Airline Crate Info

[Guest MinigoldstarJ]

I have an average size male greyhound, about 70 lbs and average height. I need an airline crate becasue he busted out of the wire crate and I was told this would be better for him. I also plan to crate train him. Just wondering if I get him the extra large crate if that is too big and will give him too much room in there or just the large? Anyone use this type of crate for a hound that escaped a wire crate before?

 

for some background info, I only leave the house for max 4 hours, ususlaly I am in and out thru the day. he knocks over all the gates and rips out the ones that are screwed into the walls. This is an issues as I have a toddler and I need the gates to work, and he is destrying them and making holes in my walls from ripping them out of the walls. I also have a very large entry hall and being he wasn't crated, I like to have a gate so when I come home I don't have to worry about him running out. I have kids so a gate is a must, I don't trust that they wont hold the door open too long and the dog will escape. He only knocks out the gates when I am not home.

 

He is 2 years old and very smart once he knows he can overcome an obstacle he repeats it over and over, so every day the gates are ripped out of my walls and nocked over.

thanks!

[Guest xengab]

Would it be possible to have someone come build a gate at the front entryway? That way they can make something permanent, sturdy and maybe match the rest of your house style. Each rail and post could be fixed into the floor/wall with more then just a screw, plus they could reinforce the wall framing to stand up to the weight/strength of the dog. Im sure it wont be cheap, but has to be cheaper then vet bills if the dog gets out due to door not being fully shut or something else.

 

As for the crate, I've no experience with those, but wonder if he is a chewer as most of those crates are plastic. DO you give him a kong when your out or other item to chew/relax with?

[Hubcitypam]

Kams Mom had a beautiful gate built in the entryway her former house. Maybe she can share a picture. It was very solid and not screwed into the wall. That would take care of the entry. Other than that, have you tried leaving him muzzled and out when you and the kids are gone? Some dogs just hate crates.

If you must go the Varikennel route I'd get a 700 (XL). That said, in my experience more dogs have trouble with plastic crates than wire because they can't see out,but yours may be one that wants a woobie den.

[NeedlenoseJake]

I think it might be easier to work with the behavior than the hardware. Look up "alone training." Also make sure he is worn out when you leave and leave him with a frozen kong.

[Guest MinigoldstarJ]

I have a HUGE entry way that spans 84 inches from wall to wall. I also have tile floor over a slab of concrete so I cant get it screwed into the floor and because the hallway entrance is so wide I cannot find a sturdy gate to keep him in. the only one gate that I can find to fit is flimsy and he gets excited when we come home and leans all his weight into it and breaks it in the middle of the gate where the least support is. And when he knocks the living room gate out of the wall it always falls into the hall gate and rips it our of the wall too. Its like a domino effect of gates.

 

I have looked into fence companies but so far none have wanted to touch the inside of a house...lol.

 

any ideas welcome.

[Guest MinigoldstarJ]

I do leave him muzzled because he is a chewer, and I have cats and while he seems fine with them I just don't want to chance it. He just hates being gated when we aren't home. I also need the gates up because of the kids.

I do have a stairway that I can maybe use to affix a gate to a different part of that hall, but for now it isn't practical as its an open stairway and I need the gate because my toddler can climb thru the open stairs and hurt himself. so complex...its not just the dog its kids too. And again I don't want to not have a gate by the entry way because I don't want to open the door and have the dog right there. I don't trust the kids by the door or my husband for that matter lol.

 

thanks

[macoduck]

Perhaps your adoption group can loan you a crate.

[GreytXpctations]

google: Petmate Vari Pet Kennel Giant or Pet Porter Kennel

 

They range from $175 - 250, but the basic size is 36"x48"x32". Because of the shape, they are a bit smaller than a wire crate of the same size, so this would be the minimum size I would use for "greyhound storage" (rated for [regular shaped] dogs 90-125lbs).

 

Make sure that you get one with the door latch that turns (dial, not pinch latch). It has a 4-point lock. The other ones have a two point lock, which even a moderate Houdini can defeat.

 

One of my greys regularly cleared my 36" hallway gate without so much as a whisper or thump. One of the fosters demolished my wire crate in under 30 minutes. The above crate is a bit pricey, but it will be a one time purchase.

Edited November 18, 2015 by GreytXpctations

[Guest MinigoldstarJ]

thanks that is the one I got!!!

[NeylasMom]

If your dog has difficulty being confined, switching from a wire crate to an airline crate isn't likely to solve the problem. Some dogs just cannot be confined. The other possibility is that he's suffering from some separation or isolation anxiety/distress since you only see the behavior when you aren't home. I would suggest setting up a webcam that you can access remotely to see what he's doing when you leave him alone. If he is pacing, panting, drooling, vocalizing, or otherwise appearing agitated then you're dealing with more than just a baby gate issue and you need to get him help to address his anxiety.

[SPDoggie]

If your dog has difficulty being confined, switching from a wire crate to an airline crate isn't likely to solve the problem. Some dogs just cannot be confined. The other possibility is that he's suffering from some separation or isolation anxiety/distress since you only see the behavior when you aren't home. I would suggest setting up a webcam that you can access remotely to see what he's doing when you leave him alone. If he is pacing, panting, drooling, vocalizing, or otherwise appearing agitated then you're dealing with more than just a baby gate issue and you need to get him help to address his anxiety.

 

 

I totally agree with this, and that he might even freak-out more inside a more-solid crate that he can't see out of as well.

I'm scared he will really hurt himself trying to escape, and trying to find alternate crates will not help his anxiety/destruction

[turbotaina]

If your dog has difficulty being confined, switching from a wire crate to an airline crate isn't likely to solve the problem. Some dogs just cannot be confined. The other possibility is that he's suffering from some separation or isolation anxiety/distress since you only see the behavior when you aren't home. I would suggest setting up a webcam that you can access remotely to see what he's doing when you leave him alone. If he is pacing, panting, drooling, vocalizing, or otherwise appearing agitated then you're dealing with more than just a baby gate issue and you need to get him help to address his anxiety.

 

Yep. You also need to be super, super careful with dogs that escape crates - they can seriously injure or even kill themselves attempting to escape. I second the idea of using a webcam to see what's going on when you leave. Ustream is is an easy service to use - you can leave the house and watch on your smartphone (if you have one). We have DropCams in my house so we can monitor the dogs when we're away. They're a bit spendy at about $200 a pop, but they're excellent and use your wireless internet. Good luck!

[Guest xengab]

Just wondering if you have a room that could be use as a greyhound holding cell (I joke here). Instead of a crate, a room is used with a security door (like used on front doorways) so the dog can see out but cannot get over/under it and its secured the same way a normal door would be. When you're not home in goes the dog, and that way kids going inside when your not there wont let the dog out either.

[cleptogrey]

i have owned salukis who have jumped/climbed over 6ft indoor gates and eaten holes in sheet rock when a door accidentally closed and they were left in a bedroom and eaten couches!!!. it was in the apt. that they lived in and knew well- not a strange place. training will be your most affordable option, but it's time consuming. also exercise- running/jogging with your dog if you do not have a place for them to run. i always say a good dog is a tired dog. a 2 year old greyhound is just a puppy in a large body.....train, train and exercise and train. he's almost at his prime energy and strength wise- but the brains are just starting to develop.he is still in adolescence, yes, sighthounds do go thru a long adolescence. patience, praise and and excellent school/trainer will get you thru this.

[GeorgeofNE]

I'd suggest you work in your children, not the dog! Surely they would be easier to train than to try and crate a dog who has clearly demonstrated he hates being crates?

 

Any competent carpenter could build you a gate and properly attach it. Or what about a Dutch door? I grew up with dogs, and we knew in no uncertain Terms what would happen to us if we were ever so careless as to let the dogs out.

 

Do you have a back entrance you could start using? Is your yard fenced? If so, u til the dog is more mature, and you train your family, could you come in through the back door where it wouldn't matter if the dog got out? Assuming you have a hard that is fenced?

Edited November 23, 2015 by GeorgeofNE

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Feed every single meal to your hound in the crate, give all treats and goodies in the crate. NEVER punish the hound by putting him in the crate. When you leave, be sure to give him a kong filled with goodies and capped off with peanut butter. Do this AND do alone training as well. Once you establish the crate as a good place and accomplish some alone training, things should hopefully get better.

 

I am not one for medication, so I would be sure to do everything possible first. Search for alone training here and you will find a plethora of ideas to help.

[cleptogrey]

Feed every single meal to your hound in the crate, give all treats and goodies in the crate. NEVER punish the hound by putting him in the crate. When you leave, be sure to give him a kong filled with goodies and capped off with peanut butter. Do this AND do alone training as well. Once you establish the crate as a good place and accomplish some alone training, things should hopefully get better.

 

I am not one for medication, so I would be sure to do everything possible first. Search for alone training here and you will find a plethora of ideas to help.

sounds like a reasonable plan to me. and make sure there is lots of comfortable bedding and a water bucket hanging in the crate. eventually he might even start drinking the water in his crate as his "preferred" watering hole!

[Guest MinigoldstarJ]

My kids know and are very careful about the door, but accidents can happen and this dog is fast and smart. I must have a gate up there is no option about that. He would be at the front door before we even walked in and I don't want that. Even for just myself. I want to know that my doorway is clear and safe for us to walk in and not have to worry about any of us letting him slip past. I found a much taller and longer gate that seems to be working well. I did get the airline crate and will be working on crate training and creating a happy place for him in the crate. Thanks for all the ideas.