End of crate reprieve!

Well that's the end if Remus' crate reprieve! I decided to get rid of it after finding out he was weekng in it but I have just got home, for the second day running, to his 'doings' hall curtains ripped, car seat pulled over and chewed (eve though I sprayed it with the last of the bitter apple spray), all the shoes pulled off the shoe shelf, the lead and collar box emptied and contents chewed, wee in the hallway etc etc.

That was just two and a half hours away from him. All the destruction is centred around the front door, so I presume it is anxiety rather than boredom as nothing is touched in the kitchen, hallway, landing and bathroom which they had the run off.

As I came up the road I could hear his repetitive bark bark bark bark.

It is starting to wear very very thin and I'm loosing my patience. It's spoiling any time out with the girls because I'm worried what he is getting up to at home!

It's really frustrating as this was not what he was doing when we first got him!

Knowing about why he's doing it doesn't help I'm afraid, and yes I feel callous saying it but I just wish he'd hurry up and get over it! I'm putting the crate back up tonight, ordering some more bitter apple spray to paint on the bars and he is going to just have to lump it!

Thankfully someone has offered to lend me a car for month which Is amazingly kind so we shall see how he improves once we are able to walk in the woods with my dog walker friend and all her charges.

I'm sorry if I sound heartless but I seem to be having an empathy bypass where this is concerned....probably because I feel powerless to change it and im concerend about our neighbours complaining to our landlord. Today he had an hour and a halfs walk with some playing with a big lab, wees and a few biscuits to tide him over, his dap collar on, dap spray sprayed on all the dog beds and cushions and a zyklene tablet half an hour before we left!

Once the cage is back up I'm going to start using my old dressing gown as a signal to him that nothing he does will get my attention and see if that helps.

Any other ideas on now to remedy this would be grately appreciated please!

Catrin - would it be the end of the world if Remus had to go back in his crate when you are out?

Pereg has never had a crate [no room for one here] but for various reasons she can not be left loose in the bungalow even when I am out for half an hour to go to the macolet as there is nowhere safe to leave her. Forget about safety for my belongings, but safety for her.

So she is clipped onto a lightweight chain leash fixed inside the doorway - has plenty of room to walk around, sit/lay down, then get up and plonk around again, and yet not have enough length to hurt herself.

It probably sounds cruel but was advised by my Vet after she had had a major seizure when loose in the bungalow and had ended up under a pile of boxes.

No, as long as he will accept it again. He had started weeing in it and wrecked it from the inside twice...pulled the door right up from the inside! He's never been great with the crate to be honest.

I will have to look into getting another one though as the one we have now he barely fits.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i.../image-123.jpg
photobucket seems to playing up and won't give me the right ode!

All mine have come from http://www.doghealth.co.uk/ they are sturdy and well made. I also cover them so that they have a den like feel to them, although none of mine have ever objected to being in a crate. It's far better to come home to a crate full of pee and a house in one piece than constantly worry about what he's wrecking now. It doesn't have to be forever just until he's mentally more mature and there's no fixed age for that. the bit that he pulls inside you could use some quick links on to make it more secure or even cable ties.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/stainless-steel-quick-link

Thanks Trouble. I try to cover at least three sides with old towels but he pulls them through the bars. Good idea about the cable ties. I was concerned that the weeing in the crate was distressing him further and delaying his toilet training even more.

I have just realised that I did not word my last post correctly. Of course Pereg is loose in the bungalow when I am home and the door is closed, I was talking about her being left when I was not at home, and for the half hour that it takes me to go across to the macolet she is clipped on a leash indoors where she cannot hurt herself should she have a seizure. She is much safer than were she left in a crate and as the leash is attacked to her harness there is no possibility of her getting caught in in and strangling herself.

don't know how you'll feel about this suggestion. You may or may not know my girls all live in big outside kennels, they have rubber matting down with shavings on top, heat lamps if it gets cold, so hardly mistreated. Was wondering if you had thought about an outside run for him, one of my girls is horrendous if she is in the house when I go out, outside she is fine and never a murmer from her, she is quite happy there in her own kingdom (or should I say queendom ) She can come and go as she pleases, they are all walked and cleaned out before I go anywhere,then are given large bones and then they zonk out for the afternoon.

Catrin, you are not being heartless.
Was wondering if you had a secure garden,maybe he could stay there while you are out?
So happy to hear you can borrow a car,will make things so much easier for you

Sorry just read TW suggestion,sounds great