anyone else have houdini on their hands????

[deanna silver]

My pup is 14 weeks old, we brought her home at 8wks. We have not yet been able to keep her contained when we go out. Everytime we've come home we have found her greeting us at the door. She has gotten out of her crate. She manages to open the latches every time. We tried sectioning her off with a baby gate. She climbs it and jumps over. We put her back in the crate and she managed to get a tightly coiled leash into the crate and we found her tangled in it when we got home. It was frightening! We had to cut her out of it. Thank goodness she was ok though. We just do not know what to do about keeping her contained when we leave. We do not leave very often or for very long. We are mostly concerned about her safety. Has anyone else had a similar issue? any suggestions?

[Julie and Charlie]

I have a Houdini and a "Run Like You Stole It" doodle. He's escaped from his crate, but strangely, only when I've been home and he's not in the same room as me. It was quite dramatic- it was early morning, and he burst through my closed bedroom door. No idea how he actually opened it, as it was tightly closed and had a round knob! He really wanted in. Still don't know how he managed it.

I decided after that, when I'm gone, that he would always be contained in the crate, in a semi-safe room with a closed door in case of another escape attempt. His collar, leash, and anything dangerous are always several feet away when he's in his crate. He doesn't wear them. I leave a safe toy in there, as well as his bed as he likes to sniff and mouth it. But, he doesn't have a problem with crate-separation anxiety when I'm gone. According to the neighbors, they've never heard him, and I don't either once the house door is closed.

[Christine & Shelby]

I've not experienced this problem... but maybe try securing the latches with zip ties or pad locks?

[Jen and Annie]

Annie got out of her crate a few times when she was much younger as well.  She wasn't undoing the latches, but figured out a way to collapse the crate and get out.  We used zip ties to secure the crate so it's no longer collapsible, and that did the trick for us.  She's stayed in it ever since..

[Ginny Nightingale]

I raised a pup like this once--and she became someone else's problem after 8 weeks--she could actually climb over a wire crate by balancing on the bars and walking across the top of it....I think that you need to find a way to secure the crate--the folding wire ones can be pushed on the sides so that there is a gap to squeeze thru---I agree with using something to secure all the sides and then find some clips at a hardware store (like the ones at the end of a leash) and clip several on the door so that it is held in several places. Good luck!

[Doris]

We don't use the crate unless Bodi goes on a sleep-over.  There, I am told, he sometimes goes INTO the crate and closes the door!!  He doesn't do latches, but he is pretty agile.  He can open closed doors quite well. 

[Adina P]

You could also try one of the plastic vari kennels....don't know if that would be more secure or not. 

[Pam & Trixie]

if you try a vari kennel make sure the door is sturdy. We once had a Houdini Pup who we had in a fake Vari kennel...She was able to pull the door inside & get out. It was so strange to have her greet us at the door when we got home the 1st time she did it.
Since she did not have potty issues (like going in the kennel)...We ended up moving her into our large size Vari Kennel that we already owned. it was sturdy enough that she was not able to unlatch the door & get out. She was a gate climber too

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Can you use a carobiner to close the crate?

[deanna silver]

thanks everyone. We took the crate down this weekend. We are going to section her off in a small part of the house where she likes to sleep during the day. We purchased a wide gate with vertical slats that she should not be able to climb. It is funny. My husband & I are believers in crate training. We never thought we would opt against it. We have decided she is in a more dangerous and stressful situation while in it. My vet agreed as well. The gate will be here any day now & we are hoping this is the answer to our issue!