Troy - The saga continues. ANOTHER update inside

First topic message reminder :

So I have just come back from the vet £130 lighter.

Troy appeared to be itching his ears badly and then started rubbing against the walls and rolling on his back. I could tell there was something wrong with him so took him to the emergency vets.

The vet advised that he has discharge in the ears caused by ear infection. The patches on his head are from a chronic skin allergy as the insides of the ears are dry and cracked, the ear infection is a knock on from the skin problems.

They gave him steroids for the pain and a sedative so he could sleep. Got some ear drops to be applied for a week too and some flea treatment too. Because it was emergency hours they could not do skin scrapes tonight so have to go to another consultation.

The poor little sod has been dealing with moving home, new owners, ear infection and allergies.

Should of checked him over better but I'm no vet, it wasn't obvious to me until it was shown under his ears and I thought nothing of the patch on his head.

To top it off I never had the insurance sorted, only had him a day after all! So none of this is covered. It's not the initial spend that bothers me but depending on the outcome it could be something that needs regular treatment for life.

The vet said it could be an allergy to pollen, fleas, something in his food and things like that.

The vet advised this was also something that had gone on for a while and he has had multiple ear infections. By the looks of his ear canals.

Well I said I would rescue a dog and I definitely got a dog in need! I knew it was too good to be true, I have very bad luck and always get screwed.

Where do I stand with these costs and any spend depending on the outcome of the skin problems? Are there any groups or organisations that can help with costs of treatment considering my circumstances? Only had him a day. I planned for the cost of food and insurance etc but obviously insurance won't cover this now. Fingers crossed its an easy to treat nominal cost procedure.

Guess its time to get a little sleep now. Troy has finally gone to sleep as he is drugged up

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Pado wrote:When crate training past dogs I only gave treats inside the crate - I'd throw the treats inside and leave the door open and sometimes I throw the treats inside and when the dog went inside I'd close the door but let them out as soon as they were done with the treat. This made a positive association to the crate and the dog learned every time it went into the crate it wasn't going to be locked up for extended periods. Make the crate fun and the dog will come to know it as a safe fun place (a den) if they only go inside when they are being locked up when their person leaves, it becomes a dungeon.

spot on advice.

If you come home and his bedding is shredded to bits ar worse gone, you'll know you haven't been patient enough.

Cool advice. Only got the crate today though. Just put some treats in and locked the him in. I can hear him moaning downstairs now. Have undone the wrong thing or stick with it and leave him in there now for the night and try some of the treat training over the next few days?

It's not about patients either, just not sure what's best to do because some say to just get them in there ASAP and ignore the whining. I just want to do what's best an gives him the best chance of settling.

you could teach him out of dreading it but will take longer if he starts on a bad foot. I for one would let him out of the crate bring the thing in the same room as you then casually throw treats inside for him to go and get then like Pado said lock him for a minute or so while he seems happy.

btw, you could take the crate in your bedroom and have him sleep in it right next to your bed. i think he would settle easier.

So let him out now even though he's in there already?

I think he is settling down now, whimpering ever so slightly I think he will stop soon. Should I really let him out and bring the crare upstairs after all that?

I'm getting so many mixed messages on what to do, I feel like I'm doing bad by him

well, is he still moaning? Some people would say htfu but I'm a softie and would let him out then get him used to it in the same room as you. I'd also make sure he is very tired before i'd lock him in for his first long stint.

also, one thing I haven't read in your posts is if he likes cuddles. most staffies are cuddle monsters and if you encourage it, use it as an opportunity for you to gently groom him. great bonding in my view

Yeah he is a cuddle monster, I always have cuddles with him. Last two nights he has been in my room and will jump up to my bed throughout the night, get cuddles then go back to sleep.

I think he has stopped now yes..it's been a couple of minutes. If he stays quiet leave him in, of he starts again let him out?

I'll feel crap!

You get mixed messages because we all do it differently. You need to decide what you want and need him to get used to doing and be consistent. Staffys are very able to adapt but they need consistancy. Personally, I don't do a crate anymore and it works for me. Frosty had severe anxiety over his crate after flying cross-country and since keeping him out of it, he is perfect (well mostly). However, you need to figure out which method you are most comfortable with and go with it for a period of time (seriously like a month or two). Otherwise you will be contributing to the anxiety by continually changing things for him. Also, remember that since you will be gone so much, he will want to be with you even more when you are home. Personally, I would let him sleep in your room with you since he is already left alone so many hours (or will be). Also, I completely agree with the cuddles. It is a need for a Staffy.

Only change things if you are planning to stick with that thing. That is my humble oppinion.

Okay so use the grate for when I am out and let him sleep in my room on a night.

He's in the crate and not crying now, should i let him out?

After all this I don't even think he is a chewer so feel like I've wasted money on the grate now anyway. Guess I'll just keep it and use as his bed for when I'm not in. Gonna let him out..

Only let him out if you are going to stick with that setup. I allowed in my bed at night and in the crate when out, but the key is consistancy. He won't settle until he knows what is normal. Pick how you are going to do it and stick to that plan. Don't do crate sometimes at night and bedroom others. Confuses the heck out of Troy. If you are going to let him in your bedroom at night, by all means let him out and so he will know where he sleeps. I know it is stressful, but things will calm down for ya both.

no need to feel bad pal, you're doing good for him. If half the staffie owners out there would be as interested in bettering themselves for the good of their dogs we would not be having these media issues.

If he is quiet I guess leave him but I’ll put a friendly tenner on the fact that he will wake you up at some point in the night. I’m lazy and in my view, if the crate is close to you, it will be less for you to travel to comfort him. BUT, there’s more than one way to skin a cat and you are trying which is very refreshing to see.

Well in gonna use his crate as his bed and his little place he'll go to for privacy and sleeping in the day.

He can sleep in my room on a night and if he chooses can go downstairs and sleep in the crate.

I'm going to do some positive association with the crate starting tomorrow with treats etc. I don't think he is a chewer or anything so will leave him with crate open when I'm gone in living room.

If he poops I guess I'll just have to clean it up until his anxiety has gone.

Any advice / suggestions before morning let me know now lol. Want to stick to one set of rules now, no chopping and changing. Thanks guys.

i know you are in a different set up to me. but Romeo is a show dog and getting him crate trained was a must, but his crate is actually in my room with all his bedding. Romeo has a foldable easy transport crate so i can take it to work with me. he loves it so much that he often just lays in there in peace. i cant tell you any more then what the others have told you but you'll be fine.

Well I feel like I've wasted money on a huge crate which I don't need and is taking up space in my small living room.

If he's not a chewer then I don't care if he is left free to roam the living room and kitchen when I'm not home so doesn't seem as if having a crate is of anything at all.

Never do things right or think things through correctly and just throwing away money which I shouldn't bring doing. Is it going to confuse him further if I change his crate for a smaller one or even just a dog bed / basket in the same location?

I never used a crate with my last dog which was a mongrel, only bought this crate in case he got up to no good. Just feel like a right wallly.

Thrown the box out now so can't get my money back either.

There's nothin wrong with only using the crate for when you're not home, it's fine if he's gonna sleep in your bed at night and have his crate for when you're not around. Like I said before it might help with his anxiety and pooping if he's in a more secure space when you're out! Just think of it as a really big bed!!
And in the worst case at least you're containing the mess to one place!

Plus I always think its a good idea to have one, countless times I've heard vet advice of "give them cage rest for a few days..." so it doesn't hurt to have one really

Oh and beleive me now I have a dog I can't throw money away quick enough, new beds new toys vet bills insurance the list goes on ...

Hi Gee,

Sorry to hear about the problems with Troy and his previous owner (I'd just put him to the back of my mind now and focus on Troy).

Our Jess has ear problems aswell and we've had her on all kinds (she has acute dermatitis which she'll have for life) as said on here priton can help but when Jess has big flair ups when her ear goes all dry we tried a cream that was given to her by the vet for a small skin complaint when we got her called fusiderm (don't know how it's exactly spelt) but we contacted the vet and asked if we can use it and they agreed as long as we didn't go into the ear and for the £100 plus pounds we spent on steroids, ear wash, maleseb etc this £8 cream worked wonders so try speaking to your vet about using it!

Hey, I'd still use the crate as his bed, and to give him peace & a feeling of security! Dogs love to be 'surrounded' by a den, and a crate gives them that feeling.

I don't like my boy sleeping on the bed because he takes up so much room, and he likes to roll in unmentionable things when he's out! So his crate is his bed. It's also useful if we have repair men etc in the house, because he can be very territorial & doesn't much like strangers.

Thanks for the replies.

I am using his crate as his bed and will lock him in there when I leave the house for short periods. Eventually I will leave it open when I'm out once I'm confident be is not going to make any mess.

I took him for a long walk this morning and he did no poop. Gave him a treat inside the crate and looked it, let him out once he was done and he was fine. Going to do this some more and always give him treats inside the crate.

I was doing some clicker training this morning with treats and once we were done he then followed me upstairs and pooped in the house...again.

Maybe it was my fault for giving him treats before he had even pooped today? I dunno....

Hope it stops soon, having to air out upstairs right now. I can tell him 'No'when I catch him in the act but can't let him into the garden as it is not secure and I don't take him out straight away because my first priority is cleaning up e smelly mess he left. Any suggestions on how to make him realise he shouldn't be doing itchy the house when i cant put him straight outside?

Oh and just for clarification, I let him sleep in my room next to the bed NOT on it. He has tried to jump up but i tell him down. He is a little restless sometimes, he'll wake up and go to the top of the stairs and start to moan. If i call him over and pet him though he settles back down and goes back to sleep. GF is getting a little annoyed as she wakes through the night with Troy walking up and down, jumping half way on the bed to get to me etc.

(Caryll here - I've forgotten my password & I'm waiting for Steve to reset it!)

Most of these things will settle as his anxiety levels drop & he settles down with you. You may need to stop him sleeping in your room if he's going to disturb your or your gf's sleep. That won't do at all!

The only way you'll be able to get on top of the pooping is by staying out with him until he literally can't hold it! What you could do is, just before you take him for his morning walk, give him a small amount of something to eat - maybe a beaten egg or a small amount of his usual food - to get his digestion started after the night's sleep. Just a small amount, mind, no more than a small handful. Then take him out. Hopefully he'll be more in need of a poop & will then do it outside & you can then go over the top with praise. People will think you're insane, but what the hell!

I'm thinking go back to puppy basics completely, the mess will have to wait as its important he goes straight outside wher he should toilet, then I'd bring him in, straight to his crate and then you can deal with the poop, just have a slip lead or something handy so you can quickly go outside with him. He needs to learn that pooping inside only gets him took out and then effectively ignored, some even say do not clean the mess in front of the dog as they then know it gets a reaction?

Maybe you should confine him to downstairs only? Mia isn't allowed upstairs so that it keeps the upstairs clean and dog free, it completely depends what your long term plans are but you can always introduce him to other areas of the house once you trust him?

Personally I think it's time for tough love and unless you're going to play with him walk him or chill out with him I would have him in his crate, I guess I mean unless you're watching his every move I wouldn't be letting him roam around, you can tell when they're about to poop or pee and you need to recognise the warning signs and be ready to take him out as soon as you see any signs like sniffing or circling around

Just my opinion, others might think its harsh but I have no other ideas on how you're going to establish rules with him?

*Karen* wrote:I'm thinking go back to puppy basics completely, the mess will have to wait as its important he goes straight outside wher he should toilet, then I'd bring him in, straight to his crate and then you can deal with the poop, just have a slip lead or something handy so you can quickly go outside with him. He needs to learn that pooping inside only gets him took out and then effectively ignored, some even say do not clean the mess in front of the dog as they then know it gets a reaction?

Maybe you should confine him to downstairs only? Mia isn't allowed upstairs so that it keeps the upstairs clean and dog free, it completely depends what your long term plans are but you can always introduce him to other areas of the house once you trust him?

Personally I think it's time for tough love and unless you're going to play with him walk him or chill out with him I would have him in his crate, I guess I mean unless you're watching his every move I wouldn't be letting him roam around, you can tell when they're about to poop or pee and you need to recognise the warning signs and be ready to take him out as soon as you see any signs like sniffing or circling around

Just my opinion, others might think its harsh but I have no other ideas on how you're going to establish rules with him?

(Caryll here - I've forgotten my password & I'm waiting for Steve to reset it!)

The only thing I don't agree with is the bit I've highlighted. I think that confining him to a crate for long periods would make his anxiety levels worse & could produce unwanted behaviour in other ways.

Yea I'm no expert!!

staffymad wrote:(Caryll here - I've forgotten my password & I'm waiting for Steve to reset it!)

Most of these things will settle as his anxiety levels drop & he settles down with you. You may need to stop him sleeping in your room if he's going to disturb your or your gf's sleep. That won't do at all!

The only way you'll be able to get on top of the pooping is by staying out with him until he literally can't hold it! What you could do is, just before you take him for his morning walk, give him a small amount of something to eat - maybe a beaten egg or a small amount of his usual food - to get his digestion started after the night's sleep. Just a small amount, mind, no more than a small handful. Then take him out. Hopefully he'll be more in need of a poop & will then do it outside & you can then go over the top with praise. People will think you're insane, but what the hell!

Yeah hopefully he will settle soon. I'll trying the feeding before walkies trick and see how i get on. He has slept in my room for the last 3 nights in a row. As mentioned, I will be going back to work full time and he will be walked in the morning by me, once by my brother in the afternoon and then once i get back from work, so at least 3 times.

As i wont be home as much as I would like, it was advised to consider letting him stay in my room as they love being around humans and hate missing out on stuff. I was hoping he would eventually settle down and avoid waking us through the night. If I make him sleep in the crate now, it will be the first time since I got him and will possibly confuse him. What do you think, considering the comment about him spending time with me on a night and hopefully settling down? Should i just show tough love and keep him in the crate from tonight forever after, considering he still moans if I move to another room and shut the door behind me?

*Karen* wrote:I'm thinking go back to puppy basics completely, the mess will have to wait as its important he goes straight outside wher he should toilet, then I'd bring him in, straight to his crate and then you can deal with the poop, just have a slip lead or something handy so you can quickly go outside with him. He needs to learn that pooping inside only gets him took out and then effectively ignored, some even say do not clean the mess in front of the dog as they then know it gets a reaction?

Maybe you should confine him to downstairs only? Mia isn't allowed upstairs so that it keeps the upstairs clean and dog free, it completely depends what your long term plans are but you can always introduce him to other areas of the house once you trust him?

Personally I think it's time for tough love and unless you're going to play with him walk him or chill out with him I would have him in his crate, I guess I mean unless you're watching his every move I wouldn't be letting him roam around, you can tell when they're about to poop or pee and you need to recognise the warning signs and be ready to take him out as soon as you see any signs like sniffing or circling around

Just my opinion, others might think its harsh but I have no other ideas on how you're going to establish rules with him?

Okay, I see what you're saying. Take him straight out, bring him back, lock him in the crate and then tidy the mess?

There was no signs really, he wasn't sniffing around or anything, he just followed me into a room and then 'poop' done.

He still cries if i leave him in another room by himself and has had full roam of the house since being here. I don't mind him roaming around once he stops pooping and peeing everywhere. Is it okay to leave him by himself now he has been here a few days? Will he stop whimpering when I leave him downstairs and i go upstairs eventually, considering I've always let him roam?

What do you think about now crating him forever after considering I have let him sleep with me in my room and it was suggested it would be good for him as I will not be round as much as i would like? I was hoping he would settle and stop waking us, but who knows.

Thanks a lot.

Edit- Staffy Mad, just seen your message. I won't crate him unless i leave the house for short periods, few hours max. Once i can trust him I will let him road downstairs with the crate door open when i am not around. Your thoughts on the other things would be appreciated. Thanks.

Sorry for any spelling mistakes, i reply from my iPhone the majority of times and it tries to auto correct.

(Caryll here - I've forgotten my password & I'm waiting for Steve to reset it!)

What about putting his crate in your bedroom? Or maybe get a portable soft crate for the bedroom?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LAZY-BONES-Convenient-Portable-Indoor-Outdoor-Carry-Case-Used-twice-/250994199287?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item3a706b8af7

He might have pooped this morning then because he was having a good time clicker training etc etc having all your attention and then you stop and walk away but he still wants your attention so he does a poo cus then u have to clear it up and it puts the attention back on him

He ain't bring naughty he jus doesn't know what to do with himself so needs to be taught and i beleive in the crate so I would stop him roaming temporarily at least. That way when training is over he can go in his crate with a bone or something so he still has an activity if you get what I mean rather than just reverting back to following u around waiting for the next instruction

staffymad wrote:(Caryll here - I've forgotten my password & I'm waiting for Steve to reset it!)

What about putting his crate in your bedroom? Or maybe get a portable soft crate for the bedroom?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LAZY-BONES-Convenient-Portable-Indoor-Outdoor-Carry-Case-Used-twice-/250994199287?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item3a706b8af7

It's a large crate though it does fold. I like your idea about putting snot her crate in my bedroom though. Hmm, so let's say i keep his crate downstairs for when I am out and uses it as his bed. I get anther crate for my bedroom and he gets to sleep in my room with me near by and is not able to jump on the bed or wander around moaning lol.

I guess this is kind of best of both words right? As long as he does not moan all through the night etc while in the crate.

Sounds like a good idea. Might invest in another crate today. He has a 42" downstairs but i can get a new 36" for him to sleep in upstairs as this still seems big enough to sleep in. His length is only around 28-29". I take it you mean lock him in the crate upstairs on a night yeah?

Please let me know your thoughts and i will get the crate today

*Karen* wrote:He might have pooped this morning then because he was having a good time clicker training etc etc having all your attention and then you stop and walk away but he still wants your attention so he does a poo cus then u have to clear it up and it puts the attention back on him

He ain't bring naughty he jus doesn't know what to do with himself so needs to be taught and i beleive in the crate so I would stop him roaming temporarily at least. That way when training is over he can go in his crate with a bone or something so he still has an activity if you get what I mean rather than just reverting back to following u around waiting for the next instruction

I see. I kinda thought it was probably still due to the excitement of the clicker training.

Well sounds like a plan, I await your replies

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We actually have three crates We have one for the car and the huge one in our bedrooom. We bought one in an in-between size for going on holiday when the big one simply would not fit in the car.

It was put away until mid January when it proved invaluable as when Sophie was spayed we had strict instructions not to let her try and jump on the sofa. This was all very well whilst watching her like a hawk but nigh on impossible if you needed the loo or to go out to the garage for the freezer for example.

It was so easy just to pop her in there for a few minutes knowing she would be safe when we had to leave the room.

Thanks for the responses. Well he has been left in his crate today with the radio on. He whines when you first leave but on my return he was quiet, so hopefully not crying for too long.

I will use the crate in the living room for now when I am away for short periods,but to be honest, once he stops pooping and that, i'll just the door open and let him roam and go to the crate if he wants to feel secure.

I have another crate now which is going into my bedroom. I'll set it up relatively close for now and once he is used to it, I may move it further away so we both have our privacy

This sound okay to everyone?

On another note, Troy can be a right little so and so on walks. You have to be careful with him because he will eat ANYTHING that looks or smells like food or was used to wrap food!

Secondly, he goes nuts when he see's over dogs, starts crying and pulling in the other dogs direction and won't stop until that dog is out of view! Any tips on that?

He farts like it is going out of fashion too :/

Gee wrote:On another note, Troy can be a right little so and so on walks. You have to be careful with him because he will eat ANYTHING that looks or smells like food or was used to wrap food!

Secondly, he goes nuts when he see's over dogs, starts crying and pulling in the other dogs direction and won't stop until that dog is out of view! Any tips on that?

He farts like it is going out of fashion too :/

It sounds like he's had no formal lead training at all, doesn't it?

You need to teach him a rock-solid "leave" command & then watch him like a hawk!

Also, try getting him to 'watch' you. Hold a treat in front of your face, say "watch" (or something similar) and as soon as he looks at you, give him the treat. He'll soon catch on that "watch" means there's a treat near your face & he'll look. Then, when you're out & there are dogs nearby get him to sit & try to get him to 'watch' you & take his mind off the dogs. It'll take quite a few repetitions, but he'll eventually learn that pulling to see a dog gets him nothing & nowhere, whereas sitting calmly & looking at you gets him a treat!

He doesn't even know how to lay down yet, Nevermind anything else lol. I don't know what the previous owner did with Troy but it doesn't seem like much.

He can sit and stay..even though I never taught him stay he just seems to get it. Once he can lay down, I will then move on to stay / go and then maybe 'watch' as you mentioned and leave.

Will socialisation classes stop him from trying to charge towards other dogs all the time? Anything I can do in the meantime to try immediately apart from the watch command? He really doesn't snap out of it until the dog has gone, not matter how much you pull hold him back, turn him away etc. I dont think it's aggressive, he just wants to investigate and play I think.

Training/socialisation classes are always a good idea. But before you go, let the trainers know what he's like & what you're hoping to get out of the classes. They may sugest that you go along for a couple of sessions to just sit & watch with him, rather than taking part & him being a pain in the butt!

With the on lead pulling etc, all you can do is be patient & persevere. I know that's easier said than done, but he will cotton on in the end. The first two things I'd teach him would be "Leave" and "Sit". Once you have those you can try for the "Watch" and then the "Down".

I bet you never thought you'd be letting yourself in for all this! But to be honest, he sounds like a really special boy, and I think once you've got some basic training & his anxiety levels are back to normal he'll be a cracking companion.

to be fair it all sounds like the previous owner did very little for him. soon enough you will have these little issues sorted

please don't get mad at me for recommending this ...... Theres a book called something like "Why does my dog do....?" and I think that most ppl with dog experience have done loads of reading in their time and if you are relatively new to it you'll find it a great source of information that would soon lead to confidence. I will find a link for you as soon as I'll get on my pc.

Please don't take my advice wrong way

Yeah, he is a really loving dog and will make a great companion once settled, just a pain in the * at the moment lol.

He knows sit already, got him sitting at road crossings already to the point where he will automatically do it sometimes now.

Teaching him to watch sounds easy, I could possibly use the clicker for this too?

CMR,

Not taken offensively or anything at all. I had a dog for 12 years, might not seem like it with all the questions I ask, but I never had any of these type of problems with him.

We got him at a relatively young age like 8 months, taught him everything, let him sleep wherever he wanted, never crated him, walked him off the lead, good recall etc etc it just happened!

But Troy is a whole different ball game. He has come to me broken and I've got a task of fixing him now but there are so many shattered pieces it's taunting where to start first!

Gee wrote:Teaching him to watch sounds easy, I could possibly use the clicker for this too?

Yes, clicker training will work very well with the watch command.

Cool. Was already on the way teaching him to lay though. Got the vet on Monday..god knows how he is going to act around other animals in the waiting room!

CMR, dunno why I quoted myself there, iPhone messing about!

Gee wrote:CMR, dunno why I quoted myself there, iPhone messing about!

I deleted it for you!

Thanks
Will look up how to clicker train him to 'leave' tonight.

A trainer I spoke to said to not have too many sessions for now though as it could make his anxiety worse as he settles in.

Yes, short training spells of about 5-10 minutes a couple of times a day will be fine. They'll tire him mentally, but won't over-extend him.

Gee wrote:CMR,

Not taken offensively or anything at all. I had a dog for 12 years, might not seem like it with all the questions I ask, but I never had any of these type of problems with him.

We got him at a relatively young age like 8 months, taught him everything, let him sleep wherever he wanted, never crated him, walked him off the lead, good recall etc etc it just happened!

But Troy is a whole different ball game. He has come to me broken and I've got a task of fixing him now but there are so many shattered pieces it's taunting where to start first!

well, we don't know how good we have it until we lose it right?

I'm sure once you'll bond with him you'll mend his ways.

btw, where are you based?

Caryll wrote:Yes, short training spells of about 5-10 minutes a couple of times a day will be fine. They'll tire him mentally, but won't over-extend him.

Oh that's okay then. I keep them short and sweet.

CMR,

I live in Huddersfield.

Kept Troy in a crate in my bedroom last night and it went well. He moaned for literally only 30 seconds and then just went to sleep. I don't recall waking up to hear him moaning or trying to get out etc so seemed like it was a success. No idea why, I guess he knew i wasn't far away and he was probably tired himself.

We'll see when my GF comes tomorrow if he is as well behaved or if he gets jealous because he can't bet in the bed too. Hahaha.

By the way guys, not sure if my brother can sit with Troy today due to Uni. I could only get half day so I am working from 1:30 to 17:30 plus some travel time. He stayed in his crate twice yesterday and over night. I was thinking of leaving the crate door open this time as I will be a few hours, what do you guys think? Also can i get your opinions on themes amount of time it is fair to keep a dog locked in a crate?

Thank you.

Glad everthing went Ok last night with Troy.

I cant help with the amount of time being locked in a crate as we dont really leave Billy on his own. But if you give him a big walk before you go out that will help, if you do leave the door open make sure there is nothing that he get chew or bite for your sake as well as his. It is better to build up the amount of time that you leave your dog in a crate, but you can't after reading this. Good luck and hopefully everyhting will be fine.

Well the crate is in my living room so there are two sofas he potentially could chew! I don't think he is a chewer though I don't know for sure. He has stayed in the kitchen over night before without a problem, didn't chew anything.

The radio will be on, I'll leave his massive knotted bone he likes to chew, some stuffed Kongs, his toys etc. I can put anything small out of reach but I can't move the sofas lol.

He will definitely be going on another walk before I go.

Going to see if my brother can at least call in.

Hoping it all goes well for you.

same fingers crossed

Hmm. I'm thinking of crating him today and for as short as possible tomorrow. I am off work Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues. I could then try leaving Troy with the crate door open for 30 min, then 1hr, then 2hr etc just to make sure he isn't destructive. Then when I go back to work full time, I can leave him with the crate door open.

There is some useful information at the link below, goes against somethings I have read elsewhere though, like how they should have cool flat surface to lie on and not to put cushions in the crate etc.

Sadly it does say that certain dogs may never be trusted in the house alone...like dogs with seperation anxiety!

Not checked the guys credentials but the link his here

http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/crating.html

hi mate, glad to hear you had a whole night of sleep. Remember to use this to your advantage if you want him to empty in a particular spot in the garden. take him straight out like you would a puppy and wait with him there until he does it and make a big fuss about it. get a big waterproof jar that can be left outside and fill it with treats so you never find yourself short.

get him super tired today before you go, don't leave anything he could choke on but leave some entertainment and stop thinking about him till you get back. he already had some time in to know what is about and i'm quite sure you'll find him asleep.

Re: the bottom of the crate.

Although dogs like to lie on a cool flat surface, they also like to relax & get comfy on something soft! I don't put a foam 'bed' or cushion down for Dempsey cause he'd eat it! But I have a square of 'vet bed' at the bottom (soft & keeps the heat in) and then a large folded ex-army blanket on top of that (well, two actually! But one will be taken away in the summer). I got the blanket (ex-german army) from ebay quite cheap & it's really strong.