Crate Training

[shais_mom]

My sister and I have both crate trained our previous dogs without much issue. After about a year my sister and her family were finally ready to add another pup to their family. They found Hobie at a local Humane Society. He is approximately 8 mos old boxer mix. Hobie HATES his crate. He has broken 2 of them since June 2 (when they got him) even with a cone on his head due to his neuter! I took him a Kong to fill with PB etc and that helped at first. One night they decided not to put him in crate b/c he'd been there all day and ended up going into it on his own with the door open! That happened once! He was pretty much potty trained when they got him, but the times he has broken out he has pooped. I let them borrow my big crate since he is a cone-head and couldn't fit in there and he pooped in there! Any thoughts?

[SWHouston]

Assuming you/they Crate the the other Dog too, you might put the doors of the Crates face to face (door to door), where the younger Dog sorta has "company". Then as the days pass, start moving them farther apart.

I'd say the Crate was too small for him, given that he's trying to get out to potty. Also a longer "outside" visit before bedtime, may help some.

[shais_mom]

My sister doesn't have another dog. She had her's put to sleep d/t cancer in May 2011. And I lost my golden of 10.5 years about 11 days ago.

I'm sure the crate isn't too small for him he weighs about 45 pounds and our crates were the XL size crates b/c I had a greyhound and a 100# golden that went in them and My sister had a 50 pound lab mix for her crates.

[Taz_Zoee]

The crate is not too small if he pooped in it.
Have they tried putting him in the crate for short periods of time and gradually make the periods longer?
Feed him in the crate. Keep his favorite toys in there. Make the crate the happiest thing ever. Never a punishment (which I'm sure they don't).
That's the only suggestions I can think of. We hand out a crate training pamphlet when we adopt out dogs. I might have one at home from when I got Taggart. I can check tonight and scan it in to you.

[SWHouston]

OH ok 45 lbs !

Boxer Mixes need about 2 square feet per pound.
You need to get him his own apartment.

[shais_mom]

The crate is not too small if he pooped in it.
Have they tried putting him in the crate for short periods of time and gradually make the periods longer?
Feed him in the crate. Keep his favorite toys in there. Make the crate the happiest thing ever. Never a punishment (which I'm sure they don't).
That's the only suggestions I can think of. We hand out a crate training pamphlet when we adopt out dogs. I might have one at home from when I got Taggart. I can check tonight and scan it in to you.

AWESOME thanks Cindy!

[Freedom]

Not clear to me if he broke out and then pooped, or if he pooped IN the crate.

Either way, he NEEDED TO GO and was stuck! A dog will NOT poop in his sleeping area unless he has to, and most then want to get as far away from that as possible. So from the way I read your info, they are not letting him out often enough for him to do his business. Or maybe it is often, but not at the TIMES he has to go.

I have 2 dogs who poop an hour after eating; and 3 who poop 3 hours after eating. Of course they can't all be on the same schedule! So that would be one thing for them to consider.

Another thing to think about is his past. How long was he in the shelter? Is anything about his life before then known? Tasha is my puppy mill rescue, spent all her life in a cage until she was almost 5 years old (when she was rescued). She will not go NEAR a crate, nor would I ever expect her to. Hobie was not in a crate or cage, I know. But he needs to have good feelings about the place, and the steps already provided are good ones.

So that is 2 things to consider.

[shais_mom]

Not clear to me if he broke out and then pooped, or if he pooped IN the crate.

BOTH The first time he broke out then pooped in the living room and the 2nd he pooped in his crate.

Either way, he NEEDED TO GO and was stuck! A dog will NOT poop in his sleeping area unless he has to, and most then want to get as far away from that as possible. So from the way I read your info, they are not letting him out often enough for him to do his business. Or maybe it is often, but not at the TIMES he has to go.

i'm not sure but IF you are assuming he spends all his time in his crate and they only take him out to potty you are wrong, its the opposite. He is only in his crate when they aren't home or when they are sleeping. This is what I did with Keegan and what they did with their previous dog.

He wasn't at the Humane Soc for very long I don't believe, they think about 3 weeks. He was picked up as a stray so nothing is known about his history. They are trying to make it a positive place and I think he feels its positive unless they aren't home. I/They also know that if he had to go - he had to go.
Other than the Kong and treats, Sandie, do you have any other suggestions on how to make it positive? Thanks!

[Taz_Zoee]

I found the crate training pamphlet from when we adopted Taggart. That was in 2008. The one we use now is different (at least in appearance). My computer is not hooked up to the scanner so I can't scan it in tonight. But I will take it to work and scan it in tomorrow. Then this weekend when I'm at arf I'm going to get a copy of the more recent pamphlet we use and send that to you as well.
This old pamphlet combines crate training and housetraining. In our folders now we have a pamphlet for each individually. I'm not even liking what's in this older one. Do you think you could wait until Saturday night and I can get one from ARF when I'm there??

[shais_mom]

THANKS SO MUCH CINDY!

[Taz_Zoee]

I am so sorry!! We had the most adorable Papillon puppies at ARF over the weekend and I was just watching them all the time when I wasn't processing a contract and I completely forgot to get a copy of the crate training pamphlet. But I asked my supervisor, who adopted a dog a couple years ago, to bring in his copy of the pamphlet from his folder. Hopefully its not the old one like I have for Taggart. Otherwise, my only other option is to wait until next week (I'm not going to ARF this weekend) and get a copy from my SIL who adopted a dog a couple months ago.
I am working on it............I promise!!!

[shais_mom]

I am so sorry!! We had the most adorable Papillon puppies at ARF over the weekend and I was just watching them all the time when I wasn't processing a contract and I completely forgot to get a copy of the crate training pamphlet. But I asked my supervisor, who adopted a dog a couple years ago, to bring in his copy of the pamphlet from his folder. Hopefully its not the old one like I have for Taggart. Otherwise, my only other option is to wait until next week (I'm not going to ARF this weekend) and get a copy from my SIL who adopted a dog a couple months ago.
I am working on it............I promise!!!

lol I think I would be watching them too! I LOVE them!
no problem. thanks I'm going to PM you my email