[Shelby427]

[quote=harleychik66;807252]Why? If you used it when she was younger she should have no problem with it now. Don't make a big deal of it when you put her in it. Act very nonchalant about it. You don't want her thinking she is being punished.

My 7 1/2 year old never goes in a crate anymore. He was crated till he was about 2. Our girl is about 16 months and she is crated every time we leave. She loves her crate and at times will go in there even when we are home. If left out she would chew on things too. I feel much better knowing she is safe.

Please don't feel bad if your girl has to be in a crate for a few hours when you are gone, most likely she will just fall asleep, or put a kong filled with peanut butter or some other tasty treat inside the kong to keep her occupied.

Think about how much safer she will be. If you feel bad for putting her in a crate, how much worse would you feel if she chewed up something and got an obstruction.


Keeping your girl safe is your responsibility. She doesn't know what can and can't hurt her. You do, and she has shown that she is not ready for full house priviledges yet.[/QUOTE]

Exactly! OP - please listen to the advice. It's great that you're able to be home with her a lot of the day, but for that short time that she's showing you she's not ready, put her in a crate! You say you can't bring yourself to put her in there when you're gone, how will you feel when she needs surgery to get an obstruction out? How will you feel then? That YOU could have prevented this? I wouldn't risk it and I would crate her when you're not there.