I have a six month old lab who has always stayed in the kitchen whilst i'm at work.  He has been ok up to about a month ago but he has now chewed two large holes in the wall and is starting chewing the corners of my new kitchen cupboards.  Its not because he's bored, I leave him 2 kongs and a treat ball and rotate his toys so he has a different one each time I go out.  We have a crate but have never shut him in during the day.  Now I think it may be time as he is gradually ruining my kitchen!  My question is will he be ok for 4 hours at a time which is how long I'm at work.  I come home a lunchtime every day and make sure he has a good walk and lots of fuss so he would be left for 4 hours, then have a walk etc then another 3 hours.  Is this too long?       

4 hours should be fine.Give him his kongs etc in the crate and try to give him a walk before you go out and I'm sure he will be ok
Archer

Thanks for the reply.  I feel bad enough leaving him in the first place so want to be sure before shutting him in the crate.  When we first got him we didn't have to leave him very often but unfortunately circumstances have now changed and 3 days a week he has to be left   while I go to work.  

Make sure the cage is big enough for the dog to stand up without his ears touching the cage and that the dog can lay down without being cramped.

Depending on how long you walk him make sure that you do some training in this time to wear the brain out along with the body or you may find that the chewing will continue. Good Luck :)

I used a DAP diffuser with my chewing pup - I'm not sure whether it was a coincidence and she had just grown out of it, but she hasn't chewed since.

Hi Jan,

what is a DAP diffuser?

A

Sorry Andi - 'Dog appeasing pheromone' - it's a plug in device (rather like the air freshener thingys) that is supposed to give off pheromones similar to those a bitch gives off when feeding her pups.  They claim that it has a calming influence, and is supposed to be very good for dogs stressed by fireworks (you start using it a couple of weeks before the fireworks start), and for behavioural problems like separation anxiety.  You should be able to buy one from your vet, or from places like Vetmedic pharmacy.  The starter kit costs about £25 (I think), and you need a refill every month which costs about £15.

Hope that helps.

I'm sorry Clara but I completely disagree with your comment << Its not because he's bored, I leave him 2 kongs and a treat ball and rotate his toys so he has a different one each time I go out>>

A Labrador is a gundog. Its function is to be out in the field all day with its owner, that was what it was bred for. It is also a "People" dog and as such needs company. Two Kongs and a treat ball is no compensation and two large holes in a wall are only to be expected. I appreciate that people have to work but 7 hours on it's own in a day, however you dress it up is more than a six month puppy should be expected to remain stuck in a prison cage! Were it a human being then there would be a national outrage.

I guess this will make me unpopular in some quarters but considering that I want a puppy but do not feel that this is the right time it is a subject I feel quite strongly about.

John

I agree with John - a cage is no substitute for company.  However, I do appreciate people who work also like dogs and having the two together is a difficult problem to resolve.

I had a large, adult rescue dog when I went to work and found that after a few weeks he chewed/clawed a piece out of the floor covering by the kitchen door ( I also left him in the kitchen - it was easier to clean up any messy 'accidents' there than anywhere else).  Instead of limiting his space further I gave him more - I shut off the main bedroom, lounge and dining rooms but left him access to everywhere else. 

He was fine never damaged anything again.  I also made sure he was walked before I left and as soon as I came home.  I came home in my lunch hour 3 times a week and my next door neighbour and my mother called in the other two days to let him out in the garden and have a play with him.

There was also a period when my mother was ill and could not call round so on the day she would normally call I dropped my dog off at boarding kennels on my way to work and collected him on the way home.  At least that way he got a walk and some company.

Maybe you could do similar.

Totally agree with John,

Heidi

I misread the first post...I thought the dog was being left 4 hours a day not a total of seven.If you then add on to that the 7-8 hours you are in bed that makes a long time out of every day!
I leave my dogs for 4 hours in a VERY large crate 4/5 days of the week until I can trust them not to be destructive...this is long enough.I wouldn't then put them back in an hour later.
Archer

have you thought about using puppy pen panels to partition off a bigger area where he cannot get at your kitchen cupboards - I do feel that even 4 hours confined in a crate is too much .

I know this is a difficult problem and it can be hard to find a solution while your pup is at the 'chewy' phase but if it's any consolation my dogs are left for 4 hours in the morning then 3 more in the afternoon and all the adults are fine with this routine - pups have a 'puppy playroom'with access to an outside yard and I regularly use pen panels to partition off areas that I do'nt want the dogs to get to.