# Crate gone bad.....



## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

so, we are "working" on the crate when bye bye trick. He sleeps with us so this is only when we are gone.

Some days a few hours at a time he is fine, exhuasted from barking and panting of course but okay.

We went to the St. Patty's day parade and my wife was gone for no more than 3 hours like normal and she got home and he had "pooe'd" in his crate......

He just hates his crate, loves to be with us but hates that thing, won't nap, or nothing...we've done the blankie from the litter, special treats for only crate purposes, special spray from the vet, feed only in crate, toys in crate....i mean dang. we leave mellow music on for him........


i need this guy to be in the crate for the work day and so far no luck...he can def hold it for 9 hours, he has slept with us for over 10! and not an accident so it's "possible" but not when we aren't there...

please help!! thanks!

this is his ONLY trait that is bad, he won't chew things he's not supposed to, he doesn't bite ppl, only barks when playing...good dog except the CRATE.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Do you put him in the crate while you are at home still? It sounds like he is learning crate = mom & dad leaving. Also, soft music never worked for us. Riley loved listening to loud TV sitcom shows (How I Met Your Mother was her favorite!)


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Dog doesn't hate the crate, YOU do ( sorry if it souds harsh).
He needs the crate and so do we (for his safety as well). In fact, if we dont use a crate, wire crate... And let the dog roam freely it will find a place somewhere in a corner that will serve as a den. If it can't, he will surely feel unsafe and stressed and settle in the middle of the carpet, in the middle of the room so he can monitor all sides. 

Dog's life structure doesn't translate well into human terms. 
Think military precision and prison life if literally translated to human terms. 
Dogs value and thrive under what we interpret as rigid structure, strict rules and rituals. 

I would keep him in the crate at night. I would postion the crate in a place so he can see the whole room but it's out of main traffic area. Many trainers suggest to have the crate in a separate room, but we keep it in our master with us. This way we can monitor him and he feels secure as well. I know German Shepgheds Must stay outside of the pack leaders sleeping quarters, but Vizslas are different, IMO.

If he is protesting you can talk to him directly with a kind, soothing tone, or read out loud to him like you would to a child.... Makes them sleepy fast. 

As far as leaving him alone, a young puppy has no option and must pee often. They never like to sleep in wet places so I think 3 hours is far too long at this time. Try 20, 30 min intervals, excet at night - they sleep all night.


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## toshee (Apr 28, 2011)

Copper isn't a fan of his crate either. He actually broke out of the original crate we had for him. No easy answer on this one. Trial and error til something sticks.
Have you tried conditioning him by: putting him in the crate - treat, then let him out after only a few seconds - treat. 
Gradually extend the time he's in the crate - make it a game. After he's up to a few minutes in the crate, start adding 5 to 10 minutes to each "game", then more time as he progresses. It might take awhile, but, it might work...


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

i don't hate the crate....that's just silly.

he's been in there while we go to the store, the dmv places...
he has been in there for about 3.5hrs max and no problem, no mess no accidents.

He's not going to be crated at night, we love him in bed with us.

We've done the treat in the crate, all that fun stuff. Our other dogs didn't have this adverse reaction to the crate....they would be in there all day and then roam free when we got home. Then eventually they just lived free in the house as they should. *(god i can't wait for the day!!!)*


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

he likes to sleep on our aoutoman (sp?) and or the couch. He doesn't seem to "require" this DEN feeling. Not sure why, i'm sure it's something we did just need to figure out how to get him on the right track.

at minium for a while he'll be in there at LEAST 4 hours then i'll try to get somebody to come walk/play for lunch then back in er' for 4 then i'll be home.l


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Looney, I know this won't be a popular reply, but it's all I've got...

I'm old (just turned 64), I've had at least one dog all my life, and I've never crate trained a single one of them. Obviously, the world didn't come to an end. I know that almost everyone thinks crate training is a wonderful thing. But what I've done with new rescues or puppies is to create a "safe" place in the house and confine the dog there while I'm away until the dog can be deemed trustworthy. I've always used the laundry room. Pick up anything that might be attractive for chewing. Leave only food and water dishes, a doggy bed, and a safe toy. The radio playing might help, too.

Well, it's just another option to consider. It has always worked well for me. I know your ultimate goal is for your dog to have free roaming rights thoughout the house, and when that happens kind of depends on the dog. "They chew 'til they're two." ;D


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

How big is your laundry room?

i'd love that answer execpt....

my wife needed to get these thousand dollar slat window fixtures that is the dog chewed we'd be DEAD....me and the dog! lol!!!!!

we have an entire spare room, carpeted, i'd be willing to tile that shizzz if it would make this easier.......


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## kristen (Oct 18, 2011)

How big is the crate? If its small enough, there's usually no way a pup will do his business in the crate, they hate being in their own filth, and will usually hold it hold it hold it. (unless its an emergency) Whats he now about 11-12 weeks? Three hours might be pushing it still. (night is different)
Odin is not happy to be in his crate when we are home (having a party without him or so he thinks). He also isn't comforted by music.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

My laundry room is about 7 feet wide by about 12 feet long. Of course, the washer and dryer take up some of that floor space. 

Yeah, the only way it will work is if you can make the room truly "safe", so I can't help with your concern about the window treatments. The one window in my laundry room is too high for the dog to reach. There is vinyl floor covering in there. 

Willie was about two when I brought him home from the dog pound. I started out putting him in there, but found out within days that I didn't need to. His house manners were (and still are) perfect. He is such a good boy!! ;D


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

I have the big wire crate with a divider...i had not tooo big i thought....My dad had me make it bigger one day about 3 weeks ago and he poo'd in there. then i made it smaller and my dad will put him in there for 2-3 hours here and there thoughout the day. Seemed fine, barks but fine. So he's growing so i gave him 3 cage links more...must have been too much. 
He had gone poo not 5 minutes prior to us leaving.......

work in progress....but all in all that's his only hang up of puppy hood...we can leave for 10 minutes and he's fine just roaming the living room. Doesn't look for trouble at all..unless you call the cat "trouble" lol!!!!!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

mswhipple said:


> Looney, I know this won't be a popular reply, but it's all I've got...
> 
> I'm old (just turned 64), I've had at least one dog all my life, and I've never crate trained a single one of them. Obviously, the world didn't come to an end. I know that almost everyone thinks crate training is a wonderful thing. But what I've done with new rescues or puppies is to create a "safe" place in the house and confine the dog there while I'm away until the dog can be deemed trustworthy. I've always used the laundry room. Pick up anything that might be attractive for chewing. Leave only food and water dishes, a doggy bed, and a safe toy. The radio playing might help, too.
> 
> Well, it's just another option to consider. It has always worked well for me. I know your ultimate goal is for your dog to have free roaming rights thoughout the house, and when that happens kind of depends on the dog. "They chew 'til they're two." ;D


that's pretty much ad verbatim how I do it too, except Ruby stays in the kitchen at night.


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## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

The one thing that flags up for me is the sleeping with you at night.
They really really just want to be with you all the time and I expect it would be 24/7 if they were given half the chance!
This isn't practical obviously, so they need a place which is safe and secure, when you won't be there (crate).
IMO I think you need to go back to basics and get him to sleep through the night in his crate. This isn't going to be easy at first because he believes his place of rest is with you! If and when you get him to sleep through the night on his own in his crate (which will be difficult), he will be some way to realizing that his crate is where he is safe, can rest and also is not a punishment!
My guess is that you need to be in the house ideally, when trying all of this.
Good Luck 

Hobbsy


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

It doesn't matter where the dog sleeps. Kitchen floor, attic, basement, couch, under the truck in the garage... If YOU don't define one for him he will find a "safe" place (as mswihpple mentioned). He needs a safe place. We are really talking about the same thing.

It is part of dog training that WE establish the exact place where the dog sleeps, rests. This is not a whole room it is a mat or a crate!

Why do we even bother putting a collar on the dog and drag him around attached to a leash? Obviously he won't like it but we do it anyway. 
This is why we crate train or place train. If we don't take charge we could end up raising hooligans. 
At some point, and we may not make the connection, but they lunge and bark at strangers for the same reason that they refuse the crate or place. In the dog's mind he makes choices and those are all too often not human quality choices.

We all need safe places.

Dogs make dens, we build houses. We decorate and place furniture to make the place "safe" and "comfortable" for us. 
Into these environments we bring our dogs and attribute human qualities to them, force the dogs to make human choices. If they don't adapt, they simply end up in the pound... easy.

What happens when we let adult dogs raise human children (fascinating... what makes us human?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyqbnDjId7g


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## pippa31 (Aug 2, 2011)

You've already gotten a bunch of good advice, but I'm going to add my .2 anyway 

Pippa HATED her crate, which of course led to me hating it! But our trainer really helped us with this. Here is what we did: each day 10-15 times (1-2 minutes each time), I would call Pippa to "kennel up". Then when she came into the crate, I would leave the door open and then I would drop 5-10 treats in the crate and praising her big-time. Once we had that, then I would close the door, praise, and drop treats. Once we had that, I would leave her in there for a few minutes at a time and treat, praise, treat, praise. If it seems like I was giving a HUGE amount of treats during this time, I was!! YOUR DOG NEEDS TO FIGURE OUT THAT GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN THEY ARE IN THE CRATE . 
We also filled a kong with peanut butter (that we froze) that she gets EVERY SINGLE TIME she is in the crate (and never gets when she is not in there). If your dog isn't crazy for peanut butter, then try cream cheese. Anything special that you can give him to make him associate good things with the crate. 
The other thing our trainer told us that was very helpful was that the dog needs to practice being in the crate when the owner is HOME. Otherwise, the dog begins to associate the crate with being left alone and instead of being a "den", the crate becomes an "isolation chamber". 
Good luck and hang in there!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I never really thought of a crate being a "den", makes good sense. Where Ruby sleeps in the kitchen it's between to floor cupboards with a worktop spanning them, so I guess it's the same principle albeit with an open front.


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

my boy likes to sprawl...not a den animal.....LOL!!!!

we'll make it all work out in the end, after all it could be worse he could be a stinky little rotten human child......ick.......


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Impressive list of stuff you have tried. Here's one we have used occasionally when Savannah doesn't want to settle somewhere (usually when we are traveling or visiting).

Wear a SOFT shirt (flannel or something similar) around the house for a day or two - or better yet, sleep in it for a night or two when the pup is with you so it smells like both of you. Choose something you won't mind losing and remove any buttons that might concern you. Put it in the crate sometime when the puppy is not around. Wear him out on a good off-leash romp, feed him a snack, and put him in the crate for a nap - whether you are leaving the house or not. Try this a few times and see if it helps. 

Good luck!


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

Nope did the shirt, the toy, the special treat, the nap but he just gets up and goes to the couch or the otoman......
he'd rather lay in the middle of the rug than that thing.....
Kongs with treats, Frozen Kongs with treats......
Fresh chicken as a reward when i come home.......

he just hates it! but again.....i would too!


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## ironman_stittsville (Oct 12, 2011)

pippa31 said:


> ... YOUR DOG NEEDS TO FIGURE OUT THAT GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN THEY ARE IN THE CRATE .
> We also filled a kong with peanut butter (that we froze) that she gets EVERY SINGLE TIME she is in the crate (and never gets when she is not in there). ...


+1

This worked really well for my Phoebe, she sleeps very quietly in her crate now overnight and occasionally when we are out of the house. Peanut butter Kong is a very big hit and translates to the crate being a very good place indeed!

Rh.


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

not for Laszlo......


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## Crazy Kian (Aug 10, 2009)

I guess I don't understand what you want to hear.

Everybody has given you great advise about the crate and why a dog needs it but you seem **** bent on doing the opposite.

A crate or "safe place" should be established from day one, especially if you plan on leaving the dog/pup for any length of time on it's own.
The pup doesn't like the crate because it's not used to it. Who cares whether or not you like it. It's not for you, it's for your dog. The dog will get used to it or the bathroom or the kitchen.
You have to establish boundaries for your dog if not this dog will have a mind of it's own and never take direction from you but you will take direction from him.


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

Crazy said:


> I guess I don't understand what you want to hear.
> 
> Everybody has given you great advise about the crate and why a dog needs it but you seem **** bent on doing the opposite.
> 
> ...


First of, back it down a bit. I "don't" want to hear anything. I'm asking for help. i've done all the things mentioned already so PLEASE tell me how i'm **** bent on doing the opposite when i've tried all of great suggestions. (of which i thank you all but again...done them). Whether i like the crate or not...hmmm read prior posts somebody said that the dog doesn't like the crate it's me that doesn't like the crate. I like the crate, i like the idea...him not so much. I'm not **** bent on anything, they mentioned the clothes for smell, done that. They mentioned naps in crate, did that. Feed you pup in crate, did that. Special den only treats, did that. Music, did that. Blanket over crate for comfy feeling, did that. Special treats when quiet in crate, did that. put in den when still home, done that. small time frames in crate to get used to it...did that. My dog listens to me like i'm god thank you very much. I say come, he comes. I say sit he sits. I say lay down, he lays down. leave the cat, stay...he sits and watches the cat. Multiple come,sit,come ,sits with strangers...does all that.
I would love to make our spare room his but it's just not cost effective......

When it's said and done he'll be in the crate when i want him to be i was just trying to find out how to make him "like" the crate, that's all. Always somebody that thinks they can "interpert" what one feels from his post on the internet.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Mine never liked the crate during crate training. It was always after the training that they started going in on their own to the crate to rest or just have quite time.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I'm gonna try and suggest something outside the box (no pun intended!!) I have a crate for Ruby, but only use it when I take her out in the pick -up, it seems she settles down well in it and when I open the tail-gate to get her out she seems as though she doesn't want to sometimes. Just thinking that maybe it's a bit like parents that sometimes drive their kids around to get them off to sleep. So is this something you've tried yet Looney? if not, it may be worth a shot.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

;D

I knew this was going to be entertaining. Some people just have to reinvent the wheel. It appeared from the start that this was inevitable. Do you remember my post on Feb 10th? The one where you told us the dog will be sleeping with you? You can read it below:



Looney said:


> Linescreamer said:
> 
> 
> > This is going to be very entertaining. ;D
> ...


Maybe you can learn from this. Hopefully the dog will.
I agree with Crazy Kain. ;D

It's apparent that you know what's best and don't want to hear anything. Good luck with that. Let us know when you are ready to listen.


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## kristen (Oct 18, 2011)

Okay, so what is making you think he hates it?
You said he pooped in it, and wont nap... doesnt really sound like hating it to me.

Does he scream for hours? Does he try to escape and hurt himself? Cause if he just wont nap in there while you're around, and he took a poop cause he well...had to poop, I wouldn't say he hates it.
Would you wanna have a nap in your crate all alone if there was fun stuff going on around you? Or if you had comfy other places to nap?
When you leave the house, how does he react? (have you stood outside the front door for a while listening?)
The pup wont think his crate is the most awesome christmas present ever, but if hes cool with being in there while you're gone, I'd say that's success.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

kristen said:


> When you leave the house, how does he react? (have you stood outside the front door for a while listening?


GREAT point... we thought Riley was screaming in her crate the entire time we were gone... turns out she just cried for a little bit after we left and when she heard our car pull up in the driveway. You could always set up a camera and see what happens when you leave. 

Also, do you ever take him out while he's crying or making a fuss? That will reinforce the behavior. Even if you just distract him with a loud noise so he is quiet for a few seconds, it is better than taking him out while he is whining.

Oh, and I can add... Riley sleeps in our bed every night and does just fine being put in the crate during the day as long as she is tired. She will whimper a little bit, but it's more complaining than anything else. As soon as we leave the house, she is completely quiet and settles down.


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

IMO, he's not going to "like" or "love" the crate at this young age. I would not expect it. When I was at that stage, my goal was to get him in to the crate one way or another, and hope that he would stop whining and sleep once I left the house or I went to sleep. Sometimes this took a while.

One thing that I think was reassuring to me was spying on him with a webcam while I was at work. By doing this, I could see that yes, he did eventually shut up and sleep. Sometimes he would play with toys and stuff, but usually he wouldn't play. It was either sleep or whine. No matter what, his favorite thing was when I came home to let him out.

Now at 19 months, I can expect him to usually go in the crate when asked. Sometimes, instead of going in he'll jump up on the bed and flop over on his back in a "You're not gonna make me" kinda way. That's when I scoop him up and put him in the crate. It's rare that he whines in there though.

IMO a crate or "safe area" is important for the dog and owner because at this young age they are prone to accidents and they are definitely prone to destruction and chewing. Without you home to direct his actions, he will do what he likes, and that's not always what you will like. If you want a happy relationship with your puppy, crate training will be a big help. Can you do it without crate training? Sure... I hope you're patient and can afford to replace anything within the dog's reach.

The best way to get the puppy used to the crate is to actually use it. That includes having the puppy sleep in there. I understand that it can be great to have the cute little puppy in bed with you, but personally at that age I would only have him in my bed maybe once or twice a week. Sometimes it was more, sometimes it was less. Eventually we got to a point where I can't stand him in the bed and it's very rare (maybe once or twice a month) that he'll sleep an entire night in the bed.

In summary, I think you're expecting too much of the puppy as far as liking the crate at this stage. I do think you should at least have him sleeping in the crate 3-4x a week at this young age to help him get used to it. It may take him a LONG time to get comfortable in the crate, and it may take you a long time to get comfortable with the idea of the crate. Regardless, I would encourage you to stick with it for now.


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

I was thinking of how to hook up the computer to monitor him! I have a 350z with no cats and a real loud motor/exhaust so I think he may just "start" crying then, not sure. Gonna find out. I want him to sleep with us, my wife wants him to sleep with us. 
I'm not putting down anyones advice at all. If I hadn't tried them I would definitely try them. 
Just delete this, I'm done asking questions. I can fight and argue with real life folks I don't need to do it with Internet folks.
Thanks for the advice, glad it was entertaining for you. 
Update....4hrs crate not sure if he cried the whole time.


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## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Hey Looney,

You put your concerns out there with regards to your dog.
You got some answers to those concerns, which maybe helpful to you and others which inevitably are not.
You got to realize that everybody is different and so are their opinions, of which they are welcome to!
Entertaining, well again that's your opinion but the majority on here are I'm sure are just trying to help... Honest.
Hand on heart I hope you can sort this out and before you know it you'll be onto the next 'Stage' of this massive learning curve....
Again good luck and don't give up and I am sure no pup has ever died from crying to my knowledge.

Hobbsy


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

I did ask for help and I am open to opinions I just don't want to be attacked. I'm having troubles crate training! Aside from that he hasn't been a nightmare pup like some of your stories on here. So I feel more than lucky. I'll work on my problems on my own, talk to ppl on Facebook they are nice and not the typical now it alls that make ppl feel bad or in my case angry. I respect you all just don't like ppl that know everything. I'll keep reding and putting up pics but done asking for help. I asked, I had already tried all those things then it started. I love the ppl that go back and find posts and laugh like a high schoolers. Keep up the good work guys.


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Looney, do you have a webcam? Setting it up to monitor over the internet is pretty dang easy. I'll give you the most basic way:

1) Point webcam at crate
2) Go to tinychat.com/insterroomnamehere (you could make it Looney123456789 or whatever you want)
3) Allow tinychat to access your webcam and broadcast with an open mic (no push to talk button)
4) Join tinychat.com/insertroomnamehere on another computer and you will be able to see and hear what the webcam sees and hears 

That's the method I used to work on Kobi's counter surfing problem. It's very simple to setup.

Honestly if you have the stuff to do it, I think it might be worthwhile. I think it would give you peace of mind to realize that he doesn't actually cry the entire 4 hours you are gone. If you find out he DOES cry the entire four hours, well, you officially have a demon dog.


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## Lindsey1420 (Jan 28, 2012)

First, Kobi what does IMO stand for :-\? LOL!! I'm horrible at the short hand stuff.

Looney,

I dont know how old your pup is but hand in there. I was having a hard time crate training my Jack. In my mind he learned potty training and basic commands so fast that I thought crate training should come fast too! I was wrong. I got Jack in October, it was till some time January that Jack understood "Kennel." For us I think what helped was that he only got his Kong treat when it was kennel time. Knowing that he got an awesome treat everytime he went kennel he was excited. Now he runs right to the kennel when I just pick up the Kong and sometimes I'm just picking it up to put it away! LOL. Also, making him eat every meal in the kennel I think helped too. We purchased a large kennel so we didnt have to keep buying as he grew. When used the divider to make the space the size that it needed to be. 

I know you said that you tried the treat thing, but I thought I would share anyway. I dont know what you are doing now, but maybe just sticking to doing something might work. 

I have always wanted to record Jack in his kennel but me and my husband always forget to buy dvds when we are at the store. We are old school and still just have a computer, no laptops, iphones, ipads, we dont even have facebook! And we are in our twenties! lol


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Lindsey1420, I'm pretty sure that IMO means "in my opinion". 

Also, I think what you said, "maybe just sticking to doing something might work" is back-to-basics brilliant! No matter what method you might wish to use, repetition and consistency can work magic!


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## Lindsey1420 (Jan 28, 2012)

mswhipple said:


> Lindsey1420, I'm pretty sure that IMO means "in my opinion".



Thanks for that! It all makes sense now. HAHA


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Do stick around and keep posting Looney (and of course pics!), sometimes peoples comments can be misinterpreted through text. One thing that I am sure of is that everyone would love to see you find a solution, and one that you can share with us and can recommend in the future.


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

yup, thanks all. Have to figure out the computer monitoring thing to watch him. 
He'll be fine i'm sure. He's been doing great on not pulling on his short walks (until he knows we are ALMOST home). His commands are doing great. He will stay out of rooms when he is told too. He is doing much better leaving the cat alone. He will leave him until Heinz decides to MEW or RUN to promt the chase. Kittens what can you do right. At least he's not under the bed anymore!!!!!

The blankets are much less "drooly wet" than they were. So i wash rinse and repeat. He'll be in there for two stretchs today one morning for a few hours and then the afternoon till' i get home. He stops barking when he hears my key hit the door. I come in and put the mail down, put my dirty dish in the sink, get him some treats, give him treats then let him out. He gets a drink and then we go out. You can tell it is just stressful for him. That is what i wanted help with in the first place. To make it LESS stressful for him. Time will win out on this one i'm sure.


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## Crazy Kian (Aug 10, 2009)

Looney said:


> You can tell it is just stressful for him. That is what i wanted help with in the first place. To make it LESS stressful for him. Time will win out on this one i'm sure.


Can I ask why you believe he is stressed?
Exposure to his crate will most likely calm him and he will just learn to enjoy his den.
You have to give it time and a little "tough love" never hurt either.

Good luck.


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

Signs of stress include:

Slober stroon around his crate with fuzzies from the pet bed
Blanket on top pulled in and wet from slobber
Dogs chest and front legs wet from slobber
When he gets out he is ready for a nap!
Any thing dry is now damp with slobber/panting/ect.....
I can hear him bark when arriving at house
his eyes light up big when i try to move him there from his nap....worked a few times.....a few....
Hoarse bark box......sounds like he's been strangling himself *i know he's not* sounds like....

Again, not an issue of if he can be crated but how to make it fun or more comfy. I've tried all the trickies....


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## RustyBear (Jul 25, 2011)

Looney,
Every post about your pup is like describing us with Rusty. We never did find a magic answer...but time certainly helped. He is nine months now and does very well in the crate while we are at work and goes in it on his own in the evening to sleep.

He was **** bent on getting out of there it when he was younger though, he actually busted the back out of the wire one once with all his bouncing around. He pulled the blankets inside the crate and was wild to get out when we got him....then he was exhausted. It was hard to watch, but we just kept up our routine knowing someday it would end..and thankfully it did. 

I think around 6 months or so we noticed no barking when we pulled up and people that came over to let him out over lunch said he was sleeping when they came inside. Some of these dogs I think have a harder time being alone...and we both have one. Good luck with the little guy, he will adjust!!!!! I promise ;D


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

thanks that's what i'm thinking too......i just want to provide the best easiest life possible for my buddy!


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## Lindsey1420 (Jan 28, 2012)

Just a thought, since you say he is stressed; My co-workers dog is very skittish. They bought her the thunder wrap, I think it is called. She saw it in a magazine and ordered it. Out local pet stores now carry it. Its a wrap you put around the dog that makes them fell tight and suppose to calm them. She says that it helps her dog a lot.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Looney said:


> I've tried all the trickies....


I'm glad you have tried them all. It sounds like it's working. If you really want help try 2 things.

1. Convince yourself there are no tricks just patience, consistency and proper training.
2. Learn from your mistakes and those of others.


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## Emily1970 (Apr 21, 2011)

My Riley doesn't like his crate either and we tried EVERYTHING. Over time he is tolerating a little more time in it, but I know you're not supposed to do it, but we have kind of changed our schedule to make him more comfortable. We didn't webcam him, but our neighbors let us know just how well he likes his cage when we're gone. NOT. He now is only in his crate a total of about 6 or 7 hours a week. We don't put anything but treats and bones in his cage because he shredded every bed we put in there and was so neurotic we thought he'd hurt himself by eating a bed. We have just made the best of our situation and because we were able to, changed our schedule. Your V may never get used to his crate, but over time will tolerate it hopefully.


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Here are a few of Savannah's crate preferences. I don't think they will fix your problem, but they may help minimize it.
1) She has a plastic crate with a blanket UNDER the crate (not in). The blanket makes the floor have some 'give', but she can't chew on the blanket. She has a big piece of fleece cloth to sleep on and a bath towel that I sort of wrinkle up around the sides so she can snuggle up to it. The fleece and especially the blanket took me a while to figure out. She has started to like being covered when she is on her pillow, but not in her crate.
2) She crates easily in the bedroom and car, not so much in the kitchen. The kitchen crate became her travel crate so she is not crated there anymore.
3) When she is really awake, I'll open a curtain so she can see out. When she is not really awake, I leave the room dark so she can nap. Ditto on the music - if she is awake, I'll turn it on, if she looks like she might fall asleep, I leave it off.
4) Sometimes if she looks a bit stressed (usually because I was late and running through the house to get ready), I will pick up the cat and put her on the bed so Savannah has someone nearby. When repair people come to the house, the cat crate is put next to Savannah's crate so they can be miserable together.
5) I try to leave enough time getting ready so I am not running around before I leave. Fast footsteps excite her and she has nowhere to put that excitement when she is in the crate.
6) Back when we were doing special crate treats, the only one that worked was one she had never had before and hasn't had since. I'm with you on chicken and hot dogs not working. They are super-yummy, but since she had had them initially outside the crate, she didn't associate them with the crate. The treat that worked was some kind of dog biscuit my neighbors made from scratch. 

Like I said, I don't think any of that will solve your problem, but it might minimize it. Even better, it will hopefully give you an idea of what will solve the problem.

Good luck!


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

Lindsey1420 said:


> Just a thought, since you say he is stressed; My co-workers dog is very skittish. They bought her the thunder wrap, I think it is called. She saw it in a magazine and ordered it. Out local pet stores now carry it. Its a wrap you put around the dog that makes them fell tight and suppose to calm them. She says that it helps her dog a lot.


Thanks but he's not skiddish at all....thunder, shots, fireworks, cars....hammers...i filled a wheelbarrow up with gravel real loud, he laid next to me starring at me.....

i really think it's i'm not there and he's in there......so eventually he'll realize that he's in there but I ALWAYS come home at the same time to rescue him....*(crossing fingers)*


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Looney said:


> Lindsey1420 said:
> 
> 
> > Just a thought, since you say he is stressed; My co-workers dog is very skittish. They bought her the thunder wrap, I think it is called. She saw it in a magazine and ordered it. Out local pet stores now carry it. Its a wrap you put around the dog that makes them fell tight and suppose to calm them. She says that it helps her dog a lot.
> ...


The thunder shirt CAN still help with the feelings of anxiety. The dogs like the "swaddling" feel of it, apparently. That said, it doesn't work on all dogs, and he may just pull it off/destroy it.


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## Looney (Sep 28, 2011)

thanks, RBD i'm going with pateince and that he HAS to be there because I said so.....tough love :-\
I'm alright with this problem since he has none of the other problems i hear about all the time.
like i said so far so good 99% perfect...1% cage!!! lol!!!


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## Lindsey1420 (Jan 28, 2012)

Kobi said:


> Looney said:
> 
> 
> > Lindsey1420 said:
> ...


Sorry did mean to use the word skiddish. Wrong word. Anxiety is want I meant.


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## toshee (Apr 28, 2011)

One last thing you could try.... Change the crate. 
We had to change the crate due to copper breaking the door when he Houdini'ed his way out of his original one. Seemed to make a difference for him.


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