Help! Crate Training Sucks!

[Starkehre]

Pup needs to learn to be comfortable and confident in his own company.

Don't go to the crate when he is quiet and disturb him by praising or treating him.

He is training you really well by the sounds of it.

May I suggest that if the phone disturbs him, leave a quiet radio or tele on near him, so that he will receive some comfort from that, and it will also assist with drowning out the other noises in the house. He will sleep through this. Gradually over time, you can turn the tele lower and lower, and then off.

I understand your need for hurry as you have to go back to work... but was there a great need to day time crate him for these few days while you have been at home, as soon he will be kept in a different situation during the day. Things will be changed for pup.

Start with what you intend to go on with I would say.

Early days crating is more easily done overnight initially, because everyone goes to bed, house is dark and all is quiet. You can try mimicking that during the day, but I don't see the point if things will be different when you go back to work.

Pup is at the age where he can hold on all night from 11pm til 6am. You can choose to keep taking him out during the night for an empty, but I would suggest you gradually start weaning that tight back to one empty, then not at all over a week.

I also suggest emptying only by your reckoning and not his. But people tend to differ in this area.

Try to settle into one system as soon as you can. Get a plan and stick with it. Puppies need structure and boundaries, just like kids.

I know it is hard, but try not to be frustrated.

Good Luck.

[Red Fox]

Have you tried attaching a puppy pen tp the crate so that he can come and go as he pleases while still being contained? I toilet trained mine using the pen in the day (and also for long term confinement if needed) and introduced the crate for nights when he was 3 months old.

I fed all meals in the pen (still do!) and spent time playing with him in there too. Our routine for the first few weeks was toilet every hour then play outside, and then settle in the pen. I found he would settle well if I sat near the pen and read the paper or something.

You could also try moving the crate around so that it is near you. I would use a wire crate for now and keep the soft crate for later.

If we ever get another puppy I will be using a crate from day one, for nights at least, as I spent the first month sleeping on a mattress on the floor with Kei as he wouldn't settle on his own A crate by the bed is soooo much better!

[timatah]

Have you tried attaching a puppy pen tp the crate so that he can come and go as he pleases while still being contained? I toilet trained mine using the pen in the day (and also for long term confinement if needed)

I've also done this with my 11 week old pup. I've had him since friday but no accidents for 2 days now. And at night i bring the crate inside into my room. Last night he held it from 10:30pm- 6-30am.

I also find that during the day after a long play and when he's sick of me he goes and lies down in his crate.

I feed him in his crate, have a bed and blanket in there and give him treats in his crate. No more cries

[White_Shadow]

You are wanting to achieve what exactly? Crate training him for toilet purpose or for him to go in there every time that he isn't playing or going to the toilet??

[bozthepup]

Hi,

This is purely my experience only with a lab, I think it's horses for courses - but crating is certainly very convenient.

NIGHT

When he came home (a little early at 6 wks), we had a crate but put him in the laundry at nite. The crate was also in there, door open, and we put food and his fav toys in there. He didn't appear to get in there.

He cried the first night but stopped thereafter, however in the morning there was pee and poo galore in the laundry.

We then set an alarm to get him for him to pee and poo (he never cried to tell us), sometimes we got there in time, sometimes not.

I got tired of poo n pee, so at about 9 weeks, we put him in the crate, but in the loungeroom where he could see / hear us and he cried a little but we ignored him and he quitened down. He then told us when he wanted toilet and we'd get up and let him out. That worked well for us

Then, we graduated him back to the laundry, crate in there and door open (obviously he was being toilet trained in the meantime) and eventually he just slept int the laundry, no pees or poos, but we still got up maybe once to toilet him.

DAY

I am lucky I work at home, but I alternated between crating him, letting him hang out with me at my feet under the desk, (watching closely for toilet time obviously) and putting him outside. At first he didn't like outside by himself but got used to it. I just didn't really like having him in the crate for much longer than 30 mins during the day, just me though. However I do think this time spent in the day crated helped for the night-time stuff (above).

He never really fell in love with his crate like you hear some pups doing but we made it work for us. He was starting to outgrow the crate so we'd decided to graduate him outside for sleeping and had sourced a kennel, in the meantime giving him more and more outside time, both on his own and with us.

Unfortunately we lost our little boy at 4.5 months to an accident in March - but we will go through the puppy process again when we get another soon !

Good luck with it, not sure if this helps.

[luvsdogs]

You said you were following Ian Dunbar. But he says to have a short term (crate, soft bed & chew toys) & long term confinement (crate with door open in puppy pen with toilet & chew toys) areas.

Tilbas the 1st put I've used a crate with. She was in it at night, when I went out & in the car. She doesn't sleep in it any more bit I still use it in the car. If I ever happen to have the crate door open, its in her room, she will get in it herself for a nap.

[muffinmclay]

We have been doing the short term confinement in the crate during the day for up to 1 hr, as Dunbar recommends. Then when I have to go out, he goes to his long term confinement area (bathroom) with his crate (door open obviously), a bowl of water, some toys and a one of those absorbent pee pad things.

I have to say, i channeled the grasshopper yesterday and exercised extreme patience, and today he is much happier to be in his crate for up to an hour for a sleep during the day. He whines for about 10-20 seconds, then just lays down and accepts it and has a snooze. Now my problem is that when he is in the bathroom for his long-term confinement, he barks and whines THE WHOLE TIME! Today, my husband was asleep at the other end of the house (night shift worker) and said he carried on for 3 hours - barking for 5 mins, quiet for 5 mins, barking again and so on. What can I do about this? Do I just need a bigger dose of patience and hope that he just eventually stops?

[Luke W]

Patience grasshopper

Give it a couple of days?

[muffinmclay]

Patience grasshopper

Give it a couple of days?

I will - your advice of patience has worked so far! It is just hard because I feel terrible that my poor husband gets no sleep an my poor dog is not happy!

I'll report back in a day or two. Hopefully other forum readers with a similar problem will benefit from knowing whether the virtue of patience is worthwhile!

[Luke W]

Patience grasshopper

Give it a couple of days?

I will - your advice of patience has worked so far! It is just hard because I feel terrible that my poor husband gets no sleep an my poor dog is not happy!

I'll report back in a day or two. Hopefully other forum readers with a similar problem will benefit from knowing whether the virtue of patience is worthwhile!

[Red Fox]

We have been doing the short term confinement in the crate during the day for up to 1 hr, as Dunbar recommends. Then when I have to go out, he goes to his long term confinement area (bathroom) with his crate (door open obviously), a bowl of water, some toys and a one of those absorbent pee pad things.

I have to say, i channeled the grasshopper yesterday and exercised extreme patience, and today he is much happier to be in his crate for up to an hour for a sleep during the day. He whines for about 10-20 seconds, then just lays down and accepts it and has a snooze. Now my problem is that when he is in the bathroom for his long-term confinement, he barks and whines THE WHOLE TIME! Today, my husband was asleep at the other end of the house (night shift worker) and said he carried on for 3 hours - barking for 5 mins, quiet for 5 mins, barking again and so on. What can I do about this? Do I just need a bigger dose of patience and hope that he just eventually stops?

Definetly get yourself a puppy pen! He's probably barking his head off when in the bathroom because he is isolated and confused. A pen will allow him to see whats going on around him while he is confined and he'll probably be less stressed.

Good luck with the training, it will get easier as he gets older

ETA: you could also try a baby gate on the bathroom door so that puppy can see out when in his confinement area.

Edited April 8, 2009 by SecretKei

[muffinmclay]

My husband has just called to say that our pup barked from 7.30am to 1pm, when he finally gave up trying to sleep and let him out of the laundry. What am I going to do? We only just moved into our house and I don't want to get the neighbours offside, or my husband for that matter. Why is he barking for so long? I thought surely he would get tired of it after a little while?

[Miranda]

Is there any reason why the puppy can't stay outside? If you've puppy proofed your yard and there aren't any other hazards I'm sure he'd be much happier outside exploring, things to see, things to smell, things to do, sunshine, fresh air, birds, digging etc. Your puppy's been confined all night while you sleep and then you're locking him up for another 5 1/2 hours, he's lonely and bored, no wonder he's kicking up a fuss.

[Luke W]

My husband has just called to say that our pup barked from 7.30am to 1pm, when he finally gave up trying to sleep and let him out of the laundry. What am I going to do? We only just moved into our house and I don't want to get the neighbours offside, or my husband for that matter. Why is he barking for so long? I thought surely he would get tired of it after a little while?

Dog 1 : Husband 0

Get a pen and set it up in the bedroom with the husband.

[percyk]

i have only crate trained one dog

it took about four nights to get him to sleep through

but it worked

for a bit

then sometimes hed start to whinge for some reason

once i let him out and he actually needed to pee

so that was ok

but the other times ( knowing that hed already peed in the yard) i didnt let him get his way

he goes to his crate at night quite well

in that i dont have to lure him any more

it has been about five months now - and he wasnt a young pup when i started - more like five months old

just perservere - it can happen but if you give in and let him out on his terms it will take longer

[percyk]

mine is a wire crate with a good rubber mat in there and lots of blankets for snuggling into

[Hastings]

you must remember that this little guy has just left his mother and siblings and obviously has not had any experience in crates at all, of course he is going to cry, As the others have said he has to know that it is his house and to be comfortable there, go gradually try adding a radio when you are out near his crate or a TV even better,Our babies are crate trained from birth,as I take the litter and Mum to work with me each day, make it a lot easier for owners later on. Patience and praise not chastisement should work eventually. Good Luck

[Molz_25]

My husband has just called to say that our pup barked from 7.30am to 1pm, when he finally gave up trying to sleep and let him out of the laundry. What am I going to do? We only just moved into our house and I don't want to get the neighbours offside, or my husband for that matter. Why is he barking for so long? I thought surely he would get tired of it after a little while?

Hi Muffinmclay,

My lab is now 12 weeks of age, we got him when he was just over 8 weeks ago. We bought a puppy pen and a crate. The first couple of days was REALLY tough. In the puppy pen he would bark, jump up and cry and whine. We tried to keep him inside with us in the crate and he worked the first time....because he was really tired and after that he did not seem to like it at all. We have the wire crate. Our breeder suggested that we start feeding him in the crate to get him use to it. We are lucky that he took to it very well. He really liked to be fed in his crate. We have him outside during the day and his crate goes out with him with the door open. He is free to roam around during the day. At night, approximately 8pm we take him in and put him in his crate. We have had problems with him barking and whinging a lot when we first put him in there but usually settles (when ppl are around and awake within 30mins). We cover it with a blanket as well. He has got use to the crate.

Just keep trying.

Now our problem is the fact that it is hard for him to settle during the night after he comes back in from toileting. But it is best to leave them alone as other Dol readers have advised me. It's hard though!

Your pup is still new and he will definitely be missing his litter mates and mum. Ours howled like nobody's business for the first couple of days. It was LOUD and unbearable.

Keep at it. Good luck.

[White_Shadow]

Miranda

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post 9th Apr 2009 - 01:31 PM

Post #33

Proud ANKC Registered Breeder/Exhibitor/Dog Lover since 1975

Posts: 5,368

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From: Melbourne

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Is there any reason why the puppy can't stay outside? If you've puppy proofed your yard and there aren't any other hazards I'm sure he'd be much happier outside exploring, things to see, things to smell, things to do, sunshine, fresh air, birds, digging etc. Your puppy's been confined all night while you sleep and then you're locking him up for another 5 1/2 hours, he's lonely and bored, no wonder he's kicking up a fuss.

Sound a bit strange..?? I agree with Miranda. Also why would you want a pup if its to crate or lock him up all day(most of it) I just don't get it, its just plain weird.

Edited April 10, 2009 by Love_ASD

[Cosmolo]

If you let him out while he's crying after a few hours, you will teach him to be more and more resistant and vocal. Either need to be 100% consistent or look at other ways of training the pup.

Agree with Miranda also.

Edited April 10, 2009 by Cosmolo