barry581 (08-13-2015)
First, I just have to say...I cant imagine having a lab without crate training! lol My Quincy is a ball of energy and mischief! We dont dare leave him in a room alone for fear he will eat the furniture! haha Ok, hes not that bad but we are all definitely happier that he has his happy place and we have ours So I would consider this to help with quiet times. When he is over tired....he gets CRAZY!!! He will run around like a wild beast and then I know its time to visit the crate! And he immediately goes in and lays down. Its his den....his place
One of Quincys favorite toys for weeks was an empty vinegar jug with rocks in it. As he got older we cut a small hole in the side and replaced the rocks with kibble. He would bang this thing around for hours! Or just carry it around like it was his prize!
barry581 (08-13-2015)
Thank you! If we put him in his kennel during the day and we're here, he barks. I do close off most of the rooms so he doesn't have free reign of the entire house. I'll try to see if he'll chill out a bit in his kennel. Yes, I'm finding that he's more interested in simple things like empty plastic containers and he actually had more fun with the box than the toys I just ordered from Chewy.com. Grr.
I would suggest trying to put that behavior to a stop sooner rather than later. With Bubba when he would bark in his crate we would say quiet, give him a chance to quiet on his own, and if he didnt, we would tap on the top of the cage so it rattled a little. It only took a few times for him to stop the behavior all together.
There are also probably a lot of other ways to teach quiet that others here could chime in on.
have you crate trained? meaning worked to amke the crate a fun safe place? I'd feed parts of his meals in there and always put him in with something yummy (treats, stuffed kong - just make sure it's safe). Google crate games and they have some free videos on other tricks to make the crate a good place.
Ivy
Hidden Content
Kelly (08-19-2015)
Yes, he stays in his crate when we leave and does pretty well. We have made the crate a fun place, he gets meals and treats in there. He mainly barks because he knows we're all out of the crate (our older 2 dogs) and he's stuck inside. I don't give in to his barks, make him sit and be quiet before he's let out. He's getting better. Right now, he's outgrowing the one we have so I'm on the hunt for a bigger one that's not $100.
I do other things to help calm him down. We're training him to lay down near us and give small treats the longer he stays laying. It calms him down enough to chill out when he gets too rambunctious. He's 4 months old now so a bit better in self-control than he was when I first posted this.
Tanya (08-17-2015)
take a look at amazon.com, we picked up a 42' crate w/divider for under $70! Good luck!
Kelly (08-19-2015)
Craigs list is another good place to look for used crates. I picked up a 42" one for a friend for $25!
Hidden Content
Tammy
Maxx and Emma Jean
Ozzy - 10/2002 - 06/2011 - Rest well my sweet boy. You are forever remembered, forever missed, forever in my heart.
Kelly (08-19-2015)
Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet? | |
|
|