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Originally Posted by Alexa_And_Oscar  I'll try the crate thing. Although, the reason I let him sleep in my Bed was because he just cried whenever I put him in there, and refused to sleep (I am too soft and he knows it!) See, I agree with you all here about not letting him off the leash, but my Partner and even Mother, think I am being ridiculous and mean, by not letting him off. I actually was very brave today and took him off and he was fantastic! He didn't listen, maybe once or twice, but he didn't wander like he did last time. But there was 3 of us with him, which is sort of why I took him off. That, and I was getting ganged up on by Partner and Mother. I'm putting this success down to luck though, to be honest. There weren't that many Dogs, and by the sounds of it, you all know how it is. The minute they see another Dog, there off! |
I would like to reiterate what others have said.
Don't allow your dog off leash when you're near roadways or other dogs under any circumstances, no matter what your mother and partner say. Losing your dog is not worth it.
For the crate training, our Bella sleeps in a pet carrier (big enough for her to stand up and turn around in) that we set on the night stand so she can see us sleeping in the night. The first few nights, she whined a little for the first 10 to 20 minutes, but she got used to it, and now she expects it. If she needs to potty in the night, she will wake us up so we can take her out. Since Oscar is only 8 months old, he should still be young enough to train fairly easily. When we go out during the day, we leave Bella in the crate, with the lights and TV on, for up to four hours maximum without any problem. (Any longer, and you would have to make provisions for food, water, and a potty area--that would require a larger x-pen type of layout.) Bella barks sometimes when we're leaving, but she's asleep when we get home, so we think she probably sleeps most of the time we are away. The crate has a soft baby blanket lining the bottom, and we used to put one of her favorite toys inside to keep her company, but now we find that isn't necessary. A t-shirt with your scent on it might also be comforting.