Help! Crate Training Sucks!

[persephone]

Let pup out of the bathroom after 3 hours crying.... NEXT time, he may cry for four hours!!

Once the long term crying is reinforced... it will continue

I agree with a pup pen.. containment - not solitary confinement...

another one who agrees with Miranda, too.

[jacobite]

Are you covering the crate?

Can somebody please tell me why you need to put dogs in crates at home. We have had dogs since and mid 1970's and been breeding since the mid 1980's and we don't own a crate. Yes OK when the puppy we are keeping from a litter comes to live indoors with us there a few accidents, but they soon learn to follow the adults and go outside to wee and poo. After a short period of adjustment on the puppy's behalf we all live together happily, so WHY shut puppies in crates??

Pam

[Luke W]

Are you covering the crate?

Can somebody please tell me why you need to put dogs in crates at home. We have had dogs since and mid 1970's and been breeding since the mid 1980's and we don't own a crate. Yes OK when the puppy we are keeping from a litter comes to live indoors with us there a few accidents, but they soon learn to follow the adults and go outside to wee and poo. After a short period of adjustment on the puppy's behalf we all live together happily, so WHY shut puppies in crates??

Pam

I can only speak for myself...

I don't need to put my dog in a crate.

- my dog loves his crate

- when at agility or obedience trials, it's a convenient place for the dog to get away from it all

- it keeps him from getting up to mischief when I need him out of the way

- being comfortable in his crate makes air travel easier on him

- it makes toilet training easier

- no accidents

- a crate is just a small laundry

You think it's cruel right?

[White_Shadow]

Are you covering the crate?

Can somebody please tell me why you need to put dogs in crates at home. We have had dogs since and mid 1970's and been breeding since the mid 1980's and we don't own a crate. Yes OK when the puppy we are keeping from a litter comes to live indoors with us there a few accidents, but they soon learn to follow the adults and go outside to wee and poo. After a short period of adjustment on the puppy's behalf we all live together happily, so WHY shut puppies in crates??

Pam

I can only speak for myself...

I don't need to put my dog in a crate.

- my dog loves his crate

- when at agility or obedience trials, it's a convenient place for the dog to get away from it all

- it keeps him from getting up to mischief when I need him out of the way

- being comfortable in his crate makes air travel easier on him

- it makes toilet training easier

- no accidents

- a crate is just a small laundry

You think it's cruel right?

Unlike the op you have used for it & your dogs IS happy, the op sounds like they are using the crate so they can control how much they want the dog to be with them, like they only want him to be with them as little as possible..IMO

[Jed]

Are you covering the crate?

Can somebody please tell me why you need to put dogs in crates at home. We have had dogs since and mid 1970's and been breeding since the mid 1980's and we don't own a crate. Yes OK when the puppy we are keeping from a litter comes to live indoors with us there a few accidents, but they soon learn to follow the adults and go outside to wee and poo. After a short period of adjustment on the puppy's behalf we all live together happily, so WHY shut puppies in crates??

Pam

What she said :rolleyes: I own crates and show trolleys. I don't use them for pups at home.

[Clyde]

Kick the puppy outside!

You'll only create more problems if he doesn't start getting used to time outside by himself.

Let him dig, roll, explore, get fresh air and be a pup. You'll find he'll settle more when he's inside.

Crates are a wondrous thing. Having just come out the other end with a Stafford pup I can safely say the crate was (and still is) a Godsend. However there is a happy medium.

In saying that, when I boot my dogs outside in the sunshine they lean on the glass door, staring in and lovingly lick the door if I happen to glance their way

[White_Shadow]

Kick the puppy outside!

You'll only create more problems if he doesn't start getting used to time outside by himself.

Let him dig, roll, explore, get fresh air and be a pup. You'll find he'll settle more when he's inside.

Crates are a wondrous thing. Having just come out the other end with a Stafford pup I can safely say the crate was (and still is) a Godsend. However there is a happy medium.

In saying that, when I boot my dogs outside in the sunshine they lean on the glass door, staring in and lovingly lick the door if I happen to glance their way

[muffinmclay]

Thank you to all of you who replied with constructive suggestions. We've been keeping at the crate thing during the night, and it is great now. Pup knows when I warm up the wheat pack that it is time for bed and puts himself in the crate. Most nights he gets through to 4am before he needs to pee, and he settles himself well afterwards. We've been putting the crate in the lounge room during the day with the door open. Sometimes he chooses to sleep there, sometimes on the floor, sometimes on top of the cat in the cat bed. We've had a few accidents on the carpet but they are becoming less frequent and if we leave the back door open a bit he takes himself outside.

So, the moral of this story is that crate training sucks, but if you persist for a few days it does work out.

Also, to those people who are against crate training or don't understand why we are doing it - we haven't had a puppy for 15 years. We did some internet research and came across some articles and online books by Dr Ian Dunbar, who's methods also seem to be highly regarded on this forum. We decided to follow his methods, which is why we were doing what we were doing. Not having had a puppy for a long time, this seemed like the best way to approach it - follow a reputable and highly regarded method recommended by others.

[White_Shadow]

Thank you to all of you who replied with constructive suggestions. We've been keeping at the crate thing during the night, and it is great now. Pup knows when I warm up the wheat pack that it is time for bed and puts himself in the crate. Most nights he gets through to 4am before he needs to pee, and he settles himself well afterwards. We've been putting the crate in the lounge room during the day with the door open. Sometimes he chooses to sleep there, sometimes on the floor, sometimes on top of the cat in the cat bed. We've had a few accidents on the carpet but they are becoming less frequent and if we leave the back door open a bit he takes himself outside.

So, the moral of this story is that crate training sucks, but if you persist for a few days it does work out.

Also, to those people who are against crate training or don't understand why we are doing it - we haven't had a puppy for 15 years. We did some internet research and came across some articles and online books by Dr Ian Dunbar, who's methods also seem to be highly regarded on this forum. We decided to follow his methods, which is why we were doing what we were doing. Not having had a puppy for a long time, this seemed like the best way to approach it - follow a reputable and highly regarded method recommended by others.

;) Great news :D I personally have nothing agaisnt crate training but i was worried that pup* was left in there most of the time that's all.

Would LOVE to see a pic of your pup!! I secretly LOVE Labs!

Edited April 14, 2009 by Love_ASD

[black magic]

Scout is my first dog and we used a crate for her.

I'm really glad we did, I think it's what has helped make her happy to go into a cage when at the vets, I also have a sister who is very scared of dogs and Scout quite happily sleeps in her crate when my sister is visiting.

I guess we were really lucky with her because we didn't really have to train her. She was always so happy to be in it.

The morning we bought her home we set a puppy pen and the crate up together and had it either on the deck or on the grass. She slept next to it, half on it, and also in it during that first day.

At night the crate went into the study which it along side our bedroom She had a soft toy that smelt like her mum and one of my old jumpers that hadn't been washed she would snuggle into them. I put her in there at night and set the alarm for toilet brakes. We didn't have any crying at all.

So crate training for us was a breeze.

I don't use the crate at night anymore and Scout sleeps on her foam bed. The crate is on the deck and she still goes to sleep in it during the day,

When we got her home from desexing she walked straight into her crate and stayed there. It's like her special place.

It doesn't worry me if people like or don't like them, I believe you do what you feel is the best for your situation. it worked for us and Scout, and I feel the benefits for us having one out weighed not having one

[lucylotto]

Thank you to all of you who replied with constructive suggestions. We've been keeping at the crate thing during the night, and it is great now. Pup knows when I warm up the wheat pack that it is time for bed and puts himself in the crate. Most nights he gets through to 4am before he needs to pee, and he settles himself well afterwards. We've been putting the crate in the lounge room during the day with the door open. Sometimes he chooses to sleep there, sometimes on the floor, sometimes on top of the cat in the cat bed. We've had a few accidents on the carpet but they are becoming less frequent and if we leave the back door open a bit he takes himself outside.

So, the moral of this story is that crate training sucks, but if you persist for a few days it does work out.

Also, to those people who are against crate training or don't understand why we are doing it - we haven't had a puppy for 15 years. We did some internet research and came across some articles and online books by Dr Ian Dunbar, who's methods also seem to be highly regarded on this forum. We decided to follow his methods, which is why we were doing what we were doing. Not having had a puppy for a long time, this seemed like the best way to approach it - follow a reputable and highly regarded method recommended by others.

Happy to hear all is working out!

I hadn't heard of crate training before and have partly crated my last 2 pups also as a result of DOL

I realise in hindsight I did it with my previous lab but it was a very big 'crate'...a dog pen enclosure with a kennel inside. But to her it WAS her special bedtime place. She would stand at the door when she wanted to go to her bed and run up to the pen and sit until I would let her in for the night.

At the moment, we have gone back to 'crate' training where my boy dog sleeps on his bed in my room with door closed so he cannot roam the house. He was playing during the night and waking us by tapping on the arm to go outside and play with possums...didn't even wee. We realised he was out of control and now is back into a routine again. Interesting the 'crate' this time is the bedroom!

[muffinmclay]

Scout is my first dog and we used a crate for her.

I'm really glad we did, I think it's what has helped make her happy to go into a cage when at the vets, I also have a sister who is very scared of dogs and Scout quite happily sleeps in her crate when my sister is visiting.

I guess we were really lucky with her because we didn't really have to train her. She was always so happy to be in it.

The morning we bought her home we set a puppy pen and the crate up together and had it either on the deck or on the grass. She slept next to it, half on it, and also in it during that first day.

At night the crate went into the study which it along side our bedroom She had a soft toy that smelt like her mum and one of my old jumpers that hadn't been washed she would snuggle into them. I put her in there at night and set the alarm for toilet brakes. We didn't have any crying at all.

So crate training for us was a breeze.

I don't use the crate at night anymore and Scout sleeps on her foam bed. The crate is on the deck and she still goes to sleep in it during the day,

When we got her home from desexing she walked straight into her crate and stayed there. It's like her special place.

It doesn't worry me if people like or don't like them, I believe you do what you feel is the best for your situation. it worked for us and Scout, and I feel the benefits for us having one out weighed not having one

Thanks for your advice! It's good to hear about success stories, keeps up the moral!! And I love your dog's name )

Now to just get this toilet training thing under control. I'm so over discovering secret carpet poos!

Edited April 15, 2009 by muffinmclay

[Seita]

We have been doing the short term confinement in the crate during the day for up to 1 hr, as Dunbar recommends. Then when I have to go out, he goes to his long term confinement area (bathroom) with his crate (door open obviously), a bowl of water, some toys and a one of those absorbent pee pad things.

I have to say, i channeled the grasshopper yesterday and exercised extreme patience, and today he is much happier to be in his crate for up to an hour for a sleep during the day. He whines for about 10-20 seconds, then just lays down and accepts it and has a snooze. Now my problem is that when he is in the bathroom for his long-term confinement, he barks and whines THE WHOLE TIME! Today, my husband was asleep at the other end of the house (night shift worker) and said he carried on for 3 hours - barking for 5 mins, quiet for 5 mins, barking again and so on. What can I do about this? Do I just need a bigger dose of patience and hope that he just eventually stops?

I feel your husband's pain! I too work night shift and on Tuesday the last of my litter of pups went home leaving only the boy I was keeping. He was left outside as was usual before the others left but he sat at the back door and barked ALL day! I woke up soo many times but didn't say a thing, when I got up that evening he was silent. Yesterday I put him outside and went to bed, he barked for maybe a half hour tops and then was quiet. He's outside now and isn't making a sound! Persistence wins in the end - it's either you or the dog who ends up the more determined of the pair!!