Guest BeccaAnn1991 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 My greyhound absolutely hates his crate. I wanted to put him in there while my fiancé and I are at work or class, but he refuses to go in. I got back from class this morning and he had completely bent many of the bars and chewed through the water tray, despite the many toys layed out for him. I'm suspecting this is separation anxiety. I am willing to leave him out of the crate while I am away, but I am nervous he is going to hurt himself. The adoption agency suggested he wear a muzzle while we are away. What does everyone else suggest? I don't want to put him In the crate again, I don't want him to hurt himsel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwnedBySummer Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I think it might help with the responses if we know how long you've had him? Also, if he hates the crate anyway, is there a reason why you want to put him in one? Quote Lisa B. My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BeccaAnn1991 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I have had him for about a month. I just wasn't sure if I left him alone if he would hurt himself so I crate him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OwnedBySummer Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 (edited) Has he given you any indication that he will hurt himself? For instance, does he counter-surf? Eat your laundry? Dig in the trash? Did you do any alone training? DOES he have separation anxiety? Freeing himself from his crate does not mean he has separation anxiety, just that he hates being crated. Or does he just chill out when you're not home? What is the longest that he's been alone and free? That should tell you whether or not he is trouble when he's on his own and if you can start trusting him. If he just hangs out... I wouldn't worry about it. ETA: I would recommend NOT crating him again. Period. You sound like you got off pretty lucky without having to take him to the vet. You might not be so lucky the next time. I've heard of horrible injuries to dogs who are desperate to get out of a crate. Edited October 7, 2013 by OwnedBySummer Quote Lisa B. My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyguy7760 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 If you close him in a room does he still go berserk? Or is it just the crate? Quote The Elders Family Ty Crystal Caleb Lizzie and Piper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I would dogproof as best you can, close doors to any rooms you don't want him to go into, put his basket muzzle (kennel muzzle) on, and leave him loose in the rest of the apartment. As someone else already said, I would NOT crate him again. I would also NOT shut him in a small room -- most dogs will go nuts in that situation. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time4ANap Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 You might want to leave a TV or radio on as well. This will create some background noise and mask anything that might be going on outside. Use the search function on this site for "alone training". We leave Rocket out of his crate 24/7, but left the crate setup with the door open. Sometimes he still just likes to go in there and hang out, especially if there's a sun beam involved. Quote Camp Broodie. The current home of Mark Kay Mark Jack and Gracie Kiowa Safe Joan. Always missing my boy Rocket Hi Noon Rocket, Allie Phoenix Dynamite, Kate Miss Kate, Starz Under Da Starz, Petunia MW Neptunia, Diva Astar Dashindiva, and LaVida I've Got Life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grey14me Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I would dogproof as best you can, close doors to any rooms you don't want him to go into, put his basket muzzle (kennel muzzle) on, and leave him loose in the rest of the apartment. As someone else already said, I would NOT crate him again. I would also NOT shut him in a small room -- most dogs will go nuts in that situation. I would try this. Quote Michelle...forever missing her girls, Holly 5/22/99-9/13/10 and Bailey 8/1/93-7/11/05 Religion is the smile on a dog...Edie Brickell Wag more, bark less :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BeccaAnn1991 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Thanks everyone! I just muzzled him and left him out for an hour and so far he's done great so it might just be the crate he didn't like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Scouts_mom Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 (edited) Some dogs love their crates and some hate them--it has nothing to do with whether they will be destructive when left uncrated or if they will have separation anxiety. My first dog hated her crate. She spent 2 days in it when I was at work, then she absolutely refused to go into it. So I left her out when I was away and I had absolutely no problems (well, she did decide the sofa was her bed). If your dog hates the crate and you've done "alone training", leave him out. Edited October 7, 2013 by Scouts_mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Obviously it's the crate he hates! My dog hated his crate with a passion. One I ditched the crate, everything was just fine. I never muzzled him. He's an adult dog. Puppies are virtually 100% guaranteed to be destructive, but an adult dog who has had sufficient exercise in the morning before you leave (and that does not mean he goes out in the yard for 20 minutes by himself) will probably sleep for at least 7 of the 8 hours of your workday. Dog proof (and that means absolutely NOTHING that is food is out on a counter, top of fridge, anywhere but inside the fridge, cupboard, microwave, pantry, etc.) your house, provide him with a comfy bed in a central location, and see what happens. If he destroys stuff, they sure, use the muzzle. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPDoggie Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Our Kingsley hated the crate... once we allowed him free-reign of the house, he was fine. He never ate/destroyed anything or had accidents. I bet it was about 1-month into our having him that we tried leaving him without the crate and were so relieved to find THAT was the stressor, not our being gone. good luck! Hope it ends up as easy for you as it was for us. Quote Amy and Tim in Beverly, MA, with Chase and Always missing Kingsley (Drama King) and Ruby (KB's Bee Bopper). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greymomnc Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 With our first grey Jimmy..almost 20 years ago...we were told crate crate crate. I had no problem with crating if it made him feel better. So, we got the crate and put him in there and he HATED it. One day we came home from work and he had gotten out of the crate. He had managed to pull the door inside the crate. He was just roaming in the house.....nothing was touched but we had no idea how long he had been out....a few minutes or a few hours. That was on a Friday, so the next day we went out for about an hour and just left him to roam free in the house after we dog-proofed it. Nothing was touched....JImmy wasn't interested in much of anything....including us at that point. On Sunday we went out again...this time for a little longer. Again, he was fine. After that he was never crated and never bothered anything in the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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