Hello! I just want to start by saying that I fully believe in crate training for my dogs from day one. For their safety and my sanity. My Sarge is now 8 months (tomorrow) and 80+ lbs and just started breaking out of his metal crate. He isn't in there often as I am a stay at home mom, maybe 2-3 hrs 3x a week and at night. The only reason he goes in there at night is because my hubby gets home late from work and I don't need him barking in the middle of the night. I know he loves it since he goes in there on his own from time to time to get away from the kids and other dogs, but for the past 2 weeks he has broken out of it 4x when I am not home, never at night. He has popped the whole front off, so my hubby zip tied it shut, then he chewed the zip ties off (luckily didn't eat them as I found them scattered through the crate.) He is obviously smart, but just does not want in there. What could cause this to happen all of a sudden?? After him being in it from the start at 8 weeks, to just shy of 8 months hating it?!?!?! And I know it isn't because of the other dogs, because Ruby is in her crate next to him when I am gone and Buck is in another room. I am afraid that if it is separation anxiety, that if I do leave him out of the crate he will chew or destroy the whole house!! Any thoughts or tips???
I have never been faced with that situation, so I really can't offer and advice. Just as a suggestion, do you have a room that is pet proof or that can be that you can confine him in when you are gone, such as a bathroom or laundry room and you can gate it off from the rest of the house?
Hope that you can find something that will work for you.
This happened to our guy in a way. We rescued him when he was about a year. He hated a crate from day one. It was big enough, we made it cozy etc etc and he hated it. He bent the wire, tore his nose up. I even put locking carabiners on it and he just bent the door to a point where he could get out. I don't think it is separation anxiety on his part because we can leave him home by him self and he doesn't cry or destroy any thing. For him, he just likes to move around. He moves around at night too. He doesn't lay in one spot and sleep - every few hours, he gets up and moves to a new spot. I think that he gets too warm where he was laying so he has to go where it is cooler.
As for what you can do, you can try a plastic crate - like what they would use for airline shipping. I would also start over with the crate training. Be gone for short periods of time and praise good behavior.
Starting over is a great idea. I have to say...today I switched out the white zip ties for black ones, thinking he couldn't see them so he might not chew them. I had to leave for a few hours tonight and he did stay put. Nothing looks bent or out of shape either. It might work...I will give a few days and see if it helps. I am slowly leaving him out more when we are gone. I only fully trusted Ruby out of her's when she was one year. Let's hope the zip tie works till I can trust the little booger
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