Crate Training - we want our lives back.

Tally is 10 1/2 week old Golden retriever / Labrador cross we've had just a tad over 3 weeks now.

She has accepted the crate and sleeps most of the night (4 - 5 hours) in it. Because of her young age we don't expect to make the entire night without needing a potty break so have shifts worked out so we can both get SOME sleep.

She will lie quietly in the crate when she wakes up for a while. She'll bark when she wants to come out so we wait until she's been quiet for a few minutes then take her outside first thing.

Problem is we can't go anywhere unless we confine her to the crate and we do have things we have to attend to in town (doctors appointments , grocery shopping , laundry etc.) and things to do around the house (office work ). When we're working outside she's free to run anywhere she wants.

It would be ideal if we could confine her to the crate for a couple of hours or so.

Question is , since she seems to have accepted the crate , would it be advisable to teach her to stay in it by simply putting her in when WE want her to go in and ignoring the ensuing temper tantrum (we'd stay in the house so she knew we were around at first) or is there something else??

If you are going out for a few hrs make sure she has had a good play time befor you go out as she should be tyred and should sleep while you are out, she has accepted her crate so put her in with a treat just push the door over and tell her to stay just a few min to start with and work from there did that with all mine and now can't get them out at times and the doors open

My min pin is the only dog I've ever used a crate for. For her own safety as much as anything as she was so tiny as a pup.

I had the door on it open all the time when I was home and she'd wander in and out of it - sometimes just to sleep or hide treats in it and always if she felt unwell or was frightened. I saw this as meaning she saw it as a safe place for her.

I'd put her in it whenever I had to leave her. Starting with short periods. But I ALWAYS played with her first (before she could go out) and then always took her out for a walk before leaving her in it. (I did the same thing with my last dog minus the crate) they seem to quickly grasp that they are not going with you the second time you leave when you've only just got back with them.

I haven't used it for a long time now and gave it away. She still has a safe place to run to and that's now under my bed.

I read so many posts by people with a new puppy more or less saying the same as you - how exhausting it is etc. I think perhaps it should be made clearer to them before they get a puppy that it's not much different to getting a new baby - awake with them every few hours, disturbed nights and all that - unable to leave them alone. Difference is usually the dog grows out of it quicker than a baby does!

Well aware of how exhausting it can be. This certainly isn't our first puppy , just the first time in over 40 years we haven't had a second adult dog to help with the baby sitting so it's the first time we've needed a crate.

She gets plenty of exercise (sometimes too much and ends up over tired and just as obnoxious as an overtired baby).

Will have to try tiring her a bit and leaving her in the crate for a few hours.

Where is your crate? Is it possible to leave her den/crate open? Keep the door of the room closed. Its possible she will stay quite happily in it anyway once you are out. Yes she may whimper & cry for a wee while but will soon resort to amusing herself as puppies do.

The only other way is to have her in the crate & close the door, be very casual, go out of the room for few mins, then return, open cage casually, no fuss. Just extend the length of time shes left over couple weeks, theres no quick training method

Enjoy your puppy days, they soon pass. It happens to us all, we forget puppies can be hard work but oooooh so worth it.

Yes - I wouldn't just put her in it and leave for a couple of hours as you mentioned.

With or without a crate, when I've had to get a dog used to being left alone (with my CKCS it was because I'd taken a job for 4 hours a day where I'd been at home full time with her previously - working from home. And CKCS are not great at being left alone) I would first start by just leaving her for about 10 mins and gradually build that up. I tried to do it at about the same time I would be leaving her to go to work (and as I said - ALWAYS taking her out just beforehand even if only for a quick walk round the block and back).

I'd then say the same thing as I left - won't be long won't be long won't be long (I do the same thing now with Bella!)

I worked up to the 4hrs over a period of weeks and she was always FINE after that. In fact if I could creep back in silently enough - I always found her snoring - or - it was obvious she had just woken up (even if she was putting on the dramatic YOU LEFT ME ALL ALONE act!)

Other things I've employed are

*to leave the telly on low so there was background noise and every other noise would not be such a distraction - I opt for Euro News because that's on a lot of the time and the dogs must be used to the accompanying musical segues (my kids laugh about my dogs being up to spec on world news!)
* To close the curtains if the view was one where they'd see stuff happening - birds flying past - people walking - whatever.

Don't make a fuss at all as you leave just speak in a reassuring tone and don't make ANY fuss at all when you return. No loud GOOD GIRL stuff or anything. Just come back in - open the crate or cage if you've closed it and let them out.

That's when I profer a treat. Again with minimum fuss.

The thing I'd say was most important is to do the SAME THING every time - say the same words too. And to take them out first - even if only for a minute or two. They all seemed to quickly understand that there was no way they were coming with me the second time - not immediately after we'd just returned the first time.

And make sure you've got everything you need - if you have to nip back a few moments after leaving - the dog will think you've 'come home now'!

I still put my DO NOT DISTURB THE DOG sign on my door handle when I am out without her. I don't want people knocking or ringing.

I can imagine you are both exhausted with interrupted sleep. I do sympathise as I had two 8 weeks old littermate brothers together. Although they were company for each other, I couldn't leave them for long as they'd get up to the most auful mischief. I ended up putting their large crate (door open) within a play pen. It meant they could pee outside the crate on mats but had more room than just a crate.

Could you not put the crate (with door open) in your kitchen, or even a halllway with all the other room doors closed. The more your pup is used to being left in an area even when you are in, the less likely she is to chew.

Tally is still an absolute baby at 10 1/2 weeks and she won't have bladder or bowel control yet. Looking back to when my two were weeny I do remember feeling very 'trapped' in the house but now (aged 2 years) it seems like a long-lost memory. I do remember taking them with me in their crates in the car a lot as it was easier than leaving them at home.

I think at 10 1/2 weeks you are quite a way away from being able to just leave her confined in a crate for long. As a training tip I would give her a walk and put her in her crate with the door closed (if she doesn't go crazy) and sit in the same room and read the paper or have a coffee. She'll then know that its no big deal in there and she can still see you. Gradually over a period of time, leave the room (leave a radio on) for a few minutes and go back into her ignoring her when you return and then gradually increase the time. Include opening and closing the front door so that she doesn't associate the door closing with you going for long periods.

It really is just getting her used to being crated gradually. Oddly, one of my dogs has 'separation anxiety' although it is getting a lot better and his brother hasn't.

Good luck and I promise you this phase will be gone before you know it.

The crate is in the living room (we don't have a room we can enclose her in where she couldn't destroy SOMETHING)

She does sleep in the crate and we keep her confined for a few minutes when she wakes up , gradually extending the time.Alos keeping in mind that when she does wake up , she probably need to go "potty" ASAP.

The crate is in the living room where she can see/hear us and the TV.

Some good tips...txs .

If I was in the same room I could see no point or benefit at all in keeping the dog contained inside the crate once it had woken up? Why?

Hi,

We have an 11.5 week old springer spaniel/collie cross, and I know only too well what hard work it is turning out to be. our lives have to fit round Dougal!! It's been almost 17 years since we had a pup.

Like your puppy, Dougal goes 5 hours throught the night and we sleep in shifts too!

From day one, we started putting him in his crate for a short while mid morning and mid afternoon, while we were still in the room, then we progressed to leaving the room and then to going out of the house. We still keep the routine of his quiet time in the crate morning & afternoon and now use this time to nip out to the shops, or to be able to do household chores without fear of tripping over, or treading on him. We always give him a treat filled kong and he settles straight away. In fact now, he often takes himself off to his crate for a sleep.

Perseverance will pay off, so stick with it.