Rottie-Lab mix breaks out of crate

[albi]

My daughter got a Rottie-Lab mix who isn't behaving when left alone. So I told her to get a crate.

He smashed and bent the first one - too flimsy, though metal.

The second one, he shifted the pan out and shredded the carpet beneath and then pried and forced his way out. Lucky he didn't scratch/hurt himself.

My daughter is going to try holding the crate walls together at the edges with rock climbing clips.

After cruising these forums, I've told her to up his exercise a lot. Walks don't cut it. This boy needs to pull and be worn out.

Should we be looking for an even sturdier crate? I guess plywood is going to have to go beneath it.

She is firm and dominant, so he's being an angel when she's home.

Thanks for any help,
albi

[hokisteph5]

Here's a thread with suggestions about sturdier crates.

If that one doesn't help, here's another thread that might...

[AngelBunny]

Is she also crating him for periods of time when she's home? Does he sleep in his crate at night? Is he fed his meals in his crate? Does she crate him during the weekend, go out for a short period of time, then return home? Is she calm and matter-of-fact about crating him and letting him out of his crate? Doing these things can help a dog accept the crate.

Does she have her dog in class? As far as walks are concerned, does she power walk her dog? How many times a day? Our youngest girl is the energizer bunny. I free walk our dogs for half an hour every morning and again for at least an hour when I get home from work. In the winter, we're out with a flashlight. On weekends, we walk longer. I do this regardless of weather. The only time I can't keep up this schedule is when I have a migraine, but even then I've been known to stagger outside with the dogs.

[i_love_my_rott]

I have this same problem with my Siberian Husky and ended up having to use a Veri-Kennel (sp?). He would have a wire crate destroyed in a matter of minutes. That cured the problem for me. He still would bite at the door but couldn't get out of it and with the rounded edges on the inside he couldn't chew the plastic.

[buddysdad]

dont keep it to locked up, this dogs needs 2 walks a day , make sure its off the lead running free each time. not sure how old the dog is but its probably looking for its pack leader the daughter.any problems arent dealt with best with locking up all the time.To calm any dog make sure to ignore its attention and excercise it, training will get easier.

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by buddysdad

dont keep it to locked up,... any problems arent dealt with best with locking up all the time.

Where is anyone suggesting the OP advise her daughter to keep her dog "locked" up "all the time?"

[buddysdad]

ok can u tell me how long it would be in a crate, how many hours.

in a crate locked up.

Originally Posted by AngelBunny

Where is anyone suggesting the OP advise her daughter to keep her dog "locked" up "all the time?"

thats it use a crate cos u cant control it , not much of a trainer

[dogsbydoug]

Originally Posted by buddysdad

ok can u tell me how long it would be in a crate, how many hours.

in a crate locked up.

thats it use a crate cos u cant control it , not much of a trainer

Actually, I believe most of us prefer to use a crate to keep our dogs alive and our homes from being damaged by chewing and other destructive behaviors.

Our pup is crated 3 hours in the morning, then taken for a walk, and entertained for an hour by myself or my wife, then back into the crate for about 2-3 hours, depending on the traffic delays during our commutes home. ANY time that we are home is spent with the dogs.

I used a crate when our dogs first arrived - they now, except for the 6 month old puppy, have free run of the house, because they can be trusted not to chew anything or pee/poop in the house. When the pup is old enough and can be trusted, she'll also have free run of the house.

I find it hard to control a dog when I'm NOT HOME...

What does being a trainer have to do with crating a dog - we've found that ALL of the trainers that we've EVER worked with use crates for their dogs...and many of their dogs are titled in performance venues and/or conformation...

[buddysdad]

what about bed time do u crate them then.

[buddysdad]

what a load. dont get a rottie to lock it up and bugga off to work. a rottie is a dog who needs a job a companion and comfort. u dont repsect a rottie by locking in a cage. these guys have 4 legs not 2 they need space . friendship and rules.

[buddysdad]

Originally Posted by dogsbydoug

Actually, I believe most of us prefer to use a crate to keep our dogs alive and our homes from being damaged by chewing and other destructive behaviors.

Our pup is crated 3 hours in the morning, then taken for a walk, and entertained for an hour by myself or my wife, then back into the crate for about 2-3 hours, depending on the traffic delays during our commutes home. ANY time that we are home is spent with the dogs.

I used a crate when our dogs first arrived - they now, except for the 6 month old puppy, have free run of the house, because they can be trusted not to chew anything or pee/poop in the house. When the pup is old enough and can be trusted, she'll also have free run of the house.

I find it hard to control a dog when I'm NOT HOME... does being a trainer have to do with crating a dog - we've found that ALL of the trainers that we've EVER worked with use crates for their dogs...and many of their dogs are titled in performance venues and/or conformation...

your locking him up cos u cant stop him from destoying your house, (u cant control him.

so thats 6 hours in the crate there.

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by buddysdad

ok can u tell me how long it would be in a crate, how many hours.

in a crate locked up.

thats it use a crate cos u cant control it , not much of a trainer

I've been involved in rescue almost 9 years. All our foster dogs are crated when we're at work. Since we work FT, this means the foster dog is crated from 7:30 am til my DH gets home from work at 3:45 pm. Since we keep our dogs (personal and fosters) on a schedule and only foster adult males, I see nothing wrong with this.

Our current foster is an example of why I see nothing wrong with crating.

He's not housetrained. He marks. He's an intact male (his neuter appointment hasn't yet been scheduled). Based on his physical rough shape and his lack of house sophistication, it's highly doubtful he spent much time living in a house, prior to his coming into rescue.

I cannot speak for you about the habits you find acceptable in a dog, but I am NOT having an adult male who marks having free reign in my house when I'm not there to supervise him. The fact he's crated has nothing at all to do with the fact I can't control my foster and everything to do with the FACT I do not want him marking in my house. Nor do I want him harrassing our two personal dogs--who, btw, are not crated, have free reign in our home, sleep on our bed with us, and are permitted up on the furniture.

This foster--like fosters previous to him--will be crated until he learns house manners.

A further thought that it appears hasn't occured to you--crating can save your dog's life.

If you have a chewer, an unsupervised, uncrated, unconfined dog can chew something that, at best, will make the dog sick, at worst, kill the dog.

I show our youngest girl. Ever been to a dog show? Having a crate trained dog at a show is very helpful.

My DH's mother is 94 yo. She lives in a just so house filled with many fragile items on dainty-legged tables. She fell and fractured her hip a couple of years back and isn't quite as spry as she used to be. And she's a small person.

Our two healthy, hearty bitches are welcome in her house because they are crate trained. The can visit with their Grandie, then go back into their crate, where they stay, quietly and calmly.

A crate is a tool. A good dog trainer understands this.

Originally Posted by buddysdad

...dont get a rottie to lock it up and bugga off to work...

Bully for you that you have the luxury of not working! Some of us aren't so fortunate.

I guess you would say it's OK to have a Rottie that you leave free in your home if you work, but it's not OK to crate your dog when you go to work.

Have you ever looked into the den of a wild canine? They're small, close, confined areas. Crates mimic this envrionment.

Time after time after time, I've seen our personal dogs--and fosters, once they get crate trained--put themselves into the crate for a nap during the day. If the dogs had negative experiences with their crates, I doubt they'd do this.

As I said, A crate is a tool. A good dog trainer would understand this.

[buddysdad]

and he'll still piss everywhere. your not helping your confining it. Dont say its the same as the wild. a den u can come and go.you be a better foster if u let the dog go.To leave a dog for long hours is wrong , y bother having 1 then.

[Bruce Lanthier]

Originally Posted by buddysdad

and he'll still piss everywhere. your not helping your confining it. Dont say its the same as the wild. a den u can come and go.you be a better foster if u let the dog go.To leave a dog for long hours is wrong , y bother having 1 then.

Do you think you can be any more ignorant about crates and their use? If you have never used one how can you make any kind of knowledgeable remark about them?

Confinement is confinement to a dog, whether it is in a room, a crate, kennel, etc. If it has free run of your house it does not turn the tv on and watch oprah. It sleeps or finds something to occupy its teeth like electrical wires, wallboard, furniture, garbage. If you confine it in a smaller space, a crate, it will sleep or find something to occupy its teeth like a nylabone, a kong, a beef bone.

[dogsbydoug]

Originally Posted by buddysdad

your locking him up cos u cant stop him from destoying your house, (u cant control him.

so thats 6 hours in the crate there.

Honestly, you are probably the most ignorant person I've ever had the displeasure of debating something with...

I'm not locking her up because I cannot control him, I am locking her up because she is a PUPPY and has not yet LEARNED what she can and cannot put her teeth on.

With the other dogs, once they were trustworthy in my home and did not destroy things, they were allowed freedom. Our oldest male has not been crated for over 6 years, and our 'middle child' who is about 5-6 yrs old was crated for a WEEK when he arrived here and has never chewed or marked anything.

Once the puppy has EARNED her freedom, she'll get it. I prefer to come home to a LIVING dog with alot of energy that can be worked off versus a dog that is DEAD because it got into something...

Sorry buddysdad...I don't think you're not doing your dogs ANY favors by not crating them. I have to wonder how they'd behave if they had to overnight at the vet after surgery where they would be (OH NO!) CRATED...

My dogs understand crating and are NOT stressed by it. When we travel with the dogs, they are crated in hotel rooms...they prefer the crates as they are familiarly scented places versus a strange hotel room.

Not everyone is able to stay home 24/7 with their dogs...lucky for you that you can...or can you? If I could, I certainly would! Were your dogs 100% trustworthy from day one, buddysdad, or did you have to deal with chewing and destruction of personal property while your dogs were growing up? I have to ask, how did YOU deal with it??