Dog Crate

[AngylBelle]

My dog still cannot be trusted inside alone. He really has an attitude problem!! He gets so spiteful if I leave him that his idea of getting back at me is finding as much stuff to get into as possible.

I don't have a covered porch and I've been having to tie him to our tree because of neighbors making complaints (lies) about him getting out of our privacy fenced yard. It is a 25 foot cable which gives him plenty of room to roam around, but when it rains and I'm not home, he has no place to go.

I've thought of getting him a crate to keep him indoors on rainy days when I'm gone. I need some websites or stores though that aren't going to charge an arm and a leg - me=not rich. Any suggestions??

 

[shainamsu]

we have four dogs, two of which will probably always stay in crates inside our home when we're gone. we got them all at walmart. of course, it depends on the size of your dog, but the prices are pretty reasonable -- $50-$60 for the middle range.

remember that the dog doesn't need a huge crate -- really, just enough room to turn around, stretch out and lie down. any more room than that, and they can pee/poop on one side and sleep on the other and they won't have to see it, so you'll have a mess to clean up when you get home. (don't feel bad about this, some people do. when you leave your dog out in your house, he's either going to a) sleep or b) get bored and tear your place apart. just put some blankets and toys in the crate with him and he'll be fine. my dogs actually really like their crates, and know that it's their "personal space" that they can go to when they get tired of being around all of the other dogs.)

whatever you do -- please remember that tying a dog to anything immoble encourages aggression, even in the most sweet-tempered dog. especially outside, where he can get infinitely frustrated seeing tons of things that he'd like to run after and chase and not being able to get to them. also, if another dog somehow got into your yard, your dog wouldn't be able to get away. and then, there's the added risk of your dog somehow choking itself (this happens much more than you realize). a crate is MOST definitely the way to go. it can be an invaluable behavior modification tool. (just remember never to punish your dog in the crate -- you want him to like it.)

good luck! i think crates are one of the most important things that a dog owner can have.

 

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Yeah, getting a crate or house for the dog would help. It also depends on what kind of dog and how long you're gone. Unless you have a lot of spare time, dogs usually aren't too good alone at home anyway. You may also just put the crate outside for the dog so they can still run around, but go inside when they want.

If you're worried about the dog not liking the crate if you give him/her special treats EVERY time you put the dog in there... pretty soon you'll be doing whatever you can to get them OUT of the crate.

 

[alwayz_remember_Calvery]

i don't think your dog is doing it to be spiteful. It sounds more like seperation anxiety. Maybe you should try to treat the problem instead of hiding it

 

[AngylBelle]

It isn't separation anxiety when I leave to take a shower, come back 15 minutes later and he has destroyed everything off my dresser. If I were leaving for hours at a time, maybe you could call it separation anxiety, but that is not what this is.

 

[alwayz_remember_Calvery]

I don't think dogs do stuff to be spiteful. They don't think like humans do, they don't reason like we do. Have you tried talking to a trainer or behavioralist?

 

[AngylBelle]

Believe me, my dog does. If take something away from him that he wants, he'll walk over and knock over his water bowl. That's spite!!

I am on a budget, and having had pets my entire life, this is a problem I've never had before. Why are you so against crating? And I resent that you think by crating him I am not wanting to deal with the problem by "hiding" it. I have had dogs my entire life and that is just not true. Please don't make assumptions.

 

[shainamsu]

It isn't separation anxiety when I leave to take a shower, come back 15 minutes later and he has destroyed everything off my dresser. If I were leaving for hours at a time, maybe you could call it separation anxiety, but that is not what this is.

he's bored. i'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that your dog is less than five years old and get less than two solid hours of exercise a day. don't feel bad about it if he doesn't -- most dogs don't get that much exercise a day. but realize that if he doesnt' get regular exercise, he's going nuts with ways to vent his energy. and as soon as he knows you're out of eyesight, he's probably going to take advantage of amusing himself any way that he can think of.

what breed or mix of breed is he? this could contribute to his energy level and tendency to get into things.

maybe you could try (i don't know if you have, so if you have, just ignore this) getting a bunch of kong toys and filling them with really good treats that he can chase around when you leave the room, or maybe when you get your crate, get a bone, slab some peanut butter on it, and put him in his crate to chew on it (to minimize the mess) while you're gone -- even if it's just for fifteen minutes while you're in the shower. this will definitely help him build a positive association with his crate.

and block off where you don't want him to go. if you don't want him in your room when you're not watching him, close the door. make sure that your coffetable/countertops/endtables are clear of things that he wants to get into.

just some ideas. hope it helps.

 

[shainamsu]

Believe me, my dog does. If take something away from him that he wants, he'll walk over and knock over his water bowl. That's spite!!

I am on a budget, and having had pets my entire life, this is a problem I've never had before. Why are you so against crating? And I resent that you think by crating him I am not wanting to deal with the problem by "hiding" it. I have had dogs my entire life and that is just not true. Please don't make assumptions.

dogs certainly have specific personalities and i've witnessed some pretty spiteful things in my day (i've worked with "behaviorally-challeneged" dogs for a few years and have seen lots of things that i never thought that i would see). it's important to remember, though, that a dog's brain works differently than ours and if you don't actually catch him doing the wrong act, that getting onto him is totally pointless. studies have shown that delaying punishment by as little as fifteen seconds has no permanent effect on the dog at all. if he's snags something off of your dresser and chews it while you're in the shower, and then when you get out of the shower, he's sleeping on the couch, but you start getting onto him about the chewing, in his mind, he thinks that you're getting onto him for sleeping on the couch. it can be very confusing for a dog.

that's why you need a crate! they're great!

 

[AngylBelle]

He is an 18 month old Keeshond. He gets WAAAAAAAY more than 2 hours of exercise a day, so that is definately not the problem. We spend most of the day outside together playing, not to mention he loves to swim in my pool.

I cannot just block off an area because when inside he only stays in my room. The rest of the house he isn't allowed in because my roomies are allergic. But he is rarely inside anyway. I don't work and am not in school right now, so I am hardly away from him. The only time he is alone in my room is when I take a shower or go shopping...which I now leave him outside for.

This wasn't a question about whether or not I *should* crate him, I've already decided to, I just want to know where I can get one for a decent price. Thanks!

 

[alwayz_remember_Calvery]

i think you misunderstood what i was trying to say. I'm not against crating a dog. I think it's a GREAT training tool, especially for puppies and that they're great for older dogs so they can have their own 'place.' I just don't like someone sticking their dog in a crate because they don't want to deal with the problem (I'm not saying this is what you're doing. I know it sounds like i am, but i'm not trying to)
I have a crate for my dog, but we've never used it. We're lucking enough to have a pen outside to keep him in, if we need to put him in one.

 

[AngylBelle]

A pen? Like a smaller fenced off part of the yard? What is this? Is this something suitable for an 80lb large dog? Is it covered to protect the animal from weather?

 

[alwayz_remember_Calvery]

it's kind of like that. It's actually a corner of the barn we have fenced off, but you could do it with a yard. When we went on vacation we left our GSD and our mutt dog in it, but we opened the door that leads outside and fenced off a part of the yard and then i had a neighbor stopping out a few times a day to let them out and run. It worked well.

It was built to keep my 115# german shepherd in it, now i have my 45# Lacy in it.

 

[AngylBelle]

See though, if I put something like that in my yard it still wouldn't be *covered* from rain, etc.

I have a 6ft privacy fence around my entire back yard but because of neighbors who don't like my dog and complaints they've made along with threats, I can't let him roam loose anymore. I just want him to be protected from weather when I am gone and thought a crate the best idea since he would only be in it when I am not home - which isn't often. If this *pen* comes with some sort of covering though, that sounds like it would work too.

 

[alwayz_remember_Calvery]

ours was something my dad built for my shepherd. But, i know you can find dog kennels online. If they don't come with any sort of shelter you can always make one. I never had to worry about it with my dog because it's in a building.

 

[AngylBelle]

Yeah, this just sucks. I've never had a dog I couldn't trust to be left alone. I think I'll do the crate for now and looking into the pen later.

 

[alwayz_remember_Calvery]

Like these:

http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...<>ast_id=2534374302023689&bmUID=1131862338939

http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...<>ast_id=2534374302023689&bmUID=1131862338939

Here's a cover you can put on one: http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...<>ast_id=2534374302023689&bmUID=1131862338940

http://www.optionsplus.com/

Heck, just search "Dog Kennel" or "outdoor dog kennel" in any search engine and look at what they have.
You wouldn't have to buy a new one, sometimes if you look through classifieds you can find one a lot cheaper

 

[AngylBelle]

Thanks for the links...this is exactly what I was hoping for.

And cheap is good...very very good.

 

[alwayz_remember_Calvery]

you're welcome.
I'm with ya on that one. Cheap is very very good

 

[LegacyOfLove]

I would suggest looking in your local newspapers to find a nice used one. (Just because it is used doesn't mean it won't be in great shape still). I know that around where I live it's not too hard to pick one up used and for a really good price. Depending on the size of your dog, you may even be able to find a nice new kennel/crate at Walmart at better prices than Petsmart.