# Crate training nightmare HELP



## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

First off, this happens to most of us. I gave up and since someone was usually home I quit using the crate at night. I now know that was a mistake if I wanted Tinkerbell to learn to like it. So if your puppy is going to be alone part of the day and you want to us a crate you need to leave her in it.

There are some really good threads explaining crate training on here. And many of them will make you think that you asked the question. So I would defintiely do a search for crate training.

My other thought is that goldens like to be by their people. And maybe you moved her out of your room to quickly. So I would move her back into the bedroom for a while. give her a chance to really get used to being in your home and then move her crate. She my have already kind of decided that your room is also hers.


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

goldens in particular are very loving of their people--if she was not crying with the crate in your room--I would move it back there. 

She is just a tiny girl be patient with her. Please remember that being away from her Mom and litter mates is new to her.

I know everyone here is a crate fan--I personally am not--but I am old.  We did things the old fashioned way---got up every few hours few hours during the night


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

njb said:


> goldens in particular are very loving of their people--if she was not crying with the crate in your room--I would move it back there.
> 
> She is just a tiny girl be patient with her. Please remember that being away from her Mom and litter mates is new to her.
> 
> I know everyone here is a crate fan--I personally am not--but I am old.  We did things the old fashioned way---got up every few hours few hours during the night


Once I quit trying to use the crate at night Tinkerbell would sleep for 8 hours straight at night. And that was at 8 weeks. And we didn't have accidents but she slept in my room on the floor. But because of that she doesn't like her crate so we haven't even used it during the day in weeks. We've left her for up to 4 hours out of her crate. But when she was just a little pup we only left her out for up 15 minutes and gradually increased that time. So it all depends on what your situation is. If you need to leave a young pup for several hours at a time. You'll want to do the crate training I think.

NJB do you crate Julie during the day or did you? Can you crate them during the day but not at night?


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

the only time I use the crate is for time outs--when I just have to have a break, never more than an hour OR when we are eating--sometimes. I really don't use it that much. 

I know folks have real reasons for crates, esp with more than one dog---my big gripe against them is the abuse of them. 

From the first night Julie came home she literally slept in my arms, I had multiple alarms set to wake me up at a variety of times the first week to take her out. She was great at night...being summer I thought my son would actually take her out...wrong...so it took a couple weeks longer than I planned to totally train her. I can say since she has been 11 weeks she has only had 2 accidents in the house--one was in the bathtub --so I am not sure that counts. The other she had a high wbc so she was not feeling good at all and i don't fault her. BUT==I have friends with older dogs that would come over and play all day, dogs learn bunches from older dogs.


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## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

The only thing I ended up using it for was when we were all gone. And time outs occasionally. But not for weeks.

Today she went into her crate to get something (there was a blanket in there and her others were being washed) and apparently her tail caught the door and it closed half way. Just half way and she whined and cried until I came over and told her to come out. She has done this a couple of other times also. She really hates her crate.


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## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

I really would not worry about it too much, you have a person oriented dog that is all. She just wants to be with her family.

I am all for being in charge, but not from being bossy but out of respect for you.


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## LuxysMommy (Feb 28, 2007)

I would love to give up on crate training and just use it as a time out which would be a possibility if I stayed home but I'm only home this week. I have to go back to work next week and so does my husband. She NEEDS to be in there during the day so we have to get her used to it. I think I'm going to give her another couple of nights and if things don't improve I'll move the crate back up to the bedroom. 

This is soooo hard. I'm so exhausteed I cant even tihnk straight. 

I guess I just need to know that its ok that she cries this much and that there isn't something wrong with her. I don't want to traumatize her. I want to do things properly. Last night I only had to take her out to pee at around 1 and then this morning I let her out at 5 and she's been a dream. It was blissful quiet for a couple of hours but before that she cried on and off all night. She's such a suck. The worst thing is when she's in there she's not even interested in treats that's how much she hates it. I gave her chew treats, a kong with peanut butter... she'll have none of it. She's not a very treat oriented dog. She loves getting praise and thrives on it.


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## Jazz's Mom (Feb 26, 2007)

Luckiily both the dogs I've had were already housebroken and crate trained when I got them. Growing up I remember my parents wrapping a travel clock (the kind that ticks) in a blanket with the puppy. Supposedly this reminds them of their mother's heartbeat? I don't know if there's any truth to it, but I definitely remember them doing it.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Try covering the crate with a sheet...... This has helped in the past....


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I would really encourage you to put the crate back in you bedroom at night, she's a tiny baby and misses her mom and litter mates. She needs to be near you, it's the same as having your newborn baby in a bassinet next to you for the first few months. You could put the crate back downstairs during the day until she is sleeping comfortably at night.


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## Charlie06 (Feb 10, 2007)

I slept on the floor next to the crate for the first week.....Not good for the back I might add. After that we put him in the crate (which was in our bedroom) at night and he would just chew on it all night. He was housetrained within a week after we got him so instead of listening to him bite the crate all night we just let him sleep on the floor or on our bed. We now have 2 nice size holes in our carpet but at least we got some sleep. Now he is hardly ever in the crate and the few times he is he doesn't mind it at all.


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## Copper Paw (Mar 12, 2007)

*we gave up also*

The orignal post is a familiar story. Copper is 10+ weeks. He was in the crate for a week or so, but just hated it. One night he was sleeping so good in the laundry room that I didn't wake him to put him in the crate....= peaceful sleep for all. 

He'll hold it all night in the laundry room now. Granted this is near our bedroom and we have a baby gate up. He'll still get fussy and cry/bark in there but they just have to learn where their space is.


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## gold4me (Mar 12, 2006)

I remember making a bed by Jake's crate for the first week and then I was able to sleep in bed after that. I did wake up about every 2 hours to take him out and was a zombie for about 3 or 4 weeks because I didn't sleep well. We had his crate in our bedroom. In the morning we put the crate in the garage and attached an exercise pen to it. He could sleep in the crate and then had room to walk around and potty on papers(he really spent more time shredding the papers). It really worked great for us. Later he slept on the floor in our room and we left the crate open. He would sleep in it with the door open too. Beau and Emmy were crate trained before we got them.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Personally, I cover the crate. I find it helps. And if they cry, I sneak over and smack the top of it hard and say "KNOCK IT OFF!"

I am quick to take quiet dogs out and praise them, too.

Rare is the case that doesn't work. Plus, you can always let her cry it out during the day when nobody's home, unless you have neighbors on the other side of the wall.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

PS I sympathize. I rent a flat and I CANNOT allow my dogs to make any noise


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## kellange123 (Apr 13, 2007)

One thing my hubby brought home from his co-workers was to put blankets or towels over her crate. It is suppose to simulate living in a den. It also keeps it a little warmer in there and keeps the smell of puppy around her. The night we did it the crying nearly stopped (except for when she whined to go outside for potty) but now that she is older we still keep a couple towels over the sides but no longer in the front because she likes to see out the window.


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## Chaucer and Mom (Feb 26, 2007)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> Personally, I cover the crate. I find it helps. And if they cry, I sneak over and smack the top of it hard and say "KNOCK IT OFF!"
> 
> I am quick to take quiet dogs out and praise them, too.
> 
> Rare is the case that doesn't work. Plus, you can always let her cry it out during the day when nobody's home, unless you have neighbors on the other side of the wall.


 
Sorry if I sound harsh. But why would you scare a little pup who's already scared?! That's like making a loud noise to scare a six week old baby because it cries. There's nothing manipulative about a puppy of eight weeks crying.


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## Chaucer and Mom (Feb 26, 2007)

mylissyk said:


> I would really encourage you to put the crate back in you bedroom at night, she's a tiny baby and misses her mom and litter mates. She needs to be near you, it's the same as having your newborn baby in a bassinet next to you for the first few months. You could put the crate back downstairs during the day until she is sleeping comfortably at night.


 
I agree 100%. Your baby is just a baby. She needs to be near you. If you can, buy a smaller crate to leave in your bedroom. You won't regret it. The only thing you're accomplishing now is to foster bad feelings about the crate.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Chaucer and Mom said:


> Sorry if I sound harsh. But why would you scare a little pup who's already scared?! That's like making a loud noise to scare a six week old baby because it cries. There's nothing manipulative about a puppy of eight weeks crying.


If puppies had their way, they'd never have to learn to be alone. Unfortunately, in our world, having to be alone is a very important lesson, and one that's best learnt while young.

Covering the crate works quite well, as does the silencing "whack" which is designed to interrupt the barking so that you get a bit of silence which can be rewarded. Unless it is abused, it DOES NOT foster ill feelings about the crate.

When pups cry in the crate, they aren't saying "I hate the crate!" Rather, they are saying, "I hate that the crate is keeping me away from my pack!" Pups in our human world need to learn that sometimes, you can't be with the pack members --- 'cuz we have jobs that we need to go to so that we can keep kibble in the bowl!

-Stephanie


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