If he is still in a crate after he's two years old....

[KenF]

....does that mean I'm going to have to crate him forever?

Darwin has some separation anxiety, and is crated. He has come to accept the crating, though he still hates being alone. He can't be left out of the crate at all, or he gets terribly upset within minutes.

Should I begin to accept that he is going to be crated for life when I'm not home? Was anyone able to get a dog to be uncrated at later ages?

 

[frankied]

Angel turned 5 last year and I started leaving her out but I think that Frank (my BT who was 3) helped alot in that she was not out by herself. She never had any mistakes and was very good (I was lucky). I would be concerned that if he does has anxiety you may come home to a redecorated house But Angel never really had issues after we got Frank so perhaps someone who can relate to Darwin's issues may be able to shed some light on this for you. Good Luck

 

[hanley]

Using a crate forever is not always bad for a dog, for some it has a calming affect on, like a den that is theirs & it makes them feel safe. My BT always needed his den,as we prefer to call it or a house, this was his safe haven.I still have his in my family room & he went to the bridge 15mths ago, but I can't part with it. Hanley

 

[michelle8702]

I don't know about you but...

I know that Dozer has Separation anxiety so bad that you can't leave the house for 5 mintues without putting him in the crate! Once I went to the basement of our apartment building to do laundry when I came back He had peed right in the middle of my bed! And then the next time I went to take my neighbor back something she let me borrow, And he had gotten a brand new box of tissues off my desk and shredded them all over my living room! The suprising thing is that I was only gone for like 5 Minutes Top's and I am not understating that!

I know that Dozer will probably never be able to Not be crated, but like everyone else said it is also his safe haven and a refuge!