Cage

I have a small dog that is terrified of being put in a dog crate or cage. What can I do?

He has broken the wire grates and gets out of the cage.

Public Comments

1. dont put him in a cage
2. get a gate and put him/her in the room but get a really good crate and put him/her in there at night. Thats what I do with mine!
3. reinforce the crate, and tell him tough sh*t
4. Don't put him in one, its just torturing the poor dog.
5. maybe a little hannibal-style trolley?
6. Give him some liquid gravol so he'll sleep.
7. you can sedate him, we had to crate our dog to travel a long distance, contact your vet and get a mild sedative he will sleep the entire trip.
8. Don't put him in the cage, it probably feels like a coffin to it.
9. Try a leash instead. You might have to show him that there is no harm in getting in the box. Even if that means demonstrating it yourself. Dogs are smart and understand. But right now he feels as though being in that box is a threat to him. You have to show him that it's not. Just like a child who thinks theres a boogey man beneather their bed. You'll need patience as well.
10. Give him treats and praise him everytime you put him in the cage. He will beg to go in before you know it.
11. I had the same problem with my dog, and I love crate training, but my dog just could not tolerate it. He would work himself into such a frenzy when we crated him that he actually injured himself. I tried everything I could think of to help. Music, Tv On, padding inside the crate, toys, treats....everything, but he would still try to escape to the point that he was doing himself physical harm. I ended up just closing all the doors, and gating him up in the living room, with our older dog. He was a lot better with that solution, I would rather have a destroyed couch than a dog with a broken leg.
12. make going in his crate a positive thing for him. reward him using positive reinforcement
13. Don't let your dog run your life. Put him in a crate, instead of a wire cage with a blanket and a toy. Make sure it's the proper size. If he cries, don't say anything. He will eventually become to love it. Don't listen to ppl telling you it's torture, or that he shouldn't be one. Dogs will grow to love their crate more then any other place for them.
14. Don't put it in a crate, give it the laundry room, put a sleeping basket in there, and toys, put a gate at the door, It's possible it came from a "puppy Mill" and therefore spent it's beginning to life in a crate and was treated badly.
15. In my family, my cousin owns a small dog [Yorkie/Terrier mix] that will not go into a crate. Here is what they do for her: The lock her in the bathroom with her bed, a bowl of food, a bowl of water, and she is house-trained so will not make any messes. She whines, but cannot get out. She can stay like this at night, mostly, but for short periods during the day. Sometimes during the day, they put her in a small area in wash-room, with a small board at least 5 times taller than herself laying sideways across the entrance to the room. So this way, people can get in and out easily, she is monitored, and still knows what is going on. I'd make the board higher if your dog is a jumper! Hope this helps somewhat. Let me know how it goes! ~Cheyenne <3
16. Crates just don't work for some dogs. Try making it a safe-haven for him. Put him there with some treats if he is scared, let him go there if strangers show up ETC. But a crate just might not work for him. You may have to confine him to a smaller room with gates.
17. Have you tried putting him in while you're at home and playing with him while he's in there? My dog was the same way. I would put him in the crate when he was younger (before house broken) and he was terrified but then I got him use to it by playing with him while he was in there and letting him (while inside the crate) just sit next to my chair while I was at home watching television or at my desk, and it only took a couple of days for him to get use to being in there. Patience is a virtue...for us all! GOOD LUCK, Hope this helps! CL
18. the dog is not comfortable with a crate. you need to train him. have him eat all his meals in the crate. (no exceptions! he'll eat in there if he's actually hungry!) at first, don't close the door while he eats. then start closing the door and latching it only when he's eating. as soon as he's done, open it back up. then gradually you can leave it shut longer and longer. (increase in 2-5 minute increments.) tell him what a good dog he is. don't ever let him out when he's biting the crate or making a fuss. let him out any time that he's calm for a few seconds. don't forget praise and treats when he's good. some dogs may never get used to being confined, though. some will even break all their teeth off trying to get out of the crate so don't EVER force the dog into it when you know he's not comfortable because it will just make him more scared. there are crates available that are made of steel and have mesh instead of grates so that the dog can't chew them. if the dog needs to be crated for his own safety, you might want to invest in one of these.
19. How long is he kept in the crate?
20. The easiest way to get a pup to like their crate is to feed them in it My dogs bounce their crates off the wall because they get in them so fast, and then they about tip them over because their tails are going so hard.
21. Give him treats while in the cage. The operating value here is "too bad". He has no choice other than to accept the crate. Is the crate the right size for him? Some people buy the correct size for a pup, but forget the adult size. Could he lie down and sit up? I have seen people use dog leash clips to close a wire cage along it's seam. You could buy them at hard ware stores. How long do you leave him in the cage, BTW?