# crate training



## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

Bump. Anyone? Is he just too young?


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## 22237 (Apr 28, 2012)

dezymond said:


> Bump. Anyone? Is he just too young?


How old is your puppy? Lexi is almost 3 months. We never left alone though but she cries some times and stop after like 1 min.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Try giving him a kong stuffed with something yummy when he's in his crate - even his kibble will suffice. Make the crate a fun place. Toss toys and treats in there randomly, get him to connect the crate with good positive things! Sounds like he's just a little antsy, but nothing too bad.


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

ruvyslater said:


> How old is your puppy? Lexi is almost 3 months. We never left alone though but she cries some times and stop after like 1 min.


He is only 9 weeks. So far he's well adjusted, at least during the day...



Florabora said:


> Try giving him a kong stuffed with something yummy when he's in his crate - even his kibble will suffice. Make the crate a fun place. Toss toys and treats in there randomly, get him to connect the crate with good positive things! Sounds like he's just a little antsy, but nothing too bad.


I leave about 6 kongs in there full of kibble and puppy paste, that's how I feed him. Three times a day with 3 medium sized kongs and 3 small sized ones. This advice was given to me through a family friend who has owned dogs most of her life and mostly Goldens as well. I may try the whole throwing in the treat thing every now and then. 

He actually sleeps alot during the day in his crate. I leave him in there, whines for maybe 2 minutes tops now and then stays quiet. Last night it was as if the devil possessed him, he was going MAD. I think my mom actually took him out to go potty and he just got filled with energy or something, from 1:30-2:30am it was almost nonstop barking and whining etc. 

He's gotten much better in the crate, but I'm afraid at night when I take him to go potty when he needs to he just stays awake and ends up being a bit restless in the crate. He does much better if I stick around to soothe him, but I'm guessing that's not a good idea either (I only did this once).


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## mayapaya (Sep 28, 2011)

If he's having a bunch of crate time during the day, try leaving him out a bit longer in the evening to tire him out before he goes into the crate in the evening--maybe he's a night owl? just kidding. I confess that I laid by Maya and Payton's crate to settle them for the first few evenings that they spent in the crate when we got them at 8 weeks and 7 weeks respectively. Maybe other's wouldn't recommend this, but my crates are not located in my bedroom, and I suspected a bit of separation anxiety the first few nights. The one thing you don't want to do is take them out of their crate if they are crying or whining, and bathroom breaks in the middle of the night should be quick--no talking, interaction, and back in the crate. 9 weeks is still pretty young--he'll come around!


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

Yeah he did spend most of the day in the crate yesterday, but he was falling asleep outside of the crate too. I want sleeping associated with the crate, not anywhere else in the house for now. I try to keep him up but everytime he walks over to me he loves to sit in my lap and rest his head and doze off. Last night I don't think I tired him out enough.

His crate is downstairs in the living room so I may just try to comfort him. Usually those middle of the night potty breaks I say "go potty", wait a bit to do his business and then he claws at the screen or glass door telling me he wants in. He doesn't like going into his crate on his own so I have to put him in and close the door on him. Maybe today I should work on him going into the crate on his own, but overall he's not completely comfortable going in on his own unless it's feeding time.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Molly's first time in the crate was a nightmare. She was whining non stop and even howling. She didn't know how to bark yet, but if she had known I'm sure she would've! She even tried to dig herself out of the crate and throw herself at the door. It was so tough to watch, but after one night of ignoring her, she never did this again. I lure her in with treats when it's bed time. Sometimes she'll go in by herself, but if we leave the room, she will just follow us.

You can try hiding treats in there. I think it's fun for the pup to find "treasures" in there. Sometimes, I will put a treat in there when she's not inside the crate, and she'll see it later and go in and get it herself. I think that teaches her that the crate is not a bad place. I also give her a kong if she's going to be alone for awhile, like before I leave for work. She only gets them when she's crated.


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

Yeah definitely going to work on trying to get him to go in there himself. Me putting him in there probably isn't helping but I lure him with treats every now and then. Once he's in I close the door and sit on the couch and do whatever where he can see me. Whines a bit but calms down and most of the time falls asleep. Even gave him an old t-shirt of mine to comfort him.


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

Crate training has been going.much better. I sort of taught him to go in and stay in when the door is open. He'll usually just lie down inside with the door open and fall asleep. At night he has turned into an angel when I tire him out. Last two nights he's been quiet for almost 6hrs straight. He needs to be IP early to eliminate but much better. Just wish he'd sleep in til 9 instead of 7:30-8. This puppy is making me a morning person


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

I used to stay in bed until 10am because I didn't have to get to work until 12 . Now, I'm up at 7:30 - 8. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to sleep in again..


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

You can teach them to go back. I have to get up at 5.30 for my son. Tess goes outside to do her business, comes inside and eats, and at 6.30 when the house is quiet again, we both go back to sleep. I put her back in her crate from day one, and now she doesn't know any better, although she doesn't sleep in a crate anymore.


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

Yeah my dad usually takes him out to do his business around 6am and then puts him back in. He usually wakes up again around 8:30 after that and needs to go do his business again. That's when he wakes me up and after he's done I put him back in his crate while I crash on the couch for another hour or so.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

I feed Molly at 8:30. Her last potty is at 11pm. I feel bad letting her out of the crate and then putting her back in after her meal, so I hang out with her until she wants to nap. Then I nap


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

I was never one to nap, but this pup has taken so much of my energy that I know I need it. I just don't want to take any naps because I want to fall right asleep at night. I am seriously yawning as I type this.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

dezymond said:


> I was never one to nap, but this pup has taken so much of my energy that I know I need it. I just don't want to take any naps because I want to fall right asleep at night. I am seriously yawning as I type this.


In college, I could take a 3 hour nap and still go to bed at my usual time.  I haven't napped like that in awhile.


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

Vhuynh2 said:


> In college, I could take a 3 hour nap and still go to bed at my usual time.  I haven't napped like that in awhile.


Haha yes the college grind is tough, been.going through it myself for awhile....probably too long...

I'm just happy he's finally getting.used to his crate. Not 100% comfortablr with it yet.i.think buy darn close. His biting is getting a bit crazy though...


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

I have a new crate coming in Wednesday. When I move him to that one would that ruin the crate training? This one is going to be a wire crate instead


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## Sammy&Cooper (Dec 28, 2011)

dezymond said:


> I have a new crate coming in Wednesday. When I move him to that one would that ruin the crate training? This one is going to be a wire crate instead


I was able to switch Sammy from a plastic crate to a wire one without an issue. I just put all her usual things in the new crate (bed/blanket/toy).


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

Sammy&Cooper said:


> I was able to switch Sammy from a plastic crate to a wire one without an issue. I just put all her usual things in the new crate (bed/blanket/toy).


Alright. How well crate trained was Sammy? Mine isn't completely crate trained yet


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## Sammy&Cooper (Dec 28, 2011)

dezymond said:


> Alright. How well crate trained was Sammy? Mine isn't completely crate trained yet


she was approx 5 months old when I switched her crates. she was, a this point, 100% house trained, had been sleeping through the night since 10 weeks, and loved her crate (to this day she voluntarily goes in her crate when tired)
if anything if your pup is younger it might be easier to switch the crates since he/she isn't used to going in the specific crate yet (just a thought)


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

Hopefully it's as easy for my pup. I think he has a minor case of separation anxiety though. My mom just left the house (after a long goodbye which I told her to stop and just leave) and he spent 2 minutes crying by the door and even clawing at it. He then peed on the floor only a few feet away. I then walked upstairs to get something and as soon as I was halfway up the stairs (which he doesn't know how to go up) he began to cry.


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## Sammy&Cooper (Dec 28, 2011)

what can i say pups (especially goldens) love to be around people lol. my male too has minor seperation anxiety (he's 7 months right now). between me and the other 4 family members plus the other 2 dogs and the cat he has never been by himself (until this morning when i left him for 30 seconds to go grab some dog food from the basement and he went into a constant cry/scratching at the door). my female used to be the same way but has since grown out of it.

Edit: I just read your other thread and would now say that at your pups age separation anxiety might not be the case. also, supervision is a must, if you can't watch your pup in the crate he goes (this is for his safety)


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

Sammy&Cooper said:


> what can i say pups (especially goldens) love to be around people lol. my male too has minor seperation anxiety (he's 7 months right now). between me and the other 4 family members plus the other 2 dogs and the cat he has never been by himself (until this morning when i left him for 30 seconds to go grab some dog food from the basement and he went into a constant cry/scratching at the door). my female used to be the same way but has since grown out of it.
> 
> Edit: I just read your other thread and would now say that at your pups age separation anxiety might not be the case. also, supervision is a must, if you can't watch your pup in the crate he goes (this is for his safety)


Don't know, what he did when he saw my mom leave was a bit funny and a major error on her part. That's the first time he's peed in the house due to any sort of anxiety. I understand age can be a huge factor and the fact he's still getting used to us. Maybe I overreacted a bit, but like any other of you would be with your dog (especially your first) I was just concerned. 

For now I make him stay in the crate maybe 10-20min in by himself. He'll do his usual whining and some barking, but once it stops he tends to move towards the back of the crate and just lay down until one of us returns, or falls asleep. 

We've all spoiled him, but it's hard to resist such a cute little furball. The "tough love" part of this whole training process seems tougher on us than it does on him. We're working on it, but I have got to get all family members on the same page and consistent.


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## dezymond (May 3, 2012)

Bought Maverick a new crate, this time a wired crate that will fit him when he's an adult, but for now using a divider. Got a recommendation from the trainer at his puppy class today that a towel over the crate may help with him knowing it's bed time. It was around 10:20 and he knocked as usual, his internal clock must be adjusted. Do any of you with wired crates use anything to cover it up or do you just let it be and let your dog fall asleep? I figure if he wakes up in the middle of the night, the lights off should let him know even though he's in new crate.


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