Houdini Dog

[tulips0502]

We have nicknamed our dog Houdini...why? Because he can escape his crate. My husband and I couldn't figure it out for the life of us how he was doing it until last week and I wonder if anyone else has had similar problems? We're having some other issues w/ our dogs behavior but this one takes the cake. When we leave, he has to be in his crate. He likes it - meaning..he doesn't put up a fuss when it's time to go in there. But...many times we have come home and he's been on the loose and of course, been destructive. So, my husband and I decided we would "double lock him in". We were given a huge crate by some friends but our dog doesn't need that big of one just yet so we put his smaller crate in the big crate and then locked both crates. He hasn't been able to get completely loose but I'll tell ya what he did do. Last week, my husband came home and our dog had climbed out the top of the smaller crate - naturally bending and eventually destroying it - but was sitting on top of it inside the big crate. How he did this - we have no idea?!?! Anyone else have experience with their dogs being able to get themselves loose? If so, how did you handle?

 

[kitikarial2]

Lucy had escaped a few times from her crate, I finally got a (dont know what it is called) leash hook at the home depot, like that you attach the leash to the collar with. I put that on the top and bottom of the crate door, she hasnt gotten out since. good luck. It is amazing what they can do. Nothing like coming home and having them greet you at the door after you had put them in the crate.

 

[tulips0502]

Great idea - we'll try that!

 

[sgbtab]

Lucy had escaped a few times from her crate, I finally got a (dont know what it is called) leash hook at the home depot, like that you attach the leash to the collar with. I put that on the top and bottom of the crate door, she hasnt gotten out since. good luck. It is amazing what they can do. Nothing like coming home and having them greet you at the door after you had put them in the crate.

I don't think you should put the collar and chain on a dog that is in a crate. she could get tangled and choke. thats just one persons opinion.

 

[bunkermom]

Trish,

She didnt put a collar and chain on her dog, she just took a 2 leash hooks and put them through the wire and held together the crate at the top and bottom. So there was no actual leash involved, just the hooks! Just extra security and stability for the crate.

I read it wrong at first too but when I re-read it I realized what she meant!

Autumn

 

[sgbtab]

sorry everybody.:confused: I did not read that correctly.

 

[MayKay&SaJo]

No ideas here, but...

I think you should set up a video camera in front of the crate so you can actually see how he is doing it! You might just win lotsa money from Animal's funniest home videos!

I know that it is aggravating to you, but ya just gotta love the fact that the breed is that smart and that wonderful!

 

[josephine]

I thought I had problems...

Here I was getting upset because my boxer was jumping over gates and yours has figured out a way to get out of the crate. WOW! I think I would try to put something on the slide lock keep it from coming open. I also like the idea of putting the video camara up to see how he's getting out. I can't help but wonder how does he get out of the smaller crate, is the door open or does he know how to get it open. Well anyway good luck with your little .

 

[punkin]

Houdini here too!

R.J. had a short career as an escape artist too. He was about 16 months old at the time, so pretty much full grown. He was in a large plastic vari-kennel with a metal door. We figured out he would grab the door with his undershot jaw and pull it off the hinges, so we got a piece of clear plexiglass cut for the inside of the door and fastened it. This stopped him for about 2 days. The next time he managed to hop around in his kennel so much that the top and bottom comletely separated (yes, they were locked together when we left him). When he got out, he decided to empty the ice cubes from the fridge ice dispenser, so out came the zip-ties to double fasten the top and bottom. About 2 days later, he bent the door outward and pulled it off his hinges. We used two leashes, one for each side, to tie the door to the crate. At the same time, we moved his crate so he could see outside and started giving him a large kong with frozen treats inside, only in his crate. One of the above cured him, as he hasn't gotten out since. Now he is nearly 2 and has been an angel for months! Good luck!

 

[kitikarial2]

Thanks Bunkermom, I didnt realize it read so badly, but you were right, I dont have a collar or anything on her in the crate it was just the hooks