Crate question

[Jarena]

My girl, Lettie, will be 8 months old soon. We started crate training her when we brought her home at 8 weeks old. She did really well, the first night she whined for about 20 minutes then every night after that she would whine a little less. She started to go in her crate happily at bed time at probably 9.5 weeks old. She would also go in happily when it’s time for us to go to work.

For probably the last 3 months we have noticed she KNOWS when we are going to work verses going somewhere else. She goes happily into her crate only at 5:00am, 6:30am and 10:30am (I work different hours on different days). She is also fine when I put her in the crate so I can shower. Buuuuuut, for example, I have the day off and I go grocery shopping at 2:00pm, I put her in her crate and she THROWS A FIT. She whines and cries and barks and bites the crate.

Last week she got out of the crate somehow. I was gone for about an hour and was very surprised when she greeted me when I got home. I put the groceries down and went in our bedroom expecting to see the crate on its side or something. It was fine, the door was open but not bent or broken in any way. The house was fine too, she behaved like a little lady after her escape. So when I crated her to take a shower that night, I left my phone propped up and recording a video of her. She didn’t escape, but now I think I know how it’s possible. A combination of her licking the lock and biting the door to lift it open. My little Houdini.

This change in crate behavior has been slowly getting worse over the last 3 months. I’m starting to worry about her injuring herself trying to escape the crate. Has anyone else had a problem with doggies only being brats sometimes in a crate?

 

[CeeCee]

When my girl Pru was crated she wasn't always a fan of going in. At first when she finally went in she would whine and cry, but eventually she settled. At almost 2 years she has demonstrated that she can be trusted to have free range when I'm not home so now the crate is only for treat time. Have you tried giving her a puzzle toy or a frozen treat when she goes in? (1) It occupies them for a good long while and (2) it continues to reinforce positive associations with the crate?

 

[Michele]

Would you be willing to just leave the crate door open, go out for an hour or so and come back to see if she behaved?

 

[Nik]

My girl, Lettie, will be 8 months old soon. We started crate training her when we brought her home at 8 weeks old. She did really well, the first night she whined for about 20 minutes then every night after that she would whine a little less. She started to go in her crate happily at bed time at probably 9.5 weeks old. She would also go in happily when it’s time for us to go to work.

For probably the last 3 months we have noticed she KNOWS when we are going to work verses going somewhere else. She goes happily into her crate only at 5:00am, 6:30am and 10:30am (I work different hours on different days). She is also fine when I put her in the crate so I can shower. Buuuuuut, for example, I have the day off and I go grocery shopping at 2:00pm, I put her in her crate and she THROWS A FIT. She whines and cries and barks and bites the crate.

Last week she got out of the crate somehow. I was gone for about an hour and was very surprised when she greeted me when I got home. I put the groceries down and went in our bedroom expecting to see the crate on its side or something. It was fine, the door was open but not bent or broken in any way. The house was fine too, she behaved like a little lady after her escape. So when I crated her to take a shower that night, I left my phone propped up and recording a video of her. She didn’t escape, but now I think I know how it’s possible. A combination of her licking the lock and biting the door to lift it open. My little Houdini.

This change in crate behavior has been slowly getting worse over the last 3 months. I’m starting to worry about her injuring herself trying to escape the crate. Has anyone else had a problem with doggies only being brats sometimes in a crate?

I have a Houdini too! Kahlua once escaped her locked crate with a cone on her head (right after spay surgery). It was the weirdest thing and I still havent a clue how she did it. Because her crate was still shut and locked and her cone was still on her head. To this day I will never know how she managed that one.

Have you tried baby gating a safe section of the house instead for the short grocery trips? Just a thought. Kahlua still needs crating when ever we leave but Diesel does well in his baby gated kitchen area.

 

[Jarena]

It happened again on Monday, I put her in her crate before work at 10:00 am and when my boyfriend got home at 4:00 pm she was out of her crate. He checked the house and she was a perfect little angel while she roamed free. He said she was less hyper and more well behaved than usual that afternoon.

So I think that is our sign. I think we are going to further puppy proof the house and start leaving her out for short periods of time. We are thinking about doing the baby gate thing, she might just jump over it or barrel through it, but it might work.

When she is going to be in her crate for more than an hour or so I do leave her with her puzzle toy. I think it helps, I just put some of her kibble in it with a couple treats to get her more interested.

Your Kahlua must be magic! That’s just crazy, did it make you question your own sanity/memory?? I know Matt looked at me like I was crazy when I told him about it the first time, he kept asking “are you sure you locked the crate”?! But then it happened last weekend when she was in a 2 minute time out while we were home. Now he believes me

 

[Nik]

It happened again on Monday, I put her in her crate before work at 10:00 am and when my boyfriend got home at 4:00 pm she was out of her crate. He checked the house and she was a perfect little angel while she roamed free. He said she was less hyper and more well behaved than usual that afternoon.

So I think that is our sign. I think we are going to further puppy proof the house and start leaving her out for short periods of time. We are thinking about doing the baby gate thing, she might just jump over it or barrel through it, but it might work.

When she is going to be in her crate for more than an hour or so I do leave her with her puzzle toy. I think it helps, I just put some of her kibble in it with a couple treats to get her more interested.

Your Kahlua must be magic! That’s just crazy, did it make you question your own sanity/memory?? I know Matt looked at me like I was crazy when I told him about it the first time, he kept asking “are you sure you locked the crate”?! But then it happened last weekend when she was in a 2 minute time out while we were home. Now he believes me

The thing is we had both left her (husband and I together so two witnesses she was locked up) and we put her in Diesel's larger crate because of the cone and locked it all up. We think she somehow squeezed between the top and bottom latch on the door, bending out the wire though it looked totally in place and perfectly locked when we got back.... I really don't know how she would have done it especially with that cone on but at nearly 60 lbs she can still slide right on through the cat gate like it's nothing.... a thing I have witnessed many times.

That's great that Jarena isn't destroying anything on her escapades. I love the baby gate for Diesel. The only time he ever tried to escape was I think when someone came to the house while we were gone too close to the house and he must have felt the need to go all guard dog. He can barrel through it if he is determined but 99% of the time he sees no need. He has plenty of space in his area to wander about and usually naps while we are gone.

 

[Bethany Ockerman]

Maybe put her in crate during day while your home for 10-15 minutes do this every couple hours, put an article of your clothes that you wore in there with her.
Our puppy does great with hers but she started whining when I put her back in it when I left for work, my husband works from home and is still in bed. She learned whining enough she gets to sleep 2 more hours in bed with him!!! Not cool!
You have to keep the kennel positive. Penelope has her special bone in hers (that helped a lot in the begining)