Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 15

Thread: Crating

  1. #1
    Puppy
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    4
    Thanked: 0

    Crating

    Hi

    I know this topic has been covered a bunch of times but I just need some encouragement/advice. I got my first lab puppy on Saturday and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. You can read all the books/forum/internet sites beforehand and still not be prepared or at least think you aren't.

    House training has gone pretty well we had three accidents the first day. Two of which happened while he was eating, food going in pee going out so I wasn't prepared for those. We had another yesterday morning, but none since. I've been taking him out 10 minutes after eating, after naps (which he has a lot of) and first and last thing in the day. No accidents in the crate as of yet to report.

    As for crate training, its been going slower than I hoped. The first couple of days I tried getting him used to it, putting treats in there for him, praising for going in, but I never closed the door on him. At night I did close the door but left the towel with his litter mates scent on it with him and he howled for 30 minutes but eventually settled down and went to bed until his potty break, which he did and straight back into the crate, no play time, and another howl session for 30 minutes and then slept until the morning. So that's gone about as I expected. I feel like I might be ruining the crate by just luring him in a night and then letting him howl and whine but I don't want him in bed with me and can't trust him in the house, so it's the only option. Last night I put a frozen kong in there with him stuffed with kibble and held shut by some yogurt. That occupied him for awhile and the whine session with only a couple of minutes when he finished it as i could hear the pieces of kibble for out.

    Yesterday and today I started luring him in with small bits of cheese and he would go right in, sit down and sometimes lie down. I could close the door and latch it, and no whining. He has gone inside on his own a few times, but never for more than a few minutes. Problem is now I do have to leave the house sometimes (i've been with him almost every second since he got here, which is probably part of the problem). I live alone so crating him is the only option for me where I feel he'd be safe, but he howls and howls the first couple of times I put him in there and left the room. He finally settles down when I come back in. I won't let him out right away and wait until he stops whining for a few seconds. I just did this and he is now sleeping on my feet as I write this...I wish he was sleeping in the crate though.

    So I just need to know if I'm doing something wrong or if there is something else I should be doing to get him to like the crate. I know not to let him out while crying and if I have to leave him there awhile to get him to stop I will, but will that ruin his crate experience in the long run following that method?

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    House Broken piccadilly's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    108
    Thanked: 109
    Well if you have the time and desire, Clean Run: Crate Games for Self-Control & Motivation DVD is great. But honestly, I pick puppy up, place them in the crate and shut the door.... no emotion. Some of them throw fits for a while, but the more you fuss over that, the longer it'll last. I would caution against giving edibles at night as you're asking for a potty break or accident in the night.

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to piccadilly For This Useful Post:

    googs81 (07-08-2014)

  4. #3
    Senior Dog doubledip1's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Upstate New York
    Posts
    1,944
    Thanked: 1711
    Luna always cried like a banshee if she could see us when she was little. We covered her crate with towels (and eventually bought a crate cover) and she was quiet almost instantly. I would try covering the crate.

    I would lure him in with cheese, give him the cheese, latch the door, and then give another piece of cheese right after latching. After he's quiet for 5 minutes, come in, give a small piece of cheese, then leave again. Keep increasing the time.

    Don't freak out! It's all patience and time. Luna is great in her crate, she actually comes to me and cries if it's getting late because she'll want to go in her crate for bed. She loves it. She goes in on her own without commands or hand signals, but she ALWAYS gets a treat once she's inside.

    I agree about not giving a Kong right before bed. Puppies can't hold poo in them the entire night yet. I would do a small, small treat like a tiny piece of cheese or a piece of kibble. Or maybe a special chew (like an antler) that's ONLY in the crate. I wouldn't give a special toy yet since puppy is too small and could hurt themselves on stuffing or something like that.
    Hidden Content
    Sarah, human
    Luna, born 6/14/13, gotcha 8/18/13 and TDI certified 5/12/2015
    Comet, born 4/3/15, gotcha 6/9/15
    Double Dip, 25 y/o Draft/Welsh pony
    Gracie, 17 y/o DSH cat
    Hidden Content
    Hidden Content

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to doubledip1 For This Useful Post:

    googs81 (07-08-2014)

  6. #4
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Carolina in my mind..
    Posts
    6,391
    Thanked: 4178
    I think it sounds like you're doing a good job- it has only been, what, 4 days? These things often take a little more time. Do you live in an apartment or someplace you have neighbors who will be bothered if he cries for more than a few minutes? Just like you do it at night after the potty break, put him in, close the door, no fuss. Put him in for naps during the day and to sleep at night. Let him be in the crate for short periods of time while you do other things around the house, he can be awake or asleep, just getting accustomed to chillin' in there while you ignore him. You can try a little something in there for him to chew on, like an antler or a Kong toy to distract him or keep him busy briefly while you leave the room. I have never really given them Kongs with stuff in them when they're little, but some people try that. Don't put too much in there, just a little something to get their interest. You can also feed them meals in their crate for a bit to create at positive association with the crate.
    Sue

    Chase 9/29/2006- 6/30/2017 Always in our hearts
    Lark 12/25/2012- 2/2/22
    Henry 7/14/18
    Joey 5/14/2022

    “Because of the dog's joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift. It is not the least reason why we should honor as well as love the dog of our own life, and the dog down the street, and all the dogs not yet born. What would the world be like without music or rivers or the green and tender grass? What would this world be like without dogs?”

    Mary Oliver, Hidden Content

  7. The Following User Says Thank You to smartrock For This Useful Post:

    googs81 (07-08-2014)

  8. #5
    House Broken petitesalmon's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Canberra - Australia
    Posts
    74
    Thanked: 29
    + 1 on covering the crate. I always used to cover with a sheet until recently - but I'm thinking of going back to it. In the day the sheet is off but at night I like it on as it signals sleep time.
    Normally to get my pup into his crate (sleep time or we are going out) I get a treat out and just say 'in your crate!' and he happily jumps in. Sometimes we give him a kong too but not at night time

    Basically, give it time. Only recently has my pup started to like his crate and go in there voluntarily and he is now 8 months old! He is only a pup after all

  9. The Following User Says Thank You to petitesalmon For This Useful Post:

    googs81 (07-08-2014)

  10. #6
    Moderator
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Greenwood, Delaware
    Posts
    7,348
    Thanked: 7148
    I think you are on the right track. A lot of good advice here. All I can add is raising a Lab puppy is a journey, not a destination. Nothing is going to happen over night. Be firm and consistant and the rest will come.

  11. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to barry581 For This Useful Post:

    googs81 (07-08-2014), jake&Tex (07-09-2014)

  12. #7
    House Broken jake&Tex's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    The Lone Star State
    Posts
    120
    Thanked: 74
    This is something that we've been going through with Ace (now 15 weeks old), and it has been our biggest difficulty with him. The breeder told us that he was brave, bold, and needy, and she hit the nail on the head with all three. With his neediness, he has not particularly enjoyed being crated - he would bark and cry for as much as 20 minutes straight, and we NEVER let him out or paid him attention until he finally settled down. This would usually involve us being in another room with earplugs in . He is beginning to see that demand-barking gets him NOTHING, and that we come in the room and he gets our attention when he is quiet.

    We have fed him (at least part of his meals) in the crate since day 1 and have played Crate Games with him. He will run into the crate enthusiastically on command, and will sometimes willingly go in it when the door is open when he is tired to lay down and take a nap. But when he is "forced" to be in the crate when we are making dinner or otherwise unable to supervise him, it is a different story. The barking and crying have reduced significantly, but is something that we are still dealing with.
    ~Laura~
    SHR BlackFoot's Salty Dog BN RE OA NAJ NF - "Ace" the Yellow Lab

    RIP
    Jake CGC TDI CL2S the Black Lab (8/28/06"Gotcha day"-4/4/16)
    Tex HSAs NAJ NF CL4 the ACD (12/25/07-2/22/16)

  13. #8
    House Broken petitesalmon's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Canberra - Australia
    Posts
    74
    Thanked: 29
    One other thing - yesterday I got my pup a new mat for his crate and as he's a bit older and less likely to eat it - we splurged and got a big comfy one for him... well as soon as we put it in the crate he was in there and wouldn't get out - (Even with the door open!) he spent all evening in there (instead of the couch!). Maybe a comfy mat might help yours enjoy the crate a bit more!!

  14. #9
    House Broken jake&Tex's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    The Lone Star State
    Posts
    120
    Thanked: 74
    We DID have a bed in there for Ace, until he shredded it while we were at church on Sunday!! Needless to say, no more bed in the crate while we are not home!
    ~Laura~
    SHR BlackFoot's Salty Dog BN RE OA NAJ NF - "Ace" the Yellow Lab

    RIP
    Jake CGC TDI CL2S the Black Lab (8/28/06"Gotcha day"-4/4/16)
    Tex HSAs NAJ NF CL4 the ACD (12/25/07-2/22/16)

  15. #10
    House Broken petitesalmon's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Canberra - Australia
    Posts
    74
    Thanked: 29
    Quote Originally Posted by jake&Tex View Post
    We DID have a bed in there for Ace, until he shredded it while we were at church on Sunday!! Needless to say, no more bed in the crate while we are not home!
    oh no!!! Labs can be so destructive!

 



Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet?
Register for Free and Share Your Labrador Retriever Photos

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •