Dog in crate

crossmolinalad

Why and for what reason should you put a dog in a crate
We just started with our third dog and never used one
Our vet started last week about it said she have to learn going into it
I don't see the need for it or do I see it wrong

schaffer1969

crossmolinalad wrote: »

Why and for what reason should you put a dog in a crate
We just started with our third dog and never used one
Our vet started last week about it said she have to learn going into it
I don't see the need for it or do I see it wrong

The only reason I can see is if you were getting ready to transport the dog somewhere and he was getting used to the crate.
Otherwise it's cruel if you were to lock him in.
Don't believe everything you hear from a vet, I used to get contradictory advice from different vets.

Car99

crossmolinalad wrote: »

Why and for what reason should you put a dog in a crate
We just started with our third dog and never used one
Our vet started last week about it said she have to learn going into it
I don't see the need for it or do I see it wrong

What kind of crate and why ?

jeamimus

A transport crate? Was your dog out of control in the vets office?

tk123

Firstly crates aren't cruel - it's a den/safe place for the dog. My two race to get into the crate first and go to sleep. Is the new dog a pup? For puppies you can use them for toilet training (they won't want to soil where they sleep), restricting them so they don't wreck the place/kill themselves, teaching them how to settle or restricting them if they were injured. If you have multiple dogs and need to sepearte them say at mealtimes you can feed one in the crate. If you're travelling you can bring the crate with you and have the dog sleep in it where you're staying.

It depends on your setup really and what suits you and your dog.

schaffer1969

tk123 wrote: »

Firstly crates aren't cruel - it's a den/safe place for the dog. My two race to get into the crate first and go to sleep. Is the new dog a pup? For puppies you can use them for toilet training (they won't want to soil where they sleep), restricting them so they don't wreck the place/kill themselves, teaching them how to settle or restricting them if they were injured. If you have multiple dogs and need to sepearte them say at mealtimes you can feed one in the crate. If you're travelling you can bring the crate with you and have the dog sleep in it where you're staying.

It depends on your setup really and what suits you and your dog.

So we can substitute the term crate for indoor dog kennel?
Only difference is kennels don't have doors that can be locked.
It would be similar to locking a person in a 2m*2m*2m room.
But maybe you are into that.

VincePP

Why is it on this forum that whenever someone asks for simple advice on something, that a crowd of aggressive, naysaying, know it all, self righteous scum start dictating to people.

Its why, with 4 dogs will rarely make comments here.

schaffer1969

VincePP wrote: »

Why is it on this forum that whenever someone asks for simple advice on something, that a crowd of aggressive, naysaying, know it all, self righteous scum start dictating to people.

Its why, with 4 dogs will rarely make comments here.

Do you always call people "scum" who have a differing opinion to you?
It is cruel to lock animals in small boxes or cages.
If you cared anything about your animals you would appreciate this.
Just because you have 4 dogs does not make you a good owner, just look at all the puppy farms.

volchitsa

We've recently acquired our first ever dog, and the idea of a crate really shocked me initially, but since we will need to take her with us to family reunions where there will be two children who are highly allergic to various things (not dogs, since they've never had one, but I know their mother is going to want to be able to supervise contact) we need her to be able to at least sleep in the crate when away from home, and if possible be able to stay in it at certain times if necessary.

For now she seems really happy with it, goes in herself and does all her daytime naps there and I've started locking it occasionally and she doesn't usually complain, even when we leave the room briefly (we're often just out of eyesight really, and she may realize this, so I'm not sure how far along with this we really are!)

What I'm wondering is how much difference it will make to her to bring her crate to a completely different house: will that destabilize her or is it likely to be the opposite, that the crate will be a familiar refuge transplanted to an unfamiliar place? (She doesn't seem like a nervous dog, so far everything we've tried with her has gone pretty smoothly, so I think she's basically of a fairly even disposition).

The other question is what happens if she's used to having free access to her crate but then when we go away she is suddenly closed into it? Do I need to keep locking her in from time to time, even after the "initial" crate training so that she doesn't forget that habit, and if so, how often does a routine like that need to be repeated for it not to be a shock to her when we start again?

tk123

:rolleyes:

My poor poor tortured dogs. Just look how unhappy they are in their crate (they don't usually squeeze in together lol)

volchitsa

schaffer1969 wrote: »

Do you always call people "scum" who have a differing opinion to you?
It is cruel to lock animals in small boxes or cages.
If you cared anything about your animals you would appreciate this.
Just because you have 4 dogs does not make you a good owner, just look at all the puppy farms.

I think your own comment about being "into" locking people into cages was completely OTT and that may be why you got an angry reply. I'm sure you could have made your point without the sexual innuendo.

BTW, you said nobody locks a kennel at night, well I know someone who has rigged up a "door" to close his dog in at night because he sleeps outside, so it's to keep him warm apparently. The dog seems happy enough.

aonb

Having a dog crate in your home/kitchen is great if the dog sees it as his/her safe place to sleep/get away from the bustle/where s/hes fed etc. Ive never used a crate, but can see how they would be really good in a house for:

keeping the dogs clutter/bed/toys in one place
someplace 'safe' for the dog to sleep
someplace 'safe' for the dog to go when there are visitors that are not comfortable with dogs
someplace 'safe' for the dog to go if there is a visiting dog - until they get used to each other, of if there is an issue, to seperate them
A place for a dog to go when there are noisy children about, that the dog wouldnt be comfortable with, or scared of, or indeed if the dog is not good with children
Someplace safe for the dog to go if there are workmen in the house
Someplace to keep an injured/recovering/recuperating dog restricted from moving about
Great if you are visiting someplace that is not dog-friendly or where there is a resident dog/cat/pet etc
Handy for taking a dog in the car on a long journey
etc

Any crates Ive seen in anyones house, the door of the crate is open 99.9% of the time - its just closed when the dog needs to be contained for his/her safety or to keep him/her contained for whatever reason. Ive seen crate trained dogs trot off to their crate to sleep, play with toys/whatever, without ever having been told to. So no, crates are NOT a bad thing, they are just another 'tool' when used properly

mick-skyline

schaffer1969 wrote: »

Do you always call people "scum" who have a differing opinion to you?
It is cruel to lock animals in small boxes or cages.
If you cared anything about your animals you would appreciate this.
Just because you have 4 dogs does not make you a good owner, just look at all the puppy farms.

crates are also used if a pup (bitch) goes into heat and another dog in the household is still a full dog and with not wanting to have either neutered then its the safest and most humane way to keep them apart while allowing them to stay close to each other too... but having more than one reason to put a dog in a cage wouldnt occur to someone with blinkers on.

schaffer1969

mick-skyline wrote: »

crates are also used if a pup (bitch) goes into heat and another dog in the household is still a full dog and with not wanting to have either neutered then its the safest and most humane way to keep them apart while allowing them to stay close to each other too... but having more than one reason to put a dog in a cage wouldnt occur to someone with blinkers on.

A better option would be a bigger caged off area where the dog can at least move around.
I've no issue with kennels where a dog has room to move. The crates can be a reassurance to the dog. My objection is where they are locked into a small cage. This is cruelty.

schaffer1969

volchitsa wrote: »

I think your own comment about being "into" locking people into cages was completely OTT and that may be why you got an angry reply. I'm sure you could have made your point without the sexual innuendo.

BTW, you said nobody locks a kennel at night, well I know someone who has rigged up a "door" to close his dog in at night because he sleeps outside, so it's to keep him warm apparently. The dog seems happy enough.

My comment was referring to prison, no sexual innuendo there.
We would not keep a human in a locked cage/box barely bigger than themselves.
Where did I say nobody locks a kennel at night? It is cruel to lock dogs in a small cage where they can barely move.

Cherry Blossom

schaffer1969 wrote: »

It would be similar to locking a person in a 2m*2m*2m room.
But maybe you are into that.

No, it's similar to putting a baby in a pram.

OP, the crate was a godsend for my first dog. She was a little whirlwind. Once I started using the crate she was house trained in three weeks. After that I only used it for transport.

My second dog was in a large w helping pen at the breeders and due to their circumstances were using newspaper at one side of the pen. He had therefore already learned to go toilet in the pen and carried this on to the crate. He went first then cried to get out after so it just wasn't going to work for toilet training. He was still house trained in 3 weeks but he was a very easy pup compared to the first. I used the crate then to separate the two dogs for meals and if they were given chews etc. I only use them now for travelling in the car but some people continue to use them for the dogs bed after they are house trained. A lot of dogs are very attached to their crates.

volchitsa

schaffer1969 wrote: »

My comment was referring to prison, no sexual innuendo there.
We would not keep a human in a locked cage/box barely bigger than themselves.
Where did I say nobody locks a kennel at night? It is cruel to lock dogs in a small cage where they can barely move.

Here's what you said :

schaffer1969 wrote: »

So we can substitute the term crate for indoor dog kennel?
Only difference is kennels don't have doors that can be locked.
It would be similar to locking a person in a 2m*2m*2m room.
But maybe you are into that.

So yes you said both those things.

How would one be "into" putting a person in prison? That's clearly a sexual reference there, unless you think prisoners are locked up because people are "into" doing that?

Not that I care, but you can't then claim to be offended when someone takes that sort of comment badly.

Tony H

Crates really are a very good option for keeping a young dog safe especially when you are training them ,
My golden retriever was a real opportunist and even managed to get a cooked chicken from a windowsill when he was quite small , and left alone for only a short time ,we got a crate shortly after that.
It's very important to make the crate a safe and a happy space
NOT a place to punish them ,
Introduce them slowly with treats like a Kong with some frozen peanut butter and never force them into it .

schaffer1969

volchitsa wrote: »

Here's what you said :


So yes you said both those things.

How would one be "into" putting a person in prison? That's clearly a sexual reference there, unless you think prisoners are locked up because people are "into" doing that?

Not that I care, but you can't then claim to be offended when someone takes that sort of comment badly.

Says a lot about the way you think if you get something sexual out of it.
Some people are cruel to animals because they get a kick out of it. A power rush. Take a look at the Stanford prison experiment.

A small kennel with a lockable door is a cage or a crate.

mick-skyline

schaffer1969 wrote: »

A better option would be a bigger caged off area where the dog can at least move around.
I've no issue with kennels where a dog has room to move. The crates can be a reassurance to the dog. My objection is where they are locked into a small cage. This is cruelty.

where has anyone said anything about size of crate/cage?? seems your just jumping the gun looking for a reaction,

cml387

Just for some other opinions..our chihuhua George his royal highness and master of all he surveys puts himself to bed at night in his crate.

Once he's in he tries the door and if it's open he'll come out and demand it be locked.

Cherry Blossom

Mod: the bickering stops here, please address the OP's queries directly or don't bother posting.

mooseknunkle

I have a cross breed pup we got him from the pound when he was about 8 weeks old and now he's just over 14 weeks, at first i didnt want to use a crate the main reason i thought it was cruel etc ,but he was a nightmare to toilet train and i got a crate after 2 weeks and he went straight into it the only time he has cried is at night when he needs to go outside,he is locked in at night and when we are not at home because he still isn't fully toilet trained,he loves it now and its not one bit cruel.

borderlinemeath

Crates can be cruel if used incorrectly.
They shouldn't be used unless the dog or pup has been acclimatised to it, nor should they be used as punishment.

They are a fantastic tool as a safe haven for dogs who tend to get up to mischief, ie chewers or bin robbers/counter surfers. I know many an owner who had to confine their dogs to crates after surgery to remove blockages that they were allowed to ingest after being given the run of the house - surgery that could have been prevented if they had used the "cruel" crate in the first place. As much as you can keep counters clear, puppies will find everything appealing to chew, be that skirting boards, corners of kitchen cabinets, coffee table legs, sofa cushions, phone chargers, cable that's tied to the wall. I know one golden retriever who had to have surgery to remove a piece of hard plastic. Turns out he had chewed a hoover nozzle that was sitting in the utility where he was "safely" confined.

They are fantastic for multiple dog households where there's a chance that there might be a skirmish over resources, ie food or toys. I feed all visiting dogs in crates, as some are grazers, some are gobblers, and some are resource guarders around food.

You should get the biggest crate you can for a puppy to grow into. You can get crate dividers for when they are puppies, because if there's enough room to toilet at the other end of the crate, they will! Even though, I know a good few dogs that will get into the smallest crate they can fit into - particularly if they're a bit anxious - there's a huge lurcher I know that hates thunder and lightening, he runs to the smallest crate he can fit into, which is far too small for him. He feels safer that way.

kylith

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=98839314&postcount=957

VonVix

For some reason I have noticed people who know little to nothing about proper crate usage seem to have it in their minds that you lock your dog up for hours at a time for no reason at all.

I decided to crate train my German Shepherd puppy, now I wish I had done it with my two other dogs too when it came to potty training. It would have made a world of difference. My German Shepherd has no separation anxiety and has been house trained since he was 3-4 months old. I put these two things down to the fact we crate trained him since he came to our home. My GSDs crate is also where he goes to eat, he is a slow eater, sometimes never finishes his meals, so I can't leave his food out because my other two dogs will gobble it up! Also because of his crate, I can rest him just before and after his meals, so lessen the chances of him getting bloat.

Here are a few reasons to crate train, also extremely useful for people living in their apartment with their dog.

1. Potty training. You can't supervise your puppy while you're having a shower? Making dinner? Crate that puppy! Prevents accidents in the home and prevents inappropriate or dangerous chewing.

2. A time may come in your dog's life that they need crate rest, for example if they hurt their back and should not be running around and jumping. Having your dog already acclimatized to being in a crate and not worried about it would make this scenario SO much easier to handle.

3. Separation anxiety. If you have a dog who is likely to or already does get destructive in the home when you're out and likes to destroy things, root in the rubbish bin, tear up cushions, a properly crate trained dog will happily nap in their crate or enjoy a chew until you come back.

4. Dogs who are fearful of fireworks, thunderstorms or other loud noises. Some dogs find being in a crate very comforting (dark, secure area) if they are panicked because of loud noises.

5. If you have guests who are allergic or afraid of your dog, you have somewhere secure and comfortable for your dog to go if you cannot supervise them.

6. Similar to 2. if your dog ever has to stay in the vets, they are going to be put in a confined area. Having your dog crate trained helps prevent a scenario like this from being a traumatic experience.

7. Travelling. Often if you are going abroad in a boat/plan and want to bring your dog, they're gonna be in a crate of some sort. Again, having a dog used to being in a crate makes things less scary for them.

There are probably another dozen reasons crate training is extremely useful to the average dog owner. If you don't feel there is a need to crate train your dog, THAT'S OKAY! There's no rule that every dog owner should do it, but it's an extremely useful thing to have for scenarios like the ones I mentioned above. Just please don't diss people who do utilize a crate in their lives, more than likely it's making the life of dog owners and dogs a much happier and safer thing.

I ended up with a crate for my dog for a one off reason I won't go into. I never planned to use it again because I was clueless about them and had it in my head they were cruel. I imagined people used them to lock their pets away while they were at work for a 9 hour day, so their precious sofa wouldn't get ruined. I was wrong. Soooo wrong.
The reason I continued to use the crate was because my anxious rescue dog immediately loved it. She wanted to be in it. She obviously felt safe in there. Its her cave! She has a vet bed, a pillow and I've just counted 3 fleecey blankets! Its far bigger than she is (and she's not small) and more cosy than my own bed.
She's an escape artist, part husky and runs for the horizon given half the chance. At the moment we have a lot of workmen coming and going in the house. Doors are left open all the time. Being able to pop her into her crate and know she is completely safe gives me so much peace of mind! And she's happy out. She doesn't mind being locked in at all but on a normal day her crate is always open.
I got a second dog several months ago and he had never been crate trained. He took to it almost immediately and would go into it himself at night. We now have a kitten but dog number two is not too cat friendly. We're working on it and slowly getting there but again for everyone's safety sometimes its necessary to crate him. And again he never minds. Just has a nap.
Furthermore as I'm writing this the kitten is in one of the dogs crates curled up snoozing. He loves the crates. Always sneaks in for a sleep.
A while back i was minding my mums new pup for a couple of weeks and she wasn't house trained yet. She didn't have one accident in the night because she was crated and as others here have explained, they wont pee where they sleep.
My two dogs will fight over a particularly tasty bone, so special treats like that are given in crates.
One of my dogs has a lung condition and is no stranger to staying in the vets. They never have any issues with crating her there because she's well comfy with them. The last thing a sick dog needs is to be freaking out about being put in a crate.
Finally my husky mix was abandoned not once but twice before I came to have her and naturally has some seperation anxiety issues. Fortunately she's with me almost all of the time but on the rare occasion she's left at home, never for more than a couple hours, the crate is a godsend. Without it she would undoubtedly harm herself freaking out about my absence. But like I've said the crate is her safe place, she feels secure in there and is able to settle and sleep and then wallah! I'm home again!

John_Rambo

Excellent post Builebeg, I'd like to add another plus to crate training. I decided to crate train one of my dogs, now sadly scattered around my garden in ash form!

It was for practical reasons. He was a highly strung "purebred" (never again) destructive dog as a pup and the crate provided somewhere where he couldn't get himself in to trouble when we weren't there to keep an eye on him (showers, sleeping etc...) eventually the door was left open and it was his space. A den with toys, chewies, water, treats, his bedding etc... He wasn't locked in for his short seven years of life, but he chose to lie in there like king muck with all his trappings.

It became a life saver (literally) when he injured himself chasing a squirrel and had to have an operation. The recovery meant inactivity.

Try telling a three year old gundog that he can't run around the house because he'd open his stitches and probably destroy the reconstruction work on his leg!

The crate was the reason he lived. The crate training was the second reason he lived.

I would have considered it cruel to have not crate trained the dog in this case!

fishoutofwater

I never used a crate until the house was being painted inside and out thus doors and gates open a lot and people coming and going and with a dog that likes to chase things and not come back it was important that I kept her contained. I was wary of how it would go given that she's a crazy 7 year old but you know she absolutely loved it! Maybe she had experience of being a crate before I got her... no idea but I ended up keeping it for an extra week as she was so happy with it... open or closed it made no odds as long as her comfy bed was in there...

I've no real need for one other than situations like the above but it's good to know she'll be ok in one should something arise and and her movement needs to be restricted for medical reasons or something.

Dubl07

A crate is just a tool like a leash.

My dog's has a bolt-on water bowl, dog-bed, two fleeces and assorted toys inside as well as a big fleece over it so it's a nice, dark cave. She often retreats there for all kinds of reasons and is only shut in for short training sessions or when we go out.

Some who don't actually think about things may consider it cruel but it's looking out for the dog's well being.

Then again, I'm still a fan of playpens and reins for toddlers, entirely for reasons of safety for all concerned.

"Dubl07

"Dubl07 wrote: »

... a big fleece over it so it's a nice, dark cave.

Same! Makes it extra cosy and private for her!

To add to the size thing.. My dogs crate fit my boyfriend and my husky mix in it at the same time! Haha! So I think she has plenty of room to move about!

volchitsa

Hi
I have another question, sort of about crate-training : our pup now sleeps in the crate no problem, and is dry every morning or has been so far anyway but I've noticed during the day she tends more and more to lie out in the hall on the entrance mat. Is that a problem in any way concerning crating her when we go to other people's houses for example if she has got into the habit of only using the crate for night time? I don't want to lock her in during the days and she does still go into it, but not nearly as much since we started letting her out of the living room/kitchen area she was initially confined to.

And a second question on the place she's chosen (right in front of the frontdoor so we can't get in or out without her getting up to let us in) is I think I read somewhere that it isn't a good idea to let the dog "control" the door in that way.

Now I know VonVix (I think) already told me that some of the "pack leader" stuff by Cesar Milan in particular has no real basis but I don't think this came from his site, though I don't actually know where I saw it. But I wondered if the place chosen could ever be an issue and maybe we should put a stop to it before she gets too much of a habit. She had her afternoon nap there just now, and only when the kitchen door is shut so she can't get into the hall does she go to her crate (which I don't close for her nap so she's not afraid of being locked in I don't think.

She's definitely quite a determined little lady, so while I don't want to be in a conflictual "domination-based" relationship with her, I also want to be sure we're not making basic mistakes in "dog-psychology", so to speak.

Thanks again for all your invaluable information, it's been a godsend.


TL;DR : does it matter if the dog prefers to nap right across the front door rather than in its crate in the daytime? Should we let her?

tk123

I'd assume she's sleeping there for the same reason my girl does it and it's nothing to do with being "in control" of the door or world - it's because there's a draft coming underneath it lol! The same way they lie in front of the draughty fireplace or roll in frosty grass to cool down! We just tell her to get up "up up up!" or if she's too sleepy slide her out of the way since we have wooden floors!

Iang87

I dont fully understand the cruelty aspect to this. We used our cage on our first pup as an attempt to not pee all over the place at night. If she barked one of us would bring her out and let her back in. Over time we started to trust her and no pee at night and she could sleep where she wanted after that. Along comes second dog so we do the same again only to find after 5 or 6 months the older dog going into the cage with the younger dog. A year later on and both dogs race to get into the cage at night and when we say bed that's where they go without a fight.

I wouldn't class it as cruel. The cage is big enough for a medium to large dog and we have two pugs in there, we keep the bed fresh with some toys in there and a blanket over the top to avoid any drafts getting them at night and its positioned against pipes in the kitchen that get warm at night. They've a nicer setup their than I do. They don't have to put up with my girlfriends freezing feet

volchitsa

I don't think that's it because it's a new door which we have had really well insulated and it closes tightly, and more importantly because we have tiled floors which she clearly finds nice and cooling at times.
I've seen her "roll" out of her crate to continue her snooze on the tiles, presumably when she finds the crate too warm, but she chooses the entrance mat inside the front door and not the cooler tiles on either side.

(The door has a double glazed glass inset all the way down to the bottom so she can actually see outside even when lying there. That said, she can see into the garden from her crate - but not people arriving at the front door. That's why I wondered if it was a control thing, but maybe I'm being excessively cautious here. She's just hanging around the living room now, but I see her heading gradually towards the front door again!

EDIT : that last bit was wrong, she went for look around then came back in, sat beside me here for a minute and has now gone back to her crate.

So really I'm just wondering if I need to keep encouraging her to use her crate when she's not locked into it so she won't mind when she is, and secondly, if there's any basis at all in this idea (that I have vaguely from who knows where!) that dogs shouldn't be allowed to block front doors as thei systematic place to rest. Other than that it's a curse to have to make them get up!

Cherry Blossom

As far as I know dogs don't have the level of cognitive ability necessary for manipulation or 'taking control' of the door. If she's barking or growling at people comming in or out then it's a guarding or fear problem you have. If she isn't doing that then I don't see the problem. If you want past tell her to move. I sit on the sofa because it's comfortable, I have a good view of the Tele, I can stretch out on it and its just the right distance away from the fire. A dogs reasons for choosing where to sit or lie down are no more complicated than that. I have one that lies up on the back of the sofa and one that lies at the sitting room door. Those are they spots they chose for whatever reason, there is no reason to over analyse or speculate as to why they might want to be in those places.

volchitsa

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

As far as I know dogs don't have the level of cognitive ability necessary for manipulation or 'taking control' of the door. If she's barking or growling at people comming in or out then it's a guarding or fear problem you have. If she isn't doing that then I don't see the problem. If you want past tell her to move. I sit on the sofa because it's comfortable, I have a good view of the Tele, I can stretch out on it and its just the right distance away from the fire. A dogs reasons for choosing where to sit or lie down are no more complicated than that. I have one that lies up on the back of the sofa and one that lies at the sitting room door. Those are they spots they chose for whatever reason, there is no reason to over analyse or speculate as to why they might want to be in those places.

She's only three months old so she's not doing anything agressive like guarding yet really anyway (though she does clear off when she's got something particularly tasty like one of those beef skin chews and she thinks we're looking enviously at it!). She barked like crazy when someone came to the door yesterday but in an excited way rather than suspicious I think (she was very friendly when he came in, overly so, but again she's only young)

Anyway as long as it's not something that "everyone knows" that we shouldn't have been doing that's all I wanted to be sure of really. It did seem a bit odd, because dogs do have a "guardian" function in their mindset anyway, so it's unsurprising to find them wanting to fulfill that.

I just wanted to be sure it wasn't a trait that needed to be watched, like rounding people up and herding them (because she's tried that, she'd even have brought back a few extra humans if she'd been allowed the other day, she nipped a man's leg to bring him home along with us I gather! Luckily it was a big man and a small nip, but she definitely grabbed his trousers.)

And also to be sure that she won't end up forgetting her crate altogether through lack of use.)

Cherry Blossom

Training is mostly about encouraging acceptable behaviours and eliminating undesirable behaviour. What's acceptable varies from person to person. If you personally don't have a problem with a behaviour (such as lying on the doormat) then it's a lot of effort to change it for no particular reason.

If she herds people when out and about, I would say her bold word and put her back on her lead immediately so she knows this behaviour will have repercussions. Herding people could get her in a whole lot of trouble. Also give her something that she is allowed to herd for a while everyday. Football's are good but may not live very long!

volchitsa

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Training is mostly about encouraging acceptable behaviours and eliminating undesirable behaviour. What's acceptable varies from person to person. If you personally don't have a problem with a behaviour (such as lying on the doormat) then it's a lot of effort to change it for no particular reason.

I think it's really cute, having a little doorman constantly minding the door for us. That's partly why I wasn't sure if it was ok to let her, in the same way as it's "cute" when they jump like crazy when they see you but you can't let them do it because it's not fair on them for later on, when they won't understand why it's no longer so sweet.

Or indeed how I felt like laughing when she was herding that random passerby the other day but I knew it wouldn't be a good idea. This is the thing when you don't have much first hand experience of dogs, it's a bit of a mine field!

If she herds people when out and about, I would say her bold word and put her back on her lead immediately so she knows this behaviour will have repercussions. Herding people could get her in a whole lot of trouble. Also give her something that she is allowed to herd for a while everyday. Football's are good but may not live very long!

Well that's what we did, but not exactly as punishment. Is "no!" strong enough as a bold word, and also I find it very hard not to shout her name crossly, which is not ideal either. My son suggested, jokingly, calling her Voldemort as a bold name, and I'm actually thinking it's not a bad idea!

As for herding things, she runs after balls but I'm not sure how to get her to herd them. Though she does bring things back, in general.
Would she need several balls, and/or a place to bring them all? I'm not entirely sure whether we'd need to show her what to do with them or whether she'd just do it by herself, I mean, is it an autonomous activity for her, or one where she needs to be directed for her to get the most out of it?

Cookie_Monster

We're using a crate for our puppy. Has anyone experienced issues or have any advice about moving the crate about? At the moment it's in the living are during the day and we have it in the bedroom at night as she can't go the whole night without needing the toilet. But eventually she'll be in the garage / back garden during the day when we are at work. So at the moment the crate is moved to garage to let her get used to it and the lounge and bedroom. Is it better to just keep it in one place (which is the eventual plan once she is old enough)?

Cherry Blossom

There are some YouTube videos of collides herding big gym balls. I've seen quite a few playing football pushing the ball along with their nose in people's gardens too. Teddy has no interest in herding anything so I've never looked into whether it comes naturally or is taught. There was a tv show a year or two back where dogs competes against each other and one of the tasks was putting big balls into a goal. It looked quite hard to get them to do it, but the big balls were easier, they got extra points for the football if they got it in. Can't for the life of me remember the name of the show!

volchitsa

I know there's a game called Drive ball or Treibball which sounds like what you describe, for herding dogs, but I don't know if there's anywhere here that does it, (it seems to require some teaching, rather like teaching herding skills to working dogs. It's a pity her parents' farm isn't a bit closer we could all go and learn it for real there! )

Cherry Blossom

I would have a look on YouTube and Amazon to see if there are any books/videos that would help you to figure out ways to direct her herding instincts yourself. I came up with all sorts of ways to direct my terrier's energies when she was younger and crazier. I even had a go at trying to build a maze of tunnels out of plywood to replicate going to ground. Unfortunately it didn't go very well due to the fact that my diy skills are rubbish and my dad wouldn't help because it was 'stupid'