# 7 month old is breaking out of his cage



## intothevoiddd (Feb 11, 2014)

I'm not really sure how to address this, because it's kind of a non-problem problem. 

My 7 month old pup has successfully body slammed his way out of his cage when no one is home 3 times now. Each time this has happened he has been home alone for 2-3 hours, and I suspect he does it shortly after we leave. It hasn't happened when we've been gone at work, thank God. But, each time this has happened we walk in the door to him greeting us and expecting to find a mess, and we come home to the house being perfect. When he gets out he does nothing wrong - he doesn't chew anything, he doesn't raid the garbage, no accidents, just... nothing! I'm not really sure what to think about this. He freaks out pretty bad when we put him in his cage, even after 5 or so months of this, so I really thought he had separation anxiety. But I suspect the cat eases this a little bit as they're buddies, and when he gets out of his cage they get to hang.

How do I address this? Is it possible he is able to transition out of being in his cage when we're gone? I think he's still a bit too young, but so far he has proven himself...


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Well, looks like he is good out of the crate so why not try leaving him out for 4 hours at a time and see how he does. If you want you can use things to reinforce the crate, I have used zip ties on the corners. 

I would start trusting him a little more and see if he is good for longer periods of time. That way you don't have to stick in the crate if you don't have to.


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Lisl started this around 10 months old. She would sometimes be perfect, other times, not so much.

At least her potty training was proofed. Not once did she ever go outside of her crate while I was gone and she escaped. I was at least thankful that I had taught her correctly in that regard.

A couple of times she got in the trash, she chewed up my bed pillows, and she ate most of the cover off of a very expensive book. She also got my satellite remote.

It took her another six months before I could trust her by herself without eating my house, but now she's a very good girl on her own. She just needed to mature a bit more and be showed (again and again) what was hers and to stay away from mine.

Trash cans have lids, bedroom door is closed, and books are in the bookcase out of temptation's way. And the satellite remote is stowed securely too.

Funny, but with all of the books I have in this house, in the many bookcases, she has never pulled one off of a shelf.


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## d4mmo (Mar 27, 2013)

Make him love the cage, play entering games, hide treats in there, feed him in there for the next month. Practice five minute intervals in there many times a day, tire him out before putting him in and give him a big bone when in there the first time, a kong the second time, a pigs ear the third time he won't know what's next and will stay excited, etc. make him LOVE the cage. 
Cheers


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## intothevoiddd (Feb 11, 2014)

I should add, he's actually usually fine with his cage. He sleeps in there at night no problem (granted it's in our room), and when I come home from work he is peacefully sleeping and I wake him up. He just hates the part where he goes in and we leave! He seems to take it better when it is part of the routine schedule, ie us going to work in the morning he will go in there fine but protest a little bit vocally, but when we put him in there on weeknights to run an errand or whatnot he gets a little miffed about it and that's when he actually breaks out.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Since he has had success in this particular crate, he will continue doing it. If you reinforce this same crate he will try harder, and risking getting injured in the process. 
I would get another type crate, different location and start over. There are (seemingly) Rhino-proof crates available. I sure would not give up crate training him, as you will need one eventually for some reason.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I had a houdini once, she could break out of anything, wire or plastic. I ended up having to zip tie everything and put a lock through the crate door handle and around 2 of the bars to the actual crate. :crazy:


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

Is this a wire crate? I always try dogs that break out in vari-kennels. Much safer. I have four escape artist dogs that can and will break out of a wire crate whenever they decide to.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I use the crate as a training tool and a safe place for them to go, but I'm finding as each dog gets out of the crate they don't usually ever go back in if I leave it up. My oldest on occasion will go and sleep in there, but she was never crated when I got her. My male broke out of the crate a few times, he was about 8 months. I had just gotten him, so I crated him. He made a minor mess only one time, all the other times he behaved. I tried twist ties and those didn't work, so I went with small locks. After about a month I just allowed him out of the crate and he has never been bad or wanted back in it. I just decided to trust him and it turned out ok.


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## Diesel7602 (Mar 12, 2014)

my boy, Perseus, is 8 months and he has found out to open his latches to his cadge. Very smart dogs they are. I think if he is good while out of his cadge, then why not try leaving him out. Maybe, do a test. For instance, leave him out and go some where for maybe a half hour to hour and come back and see what he does. most dogs age different, maybe your dog is more responsible at a younger age. "Lucky" :wild:


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## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

Fiona chewed the wire crate to make a spot to exit. That was the last day she stayed in the crate. She never had an accident or destroyed anything. I think she was about 3 months old. About 5 months old she did not sleep in the crate anymore either. 
If puppy can be trusted, give puppy a little (not a lot) of freedom.


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