Lonely life bad for dog

Men and women have been singing the blues for more than a century. Fired from the job, can't pay the rent, car won't start, dog ran away, caught the lover in the arms of the best friend, and that was just Tuesday. Life is hard. Sing the blues.

In 1976, Tom Robbins let the world in on a little secret: "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues." Even cowgirls? OK, so it seems we humans have a stronghold on the blues.

But what about dogs?

A man contacted me recently because he was worried his co-worker's dog was suffering from loneliness. The dog, 14 months old and never housebroken, is regularly confined in a bathroom for upward of 15 hours at a time while his owners go about their daily business of work, school, errands, etc.

When they are home, they love the dog, and the dog loves them. Or at least he's ecstatic to finally be released from his cell. Is that love, or pent up energy? Is he happy to see them, or happy to be free? What does that kind of prolonged confinement do to a dog?

It creates anxiety, to be sure — nervous energy with no outlet. A closed door is never a good idea for a dog. They need to be able to see their world, small though it may be. That's why I recommend a comfy wire crate, lined with sheepskin and filled with chew toys, for puppies during the housebreaking process. It's confinement, yes. But it's a comfortable place where they can see you and their world. There's nothing scary about it, and it's a necessary — and temporary — part of successfully indoctrinating your pooch into your home and way of life.

Dogs are pack animals. They're social creatures. A lonely life is not a good or natural life for a dog, yet when this man offered to take the little pup to live with him, his co-worker declined, saying he and his family love their dog.

They may love the idea of having a dog, but they don't love their dog. In fact, they abuse him by confining him in this way. They neglect him by leaving him alone day after day, all day and into the night. And by denying him a better home, they act out of selfishness, with no regard for what's best for their "beloved." That couldn't be further from love.