akarned
Member
Hi, I am a first time cavalier owner but have had dogs all my life. Wilson is 10 weeks old and a very good puppy. Now i know what you mean about cavaliers, he is so sweet. We have had him for two weeks. Potty traing is going great and he sleeps through the night in his crate. The problem is, he is already very attached to me, it seemed like by the second day he was always concerned about where I was. He is fine at night going into his crate, of course i have it by the bed. During the day he really struggles. He likes to go in initially, I give him a kong with a little treat and some toys. As soon as the kong is empty he starts whinning and scratching. I have never let him out while he is whinning, I think it is more just wanting to be by me then not liking the crate. I move the crate to the kitchen during the day. I feed him in there and he like going in. Almost two weeks went by and it still took 20 to 30 minutes for him to quit with the digging and whinning. I felt like he wasn't making progress with excepting it. I read an article about puppies that have a hard time with this and it said to tell him quiet in firm voice and give him a small treat when quiet for a few seconds and continue to stretch out the treats when he is quiet. It is going much better, some whinning but no digging. It still takes about 20 to 30 minutes for him to lay down. I am wondering if anybody has any tips for me? I have two months off from work right now but he will be spending a few days a week home and I want him comfortable.
Maybe I am worrying for no reason and what he is doing is normal but if he is suffering with anxiety I want to nip it before it becomes a serious problem. Thanks
Maybe I am worrying for no reason and what he is doing is normal but if he is suffering with anxiety I want to nip it before it becomes a serious problem. Thanks