It depends on the dog and your situation. I have never and will never allow my dogs to be outside when no one is home. A concrete fence would probably solve most of my issues (snakes, tree limb breaking fence, neighbor kids harassing or even poisoning). I'm almost 60, have had exactly zero dogs who loved being in their crate (except my first rottie who wanted it for sleeping in, gate open.. she didn't NEED a crate from the time she was about 6 mos old). But if you give them good quality toys and chews, dogs generally chill out. They sleep up to 18 hrs a day so I consider a crate a good safe haven. My basenji is fine left in my bedroom now that she's grown. My 2nd basenji didn't destroy things, she'd pee on my bed.. so she got crated. My first was incredibly dog aggressive, so the rotties and chow ran free, she was crated when I was out, slept with me at night (as did/do the other 2).
Doggie massage
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Ever do massage on your B? My pups love begin massaged, especially on their feet (and who doesn't love a good foot massage!). Once I start massaging, they are asleep and snoring in no time. ~ Lori ~
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Lori–funny you should mention that. When my last B was about 15, he started losing muscle in his back legs due to nerve degeneration from old age. So I took him to a physical therapy practice. I used to call his physical therapist his "personal trainer." Since Max hated water, instead of having a whirl pool bath at the end of his therapy, his PT would give him a massage. Since Becca had gone through lots of training for animal physical therapy, she was excellent at massage. Since Zoey goes into a trance almost when I massage her a little, I was planning to call Becca and see if I could bring her in just for a massage--kind of like a doggie day spa
Tyler doesn't care for massage much--so this will be a girl's day out for me and Zoey 
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Doggy massage are part of our training ritual. We ask them to sit & we massaage & we get them to lay on their side & rest their face on the ground while we massage.
It's a method we use to relax our "feisty dogs" we use this also when we're around other dogs & they're too aroused. WORKS WONDERS!!!!!!!!
