[Dailydrool] gus's crate

[Elizabeth Lindsey]

Hello Susan,

I'm so glad Gus seems to be happy to have his den back. I think it's  
all a matter of attitude. You've been looking at the crate as a bad  
thing, as punishment. I was actually rather concerned that Gus would  
pick up on that attitude and think that because you're feeling  
negatively about the crate, he should, too. Fortunately, he has an  
entirely different attitude, and I hope it'll be one you can embrace.  
Crates can be very good things for dogs. They feel secure, smell  
familiar, and are a place of stability. Dogs also like routine, so  
incorporating periods of time spent in a crate into Gus's daily  
routine will be seen as a good thing as well.

In our house, we call the crates our dogs' rooms. So I'll tell our  
Elsinore to go to her room, or I'll peek in on Charlie in his and  
tell him in an upbeat voice that he's got a really cool room because  
it has a blankie in it. It's all in the semantics. "Crate" has a  
negative connotation, but "room" is more neutral or even positive, if  
you want to think of it the same way you think of a child or teen's  
room.

Elsinore likes to use her room as a way to try to get extra treats  
out of me. I always give them a treat for going into their rooms, and  
at bedtime they get a large Milk Bone to keep them from throwing up  
empty-stomach acid at dawn. She's my smart girl. So lately she's  
started putting herself to bed in her room earlier and earlier in the  
evening to try to get that Milk Bone. I'm not caving in because I  
know if I do, she'll end up trying to put herself to bed for the  
night at 3:30 in the afternoon! But still, around 8:30 or so, she'll  
ask to get off the sofa with us and she'll go to her room and stay  
there for the rest of the night.

Her basset friend Owen doesn't have a crate at his house but he does  
when he stays at ours, and he really, really loves being in it here.  
Actually, all three hounds will play musical crates all day long when  
Owen's with us. Elsinore does it to let everyone know that she can  
appropriate anyone's room any time she likes. Owen just looks for a  
free room to hang out in, and young Charlie takes what's left because  
if Elsinore's doing something, even crate-hopping, then he wants to,  
too. It's fun watching those dynamics.

Anyway, I suggest finding a positive name for Gus's crate and taking  
your cue from him. It's a great space to hang out in, and isn't he  
lucky to have one to stay in during the day?

Warm pats for your boy!

Elizabeth


> first, thank you to all who wrote to tell me i wasn't the worst  
> mama in the
>  world.  the notes meant a lot to me.
> second, as i sit here, after bringing in the crate and setting it  
> up, gus
> is laid out in it, snoozing.  the door is opened of course, but he's
> snoring like a trooper!  so despite my sadness on having to put it  
> back up,  i
> think he might be happy to have his den back.  he has the whole  
> house to  raom
> around in when i get home, of course, but here he is snoring  
> away!   also,
> in the old days, a month ago, when i gave him a treat, he would run  
> into  the
> crate to eat it.  well, tonight after his dinner, he demanded his   
> dessert
> as he always does, and when i gave it to him, he flew into the  
> crate to  eat
> it!
> a baby crate has been suggested and i almost ran out after work to  
> get one
> and then thought, i see them at yard sales every weekend and naver  
> paid any
>  attention to them, so i'll wait to pick one up at a yard sale and try
> that.  that way, he would have the kitchen and laundry room to roam  
> around  in
> when i was gone, but NO CARPETING!
> you folks have no idea how much i value your ideas, suggestions and
> reassurances.  when the Drool is referred to as a family, boy oh  
> boy, that  is
> hitting the nail on the head!
> thank you so much again!
> susan, loving slave to gus
> gus-hey!  my den is back!  who stole it?  who brought it  back?