Crate Training

kmmh58

We have had our pup for 4 weeks now, do you think its too late to start crate training. She is currently 14 weeks.

She is very good during the day as she goes toilet outside, except when we are ignoring her, keeping her in kitchen with patio door open when we in sitting room/upstairs, we will walk back in & find pee/poo. She is also starting to chew everything, I have got her a load of chew toys but shes not interested in them really. When we are popping out for a 1-3 hours we put her outside with a KONG.

I have had a look in the search tab, but not really showing up what I need.

My question is should we start crate training her, do you have any links for good websites?

Also when we put her in the crate & she starts whinging do we leave her in it?

andreac

Ok, firstly its never too late for crate training so dont worry.

You need to introduce the crate gradually so not to scare her.

I would start off by just feeding her in the crate, but leave the door open and just let her get used to being inside the crate first without locking the door.

Then after a few days, feed the pup with the door closed. Then you can build up the time she stays in the crate. I would try tiring her out first with a walk or play session and then put her in the crate with a toy or a nice chew to keep her occupied and so she associates the crate with something nice.

Try not to let her out if she is crying, whinging as she will know that if she cries she gets let out so once she is quiet for a while then let her out.


With the toilet training, you have to train her to go outside, not just leave the door open. Unless she actually knows that you want her to go outside, she wont know whats wanted of her. So you need to keep up with bringing her outside and treating her everytime she goes outside and rewarding her so she knows that outside is where you wantt her to go.

kmmh58

Thank you Andreac,
Yesterday we introduced her to the cage, she was a little hesitant at first, but after I put her blanket and toys in there she was not bothered, started walking in & out herself. Last night she slept in it, I had the door open, came down this morning & on toilet incidents on the floor, saying that with the heat yesterday & we also had visitors around giving her lots of attention she was wrecked.

I think by Wednesday I will start to close the door on it. What you think?

It's funny the visitors we had yesterday thought we were being really cruel to the poor dog :eek: even after I explained about it not been for punishment they still thought it was very cruel. Ah well each to their own

ISDW

kmmh58 wrote: »

Thank you Andreac,
Yesterday we introduced her to the cage, she was a little hesitant at first, but after I put her blanket and toys in there she was not bothered, started walking in & out herself. Last night she slept in it, I had the door open, came down this morning & on toilet incidents on the floor, saying that with the heat yesterday & we also had visitors around giving her lots of attention she was wrecked.

I think by Wednesday I will start to close the door on it. What you think?

It's funny the visitors we had yesterday thought we were being really cruel to the poor dog :eek: even after I explained about it not been for punishment they still thought it was very cruel. Ah well each to their own

A lot of people view crates that way, I did myself before I started using them - why on earth would you put a dog in a cage!! I don't use crates in the house, but we do have them in the van for transport, and all I have to do is open the van doors and the dogs are all jumping in, trying to get into their crate:rolleyes: We went to a game fair at the weekend, the youngest dog didn't like all the noise going on, kept trying to get back into his crate. So they do come to see them as their safe place - most dogs anyway, some dogs probably never adapt to it, but I haven't met one yet:D

**Vai**

OP just to say, my GSD sleeps in a crate and we closed the door on it the very first night she was in there. It very much depends on the dog but if u feel yours is comfortable with it then, the sooner the better really. Course yours probably isnt chewing your kitchen table while u sleep so your not in such a hurry

kmmh58

She not chewing the table yet but I say she will be soon I think i'll try tonight, she sleeps in it no problem, its worth a try :P

toadfly

How did you get on OP?

dub0605

We got our dog from the Dogs Trust and they suggested we crate train her as she was very nervous and its good for her to know she has a safe place to go to!!! She loves it now, no bother at all. As soon as you say bed time at night she goes running out to it. We have a sheet over ours aswell to make it dark and extra cosy.

Dont mind people that say its cruel. My mam was not impressed when I told her about it but then chatting to the vets and he said its the best thing you can ever do for the dog and its not cruel at all. She now sees how it works and thinks its good.

Stick with it OP and dont mind what other people say

tk123

Yeah the same in our house - i had the crate all set up and ready before we brought the puppy home and got all the cruel cage comments. But when the same people heard that no he didn't keep the house up crying the first few nights and that he was house trained by 12 weeks they soon changed their mind! I stopped using crate when he was around 6 months but he was on crate rest last year from an operation and took to it again without any probs. We left one of the crates up for him and he sleeps in it when we're in the kitchen. I usually give him his dinner in a kong and he has it in the crate with the door closed so he stays comfortable with having the doors closed (he'll be having an op on the other leg later in the year).

andreac

I use crates on my dogs and they love them.

My big male rottie will stand at the crate if the door is closed waiting for me to open it so he can go in and lie down in it.:D

kmmh58

So it went well last night, she started barking around 6am, I usualy get up at 7am so thats good. There was a little bit of moaning for about 15 minutes.

andreac

Thats great but just remember your pup is still very young so the barking in the morning is probably as she needs to go to the toilet as they cant really hold it in for much longer than a few hours.

RubyGirl

+1 aswell on crate I have my new pup sharing the crate with the older one at night and never had a problem. It's used for night time and when we are out as the older lady is a terrible chewer and counter surfer. I give them a dentastick at night at bedtime and they both bolt out to the crate. It's under the stairs and have a picnic blanket with the foil under them on top of it so it acts like a black out blind.

How is she getting on with her bloating?

kmmh58

Her bloating is going well, or lack of bloating really. She rarely gets it unless we overfeed her.

kmmh58

andreac wrote: »

Thats great but just remember your pup is still very young so the barking in the morning is probably as she needs to go to the toilet as they cant really hold it in for much longer than a few hours.

I thought this was what it was alright. I really didn't mind, I went back to bed