# Help!! Spud has destroyed metal crate



## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

Spud has separation issues, and will destroy the house if left alone, so he gets "calming" supplement and is crated when I have to leave him. (I don't think the supplement is working, so advice in that area would help as well.) His crate is heavy wire which he has managed to break the welds in and break it so badly that it won't stay together anymore. He can't be put in the outside kennel, because he can clear the 6ft fence! I'm afraid to tie him out because of all the stray dogs, and the neighbors I can't trust not to steal him. I need HELP!!!

Spud is currently in training as an Autism service dog, so goes many places with us, but not all. I hate leaving him alone, but sometimes there is no choice. I need something that can contain him inside the house!


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

I believe the only thing to do is to get a heavy duty crate like they use in dog kennels. 
We had a dog who destroyed our crate but we got heavy duty wire pieces and wired it back together. Reinforced in the places that were still together.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Brandy manages to unlatch the door and pull it inside somehow. I have had to padlock her in . I tried wire ties etc but she chews them off. Somehow she managed to undo a "C" clamp and get out.

Valerian is a good calming supplement, you could even try melatonin about 20 minutes before you leave.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

beccachow said:


> Brandy manages to unlatch the door and pull it inside somehow. I have had to padlock her in . I tried wire ties etc but she chews them off. Somehow she managed to undo a "C" clamp and get out.
> 
> Valerian is a good calming supplement, you could even try melatonin about 20 minutes before you leave.


Valerian hasn't worked at all.
I'm currently trying "Quiet Moments Calming Aid" with no luck.
I plan on getting Melatonin next time I go out.


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## dlskidmore (Apr 18, 2012)

Have you tried an anti-bark collar? It helps keep them in a calmer state of mind. They get themselves worked up more with the barking. Like a little child that starts crying and then forgets why they are crying and are just crying because crying makes their head hurt. Be sure to follow the collar instructions, and start at the lowest stimulation setting when you are home to watch the dog's reactions.

Don't respond to noises the dog makes when in the crate, you're just teaching him to remain agitated to get your attention. When you come home, wait for him to calm down and get bored with his fussing before letting him out. Put the child in another room if the dog's fussing distresses him.

Also when home, do what you can to make the crate a safe, fun place. Feed meals in there, have a command for going in and reward obedience for going in and out on command. If the autistic child is interested, put both child and dog down for a nap in the crate (door open).

I have to crate my dogs when I work, and my dogs love their crates. They have their little routines, and know to go get in the crate without me asking at meal time and when I'm getting ready to leave the house.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

I haven't tried a bark collar, but he doesn't bark when I'm in the house. The only time I've ever heard this dog bark was once at a stranger, and after I'm outside getting in the car. If I come back in the house because I forgot something or whatever, he quiets immediately. He will go in and out of the crate on his own all the time to retrieve toys or put them back. I haven't ever paid attention to him when he makes racket in the cage, only when he's quietly sitting or laying down. I've tried leaving for short times and coming back. I've tried having special treats he only is allowed to have in the crate. He destroyed his Kong the first day he had it. I'm afraid to leave things like that in now because I don't want him to swallow them!


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## Cali (Mar 16, 2012)

A bark collar is likely to make him more phobic. 
Check out DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) diffusers, you can order them from amazon in a plug-in version and keep it near the crate. 
It would be a large investment but you may consider a heavier duty metal crate. I had a student who had to purchase a steel crate. It was heavy and huge but it kept his dog in.


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## JasoninMN (Feb 24, 2006)

Does he sleep in a crate at night? If he doesn't he needs too start because you are home to stop him when he starts pitching a fit. As soon as he starts to scratch, whine, or chew on the crate you needs to correct the behavior. If he doesn't stop with a verbal correction, spray him with water.


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## BoldViolet (Feb 5, 2009)

My best friend's pit bull would break out of ANYTHING.

They finally got this:
ProSelect Empire Dog Cages | PetEdge.com

And have had zero problems keeping her in it.


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

Check Craig's List each day. I see some heavy duty solid steel or aluminum crates on there once in a while. The ones with solid metal sides and a few air vents up top.

He is breaking out because he broke out in the past and knows he can do it again. Put him in a bomb proof kennel and he will soon realize breaking out is no longer an option and give up trying.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

If spud is that hyper, I wouldn't consider using him for a service dog. just my opinion.

I have a Pyr/Anatolian mix who is the same way. She cannot stand to be alone at all, and will just go wild. She broke the welds in a giant dog crate when she was spayed and had to be crated for a few days. Your vet can give you something to calm him and make him sleep, but it isn't a long-term solution. 
I assume you have already tried Bach's rescue remedy? You might just try upping the dose to see if that helps. Florals are very calming if you use a high enough dose. In China they are used for bp issues because they do calm so well.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

mekasmom said:


> If spud is that hyper, I wouldn't consider using him for a service dog. just my opinion.


He's not hyper at all, except when left alone. He is the most laid back dog I've ever met! He just doesn't like being left alone. He has already passed much of his training with flying colors.

He does not sleep in the crate, but before he was completely housebroken he did without a problem. He has no problem being in the crate while we eat meals, or any other time we are inside the house. It is always when we leave.

Boldviolet, I looked at those but WOW $$$$

I've decided to build one with angle metal and goat panels. He shouldn't be able to break out, and I can make it roomier for him.

I'm also checking into other supplemental things. I heard recently about a product called Composure that vets are recommending as "the thing" for separation anxious animals.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

My akita decided after I got hospitalized randomly overnight one day that she needed to come find me and could no longer be kept in a metal crate. We got the most durable metal crate everyone raved about and it lasted one night. We put her back in a plastic crate and ziptied the door latch on because prior to the metal crate she popped the latch on a plastic crate. Then shoved something heavy up against the door so she couldn't bend the bars. It took a month of retraining but she learned she couldn't escape and I kept coming home again instead of disappearing so she stopped breaking her crate. We then worked on not pawing the crate door or doing anything that could bend it or she would not get let out when we got home.

While it may seem unrelated I would suggest obedience classes. They learn confidence and self control which helps them with separation anxiety. And forget about the metal bar crates. They'll just be scrap metal repeatedly.


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## BoldViolet (Feb 5, 2009)

farmmom said:


> Boldviolet, I looked at those but WOW $$$$


Oh, I know. :stars:

But my friend figured it was cheaper to buy that thing once than to keep replacing crates.


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