crate training

well, here I am asking the puppy folks for help. I've done this on the general dog chat area, and things did get better, now I need more help. My puppy, boxer) Hates the crate. I'm using a travel kennel right now, and since I started letting him sleep in my room, after 3 nights of sleeping beside the kennel on the couch, he is better, only about 15 mins of crying. Unless of course someone wakes him up, then it starts up again. I take him out, and he goes to the bathroom, then I put him back, and he cries for awhile longer. I've got this part getting better, now I need to transition him to the crate that will be big enough for wehn he is older. I've been putting his food in it, treats and toys, just letting him go in and out at will, then I'll put him in when I'm not going to be home, and he CRIES and barks and howls forever. My son said last time he cried for an hour. Yes, I had made sure he had gone out to the bathroom before putting him up. This crate can't go in my bedroom, it's just to big. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Standard advice is to be patient. My Finn whined and cried and wailed whenever I moved his crate or changed his crate, for awhile. It's important for them to get used to crates being in different places, it really helps during overnight visits elsewhere later in life.

Sit it out, NEVER let him out when he's noisy, and keep up with the food, treats and toys. Praise magnificently when they go in the crate for the first time. Play crate games. Reward for stepping into the crate to retrieve a thrown-in treat, Google "crate games", you'll find a few good sites with resources on how to train that the crate is a cool place to be.

Thank you

Thanks for your suggestions. He is so much better in his travel carrier in my room. I'm working on the bigger actual crate, I put him in there when we're not home, or if we're busy and not watching him. Of course he cries the whole time if we're here and moving around. He has had some accidents, even after I watched him go outside before I put him in, but I know that's going to happen on occassion.

What Allie said is really good advice, What I have found that has really helped me, especially since we go camping alot and where her kennel is always changes is that I give her things to chew on like puppy rawhide or organic bullysticks, she loves them and falls asleep while chewing on them, another thing that I have found that really helped was burning as much energy off of your puppy as you can, I take Teagan for a nice walk before bed and after she is just zonked and whinnes at my door to go into her kennel.


Ignore him when he cries is a BIG one, Teagan sometimes cries after being put into her crate after taking her outside in the morning and I just tell her in a stern voice "enough" and that usually helps as well. Just make sure that he is getting water all the time. Everytime you take him out of his crate let him drink, same as when you put him back it. I know Teagan wil start whinning just because she is really thirsty.

Thank you

Should I put water in his crate? I do know he's always really thirsty when he gets out.
He's doing wonderful now in the travel crate beside my bed, but still whines and barks in the big crate that he will have to move to Soon at the rate he's growing. I can't move it to my room, it's just too big. I keep hoping he'll housebreak before that so he can have free run of the house like my older dog.
thanks for your help.

I'm not sure how well the water may work out, i've never had the issue. The first thing that pops into my mind is if he starts to drink too much water is he going to need bathroom breaks at night?

Crate Training Too

I am crate training my chihuahua Diego that I got just last week. His crate stays in the laundry room. If he gets noisy I just put a blanket or towel over the front of the crate to make it really dark inside.

Also while crate training make sure the crate is not too big. Dogs usually don't like to mess where they sleep. I have found this really helpful this time.

I wish you great success with your pup.

Blessings, Hope

>Should I put water in his crate?

I would not put water in the crate. Use the crate as place where yummy treats comes from nowhere. I taught my dog "To your den" -dog goes into crate and I give her treats during schooling time. She gets excited to go in and sit nice so that she gets treats. it becomes like game for them.

When my dog was puppy,I took her out for potty about every 3 hrs or so in addition to after she comes out from crate,after napping time,after playing or feeding time,and when she does good holding and pee in our yard,she got yummy biscuits with big big praise.

dog tries what works for them,and if whining was for attention seeking whine,they would keep trying with hope,and it becomes patient match with your dog. be patient,ignore the whiny if you know that she already went for potty and no need to go again.It is also good to teach yourdog to learn to use gottago doorbell.Dog rings bell whenshe he needs to go.My dog rings the bell and it is good tool to communicate with my dog for potty wise.

As for crate,I love using I-crate where you can put divider as puppy grows.You do not need to buy crate again again as she grows.My dog likes it and I am putting comfy bed in it and cover it with crate cover for 3 sides. She does not want to come out when I open crate in the morning.

Noticing your dog's potty schedule pattern is also good. Feeding at the same time would make you find the potty pattern better.

Also,noticing sign of potty is good too such as when dog starts sniffying grounds busily or circling etc...

Good luck!

Thanks

Thanks for your suggestions. Ignoring has worked wonderfully. It's hard, but having been a foster parent and having MANY 2 year olds, and being a teacher, I've trained in planned ignoring, so it hasn't been too hard. I'm using the travel crate for sleeping only it's small and fits in my room, which he loves. The crate in the living room is an I crate, with the divider fixed small enough for him to not want to mess his area. I'm a bit concerned right now though, our family vacation is this week, we've been gone since Sat. and won't return till Sunday. My boy and the other dogs and the cats are all staying with our tenant who shares our yard. I'm praying he follows my carefully written instructions about the baby's schedule. Things were getting so much better at night anyway. I'm going to work on the crate games when I get home to help him be more comfortable in his ICrate. I only lock him in there when we're leaving or not going to be able to watch him closely enough. he still hates that crate. Maybe I should try the cover. I did cover it with a blanket, he just pulled it in the crate with him.:rofl1: ah well, it will all work out. THANKS everyone for your continued help and support.

Good advice. In my experience leaving water in the crate turns it into a swimming pool...

of its own pee.

uck, ok, NO Water in the crate. Got it! Thanks.