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Crate Training A Kelpie


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bundyburger

You might also want to spend some time every day desensitizing the dog to the car.

My dog used to get car sick. So we used to do a short trip to the park every day, she liked the park. we could have walked but I wanted her to be ok about going in the car.

So if my dog was like yours, I'd stick her in the car when it wasn't going anywhere, and take her out again straight away, and do that a couple of times a day for a week maybe, then I'd stick her in and see if she'd take the uber treat - you know the one for which they offer up every trick they know and then some? Currently it's dried beef lung cubes but it varies. If she will take the treat, we're on the way, but if she won't, she's still freaked out, more of the dog in, dog out, car stays put stuff.

edited to fix @ whom name - oops

Edited by Mrs Rusty Bucket
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He's better in the car now, he'll can do 2-3 hour trips easily, but circumstances out of our control may not allow us to have the opportunity to do a nice long slow trip with him, seeing as OH will have a strict timeframe to get us up there as he'll have to go back to work, and I'll have to start my new job. Regardless of if we fly or drive, he needs to be crate trained, as it'll be the only way he'll be allowed to sleep inside at the new place if we go (it is beyond our control, adn we aren't going to turn down a chance of a lifetime over that). For all I know OH may turn down the chance still (but it's not likely) so I'm planning ahead so it can all happen smoothly and calmly with as little stress to all of us. Moving states will be hard enough :laugh:

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I say get someone like Cosmolo in ASAP before you even start crate training. I would start it properly and under professional supervision to prevent the dog forming an idea (that may be a bad one) which is then another hurdle to overcome.

For a stressful dog anyway start him on 1ml of horse calming paste a day and continue while you crate train ;) more exercise too to exhaust the dog you will find that the stress reactions can decrease when he's exhausted.

I wish you all luck with this I know how difficult it can be to introdue new scenarios with dogs like this!

Edited by Nekhbet
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Some very generous offers and great experiences outlined there. Having a kelpie myself I know how an otherwise perfectly behaved well trained kelpie can turn themselves inside out and completely freak out. Its hard to deal with, and so foreign to what a comfortable kelpie is like.

Just one comment from me, if you don't get around this fear of crates, you can drive the kelpie to the other state. Not ideal but it may be the only way. Or you can call Jet Pets and see if they offer road transport option - without your kelpie being crated.

But unless you have too little time, I think a kelpie that is naturally a smart dog and likes to please can be desensitised to the crate and then clicker trained into it. You just must take it slow because if you push the kelpie to far too soon, you will be taking massive steps backwards.

Good luck with it :)

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And Bundyburger, even if you don't end up going, it's probably worth going through the exercise of crate training anyway, jsut in case, heaven forbid, the dog ever has to spend time in one. It's nice to have the option. :)

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And Bundyburger, even if you don't end up going, it's probably worth going through the exercise of crate training anyway, jsut in case, heaven forbid, the dog ever has to spend time in one. It's nice to have the option. :)

Oh yes, for sure... there's already been times where it would be handy!!!

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Just in case you make the decision to fly him when you move please remember that you cannot sedate animals that go on a plane. It is not recommended at all.

What the zoo does is not the same. they don't put the animal on a commercial flight unattended.

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