How to keep dog in the den?
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Anonymous
| We have a new, very active lab mix who hated the crate to the point of bending the bars. So we tried to barricade him in our den and he's broken free of every attempt (baby gate, other barriers). We've left toys and treats inside but are at our wits end. Any ideas? |
Anonymous
| Why are you barricading an active young dog???? |
Anonymous
| When are you containing him and for how long? |
Anonymous
He's a year old. And our dog trainer said to keep him in the crate while we're at work (7 hours a day -- and we have a dog walker). So, while I appreciate that in an ideal world no animal would ever be kept locked up, the den is far bigger than the little crate he was in when we got him from the shelter. |
Anonymous
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NP here - Is there a REASON you're barricading him, though? Is he damaging the house? Eliminating inappropriately?
Our bearded collie would NOT be barricaded or confined his entire life. If we locked him in a room, he would chew his way out. So, he had run of the house and we never had issues with that. Mostly, he wanted to lie at the front door like a good herding dog, making sure he had us safely contained (in his mind) outside, and that he would not miss our return. You could try counter conditioning to make the crate or confined area THE place to be, but that takes time and a lot of effort. Lesson: some dogs will not be crated or confined. You either give him space, or you take him to doggie daycare. |
Anonymous
Dear God, no. No dog should be crated for an entire work day. It is inhumane (google it vis-a-vis major humane society views) and can compromise muscle development. Don't you have another area you can limit him to? |
Anonymous
+1 My dog has the run of the house. OP, does your dog chew/destroy things? |
Anonymous
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Ridiculous. We raise and train German Shepherds. When they are puppies, they are in a crate unless we are training or playing, or when someone is supervising every minute. You cannot give a puppy -especially a lab- run of the house and expect anything less than destruction and accidents. And like German Shephers, labs have a long puppyhood. Usually 2-3 years.
OP, you need to use the crate. Is it the right size? Too small is cruel. Too large and they don't have the security of their "cave". Is there a way you can make the crate more enjoyable? Offer treats and lots of praise when he is quiet. Ignore when he is barking or whining. Maybe gradually increase the amount of time you are leaving him. The same posters complaining about crating a dog are likely fine with allowing a baby to "cry it out", so take that advise for what it is. If you are concerned, talk to your vet or to a trainer. They will reassure you that crating is perfectly fine. They may be able to offer additional suggestions. If he is very young, he may just need more time to get used to the crate. |
Anonymous
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Just a warning about crating an escape artist: they can hurt or kill themselves. I have a friend who found the dog she walks asphyxiated half in and half out of the crate he was breaking out of, and I had a dog (a big strong boxer) who could break out most crates. We finally got one that had thick metal, and we secured it all together with D clips/carabiners at every weak point.
I actually think it is really, really helpful for these sorts of dogs to have a crate and to be comfortable in it. They aren't breaking out because they are bored, they are breaking out because they are panicked, at least if my dog was anything to go by. If you can figure out why the dog is breaking out of the crate you may be able to whatever his trouble is - by helping him see his crate as a safe space (feed him in it, have him sleep in it at night, etc.) |
Anonymous
| We have never crated or barricaded any of our dogs, and none have ever wrecked the house. |
Anonymous
And mine all have, if you turn your back on the rascals for 10 seconds. Depends on the breed and the individual dog. You mean you've left a 1 year old pup roaming your house for 7 hours and come back to clean floors and whole shoes/sofa cushions/stuffed animals every time? You have prodigy dogs. |
Anonymous
NP. Did you get him from a shelter? A lot of dogs (adopted?) have had bad experiences with crates and so will escape them. In an ideal case, a dog WOULD be created while you're at work (with a dog walker coming) until he is old enough to be trusted. I am just getting to that point with my dog and he is 18 months. Can you put him in a room with a door? Or send him to doggy day care? Is he getting enough exercise? Maybe he needs a run in the morning? Some dogs are really really active and won't settle down. good luck! |
Anonymous
Actually, we don't. We have beagles, who are hardly known in the dog world as behavioral models. We have a dog walker who takes them out for a minimum of an hour (MINIMUM) and usually at least two hours, every day, no matter the weather. They come back tired and they sleep. They have crates, the doors of which are never closed or locked. THey are free to get in their crates if they want some security, but their crates are not used to confine, punish, or discipline and "house" them when we are away. |
Anonymous
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OP here-- yes, he's chewed on our furniture when left alone. There's not much in the den he could ruin so we don't mind if he's in there. It's a big room so plenty of space. Ideally we'd have him in the crate and tried to make it a safe place, with his toys and favorite treats (that he only gets in the crate). But we don't want him hurting himself.
And yes he's a shelter dog. They're the ones who suggested the crate, saying he'd get used to it. But clearly he has not. |
Anonymous
| He needs more exercise and training. |