Between a Crate & a Hard Place

We've had this little portable dog crate since Trixie was a puppy. It was the perfect size for her for most of her life, and then it became the perfect size for Molly when we got her. We have a second crate, a larger wire one, that we can use for Trixie alone or even for both of them.

They're both crate trained, but we don't use it in that capacity very often anymore. We use them for travel and leave them open because for some strange reason they like chilling out in there sometimes. Once in a while, when I tell them to go "to bed" when I'm about to leave the house for an errand (I'd trust Trixie to have the run of the house, but not Molly, and it's easier to confine both instead of just one) they'll both run to their crates instead of their nice cushy beds we have for them next to their water & food bowls, in the laundry room (which we confine them to with a dog gate at night and when we leave the house). They're weird little dogs. Sometimes they'll both run into the same crate... ALWAYS the small one. I guess they like to cuddle.

Yesterday we emptied the office where their crates usually reside, so we could rip out the carpet and start laying down the new flooring. We put the large crate away in the garage for now, but left the small one out in the living room temporarily because Molly can be a little reclusive and likes to hide out in her crate when she gets nervous. We didn't want to stress her out too much.

Today, we found Trixie curled up in the small crate. This is what happened when she tried to come out. (I have no idea how my socks ended up there, by the way. That's probably thanks to Miss Molly...)

The funniest part is this was not the first time today that this happened. Only the first time, she ran in place for several seconds before actually emerging. It was hilarious. Silly dog.