Hello, I have a now 10 month old female yellow lab named Oakley. She is being crate trained, due to me being at work and being in a rental. She was very good in the crate until recently where she is now chewing the tray, the edges and now just destroying it. Any ideas as to what options to do. I have tried beds, blankets towels. She just destroys them. I give her toys, and she still just wants to chew and destroy whatever is in it. I need the tray because she is still trying to keep it dry during the day, she pees when she is excited. She hasnt been peeing a lot just sometimes. Is a metel one better?
How long is she in the crate for? Rather than just looking at the immediate problem, it is better to consider the causes behind it. If she is destroying things when you are away, it suggests boredom or a lack of stimulation or separation anxiety.... A dog should not be crated for longer than they can hold their urine. It is very cruel to crate a dog so long they are forced to toilet in their crate. Did you know that for animal welfare reasons, it is illegal to crate a dog in Sweden? Full stop - ever - no matter how long? Obviously I don't agree with that extreme, but I think that knowing about it causes us to think long and hard about crating practices and when they become abusive. If your dog is under stimulated to the point they are destructive when left and is urinating in their crate (even if not regularly - ever), then I think for your dog's sake you need to employ a dog walker or consider day care or some other alternative like a family member having the dog during the day...
Hi Oakley, Welcome to the forum. Is she in the crate all day when you are at work? Unfortunately, if so these issues will have arisen because she's in there for far too long. The fix is to find a better solution to dealing with your working hours. And when you want to use the crate for shorter periods, to help her get used to being happy in there by going right back to basics. You can find advice on crate training here, and some information on what to do with your dog when you work full time in this article. Pet creches or dog sitters/walkers are essential if you are going to be out of the house all day. Let us know how you get along!
