Reddit reviews ProSelect Empire Cages - Medium

It’s this one: ProSelect Empire Cages - Medium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Y905XE?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

I have a collie mix who hates storms. This didn’t go over well when we moved to Florida and everyone went to work. He destroyed his wire crate in stages, usually managing to escape, hurting his paws and doing damage to his surroundings. This thing is designed for very strong dogs and works wonders! Get the dog bed for it, though!

We use fluoxetine with mine. Its about 15/mo. (Canal St. Vet. Dr Stephanie will need to see the pup and what not)

Also is the dog cage trained? Mine ate a freaking door a few years ago., after eating through his crate.

He did all of this AFTER a 4 mile run.

SO I had to get a crate he could not eat. and work really really hard on making sure he knew the cage was his safe space and he would always get a reward for going in there when we told him too.

That combined with fluoxetine and he now sleeps in his bed under my desk or on the couch and rarely has to go up. (we only put him up if he runs to the door when we are getting ready to leave)

Not my dog but my roommates dog had awful separation anxiety. He kept hurting himself more and more every day until we got him something like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000Y905XE/ref=mp_s_a_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1543383694&sr=8-16&keywords=dog+crate

It's kind of expensive, but compare to the $250 to fix the carpet he tore up, and another $250 to replace the door handle he tore up, multiple crates and any potential vet visits if his behavior escalated any further, totally worth it. Those wire crates are suprisingly easy to tear apart when you have a desperate dog, and each time he manages to get out it just reinforces that behavior.

He finally started to realize that couldn't escape it, and finally the sores in his elbows started to heal, he stopped getting cuts on his paw and nose.

It's not a replacement for training, you really need to hit that hard to help her get over her anxiety, but in the meantime you need to be able to trust that your dog is not tearing up the house, or worse, causing herself damage while you are away.

As far as training:

1. Always treat when she goes in the crate. Especially a bigger treat she can work on for a bit, or something like a peanut butter filled Kong if you are leaving for the day.
   
   
2. Always keep the energy low and interactions minimal when you get back, no treats or excited voices or other things that could make the coming home part more of a treat. Quietly walk up, open the crate and give her the release signal to exit the crate.
   
   
3. Practice working her up to it. First you need to get her to the point that she's going in on her own accord by luring her in with treats, then closing the door for longer and longer intervals, then the same with leaving the room. The trick is to try to get back to her before she gets worked up. If she does start to get worked up, wait it out untill there's a break in the behavior before returning to her. Always being careful to reward the beginning and not making the end of it a reward
   
   The bit about waiting for a break in her acting up will only work with a crate she can't escape, otherwise the behavior is causing its own reward and nailing the behavior in more, if you don't get a better crate then I'd say interurrupt the behavior. Walk in, tell her no, but leave her in the crate and leave again, this time going for a shorter interval so that you can return while she is still behaving.
   
   
4. As others mentioned, giving her her meals in the crate should help too. Anything you can do to make positive associations with the crate will help.
   
   Anyway, you may already be doing some or all of this, but it's how we've approached with both our dogs who initially had some separation anxiety and were not crate trained at all. They both love their crates and will elect to hang out there on their own accord sometimes. And they never cry or make a ruckus when we leave anymore.
   
   
   
   

Our Houdini is a 35lb Jack Russel/MinPin/Pit mix with severe separation anxiety who breaks out of EVERYTHING!

I had a stainless steel walled, heavy duty, "Military Working Dog" crate which worked well for containing our Schutzhund GSDs. His little paw could sneak out the front bars and undo the latch.

Wire crate? He couldn't get the bars on the sides, but he was able to grab the ones on top with his teeth, rip them apart individually, then tip the crate so the top was now on the side and walk right out.

Locked in a room? He used his teeth and nails - to the point of smearing blood everywhere - to destroy the door frame and door and free himself.

The best we've found is the ProSelect Empire crate. After plunking down $350 we were disappointed to see him loose again, but we found that with the right carabiner through the latch (a leash clip doesn't cut it!) that he now stays in the crate without escaping. Or maybe he's just waiting for the right opportunity!

>does anyone know of a crate that is very hard to get out of? Inescapable even?

I wouldn't say that these crates are absolutely escape-proof in all circumstances, but outside of investing in a custom crate from a company like Rogue or others, a ProSelect Empire crate will work just fine for most escapees.

That's the plan. Wanted to try this one more time, we really like this crate. It's getting desperate though, the old one is getting rusty and cannot be safe anymore. He breaks the welds on the "indestructible" ones like the one linked below, so I'm thinking we will have to shell out the really big bucks ( which actually pale in comparison to what we've spent) for the military style ones. Those seem dark and gloomy which makes me sad. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000Y905XE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1448944282&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=indestructible+crate&dpPl=1&dpID=61%2BaQ4diacL&ref=plSrch

Along with a lot more exercise, have you tried a heavier duty crate?

These come to mind:

ProSelect Empire Cage

BestPet

SmithBuilt <- Cheapest

http://www.amazon.com/ProSelect-ZW179-37-Empire-Cages/dp/B000Y905XE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458812218&sr=8-2&keywords=indestructible+crate

I agree with the others about trying to fix the separation anxiety. I have a rescue that was an escape artist.Left out of the crate she crushed door knobs trying to escape the house. That didn't work so she went through the glass door. I tried doggie daycare - during the times she was in their kennel she broke the rest of her canine teeth trying to escape. Tried drugs and a twice daily dog walker. Took her to training. Got a dog behaviorist. Go the diffuser. My vet finally told me that there was not much else she could think of to do. She had worked with me tirelessly. I tried leaving my girl alone for 5 minutes and then 10 minutes on thru to hours. NOTHING worked. I took her for mile long walks/runs before leaving her. I got the crate above - it's expensive but it was comforting to know she wasn't going to hurt herself. That worked for a really long 2 years. I hated it but there wasn't much else I could think of for her. Now I live in the country. She has a 10x10 pen she stays in during the day that my husband reinforced so she couldn't escape and between our two schedules she's in there 5 hours M-F with the run of the land the rest of the time. Her anxiety has been reduced now that I'm married. She used to howl if she was in the house with my husband but I wasn't home from work yet. Now she just lies on the couch waiting for me to come home. Sometimes we drive in and she's asleep in the pen and really calm before we let her out.

1. My dog drama is over. Fiance realized how stupid covering a cage in chicken wire would be. We were both exhausted and irritable from work. The plan now is to continue working with her and trying to help her anxiety. If she damages the cage more (and makes an escape hole) we will be purchasing this behemoth and calling a behaviorist. Apparently, the dog somehow reminds him of himself as a child. His parents tried to "fix him" with medication and counseling and he is projecting that on to our puppy. It's...oddly endearing.
   
   
2. I'm working in a few hours. Safety/Educational event for childrens at an easter egg hunt. Gotta get my happy game face on. C'mon, waking up on a Saturday isn't that bad, right?
   
   
3. Third thing. What was this thing?
   
   
4. Oh yeah, my mother contacted me again. She wanted me to visit for Easter. I reminded her that I told her in no uncertain terms what she would have to do to have a relationship with me (stop drinking, go see a psychologist or something). She feigned ignorance and that she "thought I just didn't like using the phone or something." My Father is trying to pressure me to just "get over it". Ah, the stress, the stress is ruining my face.