Puppy crates

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itsme123

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After a few weeks now of people telling me I should try one, and me thinking they looked cruel... I've finally relented and have one arriving today.

Jack's now able to get into rooms he shouldnt (kids!) is chewing and has started nipping the kids in play - even when they don't want to play (am off to buy a water gun in a mo). And the house training??? After a good start it's all gone to pot with random pooing and weeing.


So, advice on how to use this crate woud be welcome. I understand he shouldnt be in it for more than a couple of hours at a time?? I've got a book, which has some basics but friend said I can use it for toilet training too??? I need some pointers before I start using it.

thanks
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It does help with toilet training over night/when your out as dogs generally don't/won't toilet in their bed/den. It's important you take your dog straight out when they come out of their crate as they will normally want to toilet straight away.

I leave my crate door open so Oz can pop in for a sleep when he wants - I had planned to get rid of the crate, but he likes it!!!
 
You need to get Jack used to the ideas that the crate is not a bad place, we have always fed ours in the crate, played with them in the crate and you can never use the crate as a punishment.
You need to introduce the crate slowly too, pop him in and the first time you close the door and he keeps quite for 10 seconds open the door and give him loads of praise, then slowly increase the time ... never let him out when he's making a noise.. barking etc.. as he learns to get released make noise, if you go to him once then not again he thinks you just can't hear him so he will just be louder for longer !
 
The most important thing to remember is that the crate is not a punishment room. It is meant to be somewhere where your dog can go and sleep and get away from your children. Your children need to learn to leave the dog alone when he goes to the crate. As previous post says, it can help with toilet training, but you have to make sure the dog has been given every opportunity to empty himself before he gets locked in the crate when you leave him overnight.

Your puppy nips the children because he is trying to be dominant over them. He sees they are below you in the hierarchy and he wants them to be beneath him too. It is very important you do stuff like feeding him last and making him always sleep in his own bed and not the sofa or your bed, do not elevate his status by allowing him these treats.
 
QR thanks guys. I totally understand this thing about him being dominant over the kids, and I had been letting him sleep in my bed
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but that stops tonight. We live and learn!!

some excellent advice here and am off to search Calas posts to try and get as much info as possible.

piccie of the little fella yesterday

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Awww hes gorgeous.
We used a crate and he loved it and still does even though its now open at all times. We did half bed it and half paper it though at first as my vet said dogs cant hold there bladder for that long until they are (think he said)18 wks old. It worked fine for us. As he got bigger we removed the paper and he was fine.
My problem now is trying to get him to use a normal bed as the crate is so big I just want rid of it!
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My husband is American where crates are more popular so insisted that our JRT was "crate trained" even though I was not keen. It turned out to be the best thing we did, helped with toilet training and kept her out of mischief when we were out. We do not use the crate anymore (now sleeps in bed with us - I know - total sin!!) but often likes to go and lie down in there as for her it is a safe and cosy space.

Ditto the comments above re: the nipping, ours used to nip and grab trousers/socks etc as a small puppy. We used a water spray (coupled with a loud no) to stop her and it worked really well and very quickly. She is 2 now and is not nippy at all and is fantastic with children.
 
Our two were born in a crate and are very used to it. They go in there when the house is too noisy. They eat in there as well and go in there when we go out.

Our dogs did nip when they were younger but one of the puppy books recommended - by Ian Dunbar - I think said to yelp in a very loud squeak when they nip you they get a shock and stop doing it. We did this with ours and it worked every time and within a couple of weeks they were no long even trying to nip.

We also when backwards and forwards with the house training and to be honest ours are not completely there - they will still mess in the house if we don't take them out often enough. They sneak away into the study or the downstairs toilet and we don't notice until it's too late - but that's down to us. If we were a bit more vigilant I think they would be trained now. It's just a question of persistence.

Ours sleep in the bed with us - well with Jenny unless she's away and then with me. I like having them there - I find them comforting. As long as she is not weeing in your bedroom - I don't see a problem.
 
QR thankyou everyone. This crate is the best thing ever. He loves it!!!

we've had a total breakthrough with the toilet training (he;s even started to recognise the command for weeing) and we split the day into specified sleep and playtimes, with time allowed (after loo) to roam free in the house. Then evenings spent doing some sit / lie down/ stay training (which he's getting very good at) play and then cuddles.

he's calmer, he's happier, and more responsive. I've also been using a water spray as a deterrent from nipping, and that's starting to work aswell.
 
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