We use a doggie gate to keep them in the kitchen during the day and even when we double it up with a standard baby gate which is double the height of the doggie gate, he still manages to climb out. I come home for lunch every day to let them out and there he is waiting for me on the couch by the door and the same thing happens at 5:00. Jerry has started calling him "Roofini".
He knows he's in trouble by the tone of my voice, but I'm not sure he knows why. It's understandable. We rescued him in June 2009 and in July 2009 my health took a turn and I was not able to work for almost a year. When I was able to go back to work in July 2010 (until May 2011 when it was time to get ready for the move to Richmond), I was only working part time about 15-20 hours a week so he has really never been home alone all day.
Since the move in August, he's had Mommy & Daddy with him almost 24/7. I've done a couple of temp assignments, a week there, a day here, but have been on my current contract since the end of October and since Daddy went to work on December 1, they are alone all day. The 2 older kids don't have a problem because that was all they knew for years, but all Romeo has known is mommy is home and the last month, at least daddy was home
The kids are used to having free access to a doggie door during the day and since the move to VA, they haven't had that luxury. Hasn't really been a problem since at least one of us has been home usually and if we are both gone, it hasn't been for more than a few hours.I'm not really complaining because at least he is not destructive, I'm more concerned for him. I would leave them out to have the kitchen, dining and living rooms to use during the day, but if they have an accident, I'm worried about the finish in the hardwood floors. They were not refinished correctly and the urine could eat through the finish and stain the wood. I think we may give the puppy pads a try again before next month.
Romeo is just like mommy and loves the cold, but Flapjack is just like daddy and hates it, so getting him to go out is just going to get harder as the mercury falls.