Crate training our puppy, got a question or two...

When I said feed him in his crate... you only do this if you are around. You never leave food or water when he is confined - because what goes in has to come out

 

I got this for my pup
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3207139
it makes the sound of a heart beating. It stops after a little while and my pup learned how to turn it back on.

and this...it's like a mini heating pad, I used it when he has really little.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754626&keepsr=0&clickid=prod_cs

and a Kong filled with something yummy...
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2750598

I admit mine is completely spoiled .

 

Oh man! Thanks for posting that up! I've had real problems finding a metronome that isn't $40. I'm definitely getting one of those today

 

also, a radio on a quiet peaceful station at low volume comforts the dog too if they have separation anxiety.

and yes I cover the whole crate to make it like a "den" for him.

 

I crate trained both my dogs. Works great. Wonder if crate training my girlfriend would get her to behave better.

 

1. Climb in with him, this makes him more comfortable to go inside the crate
2. Take him outside prior to entering
3. Leave it open during the day with his bed inside
4. Put him in at night, simulate going to bed
5. ALWAYS let him go inside on his own power... try not to force him in
6. Put toys inside
7. Don't punish him if he pees inside it... console him, he'll be just as upset

 

My pup loved his .

Oh and a bunch of people on a dog forum I'm on have been raving about this CD called Through a Dogs Ear, they have all said it works.
http://www.throughadogsear.com/
My pup gets car sick, so I'm going to get the car version and try it.

Also the book The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell is a great book, I'm almost done with it and it really does give some good info on how dogs think and why they do what they do. http://www.google.com/products/cata...S4OqJIakM9eLte4O&sa=title&ved=0CBIQ8wIwAjgA#p

 

there is a lot of good info on here My wife and I keep both of our dogs in crates at night and they LOVE them. It's like their personal little "room" with their blankets in there. It took maybe a week for my german sheppherd to get use to being in her's and it took the chihuahua maybe 4 or 5 days. Now we just tell them to "go to bed" and they run into their kennels and lay down!

Each time you go to put your dog in there just tell them "go to bed" or whatever key phrase you want and eventually they will get in there on their own with just those words. Dogs are damn smart with the right training

 

Lots of good tips from people. I crate trained my golden retriver for the first few years. He just roams the house now when i'm gone since he behaves himself.

Some tips I don't agree with. Feeding him in the crate and leaving lots of toys and blankets. Toys could be a choking hazard regardless of the toys size. Kennel should be sleeping time. For feeding make sure you have a designated feeding spot and feed them there always. You should never leave food in the bowl for them to "graze" they should be on a schedule and eat all of their food at eating time. Typically dogs who graze end up getting overweight because the owner looses track of how much food they have given the dog. Dogs like structure. Mine is on a clock and like clockwork, right around 6:30 pm he sits in front of the pantry door ready for dinner. and knows when I get out of the shower in the morning, breakfast comes immediately after. I know this has nothing to do with kennels, but only let the dog eat when you tell him to. I will fill his bowls and my sister's dog's bowls, they both have to sit and wait until I give the command for them to eat.

anyways back to the crate thing. If there is room for the dog and his/her bowls, the kennel is too big. It needs to be just large enough for the dog to walk in, turn around, and lay down. Put the kennel in a corner if you can and cover it with a towel or some fabric, this simulates a "den" like other have already said. Preferably put it in your bedroom and leave it open at night. Mine would sleep in his kennel at night with the door open mainly because the plastic floor of it was cooler than the carpet. We would also leave the tv on when we left the house for background noise when he was little. Once we established he didn't have seperation anxiety we stopped doing it.

Never "give in" to the dog if he's whining. Start in short periods of time and come up with BOTH a hand signal and a command. We did "kennel up" with our dog and pointed to his kennel. Eventually I could just point to the bedroom if we were in another room and he would go get in his kennel. My buddy uses "go night night" with his dog. Its up to you, just make sure that phrase doesn't sound similar to other commands. Our trainer did this with all commands, they all had an associated hand signal so that in cases where you don't want/or can't give a verbal you can give the hand signal and the dog will follow the signal.

Also to the peeing, never scold the animal if unless you catch them in the act. otherwise they will keep peeing in the house, they will just hide it places like under tables, etc. Regardless of catching them or not immediately take them outside to the SAME SPOT every time. Consistancy is key.

 

I used a divider when mine was a pup, here is a pic from the top. He is laying on the heartbeat pillow and the red thing next to it is the heating pad I posted above..Then he had a Kong filled with frozen ez-cheese, a chew and a nyla-bone. I don't use the nyla-bones anymore, he never did chew on them anyways. He didn't have big enough teeth to bite pieces off the chew, he just sucked on it. He is laying on a micro-fiber hand towel, that's how little he was, and it was easy to switch out if he had an accident.


I have to say though, my pup has never chewed up anything. He doesn't tear up stuffed animals or blankets, etc. so I would let him have things in his crate and I wasn't concerned about it.
But I have to admit I'm a crate training drop-out, I used it for about 2 months to help with potty training and I was set to continue with it forever...but long story short, we don't use it anymore. It's still set up, but Tank never goes in it by himself, he lays on top of it instead.
My pup is now 8 months old and has free run of the house at all times, hasn't had an accident in over 4 months and hardly had any before that. He hasn't chewed up anything of ours and hasn't torn up any of his toys, don't think I could ask for a better puppy. We left him for about 12 hours last weekend and when we got home he was sound alseep on the bed and nothing but a couple of his toys had been touched. We have a senior dog that must be keeping him in line . I admit we are taking a risk, but imo it's a personal choice. Also I'm home during the day and my bf is home during the nights, so that helped a lot with the training.

Also reference the feeding, I choose to free-feed and my dogs don't have weight issues. Both my pups still eat on a schedule, one they made for themselves...I leave the food down and they eat a little in the morning, a little in the evening and sometimes snack int he middle of the day depending on their activities. I don't measure it, I fill it when it gets low. My senior mutt is 11yrs old and is ideal weight and healthy. My pup is 8 months old and on the small side, so I use supplements to get him to eat more and put on some weight, he doesn't eat just because it is available. They know when they are going to get their 'special' meals and wait patiently while I make them. They eat and drink out of the same bowls and have no food aggression issues. They also potty on a routine, I know about what time each day that each of them is going to 'go'. The puppy rings a bell to go outside to potty. They will also put themselves to bed if we are up later than usual or they will go to bed when told to, the big senior sleeps on a dog bed at the foot of our bed and the little pup sleeps in the bed or on whatever dog bed he wants.
I don't have any pack-leader issues in my house, both dogs are very well behaved and listen to both of us.
So anyways there are a variety of opinions about raising dogs, one is not better than the other, you just have to find what works best for your dog and your family. Enjoy your new pup and take lots of pics cause they grow up so fast!

 

You are SO lucky Tank doesn't chew. Annie had to stay kenneled until she was three because of issues. Don't remember what they were now and I could NEVER leave a stuffed toy or blanket with her because it would only last about 5 - 10 minutes, and yes, should would eat it. She was good on the house breaking, though.

 

Oh yes I do know how lucky I am , I had a dog that destroyed things before and it sucks. He loves his stuffed animals... Chubby has never chewed them up either, he doesn't even touch them now.

Tank's very 1st toy was a stuffed pink pig and it was bigger than him, he fetched it and carried it all over from the 1st day we brought him home. Maybe since he's always had them he doesn't destroy them I don't know why some do and others don't.