I finally got around to getting a memory card big enough that I could record for a couple of hours solid. So the other day I decided to set it up in the room with Zippy's cage when I left for work to see how he does during the day. So I am watching it when I get home expecting to see quite a bit of craziness. He barked for about 10 mins after I left then settled down with the Kong for awhile, then curled up in the corner and napped!!! I guess Im not really sure how much success this is since I have never taped him before, I only know how he is when he is here and I put him in the cage which ends up being 2 hours of barking and whining. When I got him they told me he was "cage crazy" and thats why no one would adopt him. I could believe it seeing as how he would nip at my figners when I would try to put him in there. So I have worked with him trying to make it as nice a place for him as possible, with toys and food and a bed and all that. But as I work full time, it wan not an ideal situation to try to do all the steps to crate train him, so I had to find a way to make it work. I know he still doesn't love being in there, but he will now go in and be calm about it, only barking for a few mins after I leave instead of most of the day like my neighbors informed me the first day. Also I left him in the living room with the other dogs for the first time 2 days ago while I ran errands. I was only gone about 45 mins but when I got home there was no destruction or accidents!!!
No torn up carpet either! I tried it again today though and it was not such a success. No destruction, but somehow a 6 pound dog managed to get a baby gate out of the door frame. I put up 3 baby gates, stacked on top of each other so he couldn't climb, and the bottom one he jumped at until he pushed one corner crooked and all 3 dogs met me at the door when I got home. I taped today too and I had to laugh a little watching him get it started and got it moved enough for him to get thru and then the bigger dogs got it the rest of the way. Anyway even that is an improvement over the dog that ripped up the carpet under the door to try to get to me in less than 3 mins a couple of days after I got him. He was calm today the 1st half hour I was gone. Guess an hour was pushing it.
Also making some progress on house breaking. Its not perfect yet, but when he does pee in the house its always right after I have taken him out and he has peed outside 4-5 times, so I don't know what that is about, but he is holding it over night now and I think perhaps starting to tell me when he needs to go. Pretty much anytime he makes a noise over by the door I take him out and he goes, so maybe he is telling me, just in a different way than the others.
