[PennysMum]

My dog is crate trained, and stays in her crate while I'm at work (I work a full time job). If you get a dog accustomed to a crate at an early age, they view it as a den rather than a cage, and feel quite content and cozy inside it. I feel that crating is really the safest option for the dog, since it eliminates the possibility of eating something dangerous while the owner is away or knocking something over on themselves.

The real key to making working long hours and owning a dog work is to spend the time that you *do* have with your dog being very, very active. I get up in the morning a full hour before I need to leave for work. 20 minutes of that time I spend showering and dressing. The other 40 minutes, I run around outside with the dog. After work, I run around with the dog even more. On the weekends, we will hike for miles and miles or go to the dog park to burn off energy. I do the very best I can to wear her out, and I feel really satisfied to see her flop in her crate when we're through with our crazy games and it is time for me to go somewhere.

In an ideal world, we could all stay home with our dogs whenever we like-- but it is still entirely possible in the imperfect world to have a dog and a busy life too.