The Crates Are Gone And Molly's Having A Meltdown

[Guest isntitgreyt]

Last weekend when I cleaned the "dogs" room where the crates are I decided it's time for them to go. Foxy and Molly have been here 2 years and they really don't need them, they just liked them. Molly doesn't seem to agree with me. I baby gate them upstairs at night and when I'm gone for the day. Molly has been whining at night and pacing a lot. Foxy hasn't slept in her crate for a long time so she could care less it's gone but Molly not so much. The room where the crates were are filled with dog beds and toys but she doesn't want to go in there. When I leave for the day I leave my bedroom TV on for sound. I've come home and found pee in my hallway and I'm pretty sure it's Molly. I'm not sure what to do to alleviate her stress. It's not every night but it's been quite a few that she's waking me up at 3 am whining. I've let her out but she doesn't go. I know she can hold it. I don't want to put the crate back up since Foxy may decide to sleep in it too and Molly won't go for that. I've never crated Glenda or Rainman. Rags was crated due to the cats but when I leave in the morning, the cats are shut in the laundry room which I turned into their playroom. At night Rags sleeps in my son's room with the door closed. Molly can sleep wherever she wants other than my son's room at night. I have put her in there to see if she'd like it but that only lasted an hour.

 

Any suggestions?

[kamsmom]

I'd put a crate back up. If she likes it that much why not? It seems to be a place of comfort for her.

[Guest bellenzo]

I keep a crate for Mila, which she sleeps in with the door open. I think that many hounds like the security. If you have the room, why not let her have it.

[Houndtime]

We keep one crate up for Fuzzy. He is crated when we go out and the other two are fine being baby gated. He needs the security.

But, whenever we are home, the crate is opened and someone or other is in that crate. Unless you have a specific reason that you don't want to keep a crate out, why not make Molly more comfortable. Maybe it is her security blanket. And, you will get a good night's sleep.

[TheFullHouse]

It seems to me she's telling you she wants her crate back. You may have decided she doesn't need it but it doesn't seem like she agrees with you. I'd give her her crate back. What can it hurt? I have several who have been here several years and still sleep in crates. They love their crates and I wouldn't dream of taking them away from them.

[Guest Wpgkeith]

I'm in agreement with the others...some dogs love their crates, why create more stress for them by taking away their "cave"?

 

K

[Guest sheila]

If Foxy hasn't used a c rate in such a long time why do you think she would take Mollys crate? Is Foxy an alpha type that always has to take the 'one and only' thing and make it her own or something? That would be something ppl could wrap their head around.

Why do you want to lose the crates? Is it because you want to 'declutter' the area? That is also something that sounds reasonable.

If Molly is used to a crate I can see where she is going to mourn it's loss for a time. If it were me I would give it another week and see if Molly readjusts to this new life w/o a crate. If it still seems to distress her I might experiment with perhaps giving her a closet or even just a portion of the dog area where the crate used to be that is somewhat blocked off from the rest of the room so she feels she has a haven. If that didn't work, I'd have to give Molly her crate back.

[rschultz]

Lexie would probably need a doggy psychologist and major meds if we took her crate away. some just always need that for security.

[Guest mbfilby]

We have one crate that all three take turns in. They love it. I would put one back up if she is stressed without it.

[racindog]

I'd put a crate back up. If she likes it that much why not? It seems to be a place of comfort for her.

 

Ditto. It doesn't make any difference whether you think she needs it or not. SHE apparently wants it and really since she lives there too I'm on her side and think you ought to let her have it. It doesn't make any difference what her reasons are- if she wants it she wants it.

[dante2zoe]

I have an x-pen that just surrounds a dog bed and the door is always open. Zoe loves her space and none of the other dogs have ever even considered going in there, except to take a toy (when she isn't in it). It is easier for me to collapse it to get it out of the way and doesn't seem to take up as much space visually.

[Guest TBSFlame]

Memmie has been with me for 4 years. She is always WITH ME. When I am not home she likes her crate. I would never take it away from her. Sometimes when I am leaving for the day I will find her in another crate. lol. She chooses which one she wants for the day. Jeremy loves to lay in his crate as long as the door is open. I try not to make trouble for myself if I can avoid it. lol.

[Guest Swifthounds]

Although most people think of crates as a tool for the convenience of the humans in a household, the reason it works for human purposes is because it has a natural tendency (when used properly) to make a hound feel safe and secure. If she's upset without it, put the crate back up. You can try to wean her off of it, but going cold turkey doesn't sound like it's working for her.

 

I've always had at least one crate available at all times. I've sometimes found more than one hound in a crate. Some hounds just prefer the crate.

[GeorgeofNE]

My old dog was crated for two years because he had SA and the crate was a magical fix for him. When I tried to get rid of it, he went nuts! So I did it in stages. First was door unlocked, but a stuffy leaning against it so the door appeared closed, but he COULD have opened it. Then it was door unlocked, closed, no stuffy. Then it was door OPEN. Then it was crate folded up and leaning against the wall. Finally I put it away.

 

It took six months of this gradual crate transition!

[cleptogrey]

use it as an end table or a side board near the dining room table. all of my dogs love crates, what ever makes them happy!

[Guest isntitgreyt]

I did not take the crates down for more room or to make my house look better. I thought Foxy and Molly would be happier uncrated since Rags, Rainman, and Glenda are not. I am going to put one back up to see if it helps her but actually she did really good today and there has been no more pee. I was just trying to be fair to everybody. Rags flips out when she has to be crated. She cried all day long so the babygate was my solution to her problems. Foxy and Molly have laid in one crate together many times. I guess my concern would be if Glenda decided she wanted to be in it too. She's never been crated but did lay in the crates when they were up. I didn't take the crates down to upset my dogs, I was just trying to give them the freedom they acted like they wanted.

[Guest Swifthounds]

Are they wire crates or airline crates?

 

I've always used the airline style vari-kennel types because you can "step down" from the full crate to transition. First I would remove the door. Later we could move on to nesting the top half under the bottom half to make a cozy bed with half walls. Not particularly helpful for the OP, but a useful tip for those with airline crates.