kong with peanut butter in it, blanket with our scent on it, kibble and safe toys.  The kitchen floor is easy to santize if they forget to use the potty park.  

[Suzy Rowe]

Thank you all for the replies. I will be putting him in the kitchen.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Excellent! LOL...I would have worried all day!
Hey... We have a Doodle a Doodle Romp tomorrow in Seal Beach. I'm going up from San Diego and another girl, Helga comes from Thousand Oaks all the time. Know your busy this weekend, but maybe you could make the next one? We would all love to meet you! Now that the weather is getting a bit cooler, we will have them more often.

[Gail and Bailey]

Glad to hear it!  Now you can have a wonderful time and know he is safe.  Enjoy your day and let us know how Ruffie did!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Suzy, let us know how the day went please?

[Suzy Rowe]

Our kitchen, after checking it, had too many pitfalls we haven't had time yet to correct, so crated Ruffie and came home twice to walk and feed him.
We need to put latches on lower cabinets housing cleaning supplies, and put some kind of latch on the pocket door to the kitchen. This dog is too smart for his own good, so decided to crate now and work out safety issues. Can't take a chance on his pushing the pocket door open and chewing on harps!! Watched him trying to figure out how to get doors open.
I'm going to keep Ruffie with us in bed tonight ... guilt at keeping him in the crate so much of the day. He loves being with us. He'll cuddle with Wayne for a while, then come over and cuddle with me.
Right now I'm watching him chew on a cow's ear. He absolutely loves this thing.