Jumping at screen door

Question
We rescued a huskie in Jan. from the SPCA.  They claim she is over a year or so.  She is turning out to be a wonderful dog, although we do have some issues I am concerned about.  I wrote a few months ago about crating.  Well, I tried everything suggested, but our little Houdini escapes out of her crate, sometimes through the door, other times she opens the hinges.  She hasn't done any damage in the 2-3 hrs. time span, but my concern is, once my husband and I go away on holidays and our son is working, she may get bored and do damage.  At this point, we keep her in our son's room, where she does sleep at night.  She does sleep in the crate, when our son is at home no problem.  Will go in excitedly with her peanut butter kong, but escapes once I leave.
My other problem is, now that the good weather is here and the screen patio door is open, she is jumping up and ripping the screen.  She has already totaled the door frame, but a can a paint can rectify that.  Someone suggest aluminium foil over the screen would help.  Any suggestions?
Hope its not a far-fetched question.  Thanx Rita.

Answer
Ah, Huskies!  Such wonderful dogs, but sometimes more dog than we can handle.  If it's any consolation, please know that you share many of the same complaints as other Husky owners.  This breed just seems to want to roam and confinement is a test of your ingenuity and patience.  High fences, gates that lock securely, and TONS of exercise are absolute musts.  I don't know what type of crate you are using, but my first concern is your dog's safety.  She could seriously injure herself attempting to escape a crate--many dogs get halfway out and then are stuck, sometimes for hours.  A dog can asphyxiate itself if its head can be forced out through a small opening and then the edges of the opening close around its neck.  When the dog tugs backwards, the opening tightens and chokes the dog.  So please, please be sure whatever crate you use is safe.  If it's a wire crate, you can buy clips like the ones that attach the leash to the collar.  Use the clips to hold various points on the crate's edges together so your dog cannot squeeze her head out.  If possible, have someone check on her frequently when she's crated to make sure she's okay.  Of course, the real question is how to stop her from trying to escape.  I'm not sure.  It all depends on what's happening outside the crate.  Is she getting enough stimulation and exercise?  If she's exhausted, she's more likely to fall asleep in there.  Is the crate only used at night or when you're out?  Get her used to going in frequently for short periods of time while you're home--she needs to know that going in the crate is just a part of her life and not a punishment.  Some dogs get anxious in the crate, especially if it is an open wire one, because they feel exposed and vulnerable and their "pack" isn't there to offer protection.  Put an old throw over the crate to help her feel more secure and to cut down on external triggers.  Give her a command to go in and toss a treat in there without shutting the door--let her come right out again.  You want to condition her to think of the crate as a good place to be, not a confinement.  If she is stressed by your leaving, you need to desensitize her to the whole process--put on your jacket, grab your keys, go through all the usual motions of going out, and then sit down and watch TV or make a phone call.  You want her to stop making assumptions.  Put her in the crate, go out, and then come back one minute later and let her out again with lots of praise and treats.  The idea is to show her that the crate doesn't necessarily mean hours of boredom or stress.  As for the screen door issue, you may be looking at an uphill battle --especially if you and your family are having fun on one side and she is stuck on the other.  I haven't tried the aluminum foil idea but do think she needs a deterrent that makes jumping up unpleasant.  This is going to require a lot of timing and patience.  If you have some earplugs and patient (or distant) neighbors, I would suggest that one person go outside, and one remain inside with the dog.  Have the person outside ignore the dog but do something that gets the dog's attention--bounce a ball, toss a frisbee, etc..  They shouldn't look at or talk to the dog at all though.  As soon as your dog attempts to jump on the screen (timing is critical here!) BLAST an airhorn (you can get one at a boating supply store).  Don't let the dog see you do it--pretend to be reading.  You want her to think her jumping on the screen causes this horrendous loud noise.  Hopefully she'll decide it's not worth it and give up that behavior.  This is not a far-fetched question at all--my own dog went sailing through our screen door without hesitation--it was as if it wasn't even there!  We kept him out of that room for a long time after that and kept the glass slider pulled over halfway until he was content just to sit and look outside.  Still, dogs are impulsive and there is no guarantee that a stray dog in your yard or a grill full of ribs isn't going to be too tempting to resist.  I wish you good luck!