Confining a Dog To One Room

Thinking of confining a dog to one room? Well, there are some things you might want to consider.

In this article, I’ll be going over some of the pros and some of the cons of confining a dog to one room. And some ways that you can make this as easy and fun for your dog as possible.

Pros and cons

The pros: Of course most of the pros go to you the owner. It keeps your dog out of trouble (or less trouble anyway). If you keep your dog in a room that has tile or hardwood floors then you have a much easier time of doing any cleaning up of messes that may occur. And also if you have a puppy they can be prone to chewing things up. Keeping them in a room that is clutter free (like a kitchen or a bathroom) will cut down on the damage that could occur from chewing.

However, there are some advantages to your dog also. Your dog can get into things that may be harmful if allowed to roam freely. Dogs have been known to eat about anything. If your dog gets into something toxic, then confining them to one room could be a very good idea.

Cons: If you think leaving a dog in one room is cruel, you may be right to a certain extent. Most dogs do need companionship. If you leave your dog confined to one room all the time it may be hard on your pooch. Also, this may depend on how large your dog is and how much room they have. But exercise is an important aspect to a dogs health. Dogs need exercise and without enough exercise, they can develop health problems.

Of course, there are other alternatives. You can put your dog in doggy daycare. Or maybe a neighbor has a yard with some other dogs to play with. You could ask them if your dog could spend time with them when need be. If these are options that are not available then your next best choice is to make this as comfortable for your dog as possible.

Get their room ready

The best room will be the one with the least amount of stuff for them to get into. If you have a room with a tile or hardwood floor that would be good. If it’s a room like maybe a kitchen, you may have to put up some sort of a gate. You want to make sure they won’t get out of there and make a mess in the rest of the house.  

Make sure all the cabinets are locked or in some way made to be unopenable by your pet. Pick up anything on the floor that they could chew up (like a rug). Of course, leave them plenty of water in a non-tip bowl. Have some special toys that they get when in their room. This makes the room a fun place. You want your dog to associate their room as a place that is a great place to go. They have their bed, their toys and they feel comfortable in it. If they have no access to a yard you will probably need to put down pee pads or some sort of potty area material.

When you first put your dog in their room you don’t want to leave them all day at first. Start in small amounts of time. Just try leaving the room for a couple minutes and then come back. Don’t make a big deal out of it. You want to do this in increasing amounts. Next time go outside for a little while and then come back. Each time make the trip away longer until eventually leaving them for an extended period.

Exercise

It’s a good idea to give them some exercise before leaving for an extended period of time. Take them for a walk throw the ball or play some tug of war with them. Whatever activity they like to do  that will get them some exercise and have some fun. If you get them worn out and burn off some nervous energy this will help with confining a dog to one room.  If you get your dog some exercise first they may even sleep while you’re gone. And this is a good thing.

You may not want to leave food for them. However, an activity toy with some small treats in it could give them a little something to do and also provide some exercise. Check out this interactive dog toy on Amazon Click here to see the listing. Or click the image of toy it will take you to Amazon. 

Dealing with whining 

If your dog is the whining type then you’ll have to get him or her over it. This may take a little time. If everytime your dog cries, you go over to try to make them feel better then all this will teach them is that crying will get them attention. Try leaving in smaller increments in the beginning, this may help with this. If they do whine, only return when they stop. Don’t send the message that whining will get you to respond.

What’s best for your dog?

Life goes on and everybody has to live their life. You may have a job and need to leave your pet alone during the day. If this is the case then make it as comfortable for your dog as possible. Make a nice area for them. Leave them some toys and plenty of water. Turning on the radio can help to make a dog feel not so alone. Do whatever you can to make this easy for your pet. However, remember you have to leave the house sometimes and your dog needs to learn that they need to be OK with this. This may take a little time and patience but you can do this and so can your dog.

Below is a video on tips for confining a dog to one room.