Doggy Day Care

Dear Dog Lady,

When me and my wife leave for the day at work, we put our dogs, a Rottweiler and a Dalmatian, in their crates. We also do this when we sleep, which means our dogs are in their crates for 16 hours a day. That just seems bad to me. But if we leave them outside in the changeable weather, that seems bad too. What is the best thing to do?

Ray, St. Louis, MO

Ray, thank goodness you have a twinge of conscience about keeping your large dogs contained for such long periods. You can provide care during the day so your dogs have a chance to stretch their legs while you and your wife are at work. There are walking services available. At night, before you go to bed, make it a point to spend a lot of quality time with your pets. Give them a good run and romp so everybody will sleep better.

Ray, your letter does not say but Dog Lady assumes nobody forced you to keep a Dalmatian and a Rottweiler. You chose two high-maintenance large breed canines. In making that choice, you took on the responsibility to care for them adequately, which means plenty of exercise. It doesn’t sound as if you’re holding up your end of the bargain.

People, please. Dog Lady gets hundreds of letters about cooped up doggies that are anxious, high-strung, and chewing their way to China. The problems are not with the dogs, but with the negligent owners who expect their living creatures to behave like sleeping statues for hours and hours on end. If you decide to keep a dog, you must provide adequate basics: daily food, water and healthy exercise.

Posted by Dog Lady at October 22, 2005 07:19 PM