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Crate Training When I go to work, I leave my dog in the bathroom with plenty of toys and room. She is in there from about 7:30 a.m-6 p.m. I heard to try to put the dog in her crate for about 45 minutes, then bring her out to play, then put her in again, etc to crate train her. Should I do this even though I'm gone for such a long time? Will she not feel abandoned? I'm only up until about 10-11p.m so that will only get about 2 hours of play time with me on the weekdays. Is that enough time? I would play with her all the time if I could, but we all have to work. Btw, the weekends are completely different. I get to play with her all the time :) |
There is no reason to crate train her with you gone the hours you are. You cannot expect a little one to hold it for 11 hours so the best you can hope for is the puppy pads on the floor. Sorry but I don't see how you will potty train her in the long run. These little ones need more attention then just on the weekends if you are going to teach social skills. |
The schedule you describe is to combine crate training and pottytraining. I see no reason for you to put your pup in a crate. I wouldn't want to put a dog in a crate for the length of time that you are gone. It's just too long. You ask if 2 hours of playtime is enough on weekdays... It's not ideal, but if you work that long, there's not alot you can do about it. If you could have someone come in during the day to let her out and to play with her, it would be a good idea! |
I was trying hard to be tactful, but I have to say that Cindy is right. I can't imagine that you'll be able to pottytrain your dog with the hours that you work. It will also be VERY difficult to socialize your dog properly. You are going to have to make a concerted effort on the weekends to expose her to as many other people and other dogs as you possibly can. Even then, it's going to be difficult. This will all sound blunt to the point of rudeness. You need to understand that Cindy does rescue - she has a number of Yorkies who are not adoptable because they bite. The reason they bite? Because they haven't been socialized properly. The experts tell us that there is a critical window (up to 4 months of age, some tell us. Others extend it to 6 months) when puppies MUST be socialized to a wide range of people and dogs or they are likely to be aggressive when they get older. They need to continue to be socialized beyond this point, of course, but the early months are critical. I have adopted a couple of older dogs who have had aggression issues for the very reason that they weren't socialized as puppies. That's why Cindy and I are being so blunt with you... |
I don't keep her in her crate while I'm gone. I would never expect her to hold her pee while I'm gone. Plus she needs room to run around. For now she has the whole bathroom and once she's 100% potty trained she will have the whole living room. She has been using the pads on her own about 90% of the time. I just want her to be crate trained so she would be used to it for car rides or in case she has to be in her crate (ex. vets office). So far, I have let her sleep with me because I don't have the heart to hear her cry. I try my best to go home during lunch, but it may not always work. I am getting an apartment closer to work so I can leave later, get home earlier, and go home during lunch. I thought about getting someone to take her out and play with her. I have also thought about doggy day care. From the day I have gotten her until yesterday she has had people around and my sister's dog was with her. I am joining Yorkie groups so she will see other dogs. I can't do this until she has had all of her shots. Also, my friends dogs and her will play. Again, I'm waiting for her to get all of her shots to do this. I have thought about her socialization skills and that is one of the reasons I asked this question. Thanks for you replies. I might just try crate training her on the weekend while I'm home. On the weekdays I will just let her play around. |
I totally understand. Before I got lucky and started to work from home, I too was gone for about 10-12 hours a day. It's what you have to do. I left my little one in an X-pen during the day and played with them at night. I only crated during the night. You are doing everything right, and the fact that you are researching and learning means you care. All mine are potty trained now, but I do leave the back door cracked for them during the day, so they can come & go. But when I was in an apartment, puppy pads were my life. She had pads during the day and slept in her crate at night. It does help! Good luck. |
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Here is a good article on crate training: http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/crate.htm What you want to do is make the crate as pleasant as an experience as possible for your pup. Good luck! |
I just got my little yorkie for Christmas. She is the BEST present EVER! I'm trying to crate train her at night. Eventually, I really don't mind her sleeping in bed with me, but right now she isn't completely potty-trained and I'm a little afraid of smushing her (she's only 1lb, 4oz). It's only been 5 nights, but she still cries an awful lot. Here's what I've done: Put the crate in the dining room, covered in a soft mat with a towel and one of my shirts inside. Someone told me that when they cry it's because they need to potty and don't want to do it in their crate. Well, by the time she cries (or rather, I hear her cry) and I go get her, she's already pottied in the crate. Is it wrong to put the crate in my bedroom? I thought you were supposed to keep the dog removed from you, but I'm thinking this would help me hear her faster and might help keep her from pottying in her crate. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! |
Thank you so much for the site!!! I will do this. Oh my gosh I hope you guys don't think I would ever do that to my little one. I hate being away from her. I sometimes want to cry because I feel like I have abandoned her for going to work. The sad thing is that yesterday was the first day I left her all day. I hope I get used to this. I just don't know how long is too long to leave her. Like Saragp said, we have no choice but to go to work and leave them. I would like to get a dog sitter, but they are too expensive. I would get another dog, but I need to first see how my first dog turns out. Plus if I have two then it would be hard to go places, like shopping, with two. Right now I take her grocery shopping and she has been to the mall. She loves to shop! Hopefully I can think of something to keep her from getting lonely. |
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You're doing everything right per my opinion. It's what I did for each dog and they all turned out wonderful. Dogs are like kids, they need a routine. She'll get it in time. On a side note, my dogs didn't really start sleeping in their crate with the door closed until they were about 4-5 months. Up until then, they slept in an x-pen with their crate in the pen w/o the door and tons of puppy pads. If memory serves a dog can hold it for one hour longer than their age. IE, 3 mo. old can hold it for 4 hours. This holds true until about 5-6 months. So the xpen allowed them to be contained but still get up to potty when need be; while I was able to sleep through the night! I too let my little one sleep with me a few times cuz he was so cute. Then I woke up to the poop in the sheets on the other side of the bed. He wasn't so cute after that. He was much cuter in the morning in his xpen! Hope my experience tips help! |
I don't like crate training. I have never liked my dogs being kept in a crate. My dog is enclosed in the kitchen with everything he needs while I work - four 6-hour days. When I have home, he is with me most of the time and is free to roam around the house and play with my other dog. I put a belly band on him when he is running loose. I remove it and take him to his puppy pad often, and I take him outside often. I love having my pup running around, exploring, and following me all over the house. And, I love watching him and my other dog play. I also love the little naps that he takes in my lap or beside me on the couch. He also has a large puppy bed that he loves to sleep in a lot, and he sleeps with me at night. My pup loves everyone and is totally excited when anyone comes over to visit. He loves my Bichon and loves to play with other dogs as well. He is 4 months old now - I live alone and it is fairly quiet here most of the time. He sleeps a lot - but plays his heart out when he's awake. I have a friend who argues with me and says she only puts her dog in a crate when he sleeps. My response is - if he's asleep, why does he have to be in a crate? Crate training is very popular and some people swear by it ---and it works wonderfully for some people. I just can't do it. I feel that my dog is much friendlier, outgoing, and better adjusted than he would be if he were kept in a crate a lot of the time. And, I feel his playing and sleeping activities are much more spontaneous and natural then they would be if they were dictated by my putting him in and taking him out of a crate all the time. He is in my office sleeping at my feet right now - if I get up and go to another room - he'll be right behind me. And, if I sit on the sofa and watch TV, he'll jump up on my lap and finish his nap. But, before I sit on the sofa, it would be a good time to take him to his pee pad or outside for a short walk. Everyone's home provides an entirely different environment for a little puppy. I think you need to decide what will work best for you and your pup. There certainly are many different ways you can successfully raise and train these little guys. My pup just got up and wanted on my lap where he gave me licks and kisses and fell back to sleep. We couldn't enjoy these moments if I were crate training. Good luck! Carol Jean |
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If he is sleeping and I am sleeping, who is to say that I will hear him/her get up and do their business. I don't use puppy pads. They have to go outside. And if I am not awake to let them out, they will do what the need to do in my room. Crate training assists the dogs with learning to 'hold it' or expressing that they need to go out. It helps them to identify the feeling of needing to go. Just this morning my pom woke me at 4 to let me know she had to go. Dogs don't want to go in their crates. And it has been shown that dogs are 'DEN' animals. Just like their Wolf & Fox cousins. They like to go in and have a place of their own. All 6 of my dogs sleep in their crates at night and they love it. It's their own space in the world. I don't have crates out during the day, but tons of dog beds and they used those. I too was against crate training but once I did it, it made such a difference. I HIGHLY recommend it to others, especially when potty training young pups. It really does make a difference. And when I travel, and we are in an unfamiliar place, I bring their crate and it calms them. It's something familiar for them. I'm not trying to cause an arguement, just showing the other side of crate training. |
Wait....I play with my dog as often as possible. Since I am at work most of the day, my bf is home playing with him (he will not start his job until Fed-March which is lucky for me to have a pup). we play with him all the time but he is very agressive. Bites all the time and barks. I do not have other dogs for him to socailize with. Will this be a problem? |
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I agree with Sara, I too was against crating.. until I tried it.. Bailey is rarely in it, (Since he comes to work with me) But, when I go away at night or on the weekends, he is in it,, NEVER more than 4 hours,, ( that's just me) But, It is his DEN,, anything Good he needs to save goes in it,,and under his pretend bury.. or if he gets tired of following me from room to room,, I'll look and he'll be in it asleep. Even If he is scared,, Fireworks or Thunderstorms,, it is the first place he goes,, his safe place, if he can't jump in my lap at that moment. |
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I am a little lost. What does this have to do with crate training? If your dog is biting you, you need to stop it immediately. My chi used to bite me and it wasn't a playful bite; she was telling me what to do. And that wasn't going to be accepted. I eventually after telling her NO, tapping her nose and/or putting her in time out, put her neck in my mouth when she growled/bit me and and growled back; it made her become submissive to me. That's what a momma dog would do and it worked! :thumbup: I had to talk to her in 'her language'. Now she is the sweetest little girl in the world. And she doesn't dare growl at me anymore. |
The only reason I want to crate train is because what if I go out of town. I want her to sleep in her crate in case I have to board her (which I don't like to do) or if she has to stay with a friend. My friends will probably not let her sleep with them. She cries when she wants to go to bed and I don't go to sleep. I want to break her out of this habit. Those of you that don't crate train, what do you do when you have to go out of town? |
SarahGP - Thanks for your reply to my post. I am not against crate training. I said that it works wonderfully for a lot of people. And I think I mentioned that there are many different types of people and different environments. I personally don't like crate training for myself. I like my dogs confined in a safe place when I'm gone and running around and playing with me and my other dog when I'm home....plus doing a lot of sleeping on my lap or beside me. My dog has slept with me since I got him (sleeps soundly - and has never wet the bed). So, I have never had any problem in that regard. Now that he is a little older - he sleeps all night or at least part of the night in his own bed....which is beside my bed. I know dogs love their own special place. My daughter gave me a large dog bed for my pup, and he loved it from the moment he saw it. We couldn't get him out of it for hours. If he ever wants to get away from everyone - that's where he is. And, he sleeps there a lot too. Plus he takes everything he can find in the house and puts it there. One day I found my alarm clock, two bic lighters, a comb, two pairs of glasses, and an extra set of my car keys under the cushion in his bed. I suspect his bed is to him what a crate is to your dogs. In the past, I crate-trained two dogs. But - I really didn't enjoy doing it. When they were very young and slept all the time, I didn't mind, but after that, it was hard for me having them confined to a crate so much of the time (and, yes, I did have them out a lot). I am positive that both ways can work very well. Dogs are different and so are people and environments. Carol Jean |
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If your little guy is only 2 1/2 months old, I'd be willing to bet that his biting is normal puppy mouthing. They all do it! It's very normal behavior. Be sure that you have plenty of things around for Zoe to chew on. When he starts mouthing on you, substitute a toy. If he bites hard enough to hurt, either yelp loudly or say "N0" sternly & immediately break eye contact, stand up and walk away. Ignore him for a minute or two (any longer and he won't remember what he has done wrong). While more punitive methods work for some people, I don't recommend them. The above is all that's been required to teach Joey not to bite us. |
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People advocate crate training for several reasons. Having a dog who is comfortable in a crate makes vet stays, grooming visits, and travel easier on the dog. Dogs who like their crates have a safe haven when they want it (if they need a break from kids, company, etc) Crate training, IF done correctly, can speed up the housebreaking process. What I wish people understood, though, is that CRATE TRAINING IS NOT THROWING A PUP IN A CRATE AND LETTING HIM "CRY IT OUT"! Crate training is slowly teaching the pup that the crate is a desirable place to be. Here is an excellent article on how to accomplish that: http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/crate.htm I've chosen a "middle of the road" course with 7 month old Joey. His bed is in his crate and he sleeps there (with the door open). For the first couple of months, he was fed in his crate (with the door open). He is frequently told "Go to bed" (his crate) and gets a treat for doing it, but again, the door is left open. On rare occasions, I will shut him in his crate with a new bone or a stuffed Kong for about an hour MAX. I want him comfortable with the idea of the door shut (he is) but I don't feel the need to contain him there for longer periods. When he has to be contained, he is gated in the laundry room (which is pretty good-sized) with his crate open. I leave him toys, bones, water, and newspaper in case he can't "hold it" (which he never uses anymore). More often than not, when I come home he is asleep in his bed - in his crate. |
Peeing in Crate I have a one year old yorkie, Pixie. While I'm at work, I keep her in her crate. She had been doing really well, but over the past few weeks, I've been coming home to find her having accidents in her crate (pee only). She was accident free for about five months. I have no idea what's causing this. The vet checked her urine, it came back negative. He suggests it may be due to separation anxiety. Our routine has not changed over the past year, so I don't know why this is suddenly a problem. Any suggestions? In addition - how do you know if it truly is separation anxiety and what things can I do to solve separation anxiety, if that is the problem? |
I have been trying to give her a treat when she goes in her crate, but now she only goes in there when she wants a treat. She stares at us to see if we will give her a treat and if we don't after several seconds she comes out. I tried to close her crate for a few seconds then gave her a treat, but I think I went too fast because she was afraid to go back in there for awhile. I know the next step is for her to lay in there, but she won't do that. Where do I go from here? |
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