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Thread: Lab Mix Puppy

  1. #21
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    welcome and congrats

    you have to make the crate a good place. feed her in the crate, throw high valu yummy treats in there for her to find. Google "crate games" once you've done that. I wouldn't just put her in the crate at night without doing the other steps first. you need to slowly make it a "fun safe place". feedings in there can even be tossing half her meal for her to find and eat in there. start with the door open the first few times, then slowly closet he door briefly.

    even if the puppy doesn't get into "much trouble" now they may as they get older and bolder, so it's best to at least start crate training (making it a good place) now. And there is a long list of reasons to at least get them used to a crate even if they are not crated daily.

    hopefully someone can come home and let the puppy out if you are all gone for the entire day.

  2. #22
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    We don't have anyone at the moment to do that. I am making a huge effort to mess up my schedule to make sure she is properly trained. Like getting up every few hours to check on her. Am I being a bad mom by not getting a sitter/trainer?

  3. #23
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    If you are gone over 5 hours, house training will take longer if the dog gets used to pottying in the house during the day (and if you are gone that long they will have too). why is it ok then but not any other time? Also, many dogs will start chewing and destroying puppy pads. It's not the end of the world but it's not ideal either.

    But in life there is always "ideal" and what you can make work. if you can offset your hours so one leaves earlier and the other leaves earlier to reduce the time the puppy is alone that's a good start. Just for the first few months. they can hold it in usually for their age in months +1 (so at 2 months that's around 3 hours or so during the day - most dogs can do a bit longer at night).

    you don't need to wake up every few hours to check on the puppy If they are in a safe area you just need to take them out to pee once (most puppies are good with just one outing at first, then you can phase it out as they get older and have bladder control/can hold it in longer)

  4. #24
    Senior Dog Doreen Davis's Avatar
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    Don't give up on the crate. It's a lifesaver. Tough out the crying, set it up next to you in the bedroom if you can. Feed treats in there etc.

  5. #25
    Senior Dog Blackboy98's Avatar
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    Big crate lover here also. It becomes their 'den'-a safe place where they relax and feel at home. Also crates are used exclusively at the vet's office, so when you drop her off for a vet visit, she will be put in a crate and if she feels safe there it will be less trama on her.

    Also if you have workmen come to your house, they will be leaving doors open and she may slip out( one of the owner's most worst nightmare).

    Used patience and a lots of praise.
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  6. #26
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    Well what I'm gonna do for now is gate her into our kitchen for while we're at work. Next week we are off for Christmas for 10 straight days (with the possibility of me going in couple days for a few hours, but it will be a day shift thing. Like 5am-1pm. And my husband will be home with her if I have to.) I'm going to crate train then. During the day for a couple hours at a time and then hopefully she will get it after that. We tried the crate in the bedroom and it felt like 10x worse. She hasn't had many accidents in the house since Friday when we got her. I've been monitoring her for bathroom breaks and she's always so excited to go outside to go, and especially to find this stick she has been carrying around. My husband has lost what little patience he had with her after she barked for 4 straight hours in her crate today. Me on the other hand have developed more and more patience throughout the last few days. I've tried to explain to him that puppies are like babies they will cry and whine if secluded and left alone until they get use to it.

  7. #27
    Senior Dog Abulafia's Avatar
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    Um. She shouldn't be allowed to bark like that. Why was she crated for 4 hours during the day with someone there, if I may ask?

    (Hoku market maybe once or twice in the crate, her first couple nights. And that was it. I don't think barking for four hours is a great sign that it's working well. Would you consider revisiting your plan?)
    Hidden Content Hokule'a ("Hoku") / b. 06.08.15

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to Abulafia For This Useful Post:

    Tanya (12-15-2015)

  9. #28
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    Well I'm pleased to announce that when I arrived home this morning there was no pee or poop on the pads at all. No accidents in the house. I've read that some dogs just don't do the crate and never will. I'm wondering if I got the anomaly. She seems to be doing so much better without the crate. She will lay in the crate but I can't shut the door and continue to stress her out like that. I know it sounds like I'm giving up but I'm really not. She has become my world in just 3 days, and I hate to see/hear her in distress like that. I'm sorry but I just can't do that to her.

  10. #29
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MrsNicklin501 View Post
    Well I'm pleased to announce that when I arrived home this morning there was no pee or poop on the pads at all. No accidents in the house. I've read that some dogs just don't do the crate and never will. I'm wondering if I got the anomaly. She seems to be doing so much better without the crate. She will lay in the crate but I can't shut the door and continue to stress her out like that. I know it sounds like I'm giving up but I'm really not. She has become my world in just 3 days, and I hate to see/hear her in distress like that. I'm sorry but I just can't do that to her.
    if you haven't desensitized or done any work to make the crate a good place and given it a good try it's much much much too early to say the dog "just doesn't like the crate". or is "one of those dogs". it takes time and work to make the crate a happy place. some dogs take to it faster others take a bit longer. i wouldn't give up on it and work on making it a good place.

    And totally agree that sticking her in a crate and letting her bark for four hours isn't crate training and isn't making it a good place. we are not saying to put the dog in the crate and closet he door and let it whine and go crazy. that isn't crate training. we are saying take some steps to make it a good place, feed them in there, throw high value stuff in there and start there with door open. they google "crate games" and slowly start closing door for SHORT PERIODS (like while they eat) in a way they never get to the stressed out place.

    Again just because she isn't getting into trouble now doesn't mean you will never ever need to use the crate. not just to keep her safe but for travelling, if she ever goes to the vet, if she is recovering from surgery, etc. etc. etc.

  11. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Tanya For This Useful Post:

    Maxx&Emma (12-15-2015), MrsNicklin501 (12-15-2015)

  12. #30
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    I know you aren't. And I appreciate all the feedback. Thank you everyone!

 



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