At the end of my rope

[Duke'sMommy]

Yesterday I finally snapped and realized I cant take this anymore. Let me tell you whats going on. I recently moved and before I moved I had been living on my own since I got Duke. About 6 months it was just myself Duke and the cat. He was fully housetrained and very well behaved in the house if he got into anything it was my fault for leaving it out. Just over a week ago I moved into a townhouse with my sister. Since living there Duke gets locked in the basement while we are at work. The basement is the same space as the apartment was. Well since moving in Duke has pooped on the carpet time he is left there while we go to work and is chewing up the door and the banister and I dont know whats going on. He was housetrained and great before. he even squeezed his body through the cat hole into the laundry room and got to the litter and ate the litter box and had litter just everywhere. Which at the apartment it was less effort to get the litter box and he never bothered with it. He has toys and bones and his water and still he has problems. At the apartment when it was time for me to go out without him he would know and go lay down by the couch now he wont relax and get away from the door. Even if I leave him at home with my sister he will cry at the door for 15-20 minutes every single time. Ive just had enough he looks like such a bad dog when I know how good he can be. I have made a decision to get a crate. My problem is I dont know how to go about crate training him. I know its not gonna be an over night thing. But the problem Im working with is when I had him for only about 3 days I came home to him stuck with his body out of the crate and his leg stuck in the door. I was one of the waire crates I didnt even think that could happen. But what do I know. I know Im going to get him one of the plastic crates and go from there. Im also looking into one on one dog training where the person comes to my house but right now Im just trying to find someone I feel comfortable with and will help me with his issues. Sorry this was so long I just needed to vent its so frusterating that hes being like this. And also how can I go about with the crate training knowing this is gonna be hard on him but whats the best way to get him use to it and feel safe in it? Like I said I know its gonna take a while till I can put him in it while at work but just suggestions on how to get him confortable with it. Thanks for any advice.

 

[mamasobuco]

Here's my 2 cents...
It's a different environment for him.
When you lived in the apartment he knew that what was outside the door was not his domain or living space if you will. In turn, he did not try to escape or scratch at the door. Now that he is in the basement he doesn't understand why he doesn't have access to ALL of his territory.

 

[Doberluv]

I agree with Mamasobuco. He's stressed and probably experiencing seperation anxiety. How long is he alone? How old is he? How do you react when you come in and find what he's done? How long would you be leaving him locked in a crate? Is there a way to section off a safe, doggie proof area for him which is a little bigger? How much exercise does he get and what size/breed is he? Any obedience training for his brain exercise?

 

[Duke'sMommy]

I know that is half the problem but its not my choice to put him in the basement it is my sisters call. Its her house. I know he would be more relaxed with free run but she won't give him a chance so I dont have a choice but to lock him down there. He's alone for atleast 8 hours. He is Dutch shepard/Australian Cattle dog mix about 60 pounds and 10 months. Hes been alone for that long since day 1 that I go him at 4 months and has always been fine. When he poops on the floor I just go pick it up, cant get mad at him I didnt catch him doing it. He gets atleast 3 hours of off leash exercise everyday and we work on obdeience for about 30 minutes everyday after the dog park. I dont understand why he would get seperation anxiety now when hes been alone that long before. He would be in the crate the 8 or so hours that Im at work. I just dont know what to do. I know half the problem is he has cattle dog in him and hes just way to smart for his own good and if hes not keep busy he'll find something to keep him busy but I dont know how to keep him busy while Im not home.

 

[whatszmatter]

with the wire crates, you might have to zip tie the edges and use some clips (like leash clips) to secure the doors while you're gone. Getting a plastic crate may or may not help, i've seen dogs figure those doors out and some have even chewed right thru them to get out.

I don't have a big novel on crate training except it starts the minute i get a puppy. I always feed in the crate, NEVER anywhere else. I throw treats in, sometimes I close the door sometimes not. When I do, if they squeal the don't even get eye contact, I don' tmove I don't say anything, when they quite down, i open the door and toss in more treats. I put them in there for varying amounts of time, somtimes minutes, sometimes hours. I always have food or treats and I rarely have to "put" them in the crate, they usually run in. It might take a while, and everyone has got a little different flavor as to what works, but a few things that to me remain consistent no matter what you do

always make going into the crate fun, for food and treats.

when they make noise, no matter how loud or how intense, do not even look at the crate until quiet. Only exception is when i'm potty training and its about the time the pup has to go out, then its out, and if the go, play time, if not, right back into the crate.

only let out and play after they're quite.

 

[Doberluv]

One thing I'd be worried about if you use twist ties is the possibility of him getting one off somehow and swallowing it. Wire in the intestines would be dangerous. I'd go for a molded plastic crate if you're going to crate him.

I think two main things....new environment...he's not use to it and it's stressful. And..... for his breed and because he's older now, 8 hours is too long to have nothing to do. Toys just don't cut it for a working/herding dog. They need a job and to wait 8 hours for that is frustrating and hard on them. He may have been fine as a younger puppy, but he's maturing now.

I don't know what you can do when it's not your house. Is there anyone who can come and relieve him for an hour or two in the middle of those 8 hours...take him for a run or play with him outside? I know I'd be bored out of my gord if I were locked up in a basement for 8 hours. I'd go stark raving mad.

 

[Duke'sMommy]

I wont use a wire crate cause thats what Duke was in when he injured himself when I first got him. So theres no way I'll ever use a wire crate again. Thats what I was concerned with the plastic crate. The fact that if he wanted out bad enough he could probably do it. I just really want to let him have free run of the house to see if that makes a difference but because of him acting up in the basement my sister wont even give it a chance for one day. Sometimes I wish I just stayed living on my own but finacially it wasnt an option. But Im just getting frustraded now. Im so lost to what to do. He has a kong filled, rollover bones the cat to play with tons of toys but nothing keeps him occupied anymore.

 

[Duke'sMommy]

I was thinking of getting someone to come hang out with him for abit but I really dont have anyone. I was getting the thought of asking my friend to take him a few days a week as she isnt working right now and that way Duke can run aorund with her dog but I cant ask her to watch him everyday so it still leaves the days hes in the basement. I knew half his problem was being a herding dog and being bored because he may look like more like a dutch shepard but does he ever have the cattle dog personality. I do have my hands full and I know that but Im will to work on it. Im gonna get him into obedience but I dont see how thats gonna help him if Im not there to reinforce his behaviour.

 

[Doberluv]

Obedience practice every day (a couple of short sessions) will give him something to do with his mind...will instill confidence, will occupy some of his time with something fun to do as long as the training methods you use are "positive reinforcement." The dog needs a job and this is a job. If you could do agility with him after his basic obedience is pretty good, that would help give him an outlet for his drives.

You could try hiding treat filled toys in the basement and even making a scent trail to a few of them to get him started. That may give him something to keep him busy while you're gone.

 

[Duke'sMommy]

I never even thought about hiding the treats around or something along those lines. Thats a good idea thanks. I will be getting him into agility. Im waiting till his bones are more developed we do do abit with it every few days at the park. He knows the whole course and can do it all once he gets himself focused. He learned all the course and the words for what I want him to do in only a few days so he is really smart. I will try hiding the treats around is there anything that I can put into his kong that will keep him busy for awhile or any other toys that makes him use his mind to use? I really dont want to have to crate him but if push comes to shove it is my last choice and I hope it doesnt get there.

 

[Julie]

Can you put him into your bedroom instead of the basement?
Maybe he would feel closer to you that way.

 

[Jynx]

how about paying your friend to take him a couple days a week? Like doggie daycare..

I totally agree he is stressed in a new environment,,while he may have had no problems in your other place,,he is in a NEW place and he's obviously stressed out there.

I also agree with trying to leave him in your bedroom..

Best suggestion,,doggie daycare a couple days a week or pay your friend to petsit him.

Good luck
Diane

 

[whatszmatter]

One thing I'd be worried about if you use twist ties is the possibility of him getting one off somehow and swallowing it. Wire in the intestines would be dangerous. I'd go for a molded plastic crate if you're going to crate him.

.

I know you said you don't want to use wire, but to be clear I was meaning ZIP ties, not twist ties. With zip ties you pull them down tight along the edges and latch the doors with leash clips and they can't push it open enough to squeeze thur and get stuck. With them pulled down tight you then cut the ends off and there isn't really anything to chew, and if they can chew them off, they'd probably tear a whole in your plastic molded crate before they'd find and chew thru the zip ties. Twist ties are NOT a good idea

I've used this myself with a dog, that didn't chew her way out of crates, but could fine every concievable way to get them open or get out of them. A friend of mine has a dog that chewed thru two plastic crates, one time got a hold of his headrest in his new xterra and tore it apart, and then simply resorted to blowing the doors off those crates. He's now in a welded aluminum crate and that seems to work fine, but those are a little heavy and more a little pricey.

 

[Doberluv]

Ah-ha....I see what you mean now. Yes, German snaps like on the end of leashes or lead ropes would be great. I had a horse that could open her stall door by reaching over the other side and working the latch. So, I had to put a lead rope with the snap through the hole in the latch and then tie it too.

Wow, so that dog was a real Houdini. That's terrible! I never had a dog even try to get out of a crate. Welded aluminum. Well, he'll have trouble chewing out of that. LOL.

Maybe if a dog is so determined and frantic to get out, so stressed, something else should be done before making him stay in a crate....some more conditioning. I hate to think of a dog that is that desperate to get out of his crate. It should be made to be a place where he likes to be in there and shouldn't be excessive. JMO.

 

[Duke'sMommy]

Thanks for all the input, I have finally been able to convince my sister to allow Duke to get one change with free roam of the house. He had free roam Saturday evening for about 5 or 6 hours and when I came home, nothing. He got into nothing and did not destroy a thing. I was so proud I knew he could be good. So tomorrow he will have another chance to prove he can be trusted and get free roam of the house while we are both at work. I'm really hopeing he will be good again cause I really dont wanna have to put him in a crate for hours at a time. Wish us luck. Thanks again everyone.

 

[Duke'sMommy]

Well I am please to say that Duke was given a chance to have free roam of the house monday while me and my sister were at work and nothing. He was a perfect boy. Did not poop on the carpet didnt get into anything he was great and I knew he would be. He just had to prove to my sister. So my little man gets to continue with free roam which make him happy as well as myself as now I come home to no mess to clean. Im one proud mom, lol.

 

[YorkieLover]

That is fantastic, I'm so happy for you and Duke.. Congrats.

 

[Doberluv]

Woooo hooooo! Great news. Keep up the good work of giving him things to do so he continues to stay out of the no no's. Sometimes (just to warn you) all goes well for a long time and then one day they're particularily bored and it all goes kerplooie. But maybe he'll be just fine forever. I bet he'll be happier this way too. Good luck.

 

[Duke'sMommy]

Oh I know all to well about things going great and then out of no where he gets into something. When I lived at the apartment I came home to Duke in the front closet door, yes he opened it then closed it back on himself and ate 9 pairs of shoes. I wasnt happy, lol. Or that time he ate one part of the carpet and never touched it after that day. Mind you one day of fun for him cost me $600 when I moved out of the apartment. But right now I have used packing tape to tape close the closet door until I figure something else out and now Im freezing his kong the night before so he has that during the day for atleast a few hours. Ill be making a trip to Petsmart come the weekend to see what else I can get to keep him busy.

 

[mamasobuco]

You're a very good mommy to Duke! He is a very lucky boy.