Safe crate tips

Any safe tips for stopping a puppy from chewing on his crate. Toby has taken a shine to doing it and the other day he got his little teeth stuck and let out a yelp like I have never heard before. It was awful, it made me feel sick. However it still has not stopped him from wanting to do it ? Mad man !

Luckily he is only in his crate with supervision and goes on his bed in a different area when left unattended.

I did not know if we could put something on it that would keep him off but not put him off going in it as he loves it at the moment. It reminds me of when I used to play tents when I was a kid with a sheet on the back of lounge awww.

Anyway any suggestions. He has heaps of chew toys (kongs, nylabone and so on) that we use to try and distract him when he does it but he is not interested ??

I have seen crate bumpers that remind me of crib bumpers in some dog product catalogs. I don't know if it would help if he is chewing higher up on the side though.

Also be sure to take time to crate train him -- to prepare him for being in the crate, where he won't be anxious. This takes time. Most puppies/dogs are very upset at being placed in a crate initially. You may also need a different crate if he can manage to catch his mouth, which potentially could be dangerous.

Crate Training: http://deesdogs.com/documents/cratetrianing.pdf

Another excellent guide to crate training: http://www.nhspca.org/community-services/crateTraining.html

This is excellent on crate training, and also advises on using stuffed kongs hung inside the crate:

http://www.siriuspup.com/pdfs/07HomeAlone.pdf

Maybe you could spray the bars with the bitter apple spray they make that keeps dogs from chewing on things?


Good luck! :flwr:

I'd try what Lindsay suggested and spray the bars with bitter apple. I used a bumper in Jake's when he was a baby...but he just chewed up the bumper. Both of mine will still occasionally lick the bars but never bite.