Hello everybody, just looking for some advice.

We have a 2 year old Plummer Terrier bitch who we leave in the kitchen when we go out. This is for a maximum of 2 hours each time twice a week. However, recently she has started jumping up at the kitchen door and has managed to open it a couple of times. I don't know if she's trying to open it or just to look out. (There is glass in the top half only.) The first time it happened we thought maybe there was someone at the front door and she'd tried to get out but she's done it a few times at bedtime as well.

Before we got married and lived together, she used to stay in her crate in the kitchen when DH was out (different house) and was fine. She seems happier in her crate but the only place we've got room for it is the garage and I just feel that its cruel to put her in there, especially when its so cold.

I should also mention that when she does get out she wreaks havoc where normally she's extremely well behaved. I just can't understand it

What can we do?! Thanks in advance.

I've resorted to putting bolts on a couple of my doors to stop my "little treasure" who opens doors with no trouble.  It's stopped her fun!

Hmm that's a good idea. I wonder if she would stop jumping up once she realised it wouldn't open anymore. If not we might just have to resign ourselves to a permanently scratched kitchen door. :rolleyes: I must admit I wasn't really thinking she was a "little treasure" either when I first saw what she'd done! She always manages to wriggle back into my good books in the end though!

Thanks for your reply ridgielover.

I had this problem with a Pharaoh years ago.  If you have pull down handles on your doors you can turn them round so they have to be pulled up to open the door.

Debs

In the past, my door openers (and my current one is great granddaughter of the first) have fairly quickly understood the significance of a turning key or shooting bolt.  Good luck.

My lot can open any door that isn't locked (we have thumb latches at shoulder height). Fortunately they don't do any damage when they get where they are going, except in the halll where we feed the cats. So we have a baby gate as well as door into the hall to stop them snaffling cat food. They could jump the baby gate easily, but fortunately they don't.

Our rottie knows how to open the kitchen door - and it opens inwards! In the end we bought a dog gate from argos to fit on that door (she can get over the normal baby gates) so that she cant get out.

I would suggest something similar. Either buy some toddler child locks or fit a baby/dog gate.

I put a latch on the door to stop this with one of mine.  If the door has a lock then turn the key.

Yup!  Suffered from this for years with various dog members of the family.   The solution?  Hooks and eyes on the top of each side of the door.......;)

Margot

Our oldest horror has learnt to open three doors going round in a circle, to make the dog gate between the kitchen and hall obsolete :D Two doors open inwards and the other outwards :) Fortunately, as he is only smallish, I can put one of our heavy bar stools in front of the first door which he hasn't learnt to move yet (because it just turns in circles) :D :D :D Other doors OH has put a small bolt on at the very top :)

Daisy

I maybe the only one but it sometimes works to your advantage.  Jack my GSD has found out how to open the back door from the outside, so when he's had enough outside he lets himself in  Mind you with the force he comes in with the door shuts it self afterwards.  Never does it to go out just rattles the door keys to do that.

I should also mention that when she does get out she wreaks havoc where normally she's extremely well behaved. I just can't understand it

It's possible she is anxious if she does this when you are out...and doesn't normally.
You'd have to look at whether there has been a lot of disruption in her life recently if she's only recently started doing it.

It could be anxiety (due to fireworks?my dog will often open the childgate if a firework goes off, she knows she's "allowed").

Is she with you most of the time at home, and does she show any "clingy" behaviour? If so she may well be a bit worried when you are not with her.

Lindsay
x

is the wreaking havoc only when she manages to get out of the kitchen? or does she do it in the kitchen as well? I have no idea why, but maybe to make you feel a bit better-my girl was crated and she managed to get out of her crate a number of times and every time she got out she wrecked the house, having never chewed anything before, even as a pup (i was very lucky), so i thought i wouldnt put her in her crate one time and she has been out now for 6 months and hasnt chewed a thing. weird i know, but thats dogs for you!

Wow thanks for your replies everyone, there are some great suggestions.

Lindsay: When we are both at home, she's fine. In fact she often just goes to lie down in the kitchen on her own. However if DH is out, she doesn't settle at all. She'll sit on my knee for 5 mins and then go and cry at the front door for 5 mins and it goes on like that until he comes home. Even tug of war doesn't distract her for long! It's so strange because she's quite happy being with just me in the car or on a walk and often chooses my lap over DH's when we're both home!

Keisha: She doesn't do much damage in the kitchen apart from the door. Its the rest of the house. Your girl sounds a right character! :-) Ours is the opposite, she's much more settled in her crate. It just takes up too much space in the kitchen. I'm wondering if a dog gate would have the same effect, so she could watch for us coming home but still be stopped from running round the house. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think she might just be trying to see out and has opened the door accidentally. Because she just seems to jump and jump rather than reach up and open the door. Poor thing's exhausted when we come home.

Surannon: This is a good idea too. Turning the handles upside would stop her if it is accidental too.

Any more thoughts are very welcome!

I tried safety gates.  Except my yougest boxer (clever cloggs) managed to put her muzzle under the handle and lift the gate open.  We always use the safety catches at the bottom now :-)