Is Crating an SA Dog Okay?? Need Help!

[BusterBella]

Hi Folks - Sorry so long - I'm new to BW and the mom to not only my 9 month old son, but 2 boxers, Buster, 16month old male fawn, and Bella, a 9 month old white female w/ Brindle eyes. We just adopted Bella from our local shelter this weekend and she is a real doll! Buster, so far, loves playing with her and has even been nice enough to share his pillow with her when they calm down for a nap. The reason we decided to get another dog is because Buster has severe seperation anxiety. We've tried the medications but they don't seem to work. We've also tried all the different training methods - but he still gets so anxious when he's left alone. He used to have free run of the house until he destroyed our entire couch, and then started making his way to our bookcase and tearing the blinds from the windows. We had no choice but to crate him. The first crate he was able to snap the bottom tray and pry the bars back, now his 2nd crate he hasn't been able to cause so much damage - but he barks constantly and is covered in saliva when we get home and he won't eat until the following day. We though bringing Bella in would make him happy - but he still gets so upset when we are not near him - even if both of them are in the yard to play - he cries for us. Can you offer any suggestions? We've thought about giving him up to friends of ours who love boxers too - but we just love him too much and can't bare to lose him. Is it okay to crate him even though he gets so excited? Please help!

 

[Jan]

I would try confining him to the kitchen or to one room that you have dog proofed. Sometimes dogs are much happier when they have a little more space.

 

[BusterBella]

Thanks for the suggestion - but we have tried that too. Honestly we have tried just about everything that we can think of and nothing seems to work to break him of this anxiety. We cleared out a large room in the back of our house that seemed the perfect spot for him and he managed to knock the air conditioner halfway out of the window and scratched just about all of the paint off the door and molding. He becomes a maniac if we are not with him. But as soon as we're home, he is the sweetest dog you could ever be around. Even the 1/2 acre of property that is fenced in does not seem to be big enough for him - as soon as we go inside and leave him out there to play - he starts to cry, looking to be inside with us. But we are determined to not give up. I am just nervous that by crating him and knowing that he gets soo upset and anxious - we could be harming him mentally.

 

[Grimmja]

we're having the same problem with our puppy. we've tried all the advice received (different part of house, room of the house, toys and treats in crate, etc.) and nothing has worked. as a last resort, we're having a training behaviorist come into our house to help us with him. she says she can cure separation anxiety...hopefully that'll work. my advice is to enlist professional help, some people know just what to do. for me it's either this or i can't do it anymore...so hopefully this will be the answer we've been looking all over for.

 

[megan313]

Roxie was the same way....completely out of control when we were gone, but perfect when we were home. It became such an issue for me i was ready to give up. We had her on clomicalm, and it worked to an extent, but then we got her a puppy and i crate them together, since day one with the puppy, everything has been perfect.

I know you said you have another dog, so i dont know what else would help, besides the behaviorist. Good luck, dont give up!

 

[Jan]

Another thing that you could dod is try a differenct type of crate.. If you have a wire crate, try and plastic one, like a Vari Kennel. Sometimes they will do much better in one type of crate than another.

 

[BusterBella]

Thanks so much for your replies. It's nice to know we're not alone =) Our vet has actually recommended a behaviourlist who we were in contact with but we found her to be quite expensive. So I just purchsed on-line yesterday a book called "I'll be Home Soon: How to Treat Seperation Anxiety". I'll try to find that link for anyone who is ineterested. It was suggested by someone here on BW in one of the other threads. Hopefully it can offer some helpful tips. It was actually at the behaviourlist's suggestion that we might consider another dog, which is why we got Bella - thinking that was the sure fix - but apparently Buster is a little more stubborn then we realized. But I am convinced that we can work through this - as hard as it is. He is in a plastic crate now (after prying apart the wire one) and although he still soaks himself in saliva, I'm comfortable that there is no way in this one that he can hurt himself. Just this morning the kids were playing nice in the yard while I got ready for work and fed the baby. I thought that maybe this would be the day that he turns around and isn't crying to come back inside to be with me. Just as I was getting the baby ready to go with the sitter - I see Buster and Bella run by my large window that looks out to the front yard! They escaped! I'm sure it was Buster who was able to open the gate as he led Bella right to the front door. Humph! Tomorrow's another day!

 

[megan313]

Another thing...you may have tried this, but try and switch up your routine, so you're not putting him in the crate at the same time before you leave every day. I also started putting Roxie in the crate for no reason at all at random times. You may want to put him in the crate and just shut the front door and "pretend" to leave and come back in 5 min later...just switch it up so he doesnt think every time he goes in the crate you're going to be gone for x number of hours!

Humans are creatures of habit, and while it makes things easier for us, sometimes the animals in our lives dont do well with those routines...just a thought!

 

[BusterBella]

Thanks Megan - I'll try that. Anything at this point. But I know it's not so much a crate specific issue because Buster will go in on his own looking for treats. Sometimes, if there are none in there already and he gets no response from us when he sits by our pantry door where the treats are kept, he'll go in his crate, sit and then stick his head out looking at us knowing he'll be rewarded. Which he is everytime =) And of course we can't help but laugh when he does this. Bella on the other hand, she does great in her crate. Probably because she's used to one from being in the shelter. But crating Buster has been an issue since we've had him at 6 weeks old. Someone said that he will eventually get used to it. Is that true? It really just breaks my heart to think about how upset he is in there - but right now we have no choice.

 

[megan313]

This may sound crazy, but could you crate Buster and Bella together? It works for us because it keeps the two occupied. Because we did this, we have never even had an accident in the crate from the 6 week old...

...maybe it was a gift from god for sticking it out with Roxie!!! LOL!