3 Month lab ??

[bbhntr48]

I have the option to crate my 3 month old lab for 4 -5 hours each day in the house or keep him on my screened in back porch for that same 4 - 5 hours. He sleeps in his crate now and is house trained. Didnt know if letting him have run of back porch would cause him to slip up on his house training since he would be on his own. Looking for best practices. Thanks

[rocketman]

He'll probably eat your back porch

[bbhntr48]

That is a concern, just hate having him in crate for half a day??

[JBK]

No option for a kennel?

[bbhntr48]

No outdoor kennel currently

[marsh chicken]

Keep him in the crate. It's a dog, not a human. I promise it won't hurt him.

[jws]

My lab is a year and a half old and I finally just got to where he can be trusted out the kennel. He would eat the shit out of everything until last week.

[birdweiser]

He'll probably eat your back porch

x2

[flatbill]

Crate him. He will be fine!!

[Mars Bluff]

He'll probably eat your back porch

No probably. He WILL eat it slam off the house.

[baydog]

I had a fenced back yard with a screened porch, and still became a master screen repairman with all my experience in screen replacement. I would keep him in the kennel unless you have spare time to constantly fix the screen. Dogs get bored and tear shit up. Also, if he gets out of the screen, is there a possibility of him getting in the road, stolen, etc. If so it is definitely not worth the risk.

[abarill]

if he is used to being in the kennel, keep him in the kennel. A dog that young is a different dog each day, and will be for a while. Best to keep things consistent.

If you put him on the kennel, you can't correct him appropriately (as soon as he does something wrong). Bad habits will likely form, so why take the chance?

Remember his kennel is HIS happy place. The exercise he will get from moving around the yard or house will be minimal, and when he gets out of the kennel, he will be ready to move, play, then work (after a bit)

[shhmitty]

You could build a nice outdoor Kennel for the same price that it's going to cost you to repair a porch. We had a Lab that would chew on rocks when she got bored so a nice wooden porch is going to be gravy work to them.

[DeerKilla]

Crate him. He will be fine.

[Biggie1976]

Kennels or crates are security for most dogs. I had a dog who would go lay in his kennel during the day if he was tired bc it was a place of security for him. We kept his kennel inside the house. Keep him in the kennel it wont hurt him.....