Not Sure About Crate Training...?

[Teal]

Hi there,

I have two boxers, one male who is just turning a year old, and a female puppy who is 10 1/2 weeks old (we got her at 8 weeks)

I didn't crate train my boy as I didn't really know much about it when I first got him, and after I had done some reading and learnt more, he was pretty much house trained and I didn't really think it was needed as he is very well behaved (except when he gets over excited) he goes outside in the day (has a kennel out there but I have never seen him use it) and sleeps in my room at night (supposed to sleep on his cushioned bed but alwasy seems to be on my bed in the morning! I let this go as I like cuddling with him, bad I know) he doesn't go to the toilet at night, settles down easily and is generally a very good boy

Since getting the new puppy though things have changed a little bit!

I didn't want to crate train her as my boy doesn't have a crate, I didn't want either one to be jealous of the other. I think I would like them both to have the same set up.

The new puppy is obviously going to the toilet at night (she won't do it on the carpet luckily) if I don't take her out often enough, which is fine, I know crate training will help with this. She is also really annoying at night, I can't get her to settle down. She sleeps all evening then goes mental when it is bed time, she runs around and stirs up my other dog to play with her, chew stuff up, steals my clothes, barks at and bites my older dog an is a general pain! My older dog thinks he has to supervise everything she does so follows her around and they are both being terrors. I tell them off and as the puppy is still learning 'no' etc she doesn't really care, and my older dog is getting stressed because he thinks he is getting told off. He comes and settles down when I tell him to, but within a few minutes gets up to go and see what the puppy is doing, and it goes on for hours!

I am pretty sure that crate training will help these problems, and help her learn to chill out when I want her to (in her crate)...won't it?

But my dilemma is, should I just crate her as my older dog is well behaved anyway?

Should I train my older dog along with her, although he doesn't need it?

Should I get both dogs a crate, but leave the door to the older one's crate open, so he can go in and out as he chooses...?

Should I persevere without the crate and train her in the same way I trained my older boy (although I'm not sure this will work as the dnamic is different - he was the only dog so stayed with me ALL the time)

What do people do once the dog is properly crate trained - just leave the doors open at all times so the dogs can go in and out as they please?

And also where would I put the crate - I'm thinking in my bedroom?

So many questions, and thank you in advance to anyone who can help, and any tips or advice would be welcomed!

[pebbles]

I guess my first question is - desexing? Is your boy desexed and are you getting the girl desexed? Why I ask this is because if they are entire then you must be prepared to separate them when she's in season and crates are invaluable for this. Apart from that I find crates are great for many reasons - your dog/s are happy to be confined for safety, health and travel. I'd get them both a crate, maybe crate your girl at night if there's not room on the bed for both lol. Dogs soon learn to love their own 'dens'. The doors are open during the day for mine and often find them having a nap. They sleep on my bed at night but the girl is happy to be confined to her crate at night when she's in season.

[Bundyburger]

We have one who is crate trained and one who isn't. There's no problems here at all, it's been that way since day 1. Much easier being able to put pup to bed and not worry about what they could be doing in the middle of the night.

I'd just be getting a crate, and crate training the puppy. My boy has his in our bedroom, and we leave the door open all day and lock him in at night. If we leave the door open, we'd probably end up with two dogs on the bed For us the crate is only for at night, or when it's too cold first thing in the morning to pen him for the 2hrs from when I go to work till OH gets home from work. He will happily snuggle down into his doona and stay there. All I have to do at bed time is call him in and point at the crate and he hops in and curls up. Doesn't take long for them to learn its a safe and comfy place to be.. I know when my boy got Kongs at bedtime recently, it really helped him LOVE going to bed as rather than being sent to just sleep he got to have a yummy treat first..

[Teal]

My boy is desexed, and the girl will be getting done when she is six months so no issues there.

If I get them both a crate, I don't really want to shut my boy in as I think that he will be sad (as he is used to sleeping with me most of the time), I would like it if he chose to sleep in there however as he takes up so much room! And imagining how much worse this is going to be when my girl is fully grow...there will be no room for us!

The problems I think are that I don't want to upset my boys routine and cause any stress to him

I don't want to favour one or the other, by allowing my boy to sleep on my bed and poor puppy shut in her crate

[ophnbark]

I had the same question many years ago. Dog one was never crated then dog 2 flew from interstate in a crate and was crate trained from then on. Going to shows meant that dog 1 was also crated at shows and grew to love his crate and all of our dogs from then on have been crate trained. Dog 1 will adapt easily if the crate is a really good place to be.

[GoldenGirl85]

I crate trained my GR puppy, and my 8yo JRT decided she liked to steal Lexis crate too, so I decided to try crate training her, she doesnt get locked up at night time, its just her bed, but she is happy to stay locked in it if she has to, Lexi gets locked up in hers and it doesnt cause any issues with one being locked up and not the other

[Teal]

Thanks guys, I think I'm going to get a crate for naughty Polly just now, and maybe get one for dougall as a bed in the future ( I'm thinking a soft canvas crate )

[Bindii]

Highly recommend crate training for various reasons - ease of toilet training, a 'safe place,' no cage fear, ease when injury may result in needing to be confined (and woot! had to put that into action for the last two weeks)

My first dog, Hugo, was not crate trained - but like you, did a lot of reading and decided to give it a go with Fletcher, I set him up in a crate next to the bed so he was still with us, and i could put my hand in to show him i was close by. He woke me up once or twice through the night to go to the toilet and he was 100% toilet trained by 11 weeks (better than my Pug STILL is!)

He definitely wasn't jealous of Hugo's freedom, as it was all he knew! It is now his favourite place, he sleeps in it with the door open now. He had ear drops not long ago and he hated them, to get away from me, he ran to his 'safe place' - his crate!! 2.5 weeks ago he injured his shoulder, he had to be strictly confined for two weeks, he certainly wasn't upset at spending all day in his crate with a toy

I wish Hugo was crate trained.. we're working on it...

[furballs]

I haven't used a crate before either, do you guys use the cage type? And if so, do you put something over it so they feel safer or are they happy with just a cage with a bed in it?

[Bundyburger]

We use the wire crate with just an old sheet over the top to make it nice and dark.

There's no jealousy here over who sleeps where, it's just how it is. The big dog doesn't think "Oh the puppy gets a crate and yummy stuff and I don't" and the pup doesn't think "But I should be on the bed!" They aren't human, while they get all jealous if one is getting pats and the other isn't I don't think they put that emotion into it that we can when it comes to sleeping arrangements.