Sandstorm has chewed the baseboard, trim while I'm at work, have to crate :(

Edan, at 3 years old, is always either crated on in an x-pen when we leave the house. Honestly, he's HAPPY in his "house". He loves crates - any crate. (He b-lines to the crates at our agility club when we show up for classes.)

We're actually having a hard time keeping him out of CJ's crate! :lol:

But, crating when you aren't around is a good thing. Its peace of mind for you that the dog is safe and out of trouble. The dog is happier because you aren't upset at something they got into while you were gone.
 
When my dogs are young I crate when I'm not home. Justice and Ember are baby gated in a mostly empty room with their dog beds. I have only done this for the last 2.5yrs. Diva at 19months is still in her crate and will be for sometime. I'm sure she would chew something up if loose. My JRT mix Jazz was crated until she was 12 yrs old and then gated in the kitchen. She was an excellent dog but highly prone to getting bored and getting herself into trouble. That was the dog I found standing on top of the 5 shelve bookcase looking for cat food.:rolleyes2::smile2:
 
if you go x pen route make sure it is sturdy and does not folds easily. We have plastic one 3 feet tall which Che could climb over when he was small pup so we changed it to metal 4 feet one which is not that easily climbed, but the problem- walls are foldable and could easily create a sharp angle with his nose stuck inside, which happen one time when we were at home...
so crate he goes for those few times when we not able to watch him... I am lucky because hubby has been bringing him everywhere with him so Che would only stay in the car in the crate for an hour or so, thankfully it was winter so no problems.... now that is summer, kids are home and mostly Che just sleeps under the door when I am at work...
I do need to work better on crating him just for training to love his crate... even got the Crate games DVD
 
I think an x-pen is the best answer, as you don't want Sandstorm to end up on that new show "My Dog Ate What?" lol. Just be sure it is securely closed..

Also, if you could manage to get a walk in the morning and tire him out...that would also do wonders. A tired dog is a good dog ;-)...
 
Cadbury is in the kitchen behind a stairgate when I go out. I think its safer that way.

I didn't really trust Cadbury to free roam in the house until he was over two back in February.

And he still has his crate and insists on sleeping in it every night:biggrin2:
 
KarenCurtis said:
Okay, I have had it. When we first got Sandstorm my neice came over at 10:30 a.m. to walk him, have him pee, etc. until he was housebroken at about 7 1/2 months, then she gated him in the hallway. She no longer does this, and I don't expect her to- she works nights and morinings are bedtime. I have no one else to come in. I leave the house at 8:15, home by 3:30, 3:45. He has chewed (thank god it is pine) some of the baseboard and door trim. I walk him after work for 1/2 hour, Dad comes home and takes him for another adventure for 45 minutes. I don't walk him in the a.m. before work- I get up at 6:00 a.m., go out with him for pee, etc. Even if I do walk him for 5 min. in the a.m., there is no garuantee he will not chew the wood anyways. He has several chew toys also, he is gated in the hallway, and he is bored.
I am going to have to crate him while I am at work!! I don't want to, but what else can I do?? He now probably thinks that chewing the wood is okay- he does not try to do this when we are home, that is how I know he is bored, I would be too. Help.
Karen
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Sadie did EXACTLY the same thing at that age, only with a table leg. We were completely shocked she was never a chewer of anything, let alone furniture!

We tried several times to leave her out, confining her to different rooms but she always chewed some piece of wood furniture. We eventually ended up crating her till she was 1 1/2 old. She was allowed out for a long time, then about 2 months ago she chewed carpet during the day, then two of my books (They were Sheltie Talk and another sheltie book. Is she trying to tell me something?). I've been crating her ever since, but considering giving her another chance.

I don't really feel badly for crating her, she likes her crate and happily goes into it every day. But at the same time I'd like to be able to let her be loose while we're not home.

My advice would be to crate him until he's a little more mature, then give it another try.
 
Just a thought. Destructive behaviour can also be a sign of seperation anxiety. It would be interesting to find out when he does the chewing, as soon as you leave or maybe he waits until just before you get home?

If it is anxiety the best thing to do is to change your departure routine and also give him some distractions when you leave. For my two I hide their breakfast so they have to go hunting for it. By the time they have finished hunting they have forgotten I have left, in fact they actually enjoy my leaving. If you crate him perhaps you can give him breakfast in the crate but put it in a treat dispenser or kong. I would usually recommend making a treat dispenser yourself by just cutting holes in a water bottle big enough for the kibble to fall out when he rolls it around. But I wouldnt use it in a crate - he may decide to chew on the bottle.

Most dogs sleep for about 5 hours during the day so dont worry too much about crating him. If he has something to distract him for half an hour when you leave he only has that time between when he wakes up and you get home to get bored.
 
corbinam said:
If you're feeling guilty about moving him from free reign to crating, you could use an x-pen. I use that a lot for Lexi and she seems happy. To be honest, they sleep most of the time when you're gone anyways.

(And Lexi has eaten a hole in our wall...her crate was too close to it and she could reach through the crate! So I know your frustration)
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Hi- Sandstorm never had free reign, he was gated in the hallway, but after finding more than several new "chews" on the baseboard and door trim, I decided to crate. Today I crated him, he was fine going in it-it was almost like he knew. I put the bird cage next to the crate so they could talk to each other- (we have a lovebird). It was the breeder who objected to the crate, but it is necessary because no one is home. During the summer and on school vacations ofcourse it is different. I got home and Sandstorm was fine. Thankyou for all your suggestions,
Karen
 
*Caro said:
Just a thought. Destructive behaviour can also be a sign of seperation anxiety. It would be interesting to find out when he does the chewing, as soon as you leave or maybe he waits until just before you get home?

If it is anxiety the best thing to do is to change your departure routine and also give him some distractions when you leave. For my two I hide their breakfast so they have to go hunting for it. By the time they have finished hunting they have forgotten I have left, in fact they actually enjoy my leaving. If you crate him perhaps you can give him breakfast in the crate but put it in a treat dispenser or kong. I would usually recommend making a treat dispenser yourself by just cutting holes in a water bottle big enough for the kibble to fall out when he rolls it around. But I wouldnt use it in a crate - he may decide to chew on the bottle.

Most dogs sleep for about 5 hours during the day so dont worry too much about crating him. If he has something to distract him for half an hour when you leave he only has that time between when he wakes up and you get home to get bored.
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It may be seperation anxiety, and I am not sure what time of day he chews the wood, but I also think it is boredom, and he doesn't like being in the hallway (that is the only place I can gate him- the house is open). His crate is in the living room, and I think he likes the living room better because when I came home and he was in his crate, he seemed just fine. I walked in the house and he whined and barked but not as much as he did when in the hallway- interesting!
Karen
 
The breeder objected to the crate? That's a first!

There is not a breeder that I know of who does not appreciate the value of crate training.

Weird!
 
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