# Crate, ahhhhh!!!



## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

Well I guess we were lucky/spoiled with Andy, because I don't remember it being this difficult. I think he came to us already crate trained. Slept in it fine. And continued to sleep in it (with the door open once he wasn't a puppy anymore) for the rest of his life. He loved his "den".

Well Nelson on the other hand...doesn't. He was spoiled at the breeders house because he cried in his pen, so they let him out...after his brothers left. So for a few days, he wasn't crated at night I guess. Well we are trying everything to get him used to it. And my mom and I have been sleeping on the couch taking turns each night for the past 2 weeks. 
Nelson is such a LIGHT sleeper. I dunno if it's because he's teething, and just doesn't sleep heavy. But every little sound wakes him up, he stirs alot to get comfortable. He usually falls asleep on the couch. So if we then try to pick him up and move him to his crate, he freaks out and comes back up on the couch.
Which is fine except for the times when we need to go out for a bit. OR someone needs to shower, and get ready to go to work or something like that. When we shut the crate he cries and barks. He gets so much in a frenzy, that sometimes we've come home and he passes out when we let him out of his crate, because he's so tired from barking in his crate probably the whole time we are out.

But at night time, as long as he is there right next to us, he is fine in his crate. He sleeps in it fine with the door locked. Is this like seperation anxiety starting? We haven't yet even tried to sleep upstairs yet, because as soon as he's hear us leave, I know he'd wake up and see we weren't there.

We play with him in his crate. It's in our living room where we always are. He does take his toys in there now. Like if we play fetch, he will take it and then run in his crate with it. He digs and barks in it. We throw kibbles in it. And make it a happy place. But he just does not like that door shut.

Any suggestions?


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

Can he just sleep with you in your bedroom in his crate? I would just do that, that way he gets a good night sleep and so do you!


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## Kathlene (Dec 24, 2009)

Wow, this sounds so much like my new Moppet's behavior. She sleeps in her crate near our bed, but is a very light sleeper. When I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, she whines and yips til she sees me again, then settles down and goes to sleep. I'm home all day, and she never lets me out of her sight. Is this normal or just puppy behavior? I mean I LOVE her to death, but there will be times she will have to be alone. She's 6 months now.

Any advice or reassurance greatly appreciated.


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

Make sure you cover the crate with a blanket, or towel. This makes it more like a den-like environment. Also easier for them to sleep. That way crate = sleepy time. In the beginning we forgot to do this and as soon as we did he was like a different dog. Mox loves his crate.

Also the idea of putting it in your room is also a good one for sleep. Again, it might take some getting use for him, the cover etc. but try not to give in. Reserve the crate just for naps and sleep time (or when you leave the house if that's what you to). Making it comfortable with soft toys (not any they can choke on when left un attended) In the beginning to get him to like it, we use to give him his meals in it. We never played with him in it though. His crate is for sleeping only. It's also his space. So we never put put hands in to get him out. 

good luck.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

You have to teach a dog it is okay to be left alone. Especially with his history, he does not inherently know this. So practice asking him to get in and out of his crate on cue. Feed his meals in there first with the door open, slowly move it to a closed position over a couple weeks. When it is crate time, have a stuffed kong or other food toy that ONLY comes out inside the crate with the door closed. Practice putting him in often during the day for a few seconds to a few minutes. Stay in the room. Toss treats in the crate when he is quiet (ignore bad behavior, when you get a second of quiet, say "good" and toss a treat - this is a very powerful way to change behavior). Try to avoid any eye contact - that often get excited when we make eye contact. Practice, practice, practice and you will soon have a happy little crated pup.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Jackie's the pro on this. I would use her techniques. I did have to move Tyler's crate to the bedroom after a couple of nights of barking and crying. As soon as I did this he began to settle down. What we do every night is lay down wee wee pads, put up an x-pen to a 2ft by 3 or 4ft dimension around them and put the crate in there. So he climbs in and sleeps in his crate (he sleeps with the door open. We got a little clip to clip it onto the x-pen, so it doesn't swing shut) and when he wakes up he goes on the pads. Now he just hops in there in the evening knowing that's his bed and his sleep times have grown longer and longer. I take the x-pen and crate into the rest of the apt. during the day tho he seems to sleep on his beds instead. He also stays in the crate when we go on our long car rides to VT. Good luck.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

QUOTE (BellarataMaltese @ Jan 5 2010, 12:57 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=869910


> Can he just sleep with you in your bedroom in his crate? I would just do that, that way he gets a good night sleep and so do you![/B]


Ditto.


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## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

Yeah the bedroom is what we are trying to avoid. The upstairs is off limits. So we want him to sleep downstairs. We want to eventually allow him to sleep wherever he wants, with the door of the crate left open like we did with Andy. So that is why we want him to be downstairs. Otherwise he will have to be locked in the crate in the bedroom upstairs his whole life. And that still doesn't solve the barking and crying issues when we leave the house. 

He is better at night. I said we need to get a blow up doll and put it on the couch for him at night. :HistericalSmiley: 

So eventually he can even sleep on the couch at night or in his dog bed, or crate with the door open. It's just that for now with chewing on things, and accidents he needs to be locked up. So we need to get him used to it. He plays in it, eats in it, fine. Runs with his toys in it. So I think he feels safe in it. Why else would he put his toys in there right? It's just like he does not want that door shut. Maybe he's claustrophobic? :HistericalSmiley: 

I understand him not wanting to nap in it...especially now. It's cold down there on the floor. I know why he prefers the couch. Thats fine when we are home, but for his own safety he needs to be in it at night and when we are out. This is hard!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

You have to teach him the door being shut is a good thing...an open door vs. a closed one is just as obvious to your pup as it is to you. Dogs do not generalize. So crate good open does not = crate good shut unless you teach that.


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## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

Well my mom picked up the Puppy Kong and the stuff'n tonight...so hopefully that will help for when we go out. How long does that typically keep them occupied for? My moms friend did buy him the Occupi toy by Petstages. But he gets the stick out of it, so then we have to take it off of him...didn't last very long. I think you can still put kibbles in it though. But I wouldn't leave that with him unattended. But I guess the Kongs are ok for that? I mean that is the point of them right? The guy told her at the petstore they are wonderful! And we are only going to give that to him when we put him in the crate when we go out. 
We never use the crate as punishment or anything. So basically he's only in it when no one is home, or 1 person is home but like in the shower or something. Or at bed time.

So now we still gotta work on bedtime. One of these days we are just going to try leaving him downstairs. I feel like he will still bark though when he realizes we aren't there. But hopefully the Kong will atleast settle him for when we go out! I will have to videotape him when we go out for a quick trip, like to the grocery store or something. I'm curious to see if he barks the ENTIRE time, or eventually settles down.


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## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

How else do you teach them that the door shut is good thing? The only time he doesn't bark with the door shut, is if you are sitting right there on the floor next to it. You can't even be across the room on the couch, he barks. Like if I lay down and take a nap I have to move the crate over closer to the couch, for him to settle.

What are some tips to get him used to it being closed? Other than giving him treats when he is quiet in there...but he never is, so I can't really do that haha. Will the Kong be enough for him to like it closed?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Baby steps. Close the door and stand up, treat, sit down. Build up to one step then two and so on.


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## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

Well he whole heartedly went into the crate today for his Kong. And I actually closed the door, and he didn't care. We sat down and watched TV for about 15 min. Then I think he got bored with it and started looking around. So I let him out and took the Kong off him before he started barking and praised him. He couldn't get anymore stuff out...I mean he was still sorta chewing on it. But I didn't want to wait until he started acting up to let him out. But I don't even know he if he noticed or cared it was locked, he was so into the toy hahah.

So I am going to try that tomorrow morning when we leave.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

You can stuff it ahead of time and freeze it. You can even use his own food to stuff it with (if its dry, get a little canned or peanut butter so it stays in) and freeze it. When I have a new pup I usually end up with a few kongs so I can have one ready. The favorite in my house is squeeze cheese frozen.


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## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

The guy at the store said be careful freezing it because it apparently stains really bad once its frozen..like if it gets on their bedding or carpeting? Is that true?
So if you do freeze it, how long does it need to be in the freezer for before you give it to him?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

The kong stains or what you are putting in it? I've frozen kongs for years and the kong itself has never stained or had the color run. I also put them in the dishwasher.

I usually make up kongs in the evening and pop them in the freezer. Remove as needed for the next couple days.


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## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

No he said the Kong Stuffn stains really bad when it's frozen for some reason? Not the Kong itself. Not just outta the can, but ony frozen I guess? I dunno why... Does it?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I don't know...I never used the stuff as it would get really expensive with the amount I'd go through. I just use dog food or peanut butter or squeeze cheese type stuff.


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## SugarBob62 (Nov 9, 2009)

Well my mom gave in today and bought a crate for the bedroom.

THey tried sneaking upstairs last night...she's been sleeping on the couch the past 21 days and just can't anymore. Well after 30 min of them being up there, he started barking...and barked for over an hour non stop. So she gave up and slept on the couch again.
So I just put the crate together in the bedroom. I hate that it has to come to that, but we are out of options.

Hopefully when he's older he'll sleep downstairs when he has free range, like on the couch or something. I hate that he'd have to be locked up forever, in their bedroom. But for now thats how it has to be. Oh well...


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