Corraling Our Hound

[Guest Katwoman]

Hi,

We have had our guy now for about 6 weeks. He is a wonderful addition to our family of 4 kitties! My husband and I are trying to figure out the best way to contain our boy, Baron. I am at home 24/7, except for errands, etc. The only other time he is left alone, is the occasional dinner out. Currently, he is being crated in our bathroom when left alone, and also at night (kitty safety - he leaves the kitties alone, but it's still early, so we are being cautious). We had hoped to graduate toward the use of a baby gate and a dog bed for the bathroom, however I can't seem to find a baby gate that we both like. We want one that will keep Baron in, and even though he is VERY calm, feel he could jump over, or knock over the temp/freestanding gates if something scared him, or he just decided he wanted out. The taller sturdier kind, have a bar at the bottom so when the gate is open you have to step over it. If we were going to need this gate most all of the time, it would be worth stepping over the bar, but really it's only occasionally, and of course at night. Any suggestions? Anyone know of a baby gate without the bar? We would just love to not have this HUGE crate in our bathroom!

 

Thanks for your ideas.

[Walliered]

I just used a regular baby gate when I first got my hound. I actually installed the little eyelets on the door frame..LOL..Used the gate for about a month and then just decided to try him loose at night. He has never had an accident or bothered anything so end of the baby gate in bedroom. However, when I am cooking or the grandkids are eating, I use the baby gate. I just prop it up on the door frame and that is enough to keep both hounds at bay.

[OwnedBySummer]

The bathroom doesn't sound like a very warm and nice place to contain him... Why the bathroom? Can't he at least sleep in the bedroom with you? My next question is: do you actually need to contain him? Does he wreck things or steal things? If he's a good boy, maybe you don't need the crate OR the baby gates?

 

Edit: Oh, wait, was this all about kitty safety? Here's an idea! -- pull your furniture a bit away from the walls, so the cats have lots of safe places to go but not far enough so the hound can get in.

Edited March 23, 2011 by OwnedBySummer

[Guest mbfilby]

The bathroom doesn't sound like a very warm and nice place to contain him... Why the bathroom? Can't he at least sleep in the bedroom with you? My next question is: do you actually need to contain him? Does he wreck things or steal things? If he's a good boy, maybe you don't need the crate OR the baby gates?

 

Edit: Oh, wait, was this all about kitty safety? Here's an idea! -- pull your furniture a bit away from the walls, so the cats have lots of safe places to go but not far enough so the hound can get in.

 

I also wondered why the bathroom... most dogs (all breeds) don't do well in enclosed spaces.

[Guest june]

The regular baby gates work well and they make several styles. They kind where you install eyelets on the door frame to some that have a bar that tightens the gate into the doorway by pressure. I do tend to agree with the others about the bathroom not being a very comfortable place, but from your post it sounds like your bathroom is pretty big (there is no way I could fit a dog crate in my bathroom). You might also do a search online to see what else is out there.

Good luck,

june

[Guest Katwoman]

Wow! I'm surprised by the responses to my post. I guess maybe I was not clear on things. By the way as I am typing with an Orvis dogbed next to me, Baron is in his crate in our bathroom all of his own choosing - the crate is open, he may come and go as he pleases. Our bathroom is huge! It is a part of our bedroom, his crate is at most 4 steps away from our bed, he can see, hear us, smell us. There really isn't a good spot for his crate in our bedroom. Hopefully, after he is 100% potty trained, and cat trustworthy, he will sleep in a bed in our bedroom - no crate, no baby gate. Our local GPA, as well as numerous books we read in prep for adoption, ALL recommended a crate in the beginning. We have had Baron only 6 weeks. I was really looking for advice on baby gates. I appreciate those that responded with some helpful suggestions.

[GreyTzu]

Sounds like you and Baron are doing well together.

 

I use a regular baby gate and just raise it higher in the door. That way if our cats need to get in or out, they can slip under the gate.

 

Actually, our gate is a wider one because the opening we use it for is wide. Because of the extra width, it is a tad higher than most generic baby gates. But I am at work so I cannot measure it.

[JenniferS]

I think you are doing the right thing by crating/containing him in these beginning stages, especially with your kitties. I have order gates from Dr. Foster & Smith before, they are good quality. Perhaps the first time you let him sleep in your bedroom you can also muzzle. The crate in the bathroom being close to your bed sounds fine. for now. Congrats on your new addition

Edited March 24, 2011 by JenniferS

[kamsmom]

I have also seen people just use two baby gates and stack them.

 

I also have a giant bathroom and the dogs seem to love the tile floor in there the best. No worries, and sometimes it's hard on an internet forum to know that most are just being helpful. I don't think anyone was upset about the bathroom, just asking about it.

 

We would all love to see a picture of Baron tho

[kudzu]

Given your needs/preferences I think I would go with two baby stacked gates. We bought a reasonably priced but very functional & convenient one a while back. It requires two hinges be mounted on one side of the doorway & two receiving brackets on the other. I like its ease of use, swing open design needing only one hand operation & once open there is nothing to step. It closes easily and quite securely. What I also really like is that you can remove the entire gate by simply unlatching it & lifting it up off it's hinges. I can do it with one hand in less 10 seconds. It's almost as easy to put back in place though that takes two hands & almost an entire minute. lol

 

Here is a link: http://www.evenflo.com/product.aspx?id=230

[LBass]

I have a similar situation--hounds and a cat. I uses regular baby gates (adjustable, pressure mounted and easy to take up & down). I stack one on top of the another across a hallway entrance to keep the cat in his part of the house when I'm away. At night I use a single pressure mounted baby gate across the bedroom door but I mount it about 8 inches up off the floor. This permits my cat to come and go at night and if need be to nip under the gate if one of the hounds is feeling playful (sometimes in the morning).

 

baby gate link I uses these, though I don't have the extra tall or wide ones. They are sturdy and last very nicely.

 

Sounds like you and Baron are doing great!

 

Just as an explanation, I baby gate the dogs into the bedroom with me at night because I don't want epileptic Piper to leave the bedroom and have a seizure where I might not hear him.

 

--Lucy

[GeorgeofNE]

Sounds like you and Baron are doing well together.

 

I use a regular baby gate and just raise it higher in the door. That way if our cats need to get in or out, they can slip under the gate.

 

Actually, our gate is a wider one because the opening we use it for is wide. Because of the extra width, it is a tad higher than most generic baby gates. But I am at work so I cannot measure it.

 

 

This!

 

I got the tallest gate I could find, and mounted it about 10 inches from the floor for a kitty escape route..

 

My dog actually crawled under the gate (claw marks in the carpet is how I know he went under and not over).

 

After that, I decided to cut a cat-sized hole in the baby gate (it was a wooden gate with wire mesh).

 

Then he jumped over it. So I gave up.

 

I personally think that in six weeks it should be clear if he's cat safe or not.

 

Don't get upset about the bathroom comments! I'm sure it's that many of us (me!) don't have a big bathroom like that and are picturing our own dogs shut up in our average sized bathrooms (not a chance my crate would even fit in my bathroom!).

[OwnedBySummer]

Definitely no offence intended. Like GeorgeofNE said, I can't imagine being able to put a crate in the bathroom. Well, I could but it would be awkward to work around it. Again, no offence meant! It just sounds like an odd place.

 

Did you figure out a way to help protect the cats? Did you try pulling the furniture out a bit yet?

Edited March 26, 2011 by OwnedBySummer

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

LOL Jewels decided she liked to sleep in my master bath when she first came home. It's a huge bathroom; with a walk-in closet. She started out in the closet, then moved out by the vanity, and now she just stays downstairs on the couch most nights; she knows I'm not going anywhere! I can imagine the responses I would get if I posted "Oh, I have Jewels sleep in the bathroom closet."

 

I don't have house kitties anymore but when I did, and I wanted to make sure the cat had a safe escape path should he decide he'd had enough of the hounds (and also to get to the room where his litter and food were, and keep the dogs OUT of that stuff) I mounted a gate about 8 inches off the floor. It was a tall enough gate that no one wanted to jump it and with it mounted 8" from the floor that helped even more. Good luck!

 

Edited to add, I just read GreyTzu's reply and realized our gates a re a little wider, and taller, than most, too; so that probably helped. I still occasionally use the gates to keep the hounds in the kitchen/dining area if I need to be gone longer than usual.

Edited March 26, 2011 by FullMetalFrank

[Guest cwholsin]

 

I personally think that in six weeks it should be clear if he's cat safe or not.

 

 

There is nothing wrong with playing things safe. At a month and a half, you won't know a new hound well enough to be absolutely certain that they would never try and take a bite out of a fleeing cat. Like our dogs, cats are also cherished members of the family and deserve just as much consideration of comfort and safety as our dogs! We were super careful for a long time never to leave the dog in a position where he could catch one of the cats. Being pretty sure Hermes wouldn't try and hurt the cats isn't good enough to take chances with the three of them unattended together! A dog that's cat safe just means it's a dog that doesn't automatically categorize the cat as prey--this does NOT mean that he or she never will make a mistake when the cat's fleeing and triggering his or her prey response.

 

Hermes is cat safe. He loves and respects our cats. Would he chase after a cat that was running past him outdoors? You bet. It's not a bad thing to be careful!

 

Sorry about the hijacking!!

[Guest GreytOD]

I found this http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2010/05/tool-time-tuesdaypvc-time-again.html on how to make your own baby gate of any dimensions, as long as you have some sewing skills it'll be much cheaper than a lot of gates and give you as much customization as you want. I haven't made one yet, but plan to cut a kitty sized door out of the fabric so he can get to his litter box and food. We have a rental so can't have anything that marks the walls, but I'm sure you could screw hinges into the pvc and a latch on the other side if you wanted something more secure. You could probably also use T connector pieces at intervals throughout the gate instead of fabric or as extra support under the fabric.

[Guest Katwoman]

Just wanted to say thanks to all of you for your helpful advice. This is a great place for information, and I appreciate you taking the time to share! We will be ordering our baby gate in the next few days.

[KF_in_Georgia]

At my house, I have to use a baby gate to keep Sam out of the pantry area. Sam can easily jump a gate, if he wanted to, or just climb over the thing. To discourage that, I put "obstacles" on the far side of the gate, so that there's no place for him to land. I've got empty cardboard boxes, the big package of toilet paper, another package of paper towels, cases of soft drinks, etc., all in the floor area of the pantry beyond the gate. I also have the kitchen trash can just beyond the gate; I can reach over the gate, but Sam can't.

 

So if Baron seems inclined to try jumping over the gate, look around and see if there's something you can shove into his landing zone to discourage him.

[Hubcitypam]

Wow! I'm surprised by the responses to my post. I guess maybe I was not clear on things. By the way as I am typing with an Orvis dogbed next to me, Baron is in his crate in our bathroom all of his own choosing - the crate is open, he may come and go as he pleases. Our bathroom is huge! It is a part of our bedroom, his crate is at most 4 steps away from our bed, he can see, hear us, smell us.

 

Just so you might get an idea of where some of the earlier concern came from...

In this 60 year old house my bathroom is down the hall and the total floor space in there is about 3 ft. wide by 8 ft. long. If I put a crate in it I'd literally have to crawl over the top of it to get to the toliet and the dog would be isolated and alone surrounded by cold tile on every side (my walls are original tile that matches the floor). Bathrooms can be very different.

 

My sister has something like you have on a much smaller scale and I can see that working fine. Thanks for the clarification and it sounds like a nice set up. Hope the gates work well for you.

Edited March 28, 2011 by Hubcitypam