Thursday, June 28, 2018

Bedtime for Alex

Alex seems to love her repurposed bedtime crate. 
While the lights are still on, she can see me in my bed and Smooch in her bed,
and all is right in her little world, until I do something stupid, like leave the living room lights on
and have to get up to turn them off and sometimes that doesn't go over too well.


This all happened a few nights ago – her separation anxiety diminishes
with each passing day, thank goodness.

Would you mind scrolling back up to the picture of the crate?
See that contraption on the knobs so that she can't push the doors open?
It's meant to keep kids out of cabinets, but it's so hard to use
that it's only a matter of time before she pees in there,
waiting with her legs crossed while I struggle to open the effin' latch.
There's got to be a better way to secure them, but I haven't found one yet
(hair ties and large rubber bands don't do the trick).
Any ideas?

26 comments:

  1. Industrial strength rubber band? Several regular rubber bands?

    You know that little slidey thing you have to squeeze to move on the tie to the hood of a jacket? Could you repurpose that?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Take a piece of timber and carve out exactly the widths of the two knobs. To close you just slide it over them from the top. To open you push it from the bottom. Wish I could include a little drawing...
    Elsewhere from amsterdam (adiedas is my new account)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Demonstrating how I know nothing about raising puppies, why does she have to be in the closed crate at night?
    As for the door, handy as you are, a simple piece of flat wood with 2 groves for the handles that you slip on top, between the handles and the doors?

    ReplyDelete
  4. The old fashioned wooden latch, long enough for both sides mounted on the middle bar? You twist the latch from horizontal to vertical. No middle bar, then above each door? Denise

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sorry no ideas but she is the cutest thing ever!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think they call them 'cord slides', with some additional adjectives for size and shape.
    If there is some sort of outdoor/hiking store around (besides Walmart ? depending upon how the walmart is stocked) , you might find something off the shelf that you could thread some sturdy cording or 'new' long shoe laces through.

    M in NC

    ReplyDelete
  7. Screen door latch. Either the hook/eye type, or the sliding bar type should work. Monie

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm a long time reader and first time commenter. I would try changing out the handles for a gate hook temporarily or use baling twine to tie the doors shut instead of using elastics. I used both for my escape artist of a puppy.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What about a hook & eye?
    ~ Linda K.

    ReplyDelete
  10. We have looped door handles on two cabinets, similar to your doors being side by side, and use a small piece of dowel through loops to keep the cats from getting in and sleeping on towels. Slides out easily and quickly and they haven't figured out how to push it through.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Perhaps a bungee cord from one wire door to the other.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Northern AB gal6/28/18, 8:17 AM

      That's what I was going to suggest. Great minds think alike, haha!

      Delete
  12. hmm... maybe by now she doesn't even try the door. Has she ever opened it? You might try a swivel latch above the door. A small piece of wood that you turn down to secure and turn up to open. Sorry I don't know what they're really called.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Heavy duty Velcro strap. Tie it to one knob, wrap it around the other and stick. OR they have reuseable zip ties on Amazon.
    Oh...the puppy screams...tugs at your heart! Lisa G in TN

    ReplyDelete
  14. Get a piece of clothesline rope, fashion into a small noose or slipknot, slip over both knobs and tighten. You should be able to easily loosen the loop to let Alex out in the mornings. Either that or call Cesar the Dog Whisperer to help Alex deal with her separation anxiety! Or, teach her to overnight it on a dog bed close to your bed or Smooch and maybe have her on a leash so she can't wander! And, teach her to go to the dog bed when you tell her "BED!"
    Good luck with all of that! Hugs from CO … Marcia

    ReplyDelete
  15. There are a lot of easier opening child proof latches than the one you’ve got. Look on Amazon they have hundreds of possibilities. Or you could take the knobs off and put a decorative latch on instead. Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Maybe a couple of those latches that are small wooden blocks which rotate on a screw? (nicer than the picture of course ;D)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Such great ideas! I am totally inspired now and can probably can find the parts for many of your solutions somewhere in the garage. Maybe I'll even clean the garage in the process. See what you've gone and done?

    ReplyDelete
  18. un chiot dans le placard! a nice title for a book! trying to keep you inspired

    ReplyDelete
  19. You might look at something like this which I found on amazon : NELPLA Stainless Steel Door Security Latch Hasp Barrel Bolt Set (4"Latch Barrel).....it is really a simple sliding lock, but has a hoop that you can secure with a simple brass snap.

    I have a friend who makes dog crates for homes that look similar to yours. He uses a sliding bolt. He is on facebook and you can see a picture of his crate and how they lock. if interested let me know.

    ReplyDelete
  20. My son used these on his cabinets and they are easy to use. He had to keep triplets out of those cabinets. Good luck

    https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Xtraguard-Action-Multi-Latches/dp/B007A2ZSZ8/ref=lp_166865011_1_1_s_it?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1530217227&sr=1-1

    ReplyDelete
  21. :-). Don’t focus on the knobs. Wouldn’t two small “flip down” bars at the top of each door work?

    ReplyDelete
  22. An American in Tokyo6/28/18, 6:27 PM

    Aww, I was waiting to see her in her crate!! Too cute!!

    Whatever happened to the bad puppy video?! I've been looking forward to it all week!! tee hee hee!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Yes - what anonymous (at 3:12 PM) is talking about ⬆︎

    Sorry for the non-functioning link in my earlier comment. This one should do the trick...

    ReplyDelete
  24. A plane ticket from NC and I will come and sit by and let her in and out before her legs are even half way crossed!

    ReplyDelete