Crate craining help please!!!

[Fantastic49]

you may know that typsy has successfully scaled her ex-pen a couple of times while i was gone, so since she hadn't had any accidents in the house and i don't want her to hurt herself jumping out, i left her in the living room for a few hours ... i was hoping we'd be in good shape ... but i'm not quite so lucky!!

she didn't go potty in the house, but she practically destroyed the rug right near the front door!! obviously, i cannot allow her to continue that, so i felt that i needed to step up the crate training!! so i put it together with her bed, a couple treats, a toy and a himalayan chew ... i left the door open so she could go in there on her own....

she is not having any of it ... she ate the treats and took the himalayan chew and put it by her other bed ... she will not go all the way in it, even though i actually put her food bowl in there last night!! she put her body in enough to eat, but that's it. i put a couple more treats in there this morning, and she ate them and backed right out ... she will not go all the way in or lay down in there....

i understand you are not supposed to force them in there, you want them to go in on their own and gradually get them used to it, but it's not working!!!! what to do now?

[charmed239]

I know that they say to let them warm up to it, but..If it is for her safty and you have to leave to go somewhere, I say just put her in ans shut the door, she will get used to it eventually, it sounds cruel I know but I had to do this with Bella, she was jumping right out of the ex pen as well,,she is a very good jumper and I cannot contain her unless I put her in the crate, She didnt want anything to do with it at first either, but she is fine with it now. I found that if I covered it that seemed to help, it must have made her feel more secure.

[Fantastic49]

Originally Posted by charmed239

I know that they say to let them warm up to it, but..If it is for her safty and you have to leave to go somewhere, I say just put her in ans shut the door, she will get used to it eventually, it sounds cruel I know but I had to do this with Bella, she was jumping right out of the ex pen as well,,she is a very good jumper and I cannot contain her unless I put her in the crate, She didnt want anything to do with it at first either, but she is fine with it now. I found that if I covered it that seemed to help, it must have made her feel more secure.

what did she do when you first put her in and how old was she?

[yorkieusa]

I've never used crate training, so I'm absolutely no help in that area. I did find these and thought I'd leave the links just in case it might help you.

Yorkie HouseBreaking Tips

Crate Training Your Yorkie

CRATE TRAINING


Cages are cruel
Not true. A crate is an indoor dog house, just big enough for the dog to stand up and lie down, and turn around in. It's your dog's den, home and place where your dog can feel safe. When you go shopping, or when your pup is very young, it's a good place to keep him out of trouble, however, don't expect a very young puppy to stay in there for really long periods of time. Keep the time crated to short intervals and extend them a little at a time as the pup gets older. They cannot be expected to hold their water for 8-16 hours at a time when just a young baby. Take this into consideration when your pup is very young and if you must be gone for an extended period of time, then leave the door open and keep a place outside the crate where the puppy is allowed to make on papers or on a piddle pad in an exercise pen or puppy play pen. The crate is the dog's "space" in the house. This should be a place where your puppy feels safe. It's his house. He should be made to feel secure in his house and he can sleep while his owners do what they must do, run errands, etc. When you return in a few hours, your dog will not have destroyed the house and it will be a happy reunion. Honest, he'll love his crate and will probably just go to sleep, and you will not come home to "destruction," chewed cords and windowsills, etc.


How long can puppy stay in there?
For a few hours while you go shopping or overnight in the crate next to your bed so you can sleep without worrying about what the pup is up to. If you are going to be gone for a longer period of time, you should get a pet gate and confine the dog to a gated area, where he cannot pull lamps off tables or get at any electrical cords, like in a utility room, or a kitchen. Sometimes there is a covered secure spot in your yard if the weather is good like a deck or fenced in area where the dog can play without escaping, and where no one can get in and steal him! Having a place to keep your dog away from small children is a blessing your dog will appreciate.
Your dog needs to interact with you. Never tie them up or leave them out on the deck or yard for too long without being there to talk to them and interact with them. Dogs are a social animal and need this contact. They need to feel that they are a part of the family, and that means being in the house, even when the family may not be in the house. If you deprive your dog of that feeling of belonging and being part of the family, it can do great psychological damage to him and he can become neurotic or psychotic. Problems with digging, fence jumping and barking are just a few of the ways neurosis can manifest itself.
It's deplorable to buy a dog and chain them outside all the time because you're too tired, busy, or lazy to train them. You must invest some time and lots of praise to have a canine companion that will be devoted to you for a lifetime. It's worth the time you will invest. When the dogs are young, they all go through destructive behavior and most of them outgrow it and eventually you will feel safe leaving him alone in the house. Please remember that if you allow the dog to "go" all over the house when he first comes to your home, he will go back to where he smells it. Normally, a dog will not urinate or defecate where he sleeps, because then he would have to lie next to it. Crates aren't cheap, but sometimes you can pick up one second-hand without having to put out a lot of money, in the classified or at yard sales. Buying a Crate: Most pet shops, dog shows, or kennel supply houses carry crates. The price depends on where you purchase the crate and the size of the dog. You will probably spend anywhere from $40 to $60 for a crate, but it will last for a lifetime. The Fibreglass or Plastic ones are easier to keep clean as they won't rust like wire crates, and they aren't as noisy as the wire collapsible crates are, and considering that this is the safest way for your dog to travel, you've bought him his "dog house" and "car seat" in one package.
Your dog's crate should be just big enough for him to stand up, lie down and turn around in..no bigger. The reason for this is so that he can't piddle in one corner and sleep in the opposite corner. This teaches the dog control.


How do I know what size crate to get?
Just stand the dog next to the crate if he is full grown and make sure the crate extends about 4 inches above the shoulders and four inches each side and from front and back of the dog. Big enough for him to turn around in and lay down in. If he's a puppy, you'll have to estimate his full grown size and then place a cardboard box in there to make it just comfortable for him and keep changing the size of the box as he grows. Some brand names of plastic dog crates are: Vari-Kennel, Kennel Cab and Sky Kennel.


Where is the best place to put the crate?
The busiest room in the house, wherever the family congregates.


He keeps crying when in the crate, now what?
Most dogs hate being confined in the beginning, but with a little time to realize they will not be in there forever, your dog will love the peace and safety of his crate. If he cries, just tap the crate and say "No, Quiet now!" in a firm voice. Keep repeating this and don't give in!! Puppies cannot be expected to go for long periods of time without relieving themselves, so you have to make the time confined for short periods and praise the puppy for going in the crate and give him a treat when he goes in willingly. If he doesn't, then just give him a push into the crate and then a treat and a "good boy" verbal command and shut the door. After he is quiet in the crate for a few minutes, come back and open the door and allow him to go use the bathroom spot outside of his crate or wherever you expect him to relieve himself. Make sure the exercise area is sturdy enough that he cannot knock it down.
As the puppy gets older, he will be able to "hold it" longer and by 6 months should be able to spend an entire night without having to relieve himself.
Be sure to let the puppy relieve himself before you shut him in the crate for the night. DO NOT let the puppy out when he is crying!! If you do, you have just taught the puppy he can get his way by being vocal. Always wait until the puppy is quiet before you let him out of his crate. There is an exception to that rule, and that is when you get home after the puppy has been in the crate for a while. The excitement of your return will make your puppy need to "go" so you should take him immediately to the designated "spot" and praise him exuberantly when he does his thing. Do this same thing in the morning, after he has been crated at night. Crate training the Adult dog is a little harder but patience, persistence, and a set of ear plugs should get you through this. Put his bed and toys into the crate and throw in a treat that he loves, and tell him "bedtime" or "crate time." Tell him how wonderful he is for going "in the crate." Play with him for a minute and then close the door when he is comfortable in the crate. Do this a few times and use the same command each time. Put him in there if he refuses and praise him for going to the crate...Good Boy! Keep repeating this command and getting him in the crate until he realizes he will get a reward for going in the crate and eventually you will let him out. You must be consistent. Once the dog will go in there on command, and you can leave him there for a few minutes without crying, you can increase the amount of time that he is in the crate, a little bit more each time. Always be sure he has been to the "potty" before crating. With small dogs, it's sometimes easier in the beginning to put them in the crate at eye level at night, like on your bed stand night table.


Taking Trips
Now that your dog is crate trained, it will be easier to take him along on trips, and he will handle the stress of being shipped if necessary and will be carried safely in a vehicle. You can leave your dog in the hotel room without worry that the maid might come in and accidentally allow your dog to "take off," and being used to being in the crate, the dog will sleep while you are gone.

Alex's Yorkie Care Frequently Asked Questions. Page 2.

[babiehammer]

Hammer is not fond of his. It took awhile to get him in there but after a few weeks, he just surrender. We usually just stick him in front of the kennel and i gently tap his cute little butt and he goes he. he knows he gets a treat after i shut the door.

Sometimes Ill find him in there, looking up at me, wanting a treat. He caught on!

[charmed239]

Bella was 11 weeks old when we started, and she whines and barked off and on for awhile ( I almost caved in at that point) but told myself no it was for her own safety.. it took about 2 days of this, and then I got the idea to give her a treat when I put her in there, and ever since, she dont mind her crate, I guess cuz she knows with the crate comes the treat...oh and I have special treats just for the crate, I saved her favorite treats for crate time. so she got the message after a few days that she only get her favorite treats when she is in her crate..now I know if she is in her crate and she is whining or barking, I know that she has to go potty, cuz thats the only time she barks in there now.

[Fantastic49]

i don't know why she is reacting the way she is, but you are all right, it is for her own safety, so when i have to put her in it, in she goes. i'll make sure to have her favorite treat available....

[charmed239]

Most likely the reason is, just like my bella, she just wants out to play and explore and the crate is keeping her from doing that. so she is protesting..oh and I forgot to tell you one of the most important things that I did that really seemed to help.. Wear a shirt to bed for a couple days, so It has a lot of your sent on it. and put it in the crate with her.and it will comfort her and make her feel like you are right there with her.