Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 1:29 pm Post subject: letting her out of her crate whilst out.
As you know indi is at a friends house whilst im at a funeral in the uk. Anyway i rang up last night and asked how she had been. My friend told me that she had been leaving her out of her crate during the day when she went out. We never do this and always put her in her bed with some toys and treats etc and she is happy as larry for an hour or so. I was a bit upset she had been leaving her out of the crate when i left specific instructions for her not to be as she has a history of chewing things she shouldnt and swallowing things she shouldnt. Also because they have a little girl who has toys with little bits aswell and with Indi's nickname is "Dyson" you can gather a lot about why I was worried when I heard this. Anyway I thought about it and thought well if she behaved out of the crate at theirs surely she would behave in our house. I know i dont give Indi enough credit and i am quite strict on her with where she can and cannot go and things she can and cannot have but its only because in the past its meant a trip to the vets to get her to sick it up! She got one of adams models the other day and chewed it! We found the remnants outside on the patio! Luckily we accounted for every part of it and i did tell adam off for leaving it where she could reach it. But still this is why I worry!
So i was planning on initially putting her in the kitchen as she has her box and water bowl in there as well as putting some toys in. We have baby gates on either doors so we could shut them and she would be safe. Im just worried about the kitchen cupboards and her chewing them if she isnt happy or the living room and her chewing or ripping the leather sofa's. Our living room is open plan and has the dining room/sitting room together with no way to separate them or partition them. I cant give her the hall as she has a shoe fetish and we have open stairs which are too wide for a baby gate and dangerous on one corner. Would the kitchen ok do you think? Where should I start?
I don't know the answer Hayley but I know I'm also strict with Sam and where and what he's allowed as we've ended up at the Vets for swallowed items before too. But whilst I do put Sam in his crate if I go out because he whines for me otherwise yet sleeps and is happy if he's in there, I can let him wander through the entire house the rest of the time, I only dared let him wander in certain places where we lived before but here I just make sure everything small and swallowable is put in drawers or cupboards and its fine. I think partly its about what they're used to though so perhaps if at the moment she's always crated when not with you then start by letting her have the run of the downstairs when you're in and busy upstairs or having a shower then let her stay in one room for a short spell whilst you nip to the shops, letting her sleep in a bed in the lounge rather than shut in the crate and build up to her being allowed more rooms and more time when you aren't in like that. It sounds very hopeful though if she's been at your friend's with all that temptation about and still been a good girl.
when im in the house she has free roam minus babygates. If i go upstairs she usually sits the otherside of the babygate where she would normally be locked in the downstairs and waits for me, that or sits at the bottom of the stairs. Ive never left her out when im outbut when im in she barely is in her crate as she tends to want to follow me everywhere. If she is out and im upstairs usually she is quite good and leaves anything on the odd occasion she has had my shoe though.
Ah well that's good then, you could just start from the leave her for a very short time then a bit longer then a bit longer option. The Kitchen sounds like a good bet if she's used to the crate and toys in there then if it goes well open up more rooms. Good luck.
If you feel you would like to try there is nothing wrong with giving it a go but initially for a short period of time only whilst you leave her. If all goes well then you should build this up. There are definitely pros and cons for crate and no crate and each dog and their circumstances will come into play. If you are planning to de-crate I would be tempted to limit her access and the kitchen sounds best with an open crate so she can access as and when she wishes. Little at a time is definitely the key.
When Millie came to us we put her in a crate at night and whilst left. She had never been in a house before or seen a crate and she hated it at first but then settled. Becky, Amber or Arwen never had crates. Millie only used hers for around 6-8 weeks once we were satisfied that she had settled in her box and we still had a house to return to.
I am sure other LF members who use crates will also offer their advice.
Good luck
____________ Gillian, Millie & Arya, watched over by Becky, Arwen & Amber from the Bridge. Run fast & free
If you are happy crating Indi when you are out, and she is settled in her crate, then why change it? You know where she is, and she is safe and out of temptation's way!
My dog is crated at night, if I go out during the day and also for an hour or so during the day in the morning and afternoon - it gives both him and me a bit of space. I work from home so am around most of every day, so a little time apart is good for us!
Everyone is different, and I am sure you will find a compromise that suits you.
CJ has always been crated and I wouldn`t change it now, Indi will have been used to going in her crate with her toys and treats and may not like being left out of it.
No harm in giving it a go if you want to though, just don`t store tha crate away yet
The reason she`s ok at your friends house could be because its a place she hasn`t been before so she`s a bit reticent to go exploring, although that would be strange a for a Lab but i`m sure some would be like it
I've been very lucky with Coco, the only chewing she did was to continue at the end of a cupboard where our previous dog started and we have a new panel for that should we ever want to replace it. She has stolen bread and pieces of fruit off the worktop and stole the oven gloves on one occasion but now we just make sure that things are out of her reach.
She has been out of her crate since before she was 6 months old but is always left in the kitchen if we go out or when we are in bed. I'm pretty sure she spends most of her time in bed because she is there when I leave for work and when I get back she is too comfortable, curled up in bed, to come out and see me sometimes.
You could use a no-chew spray (or clove oil is very effective) on your cupboards when you first leave her and it might just stop any initial thoughts of chewing.
I used to leave Olly out all the time, from about 5 months or so, and he was as good as gold. He used to go back into his crate to nap but sometimes just slept on the dog sofa. It was only once I got Soph this summer and the two of them started a campaign of total destruction that I had to start shutting him in the crate again. Give it a whirl - if it doesn't work you'll know she's not ready. Just put anything precious out of reach!!!!
I have always let Ben have the run of the house when young chewed skirting but that was shutting him in the kitchen as a pup now i go out i can leave treats on lounge floor he will not touch them till im home good as gold.
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