# Our dog chewed through our wire crate...I'm at the end of my rope.



## SarahMaria

I am posting this wondering if anyone has any advice for our family and our dog, who has severe separation anxiety. Her destructive behaviors have pretty much caused us to be at the point where we are considering trying to medicate her - or finding someone else to take her, which my husband desperately wants to avoid.

Here's our story. Lily is a 7 year-old 40 lb. mixed-breed dog - her vets think she is a mix with some kind of whippet or beagle. We adopted Lily a year and a half ago from a family that was moving and couldn't care for her anymore. She had lived in both outdoor and indoor-only homes with two families. When we got her, she was living outside by herself, and had a self-heating bed in the garage where she slept and took refuge from bad weather. She was always wanting to come inside, but wasn't allowed since she sheds so much and the family thought she would scratch the new hardwood floors. We live in a two-story townhouse with no yard, and realized it might be hard but thought it would be okay if we gave her lots of exercise. She had also lived in apartments before. It was obvious to us and the other family that she really prefers to be in the house most of the time with people. She adores laying on the couch and being wherever we are. A couple of weeks after having her with us, we left her for about 30 minutes while we walked to the store and back. We returned to find that she had chewed up the carpet next to the door (through the pad to the wood underneath) as well as the door and doorframe. We were really frustrated at that point but wanted badly to keep her and not give up on her. Our vet gave us lots of great advice for behavioral modification that we tried dutifully to desensitize her to us leaving: grabbing our keys/shoes at random times, leaving for short periods and coming right back, not making a big deal out of leaving, and lots of other things. There were times that we left her for 30 minutes or so and she was fine. But most times, she would still try to chew up the carpet. Even if we blocked it with something, she'd just chew on the nearby chair or another carpet spot or whatever. I got mad, because we're now on the hook for owing our landlord a new carpet (thankfully she has no idea right now) and my husband begged and pleaded to keep her. So we tried crate training + continued behavioral modification. We very slowly introduced her to the crate, and over a period of months got her used to the crate which she now thinks of as her living room "spot" and uses voluntarily. We've tried lots of things to help with leaving her in the crate, too. We exercise her a LOT on days we're planning to leave her, give her herbal "calming pills" from the pet store (which I think do nothing), give her bones or other chew toys, settle her in long before we go and don't make a big deal out of leaving. We've done this a total of 6 times - only once were there no problems - and we've never left her for more than 1.5 hrs. She's chewed up the crate pad to pieces (which cost $40), and then chewed up the new crate pad and pillow. We didn't latch the door once, only lifted up so the slats and slid it under on the door frame and she used her nose to lift the door up and got out. Tonight we left her without the crate pad, since we can't afford to keep buying them, and latched the crate thinking she couldn't possibly do any harm secure in her crate. Well, she actually chewed out of her wire crate. The wires are strong and tough, but she bent them and chewed them and now has blood and scratches all over her muzzle. When she gets out, she always goes to the door and tries chewing on a rug or the nearest carpet or whatever she can get at. We contacted the first family she was with, who confirmed she did this same thing when they had her inside their apartment, and this was why they gave her up. The other thing I'll mention is that she also did this once when we left her at a family member's house who left her in their large backyard. She chewed up their backdoor and doorframe and did some real damage, which we are still trying to help our family member take care of.

Other than this behavior she is a real sweet, docile dog. She gets incredibly anxious when left, or when she hears loud rain or thunder (sometimes when it storms she will uncontrollably start shaking, even when held by us.) We treat her very well - give her good quality food, exercise her a TON at parks and on walks, give her treats and lots and lots of attention and love. We don't punish her (though we want to) because we know she wouldn't understand and only increase her anxiety. In order to keep her, we have to board her anytime we want to leave our house together. I love her but hate that anytime we leave, to go to a friend's house for dinner or to a movie or anything, we have to deal with this. We sometimes bring her in the car, which she loves and does great with - but it's sometimes hot where we live and I'm not okay leaving her for more than an hour. Unfortunately we live in a REALLY expensive city and cannot afford to move to a house with a yard. Even if we did, there's no guarantee that she wouldn't just chew up the backdoor like she did at our parents' house.

It has caused us a lot of heartbreak and we don't want to be another family that gives up on her, but I can't take her destructive behavior anymore. In the short period of time that we've had her, she's probably cost us a few thousand dollars' worth of damage. I've had dogs my whole life and am a true animal lover, and don't want to abandon her. I never thought she could chew through the crate and now don't know what to do. My husband is begging to try medication, but if that doesn't work I have no other ideas. If you have any suggestions for us, I'd be most appreciative.


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## Active Dog

Have any of the other owners had other dogs to keep this one distracted while they were away?

Also how much exercise does she get in a day, a ton to you might not be a ton to the dog.


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## SarahMaria

No, she's never lived with other dogs. We've never witnessed her really being interested in other dogs, actually. Big dogs scare her and she tries her best to get as far away as possible. She tolerates small dogs but growls and snaps at them if they nip or bother her incessantly (who wouldn't?!). 

We honestly do exercise her a lot. She gets an hour and a half worth of walks every single day at least (often more), plus an hour of off-leash run time at the park 3-4 days/week. Our townhouse is pretty big and she has lots of room inside to play, also. She's pretty active in her middle years and would probably love more time outside, but we already do spend 1.5 - 2 hrs/day with her outside. We usually take her on an extra long walk (an hour one) or give her time at the park to wear herself out before we leave her. It doesn't seem to make a difference.


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## InkedMarie

A few things. First of all, she needs alot of exercise EVERY DAY, not just days you plan to leave her. You could try L-Theanine, available online & in health food stores but the dog may need true medicationcccc \



InkedMarie said:


> A few things. First of all, she needs alot of exercise EVERY DAY, not just days you plan to leave her. You could try L-Theanine, available online & in health food stores but the dog may need true medicationcccc \


Oops, sorry, keyboard batteries died and somehow, it posted. Okay, she may need true dog medication. You can also try a Thundershirt, designed to help dogs with phobias and have worked well for dogs with SA. I believe it is www.Thundershirt.com. You've already figured out no crate pad is needed. Try a Kong, fill it with some canned food and kibble and freeze it. 
It was wrong of the family who gave her to you to have a dog with these issues and not tell you about it. If you cannot keep the dog, you need to be completely upfront and honest with any other prospective owners. I think you need to find a very good dog behaviorist and start with them. Good luck!


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## wvasko

http://www.petedge.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=45512

The above is link to a beefier crate.


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## InkedMarie

wvasko said:


> http://www.petedge.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=45512
> 
> The above is link to a beefier crate.


that's a nice crate!


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## DJsMom

We have that exact crate we bought from PetEdge for $300 - if you live anywhere near Omaha, NE I'll sell it to you for half that - we've had it less than a year & she's only in it anymore to eat her meals in.

When we first adopted coco she displayed SA characteristics - such as jumping through windows. When we tried crating her for her own safety, she chewed trhough the plastic ones & & worked the bars loose on the wire ones causing a great hazard - I could just imagine one of the bars going through an eye or other facial part. So we got the indestructable crate above & it worked for keeping her in & she couldn't destroy it. But we soon learned that no matter how we tried to condition her crates were only making the anxiety much worse. She was rubbing her nose raw on the bars & bloodying her paws & nails.
We ended up reinforcing all the windows in our large laundry room with wire mesh & blocking her access to them as much as we could & leaving her & DJ out there together & then we would leave - gradually increasing the length of time we were gone. Thank God we can finally comfortably leave her for at least 5 hours at a time now like that & come home to 2 peacefully sleeping dogs & no destruction or having to track the blood trail of a dog that's cut herself jumping out the window!

I guess what I'm saying is you may have to try a lot of things before finding what works best for you & your dog. And it may be costly before you do - we spent a lot of money on different things, even a behaviourist (who did suggest the wire mesh on the windows). Now, looking back, I really do believe that Coco had classic SA but that in her case it was more of just TIME to settle in & feel secure in her new family - she's been with us for almost 2 years now.

Another thing - while walking is great exercise you never want to give up, a flirt pole is GREAT for nearly exhausting a dog in a relatively short period of time!


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## wvasko

Thank you very much for review DJ as I've never used one myself but it looked like it could do the job. When you have a dog that is that extreme to cause harm then as you know a different program is necessary. There are some dogs that will quit after they find out they can't get out.


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## DJsMom

wvasko said:


> Thank you very much for review DJ as I've never used one myself but it looked like it could do the job. When you have a dog that is that extreme to cause harm then as you know a different program is necessary. There are some dogs that will quit after they find out they can't get out.


It's definitely a good sturdy crate. While they state that no crate is truly indestructable, Coco sure couldn't destroy it or get out of it like she did wire or plastic crates. I would love to sell it now tho because it is taking up room & it's in great shape.


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## xxxxdogdragoness

InkedMarie said:


> that's a nice crate!


Yes I agree! I think that would even hold a tiger lmbo.
I have never had a dog with seperation anxiety this bad... or period for that matter but I do know a tad about dogs & perhaps I can try to throw some things out there.

How many walks to you take her on? Have you tried a long walk WITH lots of mental as well as phsycal stimulation? What about get involved with a dog sport such as obedience , agility, flyball & more that I can't remember right now. A google search might fine something for you. 

What about covering the crate? They sell covers for wire crates (they are nylon with a clear front that goes over the door that you can keep back with velcro) perhaps if she has a cover she will feel more safe, I have found this works with nervous type dogs.


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## InkedMarie

wvasko said:


> Thank you very much for review DJ as I've never used one myself but it looked like it could do the job. When you have a dog that is that extreme to cause harm then as you know a different program is necessary. There are some dogs that will quit after they find out they can't get out.


I have an online friend who does rescue...he now has about 7 or 8 dogs in his home, two of them have broken out of many crates and ruined his home. He has ordered a special type of kennel but I don't know which kind...I sent him the link to the pet edge one, just in case


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## wvasko

InkedMarie said:


> I have an online friend who does rescue...he now has about 7 or 8 dogs in his home, two of them have broken out of many crates and ruined his home. He has ordered a special type of kennel but I don't know which kind...I sent him the link to the pet edge one, just in case


I spotted it one day going through petedge and thought it would hold a small lion and it's good to spread that info out. I have put this link on DF before but DJ actually had seen and used the crate. Sometimes pictures lie so it's nice to have a review from a real person..


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## DJsMom

That pro select cage does not have a solid floor directly under the dog, but rather a grated floor with a solid pull out drawer under that, & Coco was never comfortable laying down on the grate. And Coco would absolutely shred any kind of bedding I put in it for her to lay on, she even shred any cover I'd put over any of her crates. So for us, that was a big negative.


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## Cracker

I would definitely think if she's determined and panicked enough to go through a wire crate and injure herself in the process that the most humane thing you can do for her now is try pharmaceutical intervention. Clomicalm (clomipramine hydrochloride) or Reconcile (fluoxetine). Both are available in their veterinary form (chewable) or in human form (costs much less). It can take up to six weeks to get a real sense of whether they will do well on the medications so there is still a period where you would have to be very careful about leaving her for any period of time...and even then the desensitization and behaviour modification program must be continued. The medication is simply to reduce the anxiety levels enough to allow the dog to LEARN and adapt to the gradually lengthening periods of owner absence. 
Doing structured obedience and mental training (like clicker training) also help. Sometimes even more so than excessive physical exercise.
I also recommend continuing to use your car as a "crate" as much as is possible, of course, being careful of temperature excesses. 

Cracker has done very well on the clomipramine, combined with the desens. and "car crating"..but it is still important for me to be aware of how long I am going to be gone, whether there have been environmental changes like a move of house or stress at home etc as they can trigger regressive periods. Considering she was an anorexic, chewing, howling, urinating and vomiting mess if I left her for even five minutes...we've come a long way. But it never would have happened without careful attention to the plan and the medication.

Patricia McConnell's book "I'll be Home Soon" has a great beh. mod plan in it, I highly recommend this book.


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## SarahMaria

Thank you all so much for reading my long story (sorry for the novel-length post!) We are definitely interesting in trying the Thundershirt!! Definitely one of the more inexpensive options. We will for sure need a new crate and are trying to find something in our area (California bay area). Some of the nicer options posted on here were much appreciated, and something we'll have to save up for. We've thought a lot about having a towel/blanket or covering her crate to make it more "homey." On the other hand, it might make her anxious due to not being able to see everything - right now it's in our living room so she can totally see everything that's going on while in it. DJ's mom - I sure wish we were nearby so I could buy it from you! Until then, we're checking on Craigslist.

We called our vet who prescribed a small Rx of Valium. We haven't tried it yet. Crossing our fingers. Cracker - our vet did say it might not solve the problem outright, but will hopefully help her calm enough to learn to cope. And thanks for the book recommendation, too.

We're going to keep trying, at least for a little while. We love Lily a ton, and she loves us even more back. She's been given up on before and don't want it to happen again. We'll see how it goes and hope our patience and determination pay off.


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## JustTess

Here is a few more thoughts and ideas.

Youo could use a large cardboard box instead of a crate cover. Ilya could pull anything he could get his paws on through the crate and tear it to shreds.

A plastic crate with the bars closely spaced made Ilya feel more comfortable than the wire crate. I looked or a crate where his teeth couldn't reach to start a hole. He did start working on the doorway near the door..

I gave up crating Ilya because he seemed to let me know he perfered a particular corner of the house we could keep the room contained. I tried placing the crate there and he did not settle until I took the door off.

Exercising him 1 hour before leaving helped him settle much easier.

I like the petedge crate. It looks like something I would put Sophie in because sometimes, we just need to keep her in the crate in the same room we're in when she wants to see how fast she can redecorate before we catch her. she's already learned to use momentum to move her crate around the kitchen to whatever spot she wants.


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## xxxxdogdragoness

I'm not a fan if pills, being a sufferer of ADHD for all of my life, I spent my childhood having tons of pills of various kinds shoved at me so I have little toleration for it. 

As far as the cover it never hurts to try, use it & leave the house briefly (just walk out the door for 30 seconds) & come back in. The fact that she can see the living room but not get to it might be freaking her out. Josephine, our 2 month old puppy loves her covered crate & doesn't freak out at all. But she has had the crate covered since the first day she go here.

I'm not a fan if pills, being a sufferer of ADHD for all of my life, I spent my childhood having tons of pills of various kinds shoved at me so I have little toleration for it. 

As far as the cover it never hurts to try, use it & leave the house briefly (just walk out the door for 30 seconds) & come back in. The fact that she can see the living room but not get to it might be freaking her out. Josephine, our 2 month old puppy loves her covered crate & doesn't freak out at all. But she has had the crate covered since the first day she go here.


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## wvasko

I have never liked crating dog in main traffic room, I always thought it was comparable to trying to have a child take a nap in a playground. I have never had a problem as we have always had a spare bedroom for crating.


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## suzy22

I could have written this myself. I had a dog with SEVERE separation anxiety for 14 years. She lived to the ripe old age of 18 (just had her put down last Tuesday). She developed dementia and could not control her bladder and this was the final straw. I should not have been surprised it was a mental issue that would force us to make the final decision. It is soooooo hard to have a dog with separation anxiety and unless you have dealth with it, you really do not understand. I could not walk to the mailbox (at the end of my driveway) without worrying that she would destroy something or urinate in the house. We spent many years and thousands of dollars trying to find a solution. I could write a book with all the things she destroyed or did in the 14 years. We were her third home as the first two owners simply could not deal with it. We did try medication (Paxil and Xanax) and that actually made things worse. Hard to believe. We tried the medication after she jumped onto a brand new car and scratched the hood. It honestly looked like a wild animal did it. What seemed to work best was installing an invisible fence (we have 2 acres) and leaving the garage slightly open so she could rest inside and also go out when needed. The crate never worked as she would manage to get out of it and hurt herself in the process. Aging also helped with the destruction. I think she just got too tired to chew and destroy. We always had to know where she was in the house and always had to make sure she knew someone was in the house with her. This was a constant thing for 14 years. I REALLY feel for you because I was in the same position 14 years ago. I really wanted to give her away because I could not take the constant ruins. We tried EVERYTHING and nothing worked...other than the invisible fence and garage and age. The last few months she was peeing in the house daily. Nothing to do with separation anxiety as the vet diagnosed her with dementia. She also had arthritis that made her fall down the stairs and struggle to get up and down. I honestly don't know how you could have a dog with these mental issues in an apartment. Unless the crate thing works, a garage (with nothing to destroy) is the only option. I so feel your pain and know that if you decide to give her up, you are not giving up on her. This is so much for anyone to handle. You can try the meds...maybe my dogs chemistry was different and this is why it did not work. But please, don't make yourself crazy about it. It sounds like you are very caring and kind people but there is only so much a person can handle.

I also wanted to add that I exercised my dog daily. I'm a runner so I would take her running with me from age 4 to 10. She would log about 15 - 20 miles a week. She retired from running around 10 and we would walk about 15 miles a week from ages 10 - 17. At that point her arthritis kicked in and we would just go to the top of the street and back to sniff ..she was a beagle. Exercise will not cure a dog that has true separation anxiety. It might help but DOES NOT cure. Trust me on that one.


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## spurz

wvasko said:


> http://www.petedge.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=45512
> 
> The above is link to a beefier crate.


I want to thank you for this link. I just purchased a crate from these guys and cannot wait for it to get here. I intend to also try other remedies with my new shelter rescued dog Gus who is attempting to chew through the wire crate, but my first and foremost obligation is to his safety. I believe he will be unable to hurt himself in this crate. Once I know he is safe, I can try medications or whatever else is available to me. So again, I wanted to say thanks so very much for the link!


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## wvasko

spurz said:


> I want to thank you for this link. I just purchased a crate from these guys and cannot wait for it to get here. I intend to also try other remedies with my new shelter rescued dog Gus who is attempting to chew through the wire crate, but my first and foremost obligation is to his safety. I believe he will be unable to hurt himself in this crate. Once I know he is safe, I can try medications or whatever else is available to me. So again, I wanted to say thanks so very much for the link!


Good luck, better save the thank you till we see if all works as planned. If it works out then I will be a genius, if not I will be relegated to my normal position/title "Klutz" Please let us know if all is good with your new dog and crate.


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## spurz

Thanks...I'm praying for the 'genius' designation!


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## wvasko

Well the crate looks like it is a beast, the problem can be some dogs will actually hurt themselves trying to get out of it. I would advise a kong or 2 stuffed with goodies something to get his attention. If it does work and I get the genius title, a note to my wife would be appreciated to let her know just how smart I am. Oh never mind there's no way she is gonna buy that.


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## spurz

I'll tell her anyway..lol. I've already tried a kong stuffed with peanut butter and kibble and this dog is immensely food driven...but he totally ignored it. Interestingly, I crate him at night in my bedroom with me, and he goes willingly and happily into the crate, and is content until morning. He waits patiently when I open the door until I tell him he can come out. He is calm, cool, and collected. He will happily go into the crate during the day for a brief nap. He has a blanket in the crate that he does not disturb when I am gone...hasn't ripped or torn it even a little. He concentrates solely on the wire and I have been amazed at the amount of damage he has done to the wire...it's completely bent outta shape! ( we're on the second crate now...the door to the first one was demolished ) He's a model dog in every other way and cute as heck, too, so I don't want to give up on him. He gets along fine with my other dog, and is pretty much a submissive type, he gets on fine with my cat. He is not overly barky, and he's kind and sweet. He walks well on the leash and is truly a gentleman....except for this one thing. Thanks for the support!


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## hayleedog

Hannah, my chow chow had separation anxiety when she first came to me after being re-homed 4x in 6 months (who wouldn't) plus she wasn't treated very nice at her last home. I could have easily given up on her. I was pulling my hair out trying to find something that worked for both of us. She chewed door jams and window panes when I left for work, she broke my front window, she pottied on my futon and chewed a wooden gate. I crated her with a wire aspca crate I got at walmart and she too chewed thru it in record time. I then went online and found her the level 3 crate. It worked though the locks are flimsy and she managed to break them off so I padlocked the crate shut. 

I was relieved the first time I came home from work and she was still in her crate. As for the floor being a metal grate, that bothered me too beccause it cant be comfortable to lay/stand on but I just put a towl or small bathroom rug in it, nothing expensive as she just shedded it everyday. Also I put a frozen treat filled kong in with her to keep her busy. Its been a year now and swhe has settled down quite a bit in that time. 

It is frustrating and can be expensive but please don't give up just yet. There is a solution, you just have to find what works for you.


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## wvasko

There are rubber mats that can be cut and fitted for floor of any crate


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## dantero

For dogs that can break out of a regular crate I'm a big fan of the Owens aluminum crates. The picture is of the large one, but they sale them in a variety of sizes.










They also have sliders that come with the crate, you can put one in each of the window areas if you want a more solid closed in feel for the dog, or more open visual. There is a black rubber mat for the bottom, but it can be taken out if you are concerned about your dog chewing it up.

I had a dog decide he didn't like waiting his turn at training, 3 vari kennels in less than a month and I decided to save some money and finally invest in these. A few have tried, but so far nobody has been able to do anything more than put some scratches in the bars on the doors.

I purchased mine through http://www.5dventures.com at the time they had the best prices, but there are quite a few websites that sale them, so it would be worth doing some shopping aroud.


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