Crate escaper

[indyselsa]

We got Molly a crate, to try to get her housebroken. The first time we had her in it, she scooted the pan out, pulled up the bottom wires, and cut her nose, and bled all over the carpet. So we put the cage up against a bookshelf to keep the pan from sliding out, so she wouldn't be able to hurt herself, and she managed to break out of the side of the crate. I'm at the end of my rope here. Even in the crate, she's peeing on herself. We babygated her in the kitchen, and she jumped the gate. She's 9 months old, and we've had her home from the pound for a month. I NEED to get her housebroken, I can't keep coming home to pee on the carpet, and I'm afraid to crate her anymore, because I don't want her to hurt herself.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[DiegoDog]

Maybe you should invest in a different style of crate. There is the airline approved ones that are basically enclosed except for the front. Make sure what you buy is only big enough for her to stand turn around and lay down. Anything more may result in urination in the crate if the dog isn't trained. Have you thought of using your bathroom? Remove any objects that she can get ahold of, off the counter, bathtub even hide the toilet paper. But this way she will be completely enlcosed and its its a slick surface for easy clean up. At 9 months she should be trained but its obvious that her previous owners did not put in the effort. If you CATCH her in the act of urinating in the house, scold her and take her outside immediatly. If you found it later, don't scold her, she wont understand. But when you get home from work, or in the morning or whenever you take her out, when she goes, make a BIG fuss. Let her know outside is good. Treat her too if you want to. Right now she has to understand inside bad outside good. This will take a lot of TIME and paitence because if you take her out she may not go right away. It may take an hour, but you have to wait her out. She has to know when she is doing it right. Because if all she gets is scolding then she is going to get very discouraged and start to sneak away to pee in the house without you knowing. Either way you are going to have to find a way to enclose her. Babygates are made for babies, almost any dog no matter the size can clear those. Potty training takes time. If you can get her to the point that she is excited to go outside then you hit gold. That means if she knows she'd gonna get lovin for peeing outside then she will wait at the door to go out and so on. After a while once it is a soild thing, that she will go out and do her busniess you can make the praise a little less and just wean her off the praise. Until the point where you can let her out and she gets her job done. Eventually and I am talking like months you can start leaving her out. If you find her falling back into peeing on the carpet, then enclose her again. If you come home and there is nothing in the house, let her know she is good. Naturally get her outside to do her busniess. If you find something let her out but then put her back in her enclosure. She will begin to notice the difference.

[indyselsa]

I took your advice on the airline crate, we picked that up this afternoon. Petsmart had a really nice hard plastic kind, with just the opening in the front, and it looks much safer. I think it's going to be a lot better for her. As for the bathroom, I tried that one day, and she was so scared that she dug through the corner of the door, and destroyed that, the moulding on the wall, and some of the wallpaper, too. Not a good option for her. :)

I've been giving her treats, head scratches and lots of praise every time she goes outside, and unless I catch her in the act of peeing inside, I don't scold her. I've also spoken with my vet, and they're going to give me a very mild sedative to give her every morning after her walk and just before she gets into the crate, just for a week to help her relax about us being gone. She thinks Molly's got really severe seperation anxiety.

The thing that makes me so confident that we'll be able to succeed is night time- she sleeps uncrated next to the bed every night, and has never, not ONCE, messed on the floor. That's why the vet recommended the sedative for a short time, because she thinks it's fear based urination.

Thanks for your advice, and I'll keep you posted!

[Hanajunsmom]

That was my first thought - seperation anxiety. With time,a LOT of patience on your part and a strict schedule, I think this can be lessened or overcome. SA is unfortunately pretty common in dogs who have been let down in the past by previous owners.

Some things to consider. What is your daily schedule? Are you gone for the same amount of time, pretty much, each day? Do you take Molly outside, feed her etc., around the same time each day?

Also, when you are leaving try not to make a big "fuss" about it. Try to quietly leave the house, i.e. try not to jingle your keys or make a big production about leaving. Put Molly in her kennel without gushing and kissing her good bye, etc. I know this may seem difficult but it is best.

When you have time, like on the weekends, try leaving the house for a short time, drive around the block, and come right back home. Let Molly out of her crate and give her lots of love and attention. Eventually, your time away can be lengthened.

I hope this helps. Please keep us posted and best of luck to you both!

[Zoebiwan]

I was going to suggest the whole going out for short periods of time as well. It can be as simple as even going outside and closing the door behind you then coming right back in and making a fuss about her being a good girl. Then you could move to starting the car then turning it off then coming back in.
Maybe you could even try sticking something that smells like you in the crate with her, like a nightshirt or something so that she will be a bit comforted.

[DiegoDog]

Zoebiwan good points. Although I would be a bit worried putting in a shirt or something like that only because if it is seperation anxiety she may end up shredding the shirt and swallowing parts of it. Because dogs don't chew their nails like people they will find ways to relive stress like digging, distruction, excessive licking and of course chewing. That would be my only concern.

[Mutt Manners]

Great advise has already been given, but thought I would add one more thing I have seen help with SA. Try getting a kong toy at your local pet store and then fill it with something she/he likes ie peanut butter, canned dog food, then FREEZE it. Then when you go to put the pup in the crate take the filled kong out of the Freezer and give it to pup at you are putting them in the crate. This should keep them occupied as you are leaving and it will instill a good feeling with the crate. IE everytime I go in the crate I get a treat! Be careful how much you fill the kong. Some dogs have sensitive stomaches and will blow with the runs if given to much of something. Canned dog food frozen usually is a good one.

You might also try an X-pen in a tiled or lineolum part of the house. But I bet the crate will work great. Be patient and know that most dogs end up in shelters due to behavior problems and ultimately some die because of it. Keep up the good fight and know that you are doing the best you can!

Julie

[DiegoDog]

The X pen is a good idea...however.... my step father basically built us one when diego was a pup. And due to his sever sep anx he TORE THE LINOLEUM OUT. And since it is obvious that this dog has no isses destroying her owners property I don't see her getting the desired results. The kong is an excellent idea, especially in the summer!

[indyselsa]

Yeah, I did that with the Kong, and as you said might happen, the peanut butter was too rich for her system- it gave her diarrhea. And worse, she had her first attack when she was crated, and I was away from home. I was only gone an hour, but the poor girl couldn't hold it, so I came home to a horrible mess and a very unhappy dog.

She's never been so glad to get a bath. I may try the Kong with something else, though, the canned dog food is a great idea.

Thanks so much to everyone for your advice! Between us, we'll get this solved. :) This was a discouraging weekend, but one look at her happy face when we come home and get to play with her makes it worth it.

And she really is a wonderful, friendly, obedient, playful, happy dog. We're just having some trouble with the adjustment period- but we'll get through it!

[DiegoDog]

Back when Diego was crazy hyper I had to take him to a fair for a weekend where we slept. At this time he was nowhere near cultured enough to sit around or not try and pull my arm off. Do you know what I found took the edge off his energy. Skullcap. You mix some skullcap in a bowl, personally I put in a piece of bread to sop it up and he at the bread. It just calms them down a bit, not put them out, just mellows them out. Oh by the way Skullcap is a tea.