Newbie here, great forum, couple of questions..

[Opus]

Regarding crate training, I realize of course that puppies like to be with you 24/7 if possible. I also would like for the dog to be somewhat independent and not a 24/7 lap dog. Would you recommend some crate time during the day? Little "Cooper" is now beginning to really whine and carry on when crated. How long should he be crated to break him of that? Small amounts of time like 15 minutes?

Thanks!

[rbelland]

Welcome to Yorkie Talk, glad to have you with us!!!!

It wont hurt....I always started out with small amounts of time. Eventually Cooper will like to be in the crate. He will think it is his safe place.

[ArmaniMan]

Hi and Welcome!

Crate training and independence are two different things really... if you want to crate train... you need to teach the puppy that the crate is a GREAT place... put treats in the crate and let the puppy go in but dont shut the door... after a few times, shut the door for a couple of seconds and then reopen and give a treat... keep doing this until you are building longer and longer periods where the puppy is in there. I think training a puppy that a crate is a good place is a good thing because there are times they may be crated (at the vet, at a groomer, etc.)

But independence is a different story... a lot of it is personality I feel like.. .I treat mine exactly the same and one is very independent and one is not. But try giving your puppy toys they can play with alone like Kongs, Bully Sticks, or other chews. Say you spend a lot of your time in the living room of your house, put a bed and a fun toy in your bedroom, so that he sees that even if your not in a room other fun things are.

Let me know if any of that did not make sense,

I am sure others will have good recommendations as well!

Good Luck

[StacyDufner]

Welcome to YT you are going to love it here. There is a wealth of info on this wonderful site.
I crate trained Bailey from the start. She would jump up and down and carry on. I would not let her out of her crate until she was quite. I didn't want her to think if she cried or whined she got out. I would always have to place her in the crate. Now if I say go to bed she will go on her own for the most part. I caught her taking her bully stick in to her crate just on her own.
There are so many others that have a ton more experience then me that will be able to help you. I just wanted to share my experience.

[Opus]

Great advice folks, thanks. I've been reading here for a couple of weeks already. Cooper has been with us two weeks tomorrow, five months old and just got snipped two days ago. He's had quite an upheaval in his life but he really seemed to like the crate the first week, and now doesn't. I like the idea of leaving it open and putting some treats in it.

Should the crate be in a private area or in a more open area? I'm not really fond of it being in the bedroom. We have a room between the garage and kitchen that is about 8x10 and we also have a spare bedroom that is not being used. Which would be better?

[Opus]

Sorry to bump, but need some advice on crate placement. Thanks!

[Karrie]

Crate placement should be in the middle of the family activity - we kept ours in the family room - with another one in the bedroom with us.

Bailey never really liked the crate - and after potty training we put them up.

She follows me around everywhere and she is def. a lap dog - but she is also VERY independent. She will only allow pets and lovin's on her terms. Oddly, she only allows lovins in the morning when I'm getting ready for work - she demands to be held. Other times - she's just too busy for me until she's ready for a nap on my lap.

[Karrie]

Crate placement should be in the middle of the family activity - we kept ours in the family room - with another one in the bedroom with us.

Bailey never really liked the crate - and after potty training we put them up.

She follows me around everywhere and she is def. a lap dog - but she is also VERY independent. She will only allow pets and lovin's on her terms. Oddly, she only allows lovins in the morning when I'm getting ready for work - she demands to be held. Other times - she's just too busy for me until she's ready for a nap on my lap.

[ziggy925]

I started with Ruger and his crate with treats and such so he would go in on his own. Now I put him in there when I have to go out for awhile, or sometimes at night. I always follow putting him in the crate with a few treats given through the closed door.

Right now he's asleep in his crate which is next to my bed in an open closet. He can see me and the TV. Sometimes I crate him, and sometimes I let him in bed. As the other poster said, when he was housebroken I stopped putting him in the crate every night.

[LuvMyPuppE]

the crate has been such an issue for me! i planned on doing full blown crate training, but it was harder than i thought. during the day, i would put my pup in the crate in the living room where i was mostly. i would take her out to go to the bathroom or to eat. that didn't last too long because i figured if i was sitting around then she could sit with me - afterall, she couldn't pee or poop if she was lying down right beside me.

that's been my philosophy pretty much since then. if i'm in the house, she's right with me. if she gets up and starts sniffing around then i take her outside to potty. i had also planned on her sleeping in the crate, but same thing - she hated it/i hated it. i figured she couldn't pee or poop without me feelig her get up to squat - so she started sleeping with me. she's never had an accident at night.

i do put her in her crate when i have to shower or do laundry - cook dinner - anything i have to do where i can't completely supervise. she lays in there just fine - no whining at all.

i think crate training is great in theory, but every dog and every person is different. i wasn't working when i got my pup so i was able to bypass the crate more. not everyone can do that. i just treated her like an infant. if she wasn't in my lap then i was watching her every move.

good luck!

[bettyeanne]

Welcome! Crate training is wonderful although Toto's didn't last too long! We love having her with us as much as she enjoys "bossing" us around! Our breeder had already started pad training so it was easy for us. She is definitely a "velcro" Yorkie so we taught her that the crate was her "safe place". We also taught her one word commands and even if we speak to her in sentences, she "gets" the one word that she understands completely! If we have to leave her for a little while, which we rarely do, we explain to her that we have to go out and she has to "stay". She immediately goes to her "safe place", curls up and stays in there until we return. If the grandchildren, who are never allowed to pick her up due to her size, are playing and she gets tired of them she will go to her "safe place"! There are also rules for them ... if she is in her safe place they know she doesn't want to play and they know that they aren't allowed to bother her until she comes out ... win/win!!

There's a wealth of information on YT and I hope you enjoy it here!!

[maryeverett1]

Welcome to YT! Glad you are here!!

[RoxyLuv]

Welcome to YT! Enjoy it here.