Advice on Crate Training

Hello,
Im new to the forum and just got a new choc. Lap puppy named Roxy who will be 8 Wks old on Friday.

My question is about crate training. She is going to be a big dog, so I dont want her to get used to sleeping with us or on a bed or furnature. Ive been reading a lot about crate training since getting her, but my question is those of you who have crate trained, what was your experience with it and what worked or didn't work for you?

She is getting better about going in and going to sleep in her crate but we still have episodes of whinning/barking, especially as it get closer to morning and we are not yet ready to get up for the day.

Thank you all so much for any advice you can give me

Wonderful, and welcome to the forum! My first dog wasn't kennel-trained. I tried it with my second dog after reading about it, and now I won't have it any other way. I believe it's one of the most useful things you can teach a dog, especially for traveling.

It sounds like you're doing everything right so far. Just be sure not to give in to the crying and whimpering. One of my dogs figured it out within three days, another particularly stubborn puppy took nearly three months. Yours sounds like she'll be perfectly fine in a short time.

Just keep it positive, make the crate comfortable, and don't use the crate for punishment. Your puppy will love it and feel secure in it. Even though he's only "formally" crated at night, my current dog will go in it during the day to nap; it's one of his favorite sleeping places.

Enjoy your new puppy!

The whining and barking in the morning isn't her trying to tell you she has a full bladder and would appreciate a potty break would it? A pup that young needs to get up and go up well before we are willing to be awake. If it needs a potty trip take her out, make no fuss about it except when she goes potty but keep it low key and then return her to the crate.

Dogs And Furniture

It is a dog's birthright to sleep on the furniture. That is why God created percale sheets to put over the furniture. You have not yet learned a thing about canine psychology. It is YOU that will be allowed to use HER bed, HER furniture, etc. Don't know where you get the idea that it is YOUR house, or YOUR furniture, or YOUR bed!!!

She is really going to have to work hard getting you trained properly.
And start getting furniture throws and matching sheet sets NOW for future use! Ain't no fun at all having a dog if they can't sit with you---unless you plan on spending a lot of time on the floor with her!!!!!!!

Gempress... Thank you! And its nice to hear I seem to be right on track! Especially in those early sleepless hours one begins to second guess herself

Adrienne... No its not the call of nature, at that point Ive already taken her out and she dosn't want to go back into her crate and wants to play and be up. When I do talk her back into going in the crate she will whimper and then go into the barking until my husband gives up ( we're in an apt. so we worry about waking the neighbors ) and into bed she goes with us until we're ready to get up and start the morning routine.

I dont like having her in bed with us, for the simple matter that she is going to be a BIG GIRL! Im just now getting my four year old out of our bed and dont want to make the same mistake with Roxy! Im just hoping we can break it before it becomes a problem.

Manchesters..... Nope sorry not gonna have it!! My parents have a german shorthair and that dog is the worlds biggest lap dog and my Mom has the bruises to prove it. Granted I blame her not the dog, but just the same I dont want my dog on the furniture!
Besides I know many well adjusted and extremely happy dogs who are banned to the floor. Its not like she dosn't have her own couch sized pillow to lounge on

I worry about my neighbor hearing the dog too. She'll get better at the crate thing. Just give it time. The crate is the only thing that has saved our house from being torn up.

Ok..........

We will see, rofl. She may be content with the couch sized pillow, as long a you sit there with her, lol.

German Shorthairs are more hyper and cluxey than Labs. They tend more to leap into a lap than to politely ask if it is OK to get up on the couch. Or so has been my experience around them. There is a difference in personality between pointers and retrievers, and in hyperactivity. Your mom has my sympahty, lol.

manchesters..... yup that sounds like my moms dog. He dose the flying leap thing! He's just turned 10 and is just now starting to slow down, which is mostly because the poor guy is just getting old!
Your right tho... we shall see! But just the same, I'd like to keep her on the ground if at all possible! Persistance is key... and Im DEFFINATLY persistant! :-D

ROFLOL!!!!

Yup, so it seems. The first dogs I've had which were allowed on furniture were the Chihuahuas. Then when I got Lyric, it was going to be that he was allowed on one particular piece of furniture and ONLY upon invitation. Then it got to be, "Ok...that chair too, but that's it." Then it got to be, "OK....the couch too, but not the blue chair." Then it was, "OK... the blue chair, but not the love seat." Then it was, "OK..the love seat too, but not unless I invite you." Then it was, "OK...whenever you want." Now, I share my couch with two Chihuahuas on me and one 95 LB Doberman partly on me. He HAS to have one limb or his chin on me somewhere....HAS TO. LOL. One thing for sure. I never get chilled. And besides, I wouldn't have it any other way....love those cuddly dumplings. (I have managed to stick to my guns with my bed. I will not share my bed with a bed hog, which I know Lyric would be. He takes the pillows on the couch as it is.)

We are crate training and I couldn't imagine what I would do otherwise. It just makes it so much easier for the little while that we are away and at night. Jedi and Daisy still try and get on the furniture every now and then though but we tell them off and they get down. They will try again later though...

So far Roxy cant get up onto the furnature yet by herself and we will tell her "no" and gently help her back onto all four paws Im sure it will be a lot harder to keep her off the furnature once she figures out how to get up.

Im LOVING crate training so far and each day its getting easier! Right now she is fast asleep in her crate