How to Survive Crate Rest With Your Chihuahua

If you’re reading this, chances are something unfortunate has happened to your chihuahua. Maybe they launched off the back deck and didn’t land properly. Maybe they jumped off the bed and hurt their back. What ever the case may be, they clearly need to rest, and in true chihuahua fashion, they aren’t.

This is where crate rest comes in. Crate rest is when dogs are put in a kennel, x-pen, or other small enclosure to stop them from running circuits around the house while they recover. Hopefully, your dog has been crate trained just in case of such emergency, so the only question is how to entertain them for the next 6-8 weeks.

Here’s our complete guide to surviving crate rest. This article includes ideas for entertainment and how to prepare your kennel for your dog’s recovery.

The Kennel

First, where your dog is going to recover matters. Your best bet is to ask your vet for a guideline on how strict the crate rest needs to be. This is because if your dog has had back surgery, your vet may not want them to move at all. In that case, the kennel you have on hand might not be suitable. The reason being that it’s likely sized to allow the dog to stand up and turn around.

If your dog just needs to be restricted from running, their potty-training kennel should be just fine. If they can walk around some, an x-pen provides even more space while still limiting movement overall.

Since your dog is going to spend an abundance of time in their recovery area, soft plush padding will make your dog more comfortable. Kennel pads, blankets and dog beds are all examples of ways you can make the recovery area more comfortable.

If space allows, a water bowl keeps water close so your dog doesn’t have to travel to get it. If there’s no room, water should be offered at regular intervals, so your dog never has to go long without the chance for a drink.

Another thing to consider is where the recovery kennel is. Dogs often get lonely if their favorite people aren’t around. As an example, if their recovery kennel is in the bedroom but the only time anyone is in there is to sleep, they may feel forgotten.

If you only have one kennel, consider moving that kennel around so that your dog can be in the same room with you as you go about your business. If you do have more than one kennel, setting them up in the most common areas can make it easier to move the dog around between potty breaks.

Food

Eating time is probably every dog’s favorite time of day. You can use this to your advantage to make being in the crate less boring. If you only feed once a day, try taking the same amount of food, but breaking it into three portions and feeding your dog morning, lunch, and dinner. Of course, not everyone is home to do this. If you work and can’t be with your pet during the day, before and after work still breaks up the time.

If you just feed the food in a bowl, however, it’s over in just a few minutes (for fast dogs, seconds.) Since we’re trying to give our dogs something to do for longer, slowing down how fast they can eat their food will give them something to do for longer.

Food puzzles are a great solution to this. Instead of a minute of eating, it can take a very long time to eat all of their food from a puzzle. This helps give them something to think about, and makes time in the kennel less boring. What type of puzzle depends on how much they can move, how good they are at puzzles, and what kind of food they eat. Here are a few examples of different puzzles:

KONG

Kongs were probably the original food puzzle. These toys are hollow on the inside, and can be stuffed with kibble, wet food or a combination of both. It can also be adjusted for difficulty, depending on how determined a dog is. A tablespoon of food just inside the large hole for beginner dogs, or the full kong packed with dog food and frozen for dogs who are great  at puzzles.

Licky mats

For dogs who  only eat wet food, a licky mat slows down how fast they can eat it. A lick mat is textured so dogs have to lick to extract the dog food from the ridges instead of being able to shovel large scoops in their mouth from a bowl. Licky mats can add several minutes to eating time, and can be eaten while lying down, making this a great choice for crated dogs.

Slow Feeders

Slow feeders are bowls with large poles or deep grooves that make it impossible for the dog to just shovel all their food straight into their mouth. Instead, dogs have to work to get the food out from between the grooves. This is a particularly great option for kibble but still works for canned food and a mixture as well.

Snuffle Mats

Snuffle mats are generally best for treats or kibble, as wet food would be very messy. They are typically cloth with pockets, hidey holes, or just long strips that food is concealed in. The dog must use their nose to search out the bits of hidden food.

This is great for dogs who don’t generally tear things up and love to use their nose. If your dog likes to rip things or is a known compulsive eater, this probably isn’t the best choice.

There are many different types of food puzzles, so even if these don’t seem right it may be worth browsing the local pet store for a puzzle that will slow your pet down while eating. By feeding all of your dog’s meals in puzzles, you can increase the amount of time they have something to do while being forced to rest in their kennel.

Training Ideas

Food isn’t the only way you can break up the monotony of kennel rest. Another great way to make sure your dog has mental enrichment is to do a little training with them. Since your dog can’t be physically exercised, mentally exercising them is the only thing you have to work with.

Teaching your dog to touch a target with his nose, is a valuable trick that you can use to help train all sorts of other tricks with. If your dog struggles with recall, they might be more willing to come (in for a nose touch) or if you want to teach them heel, getting them into position can be done by asking for a nose touch in the place you want them to be.

A nose touch is  also really easy on the body, since they just have to move their nose  to do it. They can even touch you through the kennel if they’re boisterous when it’s open.

Another option is to teach your dog to do a chin touch. A chin touch is often used in cooperative care settings, can be used to make a photoshoot so much cuter, and can make a down more solid. It’s well worth teaching your pup a chin touch while they can’t move around too much.

One-On-One Time

Chihuahuas are one person dogs. Although they do love and appreciate other people, they have that one special someone in their life they love more than any other. Although food puzzles, potty breaks and training will all help to break up the monotony of kennel life, one-on-one time is important too.

If your dog absolutely cannot leave or move from the kennel, reading a book to your dog can be a great way to spend time with them. By reading a book to them they can hear your voice, get your scent, and feel close to you.

If you’re more of a movie watcher, sitting next to the kennel while you watch some TV can help make things a bit easier for your pup. If an injury is not too severe and your vet allows it, you may be able to plop them in your lap for movie time, perhaps with a harness on so you can prevent them from jumping down.

Medication

Even with food puzzles, one-on-one time, training and potty breaks, several weeks of crate rest can be a big ask for your dog. If they’re obviously going crazy in the kennel, it’s okay to ask your veterinarian for medication that will help them cope.

This could be a sedative, so they sleep instead of trying to use their leg, or a medicine that just makes them feel relaxed. Your vet will be able to figure out something right for your pet.

Party Pooper

Tank loves chasing squirrels. When he sees a squirrel out the window, he’s far more likely to put weight on his leg in an effort to chase the squirrel. If your dog also finds these things excitable, consider papering the bottom of any glass doors or windows so your dog can’t see out of them.

While this probably reduces the enrichment available to your dog, screening their view so they can’t see all the exciting things out there may be best for everyone. Be sure to leave a peep hole for yourself however, so you make sure you’re not surprised by any wildlife when you take the dog out for their two-minute potty.

Final Thoughts

Crate rest is horrible, but it’s also temporary. Dogs don’t always know when they need to take it easy, and sometimes whether they rest or not will shape the rest of their lives. We hope these tips make recovery easier for you and your pet.

Linked below is a free printable crate training schedule you can use as a guide to craft your own. This assumes you are home, so you may need to alter it or plug-in pet sitter times for when you work. This is just a word document, so it should be easy enough to edit with your own ideas.

Similar Posts:

• Best Enrichment Toys for Chihuahuas
• 15 Ideas for Stuffing a Kong
• 4 Reasons to Kennel Train Your Chihuahua
• How to Stop Begging at the Table
• Satisfying Your Chihuahua’s Prey Drive