Dog Care

Question: New indoor dog care questions?

(Posted by: Karrotkun1 on 2009-07-26 17:39:00)

Hello. We recently got a new dog. She is five years old and already house trained very well. Our previous dog was always an outside dog so having an indoor dog is foreign to us. I know that we need to set up a routine for her. So we were thinking to feed her when we got up around 8:00 or so. Should we only feed her one more time in the day? Just a breakfast and dinner, with a few treats during the day? When should dinner be, because I want her to be able to use the bathroom before we go to bed. She'll sleep inside during the night. Also, another concern is how often should we take her out to do her business, every one or two hours? She doesn't seem to indicate to us when she needs to go outside, so we've just had to play the guessing game. Lastly, when no one is home, should she stay outside? I assume it probably depends on the amount of time we're gone. Like, if we're gone for more than an hour she needs to go outside for sure? We don't want her to have an accident, or worse, have to hold it in forever. I couldn't fine any of this information on the internet, so if anyone has any good sites about indoor dog care, we'd appreciate it! Thanks a lot. I guess I should have told everyone that we have a completely fenced- in backyard. Wooden fence, 6 or 7 feet tall, with no spacings between the boards. The answers are great so far, thank you!

Posted by: Julie D. on 2009-07-26, 17:57:28

Since she is and adult, she should be fed twice per day. If your going to feed her at 8:00, you could probably feed her the second meal 6:00 p.m. or so. Also, since she is new, it will take a little while for her to understand what door she is suppose to go to when having to go to the bathroom. Until then, don't allow her to have any accidents. Just take her out every 2 or 3 hours, even if she really can hold it longer. As for being outside when your not home: I don't believe in this to begin with. Anything could happen. The dog could be stolen, get out of the yard, be poisoned, someone could come into your yard and get bit, etc. You want to keep your house free of accidents and also keep the dog safe while your not home. I would go and purchase a crate tomorrow, and start getting her use to it for short periods of time when you are home, including sleeping in it at night. A crate IS a safe place for her. She can't eat something around your house that may not be able to pass. Dogs can and will chew almost anything and sometimes that can cause a serious intestinal blockage. These are my suggestions to you since you are new to having an indoor dog.

Posted by: Brittany on 2009-07-26, 17:51:11

I don't know how big your dog is, but I'd suggest feeding a full grown dog 2 times a day. Breakfast and dinner should be fine. Most people say dogs will need to go potty within an hour of eating, so use that to help schedule the last walk of the evening. I can't say from experience that this is true, as I use a command and usually my dog will go, I suppose depending on if he really does have to go. As yours is grown, you shouldn't need to take her out so often (every few hrs) because she should be able to hold longer. My youngest is 5 months and can hold himself about 6 hours overnight in his crate. You may consider a crate to help make sure she understands the house potty rules. Do some research on crate training, as this can help adult dogs adjust to the new home too. Simply put, the crate can help your dog "hold " himself, and chances are he will have to go after a few hrs in there. If you do choose crating, this can also be great for keeping your dog in the house, or you could use a baby cate and gate him in the kitchen when you are away. Just because you are away from the house doesn't mean the dog must be outside...but the dog shouldnt be left to roam the house. Def do more looking in the crate training.

Posted by: sheltiemom on 2009-07-26, 17:51:14

If she's five years old and house trained, you can leave her in the house for hours without her needing to go out. Since she's new to you and your routine be sure you take her out first thing after she gets up from a nap and immediately after eating. (Just like you would a puppy.) Unless you have a *totally* secure outside environment for her, do *not* leave her outside when you're alone. Too much can happen, from a neighbor or meter reader inadvertently leaving a gate open, to malicious kids throwing stuff over the fence, to someone actually intentionally stealing her. Not to mention she can make a real nuisance of herself by barking if left outside alone. Feeding time should be a set schedule. Most people feed twice a day -- breaking up the dog's normal food into two portions. My routine with my dogs is a breakfast "milk bone " as soon as they get up, then a "snack bone " about 2:30 and their regular dinner at 5:30. If we're doing training sessions for rally, agility or obedience, I cut down on their regular food a little, since they get treats as rewards during training.

Posted by: Cheryl on 2009-07-26, 17:54:10

I would strongly recommend looking into crate training. It will give her a "den " which will give her a safe space that's natural. My dogs LOVED their crates and everytime we left we'd put them in their crates without a care. Let them outside immediately after letting them out of the crate and you have a bathroom routine. Talk to the vet about the food and number of bathroom breaks. It depends primarily on the age of the dog.

Posted by: Savannah on 2009-07-26, 18:00:29

My boyfriend and I adopted a dog a few months ago. So we went through these same problems. We feed him 3 times a day, only because he had worms and we're trying to get his weight up. My mother feeds her dog who is 3 years old twice a day, so that seems ideal. About feeding times, we feed him anytime from 7 to 8, then again around dinnertime. I think feeding him when we eat helps prevent from begging during our dinner. My 5 month old dog can now hold it throughout the night. So I'm assuming an older one can hold it about the same.. I take Brewer out probably every 3 to 4 hours now, since he is house trained. Usually he'll poop right after he eats or very soon after, so you can kind of figure out when she'll have to. If you want her to be an inside dog, I would suggest keeping her inside. We've crate trained our dog, so when we're gone, he'll stay in the crate. You could also get a doggie gate, and keep her in the kitchen while you're gone so she won't roam until you gain trust that she won't potty in the house. I hope this helps some!

Posted by: Steve D on 2009-07-26, 18:09:16

Some of the little things make a difference..like the breed..size of the dog..etc...This site is pretty good and it uses breed specific info. I like it..i have a Yorkie pup and he doesnt always go along with it..but i trained mt last dog, a Rott, and this Yorkie is harder to train..but that is why this is good info..dogs are different..and some just respond differently...Good Luck.dog-obedience-training-review.com/

Posted by: AnswerGuru on 2009-07-26, 18:34:17

It all depends on your dog, really. I have to small dogs (one 25 lbs, one 10 lbs). They get breakfast about 7:30, go outside about 8:00am and then are home alone until about noon, when they get to go outside again. Then they are home alone again until about 5:30, when they get supper and get to go outside again. Usually they go out again about 8:00pm and then one last time at about 10:30 or 11:00, just before bed. My girls stay inside when we aren't home and they do fine. If you have a larger dog, it may not need to go outside quite as often as my little pups do. Also, typically two meals a day is about right for any dog. Some people will fill their dog's bowl in the morning and then leave it down all day. That is up to you. Try these sites for more information: animals.howstuffworks.com/ pets/ how-to-care-for-a-dog.htm petinsurance.com/ healthzone/ pet-tips/ dog-care.aspx