First Time Out of the Crate for Vern and Fudge!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Fudge and Vern only get crated when we leave to go somewhere. My goal in 2011 is to get rid of these two huge crates in my foyer. Tonight, we went to dinner, closed up all the bedrooms, put all the food out of reach and decided to see how they would do out of the crates while we were gone. I had them go into their crates when we left and put a peanut butter kong in the crate with them, but left the door slightly open. When we got home, I peeked in the window and Vern was still in his crate. I don't think he ever left the crate. Fudge was out and seemed perfectly fine. When Vern saw me, he looked terrified and started barking. Fudge was too busy confiscating both kongs and did not appear worried in the least.

 

This is what a stressed out Vern looks like. I took this picture after we had been home a bit.

The first thing I saw when I got home was his blanket that was in his crate with him. He has NEVER chewed it before.

He must have chewed it the entire time we were gone and we did not find any of the pieces. The rest of the house was undisturbed. The blanket did not survive :(

My plan of action is to continue to try short periods of time out of the crate while we go somewhere,  no more blankets in the crate, and leave a marrow bone or something when we leave. Does anyone else have any suggestions? Or should we just continue crating. I am not even sure Vern knew how to get out of the crate or to push the door open, but probably realized Fudge was out. For all I know, Fudge realized she had the advantage, grabbed his kong and ran and he was stressed about that too. All my DH said was, "Some people get smart dogs and some people don't," so he was no help :) Has anyone else had problems when they stopped crating with a dog being afraid or should I just not worry about it??

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

You are right !

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri likes her crate too - she goes right in when i put my purse on to leave the house.  We leave her in it sometimes, sometimes we don't.  When we do leave her, we put up one rug that she likes to chew on, we put up the toys she could choke on and some pillows go to another room. In our current home, she has access to kitchen, living/dining combo, hall and the office - aka "dog's room" - where the crates are.  Every time I come home and she is out, she is under the coffee table on the rug and Taquito is on the couch.  I think they sleep all day.  So I am in transition mode too. Until she has proven sucess being out of the crate for weeks at a time, I am still mixing in the crate....

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I think this is what we will end up doing. Thank you!

[Joyce & Wilson]

Poor Vern was probably sooo nervous that Fudge  "got out" !!  I have never crated Wilson but I only have the one dog.  When he was young Id leave him in the downstair bathroom with the door shut and no TP or garbage out.  He did fine.. I was also newly retired and was home most of the time or took him with me.  He is absolutely fine with full run of the house at about 6 mos old.  I'm one of those "silly" people who leaves  Animal Planet on and he sleeps on the couch. He has also taught "me" to pick up and leave nothing on the coffee table or counter : )

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

My dogs are hardly ever crated and go in happily and with no problem. I just thought they might like being out of their crate better. The more I think about all the comments, maybe the fact that I shut the door almost all the way closed, confused him. He probably thought he was doing something wrong. Fudge is less worried about doing anything wrong :) Thanks, Joyce.

[BG and Gavin]

We started transitioning Gavin out of the crate during the day at about 8 months old.  We did not want to take the XL crate to our tiny cottage.  Gavin never really "loved" his crate anyway, just tolerated it.  We started by giving him the hallway baby-gated at the end with all the doors closed, then let him have hallway and bathroom, then spare room, etc.  As others we did the pb kong routine too.  And like Quincy, in the early days, Gavin was much more likely to steal stuff when we were home and never touched stuff when we were not home.  I think when we are gone he just sleeps as now if we give him a kong he leaves it untouched until we get home.  But then again he is not a big foodie.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

LMAO about the DH's remark - why must they, please tell me. My DH says stuff like that all the time. Don't know bout you but I get defensive about my Daisy.

Your dilemma is to crate or not crate, mine is to put away or not put away - D is never in the crate locked anymore, she is more like Fudge (once again) doesn't really give a hoot. Daisy never destroyed anything but her own stuffies, don't know why she just wasn't a big chewer.