12 hour day trip - what to do with Doodle

[Angie ashcraft]

I have an upcoming day trip....well actually an evening trip. Will be gone about 12 hours. Leaving around 2:30pm will be home around 1am.

I work from home so my doodle normally hangs out with me all day. He sleeps in his crate at night. We have a fenced in backyard. He likes to go in the backyard several times a day to run around (with my supervision...checking on him often). Or I am out there with him playing fetch with a ball.

What do you all do in a situation like this? I don't necessarily want to take him to a kennel. I know he can't be crated for 12 hours. I've never let him have free roam of house while we are gone.

He is 1 yr old.

He is 60 lbs so we have the extra large wire crate. We have a covered back porch. Could I move the crate outside.... Butted up against the house in a corner on the porch and cover it with a quilt or something so he can have a place to go to? He alrdy has a big bed in his crate he sleeps on nightly. And of course...plenty of food and water. That way he will be free to walk around and use the bathroom?

I live in the south so our temps are 60/70 during the day and 50's over nite. No rain in the forecast.

Thanks for advice.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Good ideas Cathy. He should be very happy.  

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Sounds like you have it covered, Cathy.

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

I have a friend, who has our Murphy's brother, and we help each other when either family needs to be away. Just having someone come in maybe twice that day to let him out is a big help. At a year old, he might be able to hold his bladder, but I always worried that mine would just be so uncomfortable, that I couldn't do that. 

As far as being outside for 12 hours???? I would never suggest it. When I think of all the things I've had to supervise mine from getting into trouble with, I cringe to think of not being home.  If nothing else, would he bark all day once he figured out he's not coming back in, especially at night? Does he look for things in the yard to chew on and eat?? Do you live in an area that has wild animals that can get in to your yard? We have coyotes, and scorpions.  Not to mention someone seeing him and thinking how cute....I think I'll take him.  I think you have gotten some good suggestions on where to find someone. Good luck.

[Ginny Nightingale]

I was just remembering one day when we asked a friend to let the dogs out because we would be gone a while--she opened one door to let them out and then took them in another door--and left the first door open! We were shocked when we came home 4 hours later and they greeted us in the yard! (We have invisible fence and they don't cross it)--I was upset, but then realized that they were just fine--and enjoyed the freedom! however, I would never do it on purpose--too much can go wrong.