outa the crate

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Postby rockermom » July 12th, 2006, 9:04 am

Summer is here and we have been taking more day trips. I am a stay at home mom so Rocky is not alone often. Rocky is now a year old. Recently I worked him up to being able to stay out of the crate while I go out. He had earned this by no longer chewing at his bed or pulling blankets out of the crate. He did very well while leaving him for short periods working it up to couple of hrs all the way to 6 hrs no problem. Probably spending most of his time sleeping on the couch. One time went to a party came home to some chewed up ribbon and tape which I did not realize was on the counter in his reach My fault. So tried again a week later this time having a friend stop by to take him for walk. ALL good. A few days later needed to be out all day from 7am-8pm A friend came by again for afternoon and dinner walk. Her note said all was fine. When we came home he was extrememly excited. Panting in happiness. Till I found something chewed up in his spot. One of those packing envelopes with the bubbles inside. Chewed to shreds and still wet. Also his bed had ben chewed and ripped still wet also. Now all of a sudden he is back to some of his baby behaviors of pulling out blanket from crate. Pulling bed apart. and stealing things. While we are home but out of the room. I guess give em an inch and they take a mile. I hate to leave him in the crate for so many hours. SHould I find a way to confine him to one room then work him to having larger space. He does not have the whole house at this time. Only Liv room Din room and kitchen since I have an open floor plan it is tough to close off kitchen.
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Postby Maryellen » July 12th, 2006, 9:59 am

sounds like he is just bored.. if the friend who comes to let him go potty doesnt exercise him he will be bored and with pent up energy will chew things.. maybe have a dog walker come in a few times during the course of the 8 hours and actually take him for a walk?? since rocky is not a couch potato, a few walks during the day or runs should tire him out.. he is doing what a bored dog does, find something to release pent up energy...
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Postby rockermom » July 12th, 2006, 10:58 am

I figured he was bored. However this last time she left in her note that she took him out in the yard to play at 5:30pm. During the day when I am home he spends most of the day laying around. He has been acting up with this lately. Like today I noticed everytime I go on the phone or if the phone rings he has stolen something mostly papers and runs away when I try to get it from him. stealing like he did months ago. Guess he is being a nauty teenager when it comes to that.
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Postby Maryellen » July 12th, 2006, 11:21 am

it depends on what kind of play she did. did she just run him a few minutes, or just let him go potty?? he will need harder exercise if being left in the crate during day trips.. my gsd was crated until she hit 2 1/2. she would chew and steal stuff too, and she got alot of exercise.. he also might not be mature enough yet to be left alone loose..
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Postby mnp13 » July 12th, 2006, 12:10 pm

why not just go back to crating? :|

If he's getting into stuff it's only a matter of time until he gets hurt.

One time went to a party came home to some chewed up ribbon and tape


Ribbon can and will kill a dog. It gets wound into their intestines and even with emergency surgery, many dogs die.

Crating for 8 hours a day won't hurt him.
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Postby SpiritFngrz » July 12th, 2006, 1:25 pm

Yah, we left Satin out of the crate one time not too long after we got her. She managed to get a hold of a couple rolls of paper towel, I don't know how, but she brought them upstairs and completely destroyed them all over the office. The floor was covered in paper. It was kinda funny so I took a picture. So that was the one and only time. After that she has always been in the crate. She is in there for about 7 hours while we're at work- I leave earlier and come home earlier while Brian leaves later than me. She is so good in the crate and she has never messed it up- I just give her a kong or a meaty bone in their to keep her occupied. Also a bowl of water that attaches to the side so she can't spill it.
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Postby kymn25 » July 12th, 2006, 1:41 pm

It seems to me that he's trying to get your attention anyway he can. be it good or bad. Him getting into trouble when you are on the phone sealed it for me. He might just need a little quality bonding time. Also I would try confining him to one room, like a bedroom. I used to let my girls have the run of the house but now limit them to one room, I keep the blinds closed, and a tv or radio on. Less distraction from the outside world the better. They get Kong filled with treats when I leave, and its the only time they are allowed to have it. It's like a "special treat" for them when I am gone. They actually get excited about the Kongs, which makes me feel better about leaving them. Droopy sad faces were very hard for me to leave.

However, I do not leave my 2 foster boys out. One I don't trust them with my belongings or not to fight. I had left Sam out before Max came, but I had decided he needed to be crated with the addition of Max. Two Bully boys left alone with no supervision. Not a good idea. Sam then ruined his chances of ever being left out of the crate when he broke through the window and went on an adventure through the neigborhood.
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Postby Maryellen » July 12th, 2006, 1:50 pm

here is rufus when he didnt get enough exercise
Image

i didnt give him enough exercise one night, and this is what he did to the downstairs bathroom..
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Postby rockermom » July 12th, 2006, 2:38 pm

Yeah I could go back to the crate just thought more than 8 hrs is a long time in there. And since he had been being so good I was looking forward to being able to let him have a little freedom. Then again DUHHHH he is in the crate all night from at least 10pm to 8am. I did leave him with a cong and an extra in the freezer for my friend to give him. He pays no attention to me leaving when he has the kong. She came with her son who played ball with him and Rocky ran the zoomies. Oh yes it does seem he is trying to get attention since I left him all day. Maybe I will try to figure how to confine him to kitchen and be sure there is not much to get into.
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Postby Maryellen » July 12th, 2006, 2:51 pm

why not try not crating him at bedtime? give him enough exercise at night and he should drop to sleep when its bedtime, and see if he can sleep on a dog bed or leave the crate door open.
rufus hasnt slept in his crate since he was housebroken, really housebroken, probably at 7 months old.. i have dog beds all over the house, so if the dogs dont want the human beds or couches, they have dog beds all over the house.
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Postby rockermom » July 12th, 2006, 3:26 pm

Oh he has always been completely house trained. He is in the crate at night only because he has always been in there at night. We tried a couple of times. Once by accident when we fell asleep on the couch. We woke up to him in his crate. One other time we decided to let him stay on his bed and in the morning he was found sleeping on my husbands side of the couch. My husband does not want Rocky on the couch. Although when we go out and leave him out of the crate, I know he is on there so I put a blanket on the couch. At night he usually just goes in there or he is on his dog bed I say Rocky IN and he heads for the crate. Also I want him to stay liking the crate for the night. This way if I need to have him babysitted for like at my dads he better like the crate. But at the same time dog in a crate will do no good to scare off intruders. Not that Rocky would not wag his tail and greet. But the sight of him barking may possibly deter.
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Postby Maryellen » July 12th, 2006, 3:31 pm

i would just leave the crate door open at night, and he will figure out in his own time that he can sleep where he wants at night.. usually once they are crate trained you dont have to worry if they go somewhere they wont like the crate. i bring my crew to all different places and if they are crated they are fine..
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Postby SpiritFngrz » July 12th, 2006, 3:32 pm

Haha. One time I tried to confine Satin to the bathroom...we have a large master bathroom, and I put a baby gate up. I put it up a little higher on the door frame so she wouldn't jump over it. Wouldn't you know it when I get home she is there greeting me at the door. I go look in the bathroom and the baby gate was exactly where I had left it, completely untouched. She must have springs in her legs to jump that high, I was floored!
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Postby rockermom » July 12th, 2006, 8:09 pm

This is why I just lean the baby gates against the doorway. Cause Rocky is scared it will fall and crash which has happened so many times he is scared of the thing.
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Postby rockermom » July 12th, 2006, 8:10 pm

Maryellen wrote:i would just leave the crate door open at night, and he will figure out in his own time that he can sleep where he wants at night.. usually once they are crate trained you dont have to worry if they go somewhere they wont like the crate. i bring my crew to all different places and if they are crated they are fine..


Do you still keep Rufus crated at home when you are out and at night?
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Postby Maryellen » July 12th, 2006, 8:17 pm

rufus is only crated while we are at work, or if i have to go out. he gets free roam from 5pm to 7:30 am, then crated from 7:30-1, out from 1-2, then crated from 2-5.. the other 2 are loose in the house all the time .
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Postby msvette2u » July 14th, 2006, 1:18 am

the other 2 are loose in the house all the time .

Together??
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Postby Maryellen » July 14th, 2006, 8:25 am

jesse is upstairs and sonny is downstairs.. and rufus is in his crate downstairs..
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Postby Maryellen » July 15th, 2006, 5:02 pm

if you are going to leave Rocky in a bathroom or kitchen, make sure you take out ALL poisonous chemicals under the sinks and put them in another room where he cant get at them, if he figures out how to open the doors (like rufus can) you dont want him chewing any bottles or chemicals that will kill him.
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Postby SisMorphine » July 17th, 2006, 10:55 am

Two of my instructors in school taught to be completely consistant in crating until at least 18 months. Before then not only are they teething, but they are also not developed enough to handle it. It's like leaving a 3 year old child home alone. Of COURSE they're going to get into trouble!

Halo and Mike are crated unless it is potty time or we're training. Mike is 1 and Halo is almost 4! It's really all about the dog, it's personality, it's age, etc. But at only 1 year old, and if he's pulling this crap, I say crate him again.
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