zefi
Co-Administrator
Location:Tasmania, Australia
Posts: 929
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« Reply #15 on: December 13, 2007, 03:12:13 AM » |
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Yes, a crate is a car. But never think of it as a cage or punishment. All dogs who get used to crates love them and see them as place thats all their own and where they feel safe. Mine eat in their crates and stay in them when I need them to be safe and go into them on their own. Most of the time I leave the doors open and they go in on their own to sleep. Even Ted, Greg's dog who had never seen a crate before in his life, loves his. He's in it all the time and when I need to lock him up he goes in happily!
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E.K.
Cool Puppy
Location:NSW, Australia
Posts: 30
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« Reply #16 on: December 13, 2007, 05:06:31 AM » |
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Yes, a crate is a car. But never think of it as a cage or punishment. All dogs who get used to crates love them and see them as place thats all their own and where they feel safe. Mine eat in their crates and stay in them when I need them to be safe and go into them on their own. Most of the time I leave the doors open and they go in on their own to sleep. Even Ted, Greg's dog who had never seen a crate before in his life, loves his. He's in it all the time and when I need to lock him up he goes in happily!
The poodles actually belong to my husband's grandmother who is no longer alive. The dogs were meant to be put down after her death but I kicked up a fuss and now we have them. I couldn't love them more.. poodles are the best. I recall their being cages for the dogs but I think they got thrown out. I don't really want to spend money buying new cages for them and then finding they hate us putting them in one when they're in the car... |
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« Last Edit: December 13, 2007, 05:08:46 AM by E.K. »
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zefi
Co-Administrator
Location:Tasmania, Australia
Posts: 929
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« Reply #17 on: December 13, 2007, 04:33:33 PM » |
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To be fair, most of our dogs (the people who own crates) use them in the house not just the car. My toys always travelled in a crate in the car and the sps on the back seat. But they are used to the crate in the house as a safe place. You may have more trouble given they are older and not used to the crate. If you were to introduce a crate it would have to be in the house first, with toys and treats, the door open and 'invite' them to go in and check it out. Dont just suddenly lock them in.
In the car I think a crate gives them a safer feeling, they're enclosed in a smaller space, can see out but are more protected...
I'm sure you'll find a way to get them on the trip without too much stress.
Thank you for rescuing them when your grandmother died.
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NekkidDogLady
Cool Puppy
Location:
Posts: 25
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« Reply #18 on: December 13, 2007, 09:22:10 PM » |
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My powderpuff likes her crate, its a little safe haven for her when she wants to be away from everyone.
Barney also uses a crate.. he lays down in it and is just fine.
The only one I dont crate is Fred.. I crated him as a pup, but for some reason he got to a point where he hated it. If I leave him in one, he claws at the crate and poops. I can use a crate in the car for him.. he isnt happy, but he will lay down and ride in a crate.
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E.K.
Cool Puppy
Location:NSW, Australia
Posts: 30
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« Reply #19 on: January 03, 2008, 07:18:00 PM » |
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So we are thinking of borrowing two dog crates from the local Animal Welfare League (Nicky and Star lived there for 5 months last year until they came to live with us) putting food, water and blankets inside the crates and see if they start going into them. That way hopefully they will get used to them and we can have them in the crates while we drive up to our house which is 8 hours away. Any other suggestions?
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« Last Edit: January 03, 2008, 07:20:02 PM by E.K. »
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Fluffy
Cool Dog
Location:Northern NSW
Posts: 161
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« Reply #20 on: January 04, 2008, 02:14:47 AM » |
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Excellent idea - i have a minature poodle with me at the moment who has not travelled much - she obviously feels safer and calmer in the car if we use a crate. Your dogs would also be safer in an accident if they were in their crates and the crates are secured. Introduce the crates by feeding them in there with the door open and leave treats in their crates at various times during the day. The majority of dogs who are crate trained love it - it goes back to the denning instinct of wild dogs. I crate train all my dogs and those who are just passing through by feeding and sleeping them in the crates. My dogs don't sleep in a crate at home but I know if they ever need to be crated (eg vets or grooming) they will not be stressed.
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E.K.
Cool Puppy
Location:NSW, Australia
Posts: 30
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« Reply #21 on: January 04, 2008, 03:03:26 AM » |
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Excellent idea - i have a minature poodle with me at the moment who has not travelled much - she obviously feels safer and calmer in the car if we use a crate. Your dogs would also be safer in an accident if they were in their crates and the crates are secured. Introduce the crates by feeding them in there with the door open and leave treats in their crates at various times during the day. The majority of dogs who are crate trained love it - it goes back to the denning instinct of wild dogs. I crate train all my dogs and those who are just passing through by feeding and sleeping them in the crates. My dogs don't sleep in a crate at home but I know if they ever need to be crated (eg vets or grooming) they will not be stressed.
Thanks for that. Heard you've been having a lot of rain up there lately. We hope to be driving up to stay in our new house near Yamba for a week or so on either 30th or 31st January and taking the doggies with us, so I hope it's not still raining then.  |
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Fluffy
Cool Dog
Location:Northern NSW
Posts: 161
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« Reply #22 on: January 04, 2008, 03:11:43 AM » |
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Yep - it is really starting to irritate me and the poodles - this morning I just put the oilskin on put Aces raincoat and waterproof snood on him and went for a walk anyway - very unpleasant with the wind gusting around. It is still windy but not as cyclonic. There is minor flooding around the district - we are very lucky here.
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E.K.
Cool Puppy
Location:NSW, Australia
Posts: 30
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« Reply #23 on: January 11, 2008, 09:38:40 PM » |
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Well we splashed out and bought a fairly expensive travel kennel this morning, the dogs rode back home in it and seemed to be a lot of calmer. I think some of the anxiety was to do with them being tied up and not being able to get to each other as well as being able to see us in the front of the car. Going to do a test drive tomorrow, eg. over an hour each way. Wish me luck.
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« Last Edit: January 11, 2008, 09:41:38 PM by E.K. »
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Helen
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« Reply #24 on: January 12, 2008, 11:00:53 AM » |
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Good luck! The new crate sounds great and I bet it will be so much nicer for your poodles.  Helen |
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kaasha
Puppy
Location:Poowong, Victoria
Posts: 3
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« Reply #25 on: February 02, 2008, 01:56:38 AM » |
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Another good (and non chemical/drug) product to help calm a dog is Nervatona. It is a human product that you an buy at a chemist for around $20. It sounds like the dogs are suffering from a bit of separation anxiety/over excitement and nervatona helps to calm them a bit. The dosage varies depending on the dog but I have found it to be a very good product which was recommended to me by a friend with Cavaliers.
Jeni
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E.K.
Cool Puppy
Location:NSW, Australia
Posts: 30
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« Reply #26 on: February 10, 2008, 03:03:11 PM » |
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Well we just got back last night from our holiday in the north coast of NSW. It's an 8 hour drive each way and we ended up buying a product called Behave from the local pet store. It contains tryptophan, magnesium and the vitamin B groups. It didn't do much to stop Nicky yapping in the travel kennel nearly the whole time but seemed to calm him down for a few hours each morning while we were there.
We basically had to stop and take a break every 1 - 2 hours, let them out of the travel kennel for a walk and a wee etc. That would calm them down for half an hour or so and then the yapping would start up again. Nicky (the younger male poodle) is extremely attached to my husband... so I think this is the main problem.
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