One of those drop pin crates

Google search

Here's a few starting points for those Midwest style crates.

ok, he isn't actually afraid of his crate. He goes in there when i am home on his own to sleep and rest. He willingly goes in it.

It's more of a mallory is leaving thing than a i am in a crate thing.Even when i get home to a loose Bart, i immediately tell him crate, and he goes and waits for me to open it or flip it right side up and he goes in and is quiet and sleeps. It's just the fact that i am gone that gets him so upset. Thats why even if i left him out of the crate, he would still find a way out of my house to be with me.

He couldn't care less if i were to leave him in his crate all day if i were home.

 Quote: mallory kwiatkowski

The wires on the crate are all the same size, except the bottom.
They are just big squares. But they can contain the dog(?????) because the tray covers it.

So, take the tray he can move out of the crate, and instead put something on the bottom , kind of like Rick suggested. Nail the thing to a board that's much bigger than the base of the crate. He won't be flipping that over. The crate I have won't let the tray slide out.

 Quote: mallory

He breaks leash clips. He broke some heavy duty leash clips when he was about 4 months old.

Brass, heavy duty clips??? From REAL leashes? How is that possible? How can he even reach them? I put them on the curved "U" handle and attach them so that it can't be lifted up to be slid over and opened. They can't reach it from the inside if you place it right. I would think he'd trash his teeth before finding a way to make the thing open. Use more than one or two, and he may just give up.

My first thought was hook the crate up to a large battery...No, just kidding....

If the carbiners are allowing a 4 inch gap, use something tighter, like maybe master locks? They will only give him about an inch of space, and are very sturdy. He won't be able to damage them. It may take you a little longer to let him out of his crate, but may help. You can get multi packs of them that are all keyed the same to make it easier. I believe 5 in pack.

Good luck until you can get that sturdier crate.

i'll look into those.
thanks.
i hope things will get better with the new house, but i am afraid they might get worse.

he doesn't break them(the leash clips) with his teeth, it is from ramming the door/panel with his paws and nose. And yes, real brass leash clips, from a leash(several). At 4 months.

The carabeaners don't allow for the 4-inch gap, he bends the door out that far.
But i will try a lock too. I thought about that at first, but then i realized, if there were a fire or something, and i needed him out fast, i wouldn't be able to find the key. Or if someone were breaking in my house, i would suddenly let all the dogs out of crates, he would be stuck in(though, he is so people friendly, i might just leave him inside the crate).

Oh, ok. I get it. I'd reinforce the corners and 3 spots on the door so it's harder to bend out, since it's reinforced at equally-spaced points. If it's only reinforced at one point, or even 2, instead of 3-4, he can get enough "give" or slack to bend it. I'm telling you, you need the old rod-supported crate. Caleb's is so strong that I keep another wire on on top of it (to prevent staring contests and growling matches). It rocks slightly, but I have tried to collapse it or turn it over (to make sure it couldn't fall w/a dog in a crate up top).

This may sound weird, but everyone already knows I'm a freak, so what the...

Get him a different crate, even if you think he might be able to find a way out. He has it so ingrained in his head that his crate is no match for him that a different one might at least make him wonder. If you start out by reinforcing it in a way that Fort Knox would envy, he may get discouraged and think those days are over.

Or, if he wouldn't flip out, try a plastic kennel (a good one) and a muzzle that he can easily breathe freely with, so he can't chew it.

you know, he needs a muzzle anyway for when i try to introduce him and capone.
Maybe i can switch bart and capones crates. Barts might be a little small for capone, but he doesn't freak like bart does.

Mallory
Try posting an ad on your local freecycle group website for a single dog box (for hunting dogs). They are usually built pretty well and might be escape proof for your Houdini. Just be aware that he would probably chew and scratch through any wood that isn't bordered by steel or heavy aluminum.
Have you tried giving him a frozen filled kong to keep him entertained?

I like the changing crate idea. When my dog was a pup I had a plastic airline type crate. I had just about decided he would never be crate trained. He hated it, cried, barked, got frantic, no matter what I did. I bought a wire crate and like magic all his problems went away. I guess he felt claustrophibic. I know this isn't your dogs issue, but like Jenni said, I he absolutely failed at getting out of a new crate, even if you have to put reinforcements everywhere at first, he may give up. Good luck.