Re: Crate location Hi Zanacal - I had some similar issues with my pup and I'll share what I've done. Before Seren arrived i moved cat food etc out of utility room and into hallway where he wouldn't have access. My cats aren't used to dogs and have slightly nervous temperaments so I've had to put in a lot of effort to make it go smoothly. In the utility area I had a pen and a crate. The pen was for a safe zone for him initially as I bought a small crate and didn't want to shut him in there apart from sleep. Also it provided a good opportunity for the cats to get used to this new furry being in the house in a safe way as the cat flap is in the utility. For the first few days I just sat on the floor with him in the pen and we got to know each other. Once he acclimatised I let him out into wider open plan utility/kitchen. I used a big hand made pen outside for the first two weeks or so, but now just let him roam in the garden/do lead training etc. It worked really well for me until I had to leave him on his own. At 11 weeks he could jump the pen...cue empty cat food bowls, mayhem upstairs etc! So now i have put a new cat flap in the front door so I can close the kitchen area off. Seren is lab x collie and am training him not to herd the cats, it's working, but it means I need to keep cats/dog separate when I'm not around until both know how to behave around each other. This will probably be better also because I have a feeling the cats going in and out at night sometimes disturbed him. I now use the pen to section off the bits of the utility that aren't safe i.e. boiler etc and have used bitter apple along the skirting boards and bottoms of doors etc to prevent chewing and it seems to be working.... for now! Hope it all goes well
Re: Crate location Thanks Sally, that's really helpful! I have ordered a pen and a crate, because of the size limitations of our utility room, am going to set them up in the kitchen. It only really occurred to me yesterday that I had intended for the utility to be 'her' room but that it would be a while before I could leave her to her own devices in there and also that it is really too small for a human to hang out in! Hopefully she won't jump out of the pen too soon ;-) When she's older she can have her crate in either the kitchen or utility room, we'll have to see what works best
