I have been crate training my friend's dog that has seperation anxiety and tries to break out of cages (and has been successful in the past).  My friend has had Maddie (the boxer/lab mix) for 4 years, got her when she was 1 (5 now).  Tried the crate when she first got her and Maddie broke out breaking teeth in the process so she left her free in the house and Maddie never did anything wrong in the house.  Now my friend has moved in with her boyfriend and Maddie is being naughty in the house (I think it is a jealousy issue...my husband's cat used to pee on my stuff, he was made a barn cat but that's another story).  So I have been working with Maddie and she has improved in the crate a lot!  I have been video tapping when I leave the dogs.  I have the cage with extra clips all over so she can't been it.  I also switched her cage with Donners cuz he had a real old cage that was made real sturdy.  The very first day she frantically tried getting out chewing at the bars, pawing and digging.  Lots of panting and drooling that's her nervous behavior.  Not once sitting down or laying down.  She now will push at the cage door and paw a little and she pants some.  She also will sit and even lay down for a bit and when I come back her cage is not soaked with drool (at first I thought she was peeing in the cage that's how much it was, but the video never showed her peeing).  My friend had also talked to her vet and she bought some seperation anxiety meds, so I have been giving that to her.  We have been doing basic steps for getting comfortable in the cage along with the meds (like when I sit at the computer the dogs go into their cages for some down time, cages are in teh computer room).  She lays down nice and quiet now and will even nap for it.

So I talked to my friend saying maybe next week she might want to bring Maddie home and try it out.  She has been seeing all the fun things on Facebook that Maddie has been doing with us and she knows that if she takes Maddie back that she will be spending at least 10 hours a day in a cage.  She thinks Maddie would be much happier staying with us if we would have her.

So 2 things do we want Maddie...my friend said she would give us food money every month and pay to have her spayed, microchipped and shots and rabies done cuz I said we can't afford another dog. So the question is do I take Maddie in?

The other thing is if I have my friend take her back she has the option of coming home from lunch to let dogs out for a potty break (her boyfriend has a dog and has been raised using the cage, my friend has always thought his dog is in the cage too much) since 10 hours is long.  However I think with Maddie would be better just staying in the cage 10 hours then having to go through the process of being left again if she came home at lunch.  So should she be left for 10 hours or should she be let out at lunch time?

If I keep Maddie does anyone want 4 parakeets and a cockatiel (he talks)? LOL!

The longest i usually keep riley is about 6 hours and i still try and go home at lunch to let him out. But he did have the same anxiety problem. And trust me he did break out of the crate and caused a HUGE mess. Anyways what i did was put one of the t-shirts that i would have worn the day or 2 days before and put it in the crate with him. That way my scent was with him and he would not be upset that i wasnt there. This turned out to work great i would come home he would be all curled up on the t-shirt. I did this pretty much right after i got him when he was around 9 weeks. Now he doesnt mind the crate cause he knows im going to come back and get him.

As for if you should keep maddie... well thats up to you, if its for the well being of the dog and if shes going to pay for everything then its kind of a bonus. But it is a lot of responisbility and more cleaning on your part lol... maybe let your friend try having maddie back for a few days and see how it goes.. if it isnt working then maybe find her a home or take her in yourself.

chris

So even with the stress of separation you think a potty break and quick walk half way through the day would be best or in general 10 hours every day is too much?

I had thought of covering the cage but I wondered if not being able to see would stress her more...plus I had a blanket under the cage so she couldn't ruin the carpet if she so managed and she pulled the blanket into the cage and shredded it...so I think she might pull the cover in...I now put a clear plastic runner down (one of those things you line the cargo area of an SUV) and that seems to be working to protect the carpet which really only needs protecting from drool, but that is even getting better.

I did talk to my friend and she really doesn't want to give her dog up, she just wants to do what is right for the dog.  Before when she was at her own place Maddie was fine free range of the home so my friend wasn't too worried about 10 hour work days.  With moving to the boyfriends and Maddie rebelling to the move by damaging a door and eating garbage my friend thought training her for the cage would help that, but then she thought 10 hours in a cage will suck...that's when she got sad and thought Maddie might be better with us.  The crazy thing is her boyfriend has a dog and he puts her in a cage for about 10 hours a day and he doesn't think anything is wrong with that.  So my friend is debating on the is 10 hours too long or should she come home after 5 hours for a quick pee and walk and then back in for 5 hours and she also wants to make sure she can make a point to give Maddie more exercise and activity since she would be caged that long...so she is practicing on her BF's dog while Maddie is with us.

I am relieved that she isn't giving up on Maddie and is willing to adjust her life to give Maddie more quality time...so we will see...

Sorry so long!