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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Crated during the day.

42 replies

Archiesnan · 01/05/2014 14:10

We have a 6 month old french bulldog who is crate trained and sleeps lovely in it during the night. The problem is over the last few days he's been in it for an hour and half while I work and when I've come home he's moved it across the room. He's very upset and anxious. I make sure he has something to play with and it's nice and comfy for him. Any advice on how I can help him to feel less stressed in it during the day. Thank you.

OP posts:

marshharrier · 01/05/2014 19:09

There is a reason this is happening- it is distressing her. At quite rightly so- it's cruel. Would you like to be kept behind pieces of metal where you could barely move with no privacy to go to the toilet or access to food and water? No.

I'm not going to jump on a bandwagon of you being a terrible dog owner- I'm sure you have your reasons for doing what you are doing- but re consider.

What are your reasons behind keeping him crated? Because he is destructive? Get her training. Because you can't be bother clearing up the odd puddle of urine? Don't be lazy and understand that it comes with the territory.

Could you not hire a dog walker to do a two hour walk with him if that's only how long you are out for??

Sorry but it sounds like you are one of these people who jumped into getting a dog without thinking about what will happen down the road and if you aren't ready for the responsibility of it- maybe you need to consider re homing him to someone who is.

LEMmingaround · 01/05/2014 19:13

Please don't make him stay in the crate while you are out :( have him in the crate, but leave the door open, you are setting up him up for separation anxiety - he is happy in it of a night because he knows you are in the house. If you continue to force this issue he wont be happy during the night and you'll have a big problem. Does he absolutely need to be in this? he is not a big dog

littlewhitebag · 01/05/2014 19:15

Jeez marshharrier Harsh or what? OP does not at all sound like she has jumped into owning a job without thought at all. How do you know her dog can't move or has no water?

Many dogs are crated when their owners are out (mine is and she settles down and snoozes when left).

She is only leaving her dog for an hour and a half. That is absolutely fine. The dog is obviously stressed but i really don't thing homing is the answer.

OP - i have no solutions but i am sure someone will come along with good advice soon.

FiveExclamations · 01/05/2014 19:15

Are you walking him before you go out? A tired dog is more likely to relax while you are gone in my experience.

Have you got a hard floored area of the house that you can make his where his crate can live with the door open? Perhaps with a blanket over the crate so it's a nice secure little cave?

I would also consider getting something like a Kong, filling it with dog food and leaving it with him while you are out. Then you going out becomes something he can look forward to because he's getting something tasty and interesting.

littlewhitebag · 01/05/2014 19:16

think rehoming - sorry - typo.

marshharrier · 01/05/2014 19:22

I've never seen cages with built in water bowls or ones that would fit one in without a dog knocking it over as soon as they move. Correct me if I'm wrong of course.

I just can't understand why someone would need to keep a dog crated for long periods of time unless their is training issues (owners laziness) or because the OP can't be bothered to clean the odd mess up from the floor.

Original poster

Archiesnan · 01/05/2014 19:32

Wow I honestly did not expect that flaming marshharrrier. Did you mean to be so rude and judgmental ? I'm a terrible dog owner for leaving him in a place he usually is happy and content ? Where in my post did I say I put him in because I really can't be bothered to clean up the odd puddle? You really think we should re home him because of this? Seriously you could not be more wrong.

OP posts:

Original poster

Archiesnan · 01/05/2014 19:39

How is an hour and half a long period ? This dog is a much loved member of our family and I came on for advice because of this.

OP posts:

AlpacaLypse · 01/05/2014 19:42

I run a dogwalking/pet care agency.

At six months it's not unreasonable to think going out for an hour and a half will be okay, and a great many dogs will be perfectly happy - however yours obviously isn't.

If you came to us with this, I'd probably pick her up/get you to drop her with me or one of my staff, and have her with us, walking or riding with us in the car or round our house, while you're out.

boobyooby · 01/05/2014 19:43

What about trying a few towels / blanket over the cage for this 90 minutes? Doggy might be more inclined to sleep instead until you return! Maybe also leave a radio on so outside noises have less impact.

EyelinerQueen · 01/05/2014 19:47

Just ignore the hysterical poster OP.

My 8 month old pup loves her crate.

If I'm going out during the day (because newsflash: dog owners do occasionally leave their houses!) I walk her first and then give her a filled Kong to entertain her. I'm never gone for more than 2 hours. I get back, she goes straight out for a pee/poo (she has never once soiled her crate) and normal service is resumed.

Her crate is really big so it's more like her own part of the room than a tiny cage . It keeps her safe and out of trouble and means my furniture doesn't get ruined. Win win!

coffeeinbed · 01/05/2014 19:49

I've never used a crate.

So what do you do once the pup grows up?
Does she still need to stay in the crate?

Original poster

Archiesnan · 01/05/2014 19:51

Littlewhitebag and fiveExclamations thank you. He was walked before and was sleepy so I was shocked when I came in. Is it really too long for him to be in during the day ? He's not left alone usually but our daughter is away. He is house trained, he just likes to sit on the back of the chair and look out of the window, I was worried incase he fell off so thought he was safer in the crate. I will get a kong and if he's left again I shall use that. I think I will also try leaving him out.

OP posts:

LEMmingaround · 01/05/2014 19:58

some good advice from five there.

I suspect he is unhappy because you have left him rather than being left in the crate if he is happy in it during the night. Where is the crate normally? is it in the same place that is usually is?

When we first moved into our house (years ago now) we would shut our dog in the living room, he could get to the kitchen but not upstairs. After a few weeks we got a letter from our new neighbours saying that the dog was howling the place down when we went out . We started leaving the door open but keeping bedroom doors shut etc, he didn't do it anymore after that. Maybe your dog thinks you are somewhere else in the house and is trying to get to you?

Original poster

Archiesnan · 01/05/2014 20:08

The crate is in the same place and it's covered the same as for night. I think it is more because I left than because he has crated. There is always someone with him. He loves human contact, even if he's stood next to you he has his paw on your foot. We have a gate on so he couldn't get upstairs so leaving him out will be worth trying. Thank you.

OP posts:

LEMmingaround · 01/05/2014 20:12

shut him in the living room when we were out, i meant to say!

Goldmandra · 01/05/2014 20:15

I've never seen cages with built in water bowls or ones that would fit one in without a dog knocking it over as soon as they move. Correct me if I'm wrong of course.

Both of our dogs have water bowls that hook on the side of the crate. They drink from them quite happily and never knock them off.

Our 2YO terrier cross is very happy to be left in her crate when we're out but, quite rightly, gets upset if she's left locked in there and knows that we're around. If we've ever covered her crate with towels or blankets she's made a game of pulling them through and ripping them up so we don't do that any more. She injured her back quite badly doing it recently.

We know she's happy in the crate because she's always happy to get in it and sometimes, when we come back, she'll look up and wag her tail in welcome but not actually get up from her comfy bed when we open the door. She also chooses to lie in it for long periods during the evenings too. The JRT loves his crate too and stays in there for hours even when we're home unless there's a walk, play, cuddles or food in the offing.

Crates are not cruel if used correctly.

OP, we recently had to have one of ours on several weeks of crate rest. Kongs filled with cream cheese and treats then frozen really helped her feel better about it.

FiveExclamations · 01/05/2014 20:18

Is it really too long for him to be in during the day ?

I think it depends on the dog, FiveDog didn't mind his crate during the day (I only work a couple of hours a day) while we were out but absolutely hated it at night so we let him sleep on a cushion by our bed at night.

During the day and once he'd grown a bit we left the crate door open and used stair gates to give him the run of the hall and bathroom, when he got bigger still we ditched the crate and got him a basket. These days when I get home he's usually on his back with all four paws in the air grinning at me.

Interesting that yours isn't usually left alone during the day, is that not ever, or just rarely? The change is obviously making him anxious, if it becomes necessary again I'd suggest to work up to it gradually, as we did with absences, short periods at first (still with a Kong or similar).

You could also try some short absences with him parked on the back of your sofa and see if you can leave him alone without him chewing it . I wouldn't trust FiveDog an inch with ours.

LEMmingaround · 01/05/2014 20:27

Try to keep your leaving low key, the same when you come back. We all fall into the trap of making a big fuss of the dogs when we get home. Why wouldn't you, they are pleased to see you jumping all over you. Give him the kong - try putting chappy in it as its really hard to get out and just leave. Don't make a fuss. If he still frets, just go out for a few minutes then return, gradually build it up. He'll get used to it though.

Original poster

Archiesnan · 01/05/2014 20:36

He wonders in out out of it all day, sometimes for a nap or just to sniff around so I know it's not the crate.

There is always someone with him or in the house with him, if we all go out we just take him with us. I think the change just made him anxious.

The only thing he has ever chewed is my glasses and that was months ago so I'm sure the sofa will be safe. If I'm in this position again I will leave him out.

I hope people don't think I'm an irresponsible owner, we did a lot of research before committing to a dog and didn't jump into buying one.

OP posts:

LEMmingaround · 01/05/2014 20:40

Im just jealous that you have a french bulldog. :) the thing is, you need to be able to leave him so work on getting him used to being left rather than reducing the time you leave him.

greatscott81 · 01/05/2014 20:41

I know my dogs would hate being left in a cage because they would be bored. I expect your dog disliked the change in routine and wondered why he had been crated during the day. If he normally likes to watch the world go by from an elevated position when you're out, this is quite a change in pattern for him and it would have caused some distress. It also highlights that he's quite alert and is enjoying his role protecting the house. By putting him on the cage on the floor during the day, you are diminishing his role in the house (in his view). If your only concern is him falling off the back of the chair then I wouldn't worry - I've never known a dog to do themselves any harm in this way. I'm not saying you're a bad dog owner - we all have to go out of the house and get on with our lives - but if he's house trained and you won't come back to a path of destruction, I would let him be.

Owllady · 01/05/2014 20:49

It's not a cage, it's a crate
And tbh this has been the first dog I have crate trained and its been so much easier and she goes in there of her own accord
The op was leaving him for an hour and a half, she didn't climb mount Snowdon whilst he was in there.

greatscott81 · 01/05/2014 20:54

What's the difference? I'm not asking to be churlish, I'm genuinely interested. The dog is being confined in a specifically designated space . . . contained by bars? Do both words not fit the bill?

Goldmandra · 01/05/2014 20:59

What's the difference? I'm not asking to be churlish, I'm genuinely interested. The dog is being confined in a specifically designated space . . . contained by bars? Do both words not fit the bill?

Would you put your baby in a cot? They are contained in a specific space by bars. It is a cage then.

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