New Foster Mom in Need of Help

[Pixelgal]

Hi everyone,

We're having a slight problem here. I work first shift and DH works second, so for about an hour (usually) each weekday afternoon, our furbabies are alone. Oreo and Mollly get kenneled before DH leaves and when I get home, I take them out.

But Sophie hates the kennel and not only cries when she's in one, but scrabbles desparately to get out.

Any thoughts? I realize that she might associate a kennel with being in the animal shelter or even worse she may associate it with some past abuse, but I need to come up with some solution to the problem.

The only other thing that I've come up with is confining her in the kitchen with a pet gate from when DH leaves to when I get home (like I said, its usually an hour).

HELP!
Pixel (new Pug Foster Mom)

[shaynapug]

I would confine to the kitchen with a bed...

[ViralMD]

If a dog is not crate trained, you can't just put it in a crate and shut the door. Crate training is a gradual process.

I agree with gating her in the kitchen. Bathrooms aren't safe (too many 'things' to get into), nor are bedrooms - cords, etc. Kitchens are the best place to confine your girl when you're not home.

[Imon]

Just make sure to put a bungee cord on the garbage can. Otto never had the run of the kitchen, because he's a climber and could get from the floor to the chairs to the table and/or the countertop. I'll never forget the first time I came into the dining room and found him standing on the table with a butter knife clenched between his teeth. He looked like a pug "Rambo". He also figured out that pulling on the tablecloth hem meant some interesting things would drop on the floor. He was quickly crate-trained.

If you've had pugs for a while, you probably already know how careful you have to be about pantries, under-the-sink storage, chairs, etc........ Good luck!

[FourteenLegs]

Nothing to add to the great advice given other than good luck!! As it's only an hour, I'm sure you'll come up with a good solution.

[Pixelgal]

I would confine to the kitchen with a bed...

Hi Diane,

That's what we'll be trying today. Unfortunately today she'll be alone for a couple of hours as DH and I have a dr's appt.

So far she's ignored the dog bed in favor of her puggie pillow on the couch, using DH as a pillow, or sleeping on the bed with me

Pixel (new Pug Foster Mom)

[Pixelgal]

Just make sure to put a bungee cord on the garbage can. Otto never had the run of the kitchen, because he's a climber and could get from the floor to the chairs to the table and/or the countertop. I'll never forget the first time I came into the dining room and found him standing on the table with a butter knife clenched between his teeth. He looked like a pug "Rambo". He also figured out that pulling on the tablecloth hem meant some interesting things would drop on the floor. He was quickly crate-trained.

If you've had pugs for a while, you probably already know how careful you have to be about pantries, under-the-sink storage, chairs, etc........ Good luck!

Hi Linda,

Wow, that would have made some picture!

When you say that he was quickly crate-trained, can you give me an idea of how long it took?

Pixel (new Pug Foster Mom)

[Pixelgal]

If a dog is not crate trained, you can't just put it in a crate and shut the door. Crate training is a gradual process.

I agree with gating her in the kitchen. Bathrooms aren't safe (too many 'things' to get into), nor are bedrooms - cords, etc. Kitchens are the best place to confine your girl when you're not home.

I guess that I was just really fortunate with Oreo and Molly. We got Oreo when she was so young that she adjusted to the kennel in a couple of hours, mind you she was breaking my heart with the crying while she did get adjusted. And Molly just never seemed to have one problem with it. Oreo had a crate so Molly wanted a crate.

Normally, Sophie is so well-behaved that I wouldn't worry about a crate. Sable, our chow who passed away last year, was never crate trained, but in the past 15 months we've had to evacuate twice for a hurricane and I'm not sure how I would get her evacuated without a crate

Does anyone have any good links on crate training? I have a medium Petmate crate right now, would a bigger wire one maybe help? My best friend offered to let me borrow her big dogs crate to see if that might help...

Pixel (perplexed new Pug Foster Mom)

[Pixelgal]

Nothing to add to the great advice given other than good luck!! As it's only an hour, I'm sure you'll come up with a good solution.

Thank Rona,

This is the one thing that I've got to solve before I can adopt Sophie. I just can't give her up. She's wormed her little Puggie way into my heart, and DH's too I think.

Pixel (new Pug foster -for now- Mom)

[Lola's Mom]

When Lola was a baby I put up a baby gate and left her in my kitchen. I had her bed, food, a couple of treats and toys. What about confining her to the kitchen with a kong filled with some yummy stuff?