Our dog is driving us a little batty. We're trying to crate train him, which means we're getting very little sleep. Charlie, on the other hand, apparently doesn't need any sleep at night and instead prefers to pass the time howling and yelping. He keeps pooping in the neighbors' yard instead of ours, he has destroyed the boxes we put in to make his crate smaller, and he thinks that moss and weeds are the best food around.
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Sarah, what breed is the pup? We ended up with the same problem with our puppy, and we caved in and put him in bed with us so we could sleep. The problem is now we have a 110 lb Akita/Lab mix that thinks he is entitled to join us in bed whenever he feels the urge. Best birth control I ever found though ;-) .
Posted by: Bubba Bo Bob Brain at June 19, 2005 04:11 AM (aHbua)
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He's a Tibetan; he'll only get to be about 25 lbs, which would theoretically be do-able in bed. But we don't want to cave in! Everything we've read said that crate training is possible and effective with time...but I just don't know how much time it will take! I don't know anyone else who has crate trained; it seems most people just give in after a while.
Posted by: Sarah at June 19, 2005 05:29 AM (Sh7JR)
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It takes about a week or two. Especially once you get the windup alarm clock - oh and put a blanket over the crate if it's open wire.
It does get better - don't cave in. I never thought I'd see the day, but Cody loves his crate. It's HIS place.
The rest, well....no promises there. But seriously - give it a couple weeks and he'll be much better about the whole sleepin' thing.
Posted by: Tammi at June 19, 2005 09:27 AM (F4oo1)
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Try partioning the crate with a piece of wood to make it smaller. As for the howling, leave a radio on softly where he is and get ear plugs for yourselves. Do not react to him, sounds cold I know, but crate training is worth it. Escpecially if you'll be travelling with him.
Posted by: mare at June 19, 2005 02:58 PM (0CpxG)
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Crate training is well worth it. Do not cave in. If you even cave once, he'll keep at you. If you need to take him out during the night or early morning DO NOT play with him. Just be all business. When you come back in and want to get more sleep just pop him back in his crate. I keep the crate in my room when I first get a pup, that is if that is where the dog is going to be allowed to sleep (in your room) (I really recomend that he does sleep in your room it helps with bonding) Try to keep to a semi-schedule for feeding, pooping and naps.(don't become a slave to a schedule however!) He is a baby and will grow up faster than the human kind. So it does get easier. I seldom crate my dog any more, but he doesn't mind going in one when it is nessessary. Crate training will be especially helpful for house breaking and travel. Being in the military you need to make sure he learns to tolerate the crate so he won't be a basket of nerves when you move around! Also try a stuffed animal in his crate. That seemed to help my last pup. The biggest thing to remember is do not ever let him do anything as a pup that you do not want him to do as a dog! Spoil him, but don't ruin him by letting him be the one in control. You are the benevelont king and queen that he loves and wants to please. He really does want to please you.
Put him in his crate during the day also. Even if it is just for a short time. Give him a treat, a dog biscut or a toy with a little bit of peanut butter on it. Soon he will be running to the crate if you say the word.(I had a lab/rottie cross that would run pell mell through the house to get in her crate if you just said crate!) Reward him for going in, do not make a big deal over him when he comes out of it.
One more thing. NEVER let him out untill he is not wining. Even if he quits for a fraction of a moment let that be the time to let him out.
The bathroom thing....put him on a leash when you take him out. With you traveling he needs to learn now to releive himself on a leash. Some dogs like their privacy and refuse to go on a leash and it is tough when you need to travel and he holds back just because he is used to being free when he does his thing. I teach mine to "take a leak" I just say that or whatever you want to use for a command.(my friend uses Shazzam) When you take him out do not play with him, just say the command and wait him out. When he does it reward him and he will get the picture. This works great for road trips when you are stopping for a short time and he wants to check out every scent there is to find in a mile radius!
He isn't going to be a huge dog so I am guessing his crate is not huge either. Most anything you put in there is going to be a chew toy, cardboard, etc. If the crate isn't too big for him as a adult I would just forget about dividing it up and see how that goes. I am guessing you have a medium size? For traveling in especially on a plane it the crate is too big they actually can get tossed around too much in a large crate. They need to be able to brace themselves aginst the side. Also a crate for a dog is their den, if it is too big it looses that cozy feel and starts to feel more like a pen.
He is such a cutie! Get lots of pictures!
Cindy H.
Kenai, AK
Posted by: Cindy H. at June 20, 2005 12:24 AM (/y+c0)
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a little gin in the water dish couldn't hurt.
Posted by: Walter E. Wallis at June 20, 2005 01:10 PM (zJ4Tq)
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Sarah,
Charlie is adorable!!!! As for the crate training , you know that my dogs are not crate trained but, my moms dog Baby is. She agrees mostly with Cindy especially the part about putting him in your bedroom. She let the dog out of the crate at night though and baby never whimpered once , just crawled under their bed and went to sleep. They use the crate whenever they left the house or just when they thought that she needed a brake. Now at 2 she adores her crate and the door is always opened. Most times you find her in there taking a nap and if someone shuts the door on accident she will try to open it to get in . Good luck and I cant wait to see Charlie in person!!!!
Posted by: Kelly at June 20, 2005 01:45 PM (WXHIS)
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hi there, not much i can add that hasnt been said already. i just wanted to wish you good luck with the new puppy, he IS adorable.
my parents had beagles and they crate trained but unfortuantley the howling never stopped. they'd go in but they'd still howl about it, even after years. dont let that discourage you though, crate training, especially for us military folks, is a very good idea. and beagles are known for their howls anyway.
we never crate trained our blk lab but he's pretty laid back and obey's commands well. he'd LOVE to jump up on the bed with us, or the couch, but we taught him not to. we got him two beds of his own, one for the bedroom and one for the den so he can still lounge with us and feel part of the 'pack'. we could walk him without a leash and know that he would behave/not run off/not 'do the doo' in our neighbors yard, but out of respect for folks who fear dogs (and obey the leash law) we make sure to keep him on one.
anywho, good luck and enjoy the new puppy!
Posted by: liz at June 20, 2005 07:45 PM (fqS+S)
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I agree with the advice. One more thing - remember that as a pup, there is a fast link between eating and potty. This starts to improve - but I have been told (and it has pretty much gone that way - my dogs have all been mutts) that it takes until at least 5 months before you can expect that they are reliable about knowing they need to go and letting you know. So patience is the word, along with vigilance! Remember, Charlie is going to be one of the best souls you will ever know in your entire life, and he wants to do well - but he is just a pup.
Enjoy the fuzz therapy - isn't it just the best?
Posted by: Jean at June 21, 2005 01:24 PM (EtDmT)
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"It's a good thing he's cute, 'cause he's about to get thrown out the window!"
One day you'll be saying the same thing about your kids:-)
P.
Posted by: Pamela at June 22, 2005 01:49 AM (E34Gm)
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I had to crate train my dog( a Great Pyrenees) when he was a puppy. By the time he was 2 1/2 months old he was 15 lbs. and eating everything.( Including a 2.5 ton floor jack)
He outgrew all crates later as he's 130 lbs now and I don't have room nor $$$ for a huge crate. but the behavior has stuck with him even outside a crate. He don't get in bed with us , sleeps thru the night etc.
I found it helped to keep it in the bedroom ... beside my bed ( where I wanted him to sleep later)
I had to sleep with my hand , arm , or leg hanging off the bed beside the crate ( in the box/crate ) when he was smaller. It aided both in bonding and comfort for him.
I also found that he took these little doggie naps in the late evening while we were busy making supper, eating , and not paying attention to him. So I made after dinner play time with him.
It took both my husband and I, 2 weeks to keep him up during this time ... play and walk him and wear him out. He slept well after that.
Posted by: MorningSun at June 25, 2005 01:52 PM (cyzjH)
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Oh btw, I'm currently crate training my kitten. hahaha
I sleep well at night. I did find a use for the old dog crate.
Posted by: MorningSun at June 25, 2005 01:54 PM (cyzjH)
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You might check out: Tenderfoottraining.com.
Great DVD available.
Posted by: Steve at June 27, 2005 05:12 PM (zZPnd)
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