I recently got a golden retriever - she's a year old. when I leave I put her in her crate (with a treat toy). Don't trust her outside of crate when I'm gone. Anyway, she started tearing the bars off of her crate. I started using the spray to use when they start chewing on things but apparently that didn't work. I don't know if she just didn't like the fact that I was gone that she didn't care what the spray tasted like. This is really frustrating for me because if she can bite the wire bars off of her crate than it's just a matter of time before I am buying another.
Somone please help me with this.
Answers:
Spend a day or so in the crate yourself. What you are doing to that poor dog is cruel. Try doggie day care or get the dog placed in a home that has the time to care for her properly.
She is rebelling because you MAY be leaving her in her crate to long. Crating a large dog all day is very hard. You might want to think of maybe a kennel for outside. Most likely you will be buying one new pretty soon
Can you buy a baby gate and gate her in a room instead of using a crate? That way she has some room to walk around and won't be so destructive. A big dog in a small crate is uncomfortable for long periods of time, and she sounds like she's very strong and playfull. You can also look into a strong crate: one made of metal-- no dogs can bend or chew through that!
My dog doesn't mind the taste of that spray stuff either. Don't let her eat it, though: if you notice her licking it up, yell at her and wash the area clean of the spray. There are labels on some of the bottles that say Not For Internal Use and could make your dog sick.
Dog's don't rebel and they don't get back at you for things.. If she is wrecking the crate it's because she knows she can get out, and is going to come looking for you, cause you guys should be together.. Or she is suffering separation anxiety.
You have a wire crate?? Try getting a plastic vari kennel.. It should keep her in there better... Any one of my dogs can get out of a wire crate.. they treat it like it's made of tinfoil or something and destroy it.
If she is wrecking a wire crate.. don't leave her outside while you are gone, it's likely she'll do the same thing and get out of a fenced yard and will be running free while you are at work.. Try the vari kennel or the furrari or any of those plastic type crates..
my dog went through several crates. The sprat doesn't work because it is alcohol based, and once you spray it on, it will evaporate, and then you are left with flavored water, which is no deterrent at all. Try coating the bars with deoderant(not the gel kind, the nasty white stuff) It immediately stopped mine from eating his crate. You might have to get another crate anyway. If a dog can bite the wires off, it is not very high quality. A new crate will also help break the chewing habit, there is a brand new crate that doesn't smell and taste like her, and there is nasty chalky stuff on it.
Also with mine, whenever i was home and he was in his crate, if he started barking or chewing the walls, I just walked in, sprayed plain old lemon juice in him mouth , told him quiet and walked out. He learned very quickly to stop freaking out when he is in there.
She isnt crate trained and there is a process to it. You have to research the methods before just throwing your dog in a crate. They feel alot like us if someone did that to you that you didnt trust or know yet, you would be freaked out too. So there is a trust involved.
Make sure you are exercising her before you leave her in the crate. A tired dog will be less likely to try to get out of their crate. A 1/2 hour to an hour walk before crating or a brisk play session for 1/2 hour. Biking her, or rollerblading or running with her...all good ways to tire her out.
Cheap wire crates tear apart too easily for some dogs...she could hurt herself. Check Craig's List for a free or low cost crate that is built better. A Vari-Kennel or better gauge wire crate would be safer. Make sure it is big enough for the dog. They have to be able to stand up and turn around or it is too small !
Also try not to crate over 4 hours. If you have to then you really need to tire her out before you leave.
I had a dog that went ape**** in her crate. She would squeel, be soaking wet with drool, shaking, bites all over the bars. I did not have the luxury of having two weeks to train her into the crate - so I had to use tough love. I sought the advice of Ed Frawley - http://www.leerburg.com because my boss had told me outright that my dog was no longer invited to the office. Here's what he told me to do.
If the dog is 'acting stupid' in the crate, then the dog gets to live and breathe by the crate. If the dog is in the house, it's in the crate, door closed. Until the dog learns to get beyond the ghosts in it's head.
So... move the crate into the common room of your home (ie: den or livingroom) and crate your dog WHEN YOUR HOME. Let the dog see you come and go from room to room, out to get the mail, whatever the case may be... then come back and sit down in the common room and offer your dog a treat and priase if she was settled or quiet. Your only interaction with the dog should be OUTSIDE on a lead. Inside = crate.
My dog took two weeks to learn to be quiet in the crate and love it. She also will crate on command and open the crate with her paw to go IN.
It's very difficult to see them in their little box, but contrary to the bleeding hearts here, the dogs find COMFORT in their crate den. It is NOT cruel and unusual punishment, the crate can be doggy prozac once they get used to it.
Hang in there, you can do it. Your dog should settle down if you can tough it out until she settles. If you give in before the dog is settled you're going to set yourself back. Don't give in. The dog will learn, mine did.
Incidently mine are crated all day while I'm at work and they are happy healthy dogs. They have the freedom of the house and yard in the morning and evening. They do not sleep in their crates at night, they're fine when I'm home.
well there are many things that can be going on but one it sounds like she is very upset that you are putting her in the crate so much. i breed golden retrievers and the only time i use a crate it to potty train them. goldens are very social dogs and they hate being cooped up. what you can do is when you are home work with her on being inside while you are home. when you leave you might have to put up a kennel in the back for her to go in when you leave home. how long are you gone for during the day? now if you are gone all day and then only a little time for her at night you might want to think about finding her a new home because it is not fair for her to be cooped up in her crate all the time. i am not trying to make you mad but also to she may have been put in her crate when she was a puppy from the old owners and they probably did this all the time. so with you getting her you will have to re-train her and it will take some time. the other thing to do is to call a trainer because they will help you with this problem and help her over come her crate fears. i am sorry about telling you to find her a new home don't do that she just needs some time to adjust to her new living place. the people that had her before did this to her and made her like how she is today and you will have to re-train her all over again. but call a dog specialist to help with this kind of behavior.see i can be here all day telling you what you will need to do but i can't so please call a specialist to help you further. again i am sorry for telling you to find her a new home, i just didn't think far enough of what might have happened to her before she came to you. i hope you understand and i hope i helped you some. good luck with her and she is in good hands with you.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment