Hi Moms! I know this is not really a question about my kiddo but I am hoping someone can help me out there. We have a terrier mix who has separation anxiety. We put him on Reconcile for awhile but it seemed to make him depressed because he would no longer play anymore. He was abused by his previous owners and we are doing everything possible to show him he is in a safe happy home now. I need help finding a cage he cannot hurt himself in. We have tried using a pet carrier and he chewed through the side of it. We have tried an ASPCA cage from Wal-Mart and he has managed to chew up and destroy the pan at the bottom of the cage and has actually chewed through the wire enough to stick his head out of it. He has already broken several teeth! How a little pooch can do this I do not know but I need something super durable and something he cannot chew through! Any suggestions would be great. Thanks in advance.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Thanks for the responses so far. I just want to note in regard to some of the responses I have already received so far that when we first got him we did not put him a cage when we left and he destroyed the house. He will go in his cage willingly but if you do not close it immediately he will come right back out. We have tried giving him a Kong toy with peanut butter in it as a special treat but it does not make it any better especially since it is gone in 2 seconds. As far as dog treats go, he refuses to eat them in his cage. When he is in his cage he will do everything in his power to drag the cage around with him (since he ate the bottom) to get a hold of anything – towels, trash cans, etc so we must move everything every time we leave and put the cage in the bathroom. We have put about $500 into vet visits, new cages, medicine, neutering and replacing what he has destroyed so I really do not think we can afford doggy day care. We love him too much to give up on him
put on a muzzle too? Looks like he will try to chew thru anything and broken teeth are a major issue for animals.
Do you have a doggy day care in your area?
Seriously, a dog with that much separation anxiety needs to be occupied all day.
It's so hard when you just want them to be happy, isn't it? We have a 6yo shepherd mix with severe separation anxiety. Originally, she was a family member's dog. She was on Prozac (yup! really!) for a while but it wasn't a solution for her. For her, a crate actually made her anxiety worse and she, like yours, could chew through or break through pretty much anything. LOTS of exercise helps a great deal. She's ours now and an absolute love -- but mostly because we have another dog.
I agree that a doggie day care or a willing friend who doesn't mind a 4-legged visitor when you're out & about would be good. For what it's worth, when the weather's good & I need to take our other dog someplace (vet or wherever), I just leave the back door open. We have an invisible fence and as long as our panic pup can get in & out, she's fine. Might not work for everyone (we live off the beaten path &, trust me, you'd feel intimidated if you heard this one bark) but it works for us.
Sorry I don't have a better idea. Would love to hear if you find a solution!
Hmmm? Difficult! Poor pooch!
How about leaving him to roam the house, ditch the cages all together but put a muzzle on him while you are gone instead?
They have muzzles that allows the dog to eat and drink or ones that don't, I would feed and water him before you leave then get one that keeps his mouth closed enough where he can not chew on anything...I think this is what I would try next. He obviously seriously does NOT want to be confined in the cage/crate...so I would not make him be.
So what about calling the Dog Whisperer? Seriously! He handles all those oddball situations. I think it's worth a shot! I don't think he charges anything. The show probably pays for it. I have a terrier (Jack Russell) and they can chew through ANYTHING!! They are small but MIGHTY! Good luck.
He sounds like he does need a home where people are home all day. I know you have money invested in him. But it's really about him isn't it? I have a dog that is cage trained. He comes out for potty breaks, to run on the treadmill, to walk in the neighborhood, and sometimes to sit on the couch with us. But this dog is with us 24/7. I am a family daycare provider. If we left him while in his cage he jumps and turns circles in the cage until it falls apart. It's one like you would have bought. He doesn't chew the pan and he certainly hasn't broken any teeth. But that's because he figured out that the whole ends will come out if he gets crazy enough. Once he is out, he gets into the trash, chases the cats, will get into the cat boxes, potty on the floor, and just about anything else in protest of being left alone.
I could NOT leave the house, even for a few minutes without him going crazy. I took him and a smaller cage to my daughters house for Christmas. For 2 hours he barked the whole time. He did NOT stop barking and I just knew he would lose his voice. I couldn't get him out there because she has a spoiled little dog too and he doesn't like other dogs.
This works for us because we have a large family and someone is always home. But any family vacation will require doggy daycare. I couldn't take a job outside of the home without providing for him.
Also, are you assuming he was abused only by his behavior? My dog is spoiled ROTTEN. He lives in a cage because he's been out of control since he was a puppy and I don't believe even Ceaser Milan could get this guy in control enough to live without his own little home. He LOVES his cage so long as we are home. He takes all his meals in his cage. It's safer because the kids might bother him otherwise.
If you can find an animal behaviorist or positive reinforcement trainer in you area that may be your best bet. A few things to try. Leave treats at random in the treat and sit near it and throw treats in and let him get one and come back out at will. Clicker training may also be a great option for him, to let him figure out what to do and you can click later and later so he is in the crate longer and longer. Let me know if you have a question about clicker training.
Reward any and all calm behavior and add a word "calm" "relax" or something else, and later using the word can help cause calm behavior. Give all the cues of leaving, but don't leave. Pick up your keys, go to the door, but don't go out. when you do go out sometimes come right back in. Make sure he is getting as much exercise as possible. A tight tshirt, there are also special ones made for dogs, can help reduce stress and anxiety.
Is he any more comfortable in a small room or try a much larger crate than needed. Leave something that smells like you if you can do that safely without fear of him consuming the item. If you are going to be gone long, is there someone that can come and walk him midday? Also you can try to really set a routine with him, so he knows what comes next.
Sorry that doesn't really help with type of crate.
Have you thought about putting him into doggie daycare - or find someone who is home during the day that is willing to watch him? You could put up something on Craig's list. My daughter and I live in KCK, and I am a SAHM , and are willing to watch a dog for free, just because we miss our dog. So maybe you could find a family like ours that want to help. We have a neighbor with a fenced yard and he watched his neighbor's dog when the weather is good, all the dogs play together, outside. Does he have any house mates? We had a dog that was like that, and it took a while, but he finally calmed down. We couldn't crate him, long story, but it was bad.
Sounds like you need the Dog Whisperer.
See if you can find a dog behaviorist in your area. They can do wonders! Check on line or with your vet or with local rescue groups for people trained in this field.
