Bob's A Bit Aggressive

[DIANESDOGS]

Does Bob like his crate? And have you noticed any change in his response to crating after introducing his timeouts periodically? Just watch carefully for any negative effects, but if used sparingly, your approach can foster the positive results you desire.

[BOBS DAD]

Yes Diane, Bob does like his crate. It is where he often get treats for doing good things. After an eventful and positive play session, Bob will often get a treat, but before he does, he has to sit or listen to a simple command, and then, he is told "get in your crate - or box as we refer to it". He scampers over to it and goes in and sits down in his bed, awaiting his treat.

He easily retires to it at night now and goes in on command, and often wanders in himself at around 10:00ish - as he seems to wind down and call it quits at this time. As for the occasional time-out, it doesn't seem to affect him much with regards to "where he is at". It's almost like he understands that we want him to calm down. He just plops down into his bed, sits there and cocks his head back and forth, looking at us and seems to do just that - calm down. We generally don't even lock the cage. Sometimes we don't even close the door. He seems to administer his own self confinement and after a brief period, he stands up and comes out (pushing the door open with his nose if it is closed).

Bob's a card when it comes to that crate. early on, he figured how to open it from the inside - setting himself free to roam the house and eventually visit us in our upstairs bedrooms about 4-5:00 ish AM. He would get out the top hatch door (this crate has one on those top hatches in addition to front door) of all things. He was so little, he could barely even reach the top while standing fully on his back legs. We couldn't figure out how we was doing this.

Then one day Lizzie was home early from school and she watched him do this, and even had the presence of mind to photograph (as best as she could this endeavor). She called me at work, giggling and excited with her news, "Bob just escaped the crate!!! HOW HE DID IT? Well, he would stand on the edge of his bed (making him about 6-7 inches taller). Jump up and hit the roof hatch with his head. He did this until the lock latch would flip over to a mirror possition. Then he would stand on his legs and paw at it in the slide open direction until it slid far enough to disengage. Then it was easy but comical. He would jump up, hit roof with head. Roof would bounce upward slightly. He'd catch his paws on the ledge and hang. He'd then push his head up through, wriggle his shoulders up and through - all the while his back feet dangling, pawing and dancing in air. Then he'd pull the rest of himself up and through. Now standing on the top of crate, the hatch would fall back down in place, he'd shake himself off and jump down and off to some adventure.

We watched him perform this task several times afterwards before outfoxing him by switching the latch lever position to a spot where no jostling moves it. He had bounced his head against the roof for a while till he figured out it doesn't work anymore.

Pretty funny, we have a few decent pics of this escape maneuver and perhaps we will post sometime. Also funny because until we discovered his tactics, I was blamimg everyone and mostly kids for unlatching the lever and allowing Bob to escape at nights. Of course everyone denied doing this, but they've denied many other things in the past too! And so, I was somewhat suspect!!!

[Dixieland Dancer]

Bob sounds like he is adjusting well to his new environment. He's one very lucky pup!

[ktreva52]

He's also a very clever pup! What a thought process it took for him to figure out the overhead crate door! And people call them 'dumb' animals! Ha, I say again, HA!!

Chris