Thinking About Crate Training

[iheartmorrison]

I've been thinking about crate training Morrison, after watching how he has been inside. Just so he has his own area inside (he's an outside puppy most of the time).

He generally does great indoors, it's only when he gets excited (especialy when he's upstaires), so he has somewhere to calm down instead of putting him outside everytime cause we love him. And when we give him something to chew on he bolts to the living room, near the entrace of our house where we can't supervise him - he had to pick the nicest room in the house. I'd like him to be upstaires with me - maybe a crate might help.

Also thinking about clicker training.

OT: Morrison isn't our first dog, we had a Lab when I was younger, but we were bad owners not ready for a dog at that time. She didn't fit with our family; not the right size, and I don't think there was really a bond between us. Previous dog was training to be a guide dog but didn't make it, so she went to us. Things are different with Morrison, my parents have grown to like dogs; they both baby him, though my mum does it more, for people who say they aren't "dog people". I gey a little angry when they joke about giving him away, well I only have one other experience to go by and I was devastated when it happened.

I think we are more suited to smallish dogs. He's only four months old and I want to get him a friend, an actual pom. Maybe in a few years.

Edited May 15, 2010 by i_heart_turtles

[dandybrush]

my pup is nearly 2 now, and my one regret is i didnt crate train him, i know i could do it now but my OH doesnt have the patience to withstand the whingeing that raz does :/ he eats in his crate and i can lock him in for a couple of minutes, but he doesnt love it and cannot stay in it too long or the whingeing starts. even if you dont use the crate every day as they get older it can/would come in handy for some situations. so definately if you have the time and patience to out persist your dog i would recommend it

[GoldenGirl85]

Im glad I crate trained my pup, Ive recently trained my older JRT as well, you should definitely do it

[Staffordgirl]

I would also reccommend crate training. It takes a bit of time and effort but it is well worth it in the end!

[iheartmorrison]

What kind of crate would you recomend? I'm thinking of having it upstaires most of the time, and be able to bring it downstaires if we needed to.

Last weekend the family came over for dinner, we left him outside. He was overwhelmed (excited) by presence of other people, and could have been inside with us (in a crate), so he could see everyone but feel safe at the same time. A crate would be great especialy when he wants to get away from my cousins, who like to play with him - they over excite him/he's had enough of them.

Where can I get a clicker and a knog from?

[dandybrush]

kongs are everywhere most pet shops and clickers not too sure, got mine from our trainer, until your dog is crate trained i would suggest a wire crate (less easy to destroy) once trained you could get a soft crate if you wanted

[iheartmorrison]

Oh okay, I'll go and have a look, soon.

[Incavale]

Just do it

[iheartmorrison]

I had to explain it to my parents, they agreed to it.

[iheartmorrison]

Little update.

We bought him a crate, things are going well (bought it a few hours ago). Right now he's sleeping in it with the door open.

[MsKatie]

I had never crate trained a dog before and really - it was only when I went to a training day when I knew that my dog would need to be crated - that I bought a crate and started training him - now he sleeps in it all night - with the door closed - we can leave the bedroom door open and our other dog also has a crate that she is sleeping in - her door is still open as we have just started training her - but eventually they will both be in their crates at night.

Also gives us an option at other places.

My OH isn't happy - thinks I'm locking them up - but hey - what would he know - and he is coming round to it now seeing how content they are

[dandybrush]

kelpie hound mum i have to say my OH and family think like yours does lol we can have dinner and lock raz in his crate and he is quite happy to stay in there cause he knows he gets rewarded (lots of treats) he even goes in without prompting. I just wish we had listened to our trainers along time ago and done the training when he was a baby. Now my OH cant ignore the whingeing that follows when we lock him in at night. though we are happy he sleeps in his own bed happily and we all sleep the night, i think raz is semi crate trained and if i had to lock him in i could but i dont know how he would fare for hours at a time :/

he also gets time outs in his crate so can be in there for up to 5 mins at a time (its better than him scratching at our doors)

Edited May 16, 2010 by dandybrush

[MsKatie]

Luckily my OH wears earplugs so doesn't hear anything from the dogs - which was also a motivating factor in crate training becasue I was the one who was woken up by the dogs at night

Our kelpie is almost 2 and we are working up to zipping up her crate at night - she happily sleeps in it with the door open though