Crate and Rotate: Langley's free time

One thing that can be really difficult with dogs that need very slow introductions to other dogs, is that it means that while the intros are being worked on, the dogs need to be kept separate. This means "crate and rotate" time - meaning some dogs are crated while some get play time and then the roles switch up. That way everyone gets time with the people and time to play while still carefully controlling interactions between dogs so they don't practice behaviors that I'm trying to extinguish.

This is easier said than done in an open floor plan house like mine. It means we have ex-pens being used as long gates, and crates as part of the living and dining room decor. It's a careful dance, full of extra dog equipment, but since the end result is no dog fights and eventual friendship between dogs, it's worth it.

What is difficult is that the dog crates are in the same area that we typically do training and playing in. As you can imagine, the dog who is having crate time, even if it is with a delicious food toy, is not happy about sitting there watching some wild dog tearing around in shear joy while they remain crated. Langley is actually fine with being crated while other dogs are out, but Chima - not so much. She gets anxious, likely because she feels cornered and vulnerable in the crate when other dogs are loose - stuck there while wild child Langley is tearing about and nearly levitating in excitement for whatever new toy has been brought out for him to try.

We are doing exercises with Chima and Langley trying to help her not feel so freaked out by this, but when not practicing, I take Langley downstairs for his playtime. Yesterday he helped supervise the folding of laundry but was soon distracted by an epic battle with Piggy and socker bopper.

Langley regularly uses his bed like this, resting his back end in the bed while he hangs out of it to play with a toy. This bed is his favorite and was a gift from the adopters of our former foster, Whidbey.

Both ends are a whirling blur

Video of Langley playing with his socker-bopper

Things just got ugly: Langley must take on socker bopper and piggy at the same time

Piggy lies dead while Langley finishes off socker bopper

By the time he moved on to the stuffingless Tuffy Ring he was exhausted. I had finished the laundry and was ready to download these photos so it was perfect timing for Langley to get a nice massage, followed by curling up on my lap while I worked on my laptop.

Winding down with Piggy and the Tuffy Ring

It was a perfect day in his mind and because Chima and Salinas got to chew on their new water buffalo horns in peace, they thought it was pretty great too, even though they were crated. Plus, they now know from experience that later they will get their turn to tear around and have epic battles with squeaky toys.