I just got saddled with taking care of a couples 100+ lbs. dog for a day or so while they are away vacationing (until their relative gets here) & it's in a crate/cage. I've never put a dog in one so I'm new to this. After I walk him, I'm supposed to let him eat his food (and drink out of the toilet - gross - but that's what they said to do) & then put him back in his cage. My concern is that it's going to be a good twelve hours or so before I get back to their house again, and he's not going to have any food or water in his cage to tide him over till I get back. Is that normal to leave them in one of those things without anything to eat, drink, or do? I used to have to block my present shelter dog in the kitchen/bathroom/hallway area when I left for work (even tho she was an adult, she wasn't housetrained yet - she is now), but she had food and water dishes, toys, blankets, bones, music to listen to, whatever I could come up with to occupy her mind/time. All this poor guy has is a cage to lay in. Do other people do this too? I'd bring him to my house, but he's a REALLY big boy, he could do some damage to her if they went at it & I don't know if he'd damage my home. Any ideas/thoughts/comments on what to do?