Skip to content

Escaping from crate!

Basenji Talk
  • I really can't believe this myself. We got Willow and Kai home on Saturday (pics coming, I promise!). Everything is going really well.

    Here is the weird thing - we put both puppies (12 weeks today) in their crates to rest this morning after a long play session. I was in my office working and in comes Kai after about 20 minutes. My husband kept saying that he was SURE he latched the crate (Precision Pro wire crate). We wrote it off to maybe he didn't pay attention to getting it latched all the way, etc.

    We had to leave this afternoon for about 2 hours. Both puppies went into the crates and the latches were inspected closely by both of us. When we walked in, Kai met us at the door! Fortunately, nothing was destroyed - just one small potty accident was the only damage that I could find.

    What the heck is going on? What the heck should we do? Has this happened to anyone else?

    We don't want to put anything around the latch that he might chew on. We thought of facing the crate door to the wall tonight.

    Any advice? I think what makes me the saddest about this whole thing is that he was doing well in the crate at the breeder's house and his crying duration was less and less each time here. Now he has learned that giving up and settling down in the crate is apparently for idiots, as you CAN get out if you just keep trying. Again, I have never heard of such a thing. Any help is appreciated.

  • With Oakley ( Midwest wore crate-2 door) I had to double masterlock and use zip ties on the sides so he couldn't fold it while inside to escape. NO JOKE! Once he even escaped both locks and zip ties by chewing through all the ties… He has finally stopped with all crate antics and now is the best boy I could ever have hoped for when it comes to the crate. If you don't think your pup will be that determined then my suggestion is a carabiner clip

  • I would go and find a carabiner to put on the door. Make sure that if he does get the door unlatched though that he can't get his head stuck in there choke or something though. You can get carabiners that are lockable and ones that just clip. If you have a local climbing store you can find them there. Good luck with the great crate escape!

  • And you can find them anywhere you'd get keys made…home depot, lowes... Just don't get the thin cheapos... It should have some sturdiness so as not to break once he unlatches the latch and then tries to force the door open..should work unless you have an "Oakley"... Then you'll need to get locks!

  • Uh oh here it goes! Anubis does that…wiggles the latches on his wire crate open and forces the door open. I use C Clamps you can get at walmart. Keeps him in! I tried the clips from a climbing store he managed to break them. C Clambs you use a screw and it screws closed. They work great!

  • We use ex-pen clips on the doors of the wire crates. Also, be sure you have heavy gauge wire with good welds, L'Ox just busts the welds and squeezes out the hole he makes. He is only crated in the very heavy, made when people still made stuff to last forever, MidWest crate that I picked up at a lure trial for $20.

  • Of my 4, I have one that can pretty much open an sort of crate latch except the kind on Kennel Aire crates - so Liyah either goes in a Kennel Aire or I put a carabiner on the door if using a regular crate. When Liyah was a puppy, she would not only open her own crate and let herself out, but she would open the other two crates and let out her friends, Ruby & Brando.

  • Its a basenji thing, many of mine have been able to open crates, Tempest broke a front bar completely out of her midwest metal crate a few months ago.

  • Thanks for all of the tips! We are going to try a carabiner tonight and ratchet up if we need to. I spoke with the breeder last night and she said that one of her dogs not only escapes from his crate, but lets everyone else out for a party if she doesn't use a carabiner.

    Who are these people that say basenjis are dumb? Let's put them in a crate and see them get out when they are 12 weeks old.

  • @Amelie:

    I spoke with the breeder last night and she said that one of her dogs not only escapes from his crate, but lets everyone else out for a party if she doesn't use a carabiner.

    Who are these people that say basenjis are dumb? Let's put them in a crate and see them get out when they are 12 weeks old.

    :) This is all proof that basenjis are definitely not dumb! That is so funny about one of the breeder's basenjis letting the others out. "Come on everyone, party time. THEY are gone"! You had me laughing out loud! We use carabiners. We have them on our parrots' cages and do use one on Kipawa's crate. I agree with Krunzer - you have to really make sure that there is no room AT ALL for either Kai or Willow to get out. A tiny bit of space can become a huge hazard.

  • The only thing I have found that will hold Corin is a Kennel-Aire Commander crate, because it has 1 inch squares on all 6 sides. The new Kennel-Aires have larger sqaures on the bottom, and he has figured out how to slide the tray out and get out the bottom of the crate.

Suggested Topics

  • Lucky and her crate –--- problem...

    Basenji Talk
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    5k Views
    tanzaT
    Crates for bedtime should be in the same room you sleep in… especially with a puppy... if you are rooms away, how would you have any idea that he/she is having a problem? And if you are home, the pup should be with you... and you should be watching him/her.... every minute... the crate is not for your pleasure, so you can do other things... .... or you are bored with watching them every minute.. Certainly if you have to crate when you are out of the house.. that is one thing... but if you are home, they are totally tuned into you being there. If they fall asleep as puppies will do, you can pick them up and put them in the crate... just leave the door open.. and go about your business... but check on the very often.... I have raised many a litter that they are in our family room crashed out or on the back porch for hours sleeping... I can get stuff done while they sleep.. but I keep the eagle eye on them all the time..
  • Crate story

    Basenji Talk
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    3k Views
    Shaye's MomS
    In addition to all of the above posts, there are definitely basenjis who will not be crated. I have one. Went through all the correct procedures trying to crate Shaye as a new puppy. We got her a wire crate, the right size, put a soft piece of our clothing in it, put it next to our bed at first so we could touch her through the bars - she screamed all the time she was in there, did her business wih her butt against the side so it would go outside, peed all over the place and sat in it, even though we were very slow and careful with it. The eventual result was she broke nearly all her baby teeth biting the crate, never calmed down in it, would not go in to eat, get treats or anything else. Her personality has never changed; she still backs off if she even sees crates other dogs are sleeping in. She is now nearly five, and she does not act like that when she needs to be kenneled at a daycare place, she seems to know it's different there, although if possible she will try to climb her way out at first. When she cannot, she will calm down and rest for the hour they put her in there during the day. Be patient, but if it just never works, so be it. Once Shaye got a little older and we got her a companion, she has been totally trustworthy while we are gone.
  • Crating Question

    Basenji Talk
    13
    0 Votes
    13 Posts
    4k Views
    T
    it's such a blessing on the weekends!
  • Why I Use Crates

    Basenji Talk
    24
    0 Votes
    24 Posts
    13k Views
    agilebasenjiA
    Interestingly enough, there has recently been a discussion about crates on the CleanRun list. CR is working on obtaining some high end crates to sell. Everything CR sells is tested by the CR staff. I am not sure how they are going to crash test these crates, but I am anxious to see them. I have a feeling they may be the solid metal (Al?) crates I've seen that are VERY expensive, but we'll seel I have used Kennel Aire crates in my van for years. Why Kennel Aire? http://www.newworldbasenjis.net/kennelaire.htm I also like that the KA crates have one inch squares. That makes it harder to suck things into the crate. @tanza: The problem being the Basenji that chews through the seat belt harness in 30seconds or less. So hence the muzzle Yep, I happen to know for a fact that one of the most expensive things on a 73 VW bug is the seatbelt! For those having problems with getting your dog in a crate, I believe Susan Garrett's Crate Games talks about that. I think it's at the end of the dvd.
  • Crate size

    Basenji Talk
    16
    0 Votes
    16 Posts
    17k Views
    rnastoR
    Indy has a "Large" size wire crate from walmart. We decked it out with a king size comforter, two fleece blankets, and a life size "puppy" stuffed animal. Then we throw in a deer antler and two of his favorite stuffed toys and tell him to have at it. So far no problems. The other cool thing about this crate is that dh made him a "deck" ontop. We put the kennel next to the couch so he can climb up the top and onto the deck. He hangs out there and looks out the window all day long sometimes. When he was younger we put the divider in, but once he showed us that he knew pottying in his crate was not ok we just let him have all the room. So far so good.
  • One crate or two?

    Basenji Talk
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    2k Views
    B
    I would not reccomend doing that, fights start over the slightest things. Too many things can go wrong…...seperate cartes is the way to go IMO.:)