I had to start crating my poor, dumb little pug again.........

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
Need advice! I'm just not sure what to do w/this little fella--he seemed to never completely recover from Cosmo's passing although his behavior did seem to get much better. I'm not sure if that's b/c he felt like he had to step up & take her place, or b/c he's almost 7 & is pretty much all grown up, or a combination of the two.

Anyway, as you may remember, I started leaving him out of his crate b/c there was so much going on, & I was working a lot of hours, & I wanted him to be comfortable. After the move a few weeks ago I put the crate where it used to be in the other house (next to the TV) & continued to leave him out b/c I wanted him to be able to explore the new house at his liesure.

Well, I think he's just confused now. I did something stupid & washed the padding in his crate before we moved, a really dumb idea. Clearly I am just not a good pet owner. :( He didn't even seem to know it was there until I put him in it this week.

Even when I'm home he it's almost like he doesn't know where he should sit & hang out (used to be on the loveseat but I trashed that when I moved & am waiting for the new furniture to come in). He doesn't pee when he goes outside in the morning or when I go home for lunch. He poos outside sometimes, but on occasion inside also.

So this week I started crating him again. I really hate to do it but I can't have the little devil using my new house as a toilet. x( We've moved a lot in the past but he always had Cosmo, now he's by himself. Do any of you dog lovers have advice re. how I can make him more comfortable & feel more at home in the new place? Or is it just a matter of time? I feel so bad for him, he seems depressed.
 
Firstly, you are a very good pet owner. Washing the bedding is not the problem.

You and Max have had A LOT of very stressful changes going on during the last few months, and the I'm sure the little guy has been off a regular routine.

I would start by trying hard to set a firm routine with him, particularly with the peeing, and set boundaries where the house is concerned. Crating or restricting his access inside the house when you're not there could really be a good thing.

Here's a web site recommended from the rescue I adopted Rascal from. It has a lot of behavioral resources:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Also, if you haven't checked out the "Dog Whisperer", it's really worth it. There really is something to his theory of "Exercise, Discipline, then Affection" and those daily walks. He's on the National Geographic channel tonight at 8PM and 9PM.

HTH - and stop being so hard on yourself! :)

ETA - Here's an article that specifically talks about issues with moving with your dog.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1471&S=1&SourceID=47
 
Thanks Gayle--that article was very helpful--it appears I did things backwards when I let him roam the house on his own first. According to the article he should've been crated from the beginning & left alone to roam the new place in stages. I am such a dingbat. :p I forgot my Barkbusters lesson that dogs are happier when they have structure!

And thanks for your support. So good to know I can come here when I need doggie help! :)
 
Hmmm...I have a question about this too. I will be moving in a couple of weeks with my dog and he "hates" the crate. I tried to make it enjoyable when he was a puppy but he just never wanted to be in it and now he's 8 yo. Is it really that highly recommended to do this?
 
Hi Divagirl,

Here's an article on crate training older dogs, it came from the site that I referenced above for Laura:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1694

Does your dog "hate" the crate in that he doesn't like to go in, but tolerates it once he's in there; or does he violently "hate" it and chew or scratch at the crate, drool excessively, soil it, or show any other signs of extreme stress?
 
Well, first of all, Laura, I think you are a wonderful pet owner!!!!

I think there were a lot of changes going on in yours and Max's life and he may have difficulty to adjust.

The other thing that really comes to mind, is, with your crazy work hours and Cosmo and Minnie gone, do you think he is lonely? You have moved into a new house, maybe now is the time to get a companion for him. I am not saying get a puppy, I think a young puppy may make things more difficult for you, but maybe a dog that is past the pee and poop everywhere stage and past the chewing up everything stage.

I know you will call me an enabler :) But I seriously think that is something you may want to consider.

Glad to see you back!!!
 
Thanks chicky, glad to be back! :)

Yes, I do think Max is lonely & would definitely benefit from some companionship, especially given the hours I've been working. The problem is, the reason I should get another dog is the exact reason I shouldn't get another dog--I'm not home enough. 2-3 nights a week I'm here til about midnight. I have no idea how I could manage a new animal right now. I am on that darn petfinder.com website every day seeing puppies I'm dying to take home, but I think it would be unfair to both Max (since another animal would be taking my attention from him) & the new baby (since I don't have the time to train him/her properly). Such a conundrum!

Divagirl, it's OK to hijack my thread. I'm surprised your dog hates the crate--I thought Max would hate it too (felt like I was putting my dog in jail LOL) but it turned out he really likes having his own little "bedroom." He's so cute & funny--the last thing I do before I walk out the door is put on lip gloss, & as soon as I take out the tube he goes into the crate. How long did you try it w/your dog? Maybe you need to be consistent for a couple of weeks? What kind of crate did you get? Does it have a cover? The cover seems to really make it their "own space" & appears to be the reason why Max feels safe & secure there.
 
When my dog was a puppy I crated him for 8 months maybe. I would put toys in there, treats,blankets, tried covering it with a blanket too. He would just bark and wimper and cry until I'd let him out. When I would let him out when I was home he'd NEVER go in there at all on his own. He's now 8 yrs old now so I guess I'll see how it goes when we move. He is high strung and is restless in a new environment but has never had any accidents but I have the crate still (somewhere) if I need it.
 
Aha, see, you gave in to him & he knew if he cried you'd let him out.

When I crate trained Max, which started about 3 years ago so he was about 4 YO, I only crated him when I wasn't home. So right before I left I'd physically put him in the crate & while I was doing it I'd say "get in the crate Max." After a few weeks I'd just have to tell him to get in the crate & he'd go in on his own. Now he goes in automatically when he knows I'm leaving.

I can totally understand you giving in to him--it's so hard to hear your baby cry! I'm sure I'd do the same. But unless there's a reason to crate him while you're home don't do it, just do it while you're not home & trust me, not only will he get used to it, he'll like it. And you won't be tempted to let him out when he cries since you won't hear it.
 
It's true... but I listened to him cry for an hour before I gave in x(

Plus, he is a very stubborn but adorable breed....shiba inu.
 
Laura, I too am a pug mommy. I think we have discussed this before.

Since his castration, he has not peed in the house (knock on wood). However, he poops when he needs to, inside or out.

Most dogs love their crate -- like you said, their own little "bedroom." Maybe you could sleep in a t-shirt for a night or two, then stick it in the kennel with him when you leave for work.

I also turn on the tv for my pug sometimes -- usually Animal Planet or something like that.

Good luck!
 
>The other thing that really comes to mind, is, with your crazy
>work hours and Cosmo and Minnie gone, do you think he is
>lonely?
That's what I was thinking. And maybe some of what seems like sadness on his part is actually boredom.

A companion is a good idea, but you might not be ready for that (have enough time to spend with the new pet as well as current pet). How about hiring a neighborhood kid or stay-at-home person to come over once a day when you're at work, take him out of his crate, give him a walk, some play time and some TLC?
 
Laura,

Be careful of that new furniture. We got new furniture about 2 years ago and my cute, sweet, non-shedding, little dog peed all over it!!!

Other than that, good luck with your dog! My brother has a pug and he is the silliest dog ever! One day, while he was at work, his pug got on the kitchen counter and ate 2 boxes of granola bars. Then, he pooped all over! Another day, he ate a whole package of starbucks gum. That put him in the doggie hospital and cost a lot of $$$$$!!!

Sara
 
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