She’s a lab/husky mix. She has broken out of 3 cages and is hurting herself. We keep toys in the crate and she has a thunder shirt. We can’t trust her out by herself while we’re gone. We’ve literally tried everything!
Our previous pitbull had this issue and got some serious injuries. A good plastic crate with multiple strategic zip ties kept her in but then broke a toe while trying to escape and even the pain from the toe didn't stop her. I finally spoke to the rescue we got her from and they told me how to retrain her and it worked but took a lot of time and patience. She was already trained on a correction collar so I would crate her and sit there and any time she nosed the door or sides I would give her a buzz and when she laid down and chilled I would let her out and not give any affection until she chilled out again. Once she got better with that (not necessarily perfect) we started getting her to stay in it with the door open while we watched TV. It was also important to get her to go in without forcing her. This wasn't immediately accomplished either and I would have to make her at first but by not always making her stay inside it she would go in and eventually I didn't have to force her in. I wouId crate her and wait until she laid down before leaving even though it took forever at first. I also did that just while I fake got ready because she knew when I was getting ready to leave and would start panicking. And again with the collar, I set up a video feed (just used my computer signed into my husband's Skype and my phone signed into my Skype) and would step out the door, maybe start the car and open the garage to try to trick her and give her a buzz when she nosed the door and she would settle down so I would come back inside. It worked amazingly so I was sure to work slowly with our current pit on crate training and she had a rough start but has done great. I didn't need a correction collar for our current dog because she wasn't already as bad. I feed her and have her sleep in her crate and don't leave until she is laid down and chill and don't let her out until she is laid down and chill. She does it quickly now because she knows and doesn't get anxious in the first place. That's the goal. When we first started leaving her, I would step outside and wait on her to stop crying before coming back in. It's so much easier starting from scratch. It's their mindset and that is the only way to change it. Also if you have a vet that will temporarily (or permanently) prescribe meds to help that's awesome. Our vet wouldn't do that. She was stingy with meds, but I think she was also trying to force us to do the training which is the ...
How old is she and how much exercise does she get? A lab/husky mix is gonna figure out most kennels. She probably needs to walk at least 3 miles per day, more if she is less than two years old. A heavy duty plastic crate may be harder for her to break out. 30 minutes of exercise and 5 to 10 minutes of training before going in the crate could help her settle down. A tired dog is a well behaved dog!
I had the same exact issue with my Dachshund/Beagle mix. He could break or figure out how to get out of every single crate and was hurting himself.
We ended up buying him a crate with the tagline "The Alcatraz of dog crates" and it works! We put a caribiner in one of the latches, so he can't unlatch it. I'm telling you, this thing is amazing. Not the most homey crate, but it keeps him confined and safe. It's expensive, but worth it. He's had it for 5 years now and has not gotten out or hurt himself anymore.
https://www.petedge.com/zpetedgemain/catalog/productDetail.jsf?sort=TA&wec-appid=PEDM (https://www.petedge.com/zpetedgemain/...)WEBSHOPTR&itemKey=005056A633791ED2B59175292C3C6FB3&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7IDiBRCLARIsABIPohitgKmrUUru5P-PY1uUsFjOuKWsYCs4VsRayrCG87sQar2mb1IYIaArfcEALw_wcB
I hope this helps!!! Best of luck! 😊
you can put clips on the cage doors. using either clips like the kind you find at the end of a leash or you can use clips that you need to screw closed.
We’ve tried that too. She’s busting through anyway. She’s very strong. Thanks for the help.
Get an Appropriate Cage. This is the NUMBER ONE way to stop your dog that gets out. ... Trick Your Canine. Set a trap for your puppy. ... Regular Exercise. Walk them regularly. ... Don't Be Dramatic When Leaving. Don't pamper them too much. ... Fix Breaking Out Points. ... Keep Them Entertained.
First of all, your dog has to be crate trained. This means he needs to be in there for short periods of time, gradually increasing the time little by little so that he gets comfortable being alone in the crate. (ie: 5 min alone, 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, 1 hour, etc) then rewarded extensively for not barking/whining, for not trying to get out, and for relaxing in the crate. If he starts to try to get out after 10 min, go back to only doing 5 min at a time, etc. Be sure he has a chew toy in there to keep him busy. Your goal is to make him LOVE his crate and willingly go there whenever he is relaxing and needs some alone time. If a dog loves his crate, he will not try to get out. This may take several days or weeks.
If you choose to crate train your dog, then by all means have him in the crate during the day, it should not be a problem because he is crate trained and finds his crate to be his "den", his place of comfort. However, PLEASE have someone come in the middle of the day! If you're gone 8 hours, PLEASE have someone come 4 hours in to play with your dog, take him outside and keep him company for a bit. Also please take him out for a walk before AND after, a dog needs to stretch his legs after laying out all day!
Some more tips: Don't leave anything in there that you don't want a dog to be able to chew on, including blankets, until he is trustworthy enough NOT to chew on them. It's best to prevent a habit BEFORE it happens, rather than to try to change a habit after it is formed. If you want your dog to be comfortable in his crate you can get a nice little crate bed as long as there is still enough space in the crate.
If you did not crate train your dog, my solution would be to buy a doggy gate or playpen that you can secure very firmly to the wall. Test it to make sure it will not fall if pushed/jumped on. Make sure it is tall enough so your dog cannot easily jump over it. Attach it to the walls around his crate and leave some chew toys to keep your dog occupied. Put in a dog bed and a water bowl and lots of toys! This way he will not feel trapped inside the box that he was not trained to love yet.
Same rule applies about getting someone to come during the day, though.
Could you get some kind of lock for the crate?
Try s heavy duty, high anxiety crate. Impact makes one. The vent holes are smaller so teeth, noses, paws can't get through or hook on and the inside is completely smooth so nothing to latch on too. Expect to pay though. Run $700-1500. But trust me... cheaper than vet bills and home rehab!