I had a tray sliding dog that I fixed with some U bolts and a drill. Total cost $10. Total carpet saved $4000 dollars. Willow was a complete craphead in the wire crates so eventually I did end up going to the most heavy duty plastic one I could find and even then a dog box may be in her future. Another place to get cheap or even not so cheap crates and possibly even dog boxes is craigslist.

if it were just the tray, i could handle that.
But this dog is crazy, and can get out other ways.....

as frustrating as this all is, it is also pretty funny.

So i just got home from work, opened the door, no loose bart, yay i thought. I set all my stuff down, go to let the dogs out, and there is Bart, sitting outside his crate, but beside it.
He didn't run up to me. He was basically hoping i wouldn;t notice he wasn't in his crate.

So we are going to the vet later today to look at his ribs and cut up face(one cut is looking pretty bad), and to see if i can get some sedative until i can get another crate.

I was just there this morning too, i had to have a rabbit euthanized, i really don't want to be there again.......

 Quote: Mallory Kwiatkowski

here is Bart, sitting outside his crate, but beside it.
He was basically hoping i wouldn;t notice he wasn't in his crate.

Bwaahaha, thanks for the giggle. It isn't funny, but it is, you know?

When you are at the vet ask about Clomicalm. It is a drug specifically for separation anxiety. I have tried things like Rescue Remedy and Mimulus for fearful (not separation anxiety) dogs, and it didn't help me but there are people who swear by them. You could also try Melatonin.

I agree with the muzzle suggestion for protecting his teeth. My thought was also if you could somehow bolt the crate to two walls (in a corner) so he couldn't move it - that is if he doesn't rip the bolts out of the wall.

oh, it's funny.

So bart has been prescribed Reconcile, which is literally doggie prozac.
It is only for 60 days, and comes with a free "behavior modification" DVD, which for me is useless, as it talks about things like desensatizing to picking up keys, leaving for 5 minutes, treat filled Kongs.......everything i have been doing for 2 years.....
but i will watch it anyway.
Maybe his prozac will help him chill around other dogs too, hmmmmmmmm

Hey Mallory, do have feed stores in your area? this may only pertain to somewhere like middle-of-nowhere-Texas where I live but feed stores here sell hog cages which are indestructable..if it can hold a ferel hog it can hold a dog im just not sure if they have them up there (supposedly about the same cost as a large dog cage) I understand about being a broke student

i will look into that too, we do have feed stores, but i have not seen any hog cages, but then too, i have never looked.....

i just think it is funny that Bart gets put on prozac before i do........

I think there are only hog cages where there are hogs.

Would be cool to get one of those cages, though.

Mmmm, Hog cages are kind of misleading....they are not enclosed, but rather narrow bars on either side, a opening in one end to stick their heads out to eat, and the back is either bars or solid. The tops are open with just a bar above the head in case they try and climb or jump out.

There are "hog traps" that are sturdy and can hold a wild hog. It is basically an extra large "live" animal trap. So opening and closing it might be a pain. And the wire squares are large enough for maybe a medium sized dog to get there head through but not be able to pull it back through. Therefore risking injury, or choking to death.

I would try to find a machine shop that could make you an aluminum or steel crate for as inexpensive as you can find......

My 2 cents - take your pick or dismiss all:
The bigger the crate, the better (hog cage may be good - have never seen one).

Have you considered an outside kennel - not a crate outdoors but a kennel/run.

Rick may be right about Bart upping the ante and perhaps hurting himself more or breaking teeth on another crate (hence the outdoor kennel idea - more room to run and not be completely enclosed).

The bottom of the crate you now have can be attached to a piece of 1/2 inch plywood cut a couple of inches bigger all around than the size of the crate (to prevent tip over). Attach the bottom wires at several points to the plywood with special fasteners - can't remember the name of the fastener, but they're in different sizes, flat on both ends with holes for screws, rounded in the middle - a 2 hole mount strap for pipes. Go here to see what I mean: http://www.mcmaster.com and under "Find Products", enter this part #: 3039t14 then scroll down to see the picture (it's probably not the right size but it will show you what they look like - go to a hardware store and get the smallest ones you can to fit over the wires of the cage so he can't get his teeth around the curved part).

Don't know much about severe separation anxiety but his may not be the kind that can be handled without totally knocking him out with drugs which you don't want to do of course.

A large place to move around, like a outdoor kennel/run, may be the best way to go.

Edited to add: saw Carol's description of a hog cage, doesn't sound so great for a dog.

Edited by Sandy Moore (01/14/2008 09:42 PM)
Edit reason: saw Carol's post re: hog cages