Scary Crate Experience

[tamapup]

Hi all, I just had a very scary experience involving Tama and his crate.

I was sitting at my desk, with his crate meters away, when he suddenly began to emit the most horrible screams imaginable. High-pitched, in-pain, panicked and torturous kind of screaming. I thought he was dying. While bolting towards him I managed to make out that he was somehow stuck. As I undid the door, he freed himself, the screams stopped and he ran out. At this point I was sobbing wildly and checking him for blood, missing limbs, I don't even know what. He was entirely unscathed and not even that shaken up. He started playing with a ball and wagging his tail within literally seconds while I sat on the floor and cried for another ten minutes, thinking about what might have happened if I hadn't been right there.

He's entirely okay, both physically and mentally it seems. He had no trouble wandering in and out of his crate afterwards, not fearful at all. I had thought that his paw had become stuck, but my boyfriend was in the room with me when it happened and said that he saw that Tama's jaw got stuck - as he opened his mouth to gnaw on the crate bars, he apparently caught his teeth on the bars and couldn't get free. He said that he thought Tama was screaming in panic at not being able to open or close his mouth (jaw in lock). 

Anyway. I'm very shaken. And desperately thinking about how to prevent this from ever happening again. He's not known for gnawing on crate bars. Does it occasionally when he's upset about being put in the crate but stops after a little while. The crate is this standard one from Petco: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/petco-classic-1-door-dog-crates

Thoughts, advice anyone?

[aschlemm]

I would imagine that the experience was so scary that he wouldn't do it again but I wouldn't be content with that thought.  I'd probably buy a  wire panel with small squares and attach it using those metal brackets (like what  connects the top of the crate to the sides only smaller) you clamp them tight with pliers,  I'd put the panel on the inside of the door to prevent him getting his jaw caught again.

    Years ago my Mom would stop by when I was at work to let my puppy out.  He would get excited in the crate and jump around a lot.  Once when she opened the door, he got his foot stuck between the wire and the tray at the bottom of the crate.  He made the most horrible noises!!!!  My Mom freaked out.  The pup got his foot free and then ran to the back door like nothing was wrong at all.  My Mom told me she hopes she never hears an animal make a noise like that.  But, he was absolutely fine and it never happened again.  I think he just panicked at being caught.

[KevTheDog]

Ugh, I feel for you!!! That is super scary! It seems like some kind of attachable cross-hatching is a good idea as long as it can't get bonked off and be an added danger in some way (I don't know how that would be, but you know, gotta think of everything).

When Kevin was like 12 weeks old, I was walking him down the block and he came underfoot - I stepped on his tiny 12-week old paw! He cried out and it wasn't just like "YELP this hurts right now!" but "YELP YELP this continues to hurt and i'm scared!"  - and I immediately plopped down on the city sidewalk (gone were my fears of sitting in whatever random delights you might find on a city sidewalk,) gave him a rub-down to check for broken bones, comforted him, totally in tears myself (probably not very comforting for him, in hindsight). I'm in Sweden and I immediately called my mom in Hawaii to tell her what happened and get mom advice for what to do (she's a bc mom herself)... anyway, he was totally fine within a few moments but I was SO shaken. And I felt doubly bad because it was my fault! It's the worst feeling. Good to take comfort in the fact that moments later, a pup can be like "What's the big deal? I'm fine!"

Dogs!

[EvoPA]

Mine did this in his exercise pen when he was around 10 weeks. The screeching sound he was was horrible. His crate bars seem to be a little closer together making it harder to do in the crate and after he did that in his pen I never saw him do it again. If you're really worried you can probably buy this type of crate instead.-> https://www.chewy.com/frisco-plastic-kennel-almond-black/dp/147323?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Frisco&utm_term=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-N3H77XA4QIVU1mGCh2fYgWKEAQYASABEgJj6_D_BwE

[tamapup]

Yes, the sound an animal makes when helpless and in panic/pain has a very particular pitch to it that is quite haunting... Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and glad all our pups and safe and sound 

Unfortunately Tama doesn't seem to have been scared off by the experience, as I saw him chewing on his crate bars again later that day. I immediately said "Tama...no..." and he gave me a priceless "what??" face and then stopped. I also got my hands on a bitter-tasting paste made for dogs, with the intention of putting it on the bars - but he rather took to the taste and lapped it up with enthusiasm. I'm looking into the option of getting a grid to attach to the crate. I'm not too concerned with him chewing on the bars when we are not there, because he settles into his crate great usually, it's just when we're in the room and talking and he's crated that he gets agitated.

Keep the suggestions (or stories) coming if you have them!

Thanks everyone. 

[GentleLake]

1 hour ago, tamapup said:

I also got my hands on a bitter-tasting paste made for dogs, with the intention of putting it on the bars - but he rather took to the taste and lapped it up with enthusiasm.

Yeah, I also had a dog who thought adding bitter apple was me making whatever it was an especially yummy chew toy.