Help with crate training

[appledoll]

I've tried crate training her and putting her to sleep in it at night. She would go to sleep at most 3 hours each night in it after that she would be up crying really loud and digging at the corners and biting at the bars wanting out.. But most nights she won't settle in the crate at all and does the above behaviour. I usually have to take her out as she was waking up my neighbours and they weren't impressed.

I spoke to a trainer who said I should consider giving up trying to crate train her as it might make her worse and some dogs just hate being in them. So I really don't know what to do as this is my first puppy and i'm getting no proper sleep at night. She sleeps on my bed atm as this is the only way she will go to sleep but even that is waking me up as she moves alot to get closer & closer to me or wakes up and starts pulling at my hair..

[Brian M]

Hi

Typical puppy behaviour ,its a battle of wills and she is winning .All my four did exactly the same but they do calm down
and sleep though as shes a puppy still you may have to do a fairly late and a very early walk/exercise for a bit .We have three that sleep downstairs each in their own crate side by side but with Lily we weakened so she is in her own crate in our bedroom.Good luck and Best Wishes and enjoy her .

[appledoll]

She hasn't got her second jab yet so i can't walk her outside yet. She seems very needy for my attention all the time. The crate is in my room at the minute as i thought maybe that would help her settle but no real success yet

[gamefanz]

Toby will be 10 weeks tomorrow. Even though he does like his crate, we wear him out about 1hr before bedtime. Whether its running in the house, gathering all his toys and playing with each one, throwing a ball to get him to retrieve it or having him chase a laser pointer(don't get it in their eye). As soon as we feel he's had enough we take him out for one last potty break. By that time he is worn out enough that he will lay in his crate to fall asleep. We put his stuffed bear in there to snuggle and play with and a nylabone so he has something to chew on. There has only been 1 night since we brought him home that he would not settle down and we think its because we were not home a lot of the day so he was in his crate too much. We went out for 2 hrs came home played then went out again for 2 hrs and so on. He did not like that one bit so that may be why he was restless.
Also do you have a dark sheet over his crate so its dark enough in there for him to feel that its bedtime? We do that to make sure he knows its time to sleep. So far he sleeps from 9:30pm to 4:30am when we get up.
Good Luck I hope something works.
Becky

[gamefanz]

Oh and adding on, we did have him in a travel kennel upstairs in our bedroom but he did not like that as much as he likes a crate so we bought another crate to put upstairs and will use the travel kennel to take with us traveling
Becky

[gamefanz]

Also your pup may need to smell you. So how about wearing an old rag shirt for a whole day then put that shirt in his crate so he has your smell in there with him? Just an idea.
Adding: sorry for saying him..I've always had a boy so its hard to say girl LOL

[appledoll]

Thanks the info

I did put in a tshirt, a water bottle under her blanket and her favourite teddy max she slept that night was 3 hours. When i left her in crate to go out during the day she had pulled everything into the middle of the crate and dug up the training mat obviously to try and get out. The past few days when i go out i've been leaving her in my living room with the tv on.. so far she has been good not chewed on anything nor peed anywhere but her training mats.. so was wondering if i should just start trying to leave her there at night since the crate training isn't going well.

[gamefanz]

If you do that I would make sure you have a playpen. Place the playpen in the living room and let her stay in that. We have an 8 panel playpen that is quite large so there is plenty of room for them to roam. This will ensure that the dog does not chew on cords which could kill them and will also allow you peace of mind for your furniture and such. For me though I am such a worry wart that I wouldn't get much sleep wondering what the dog is doing in the playpen at night LOL
Good Luck

[Nicki]

or having him chase a laser pointer(don't get it in their eye).

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do NOT encourage Cavaliers to chase laser pointers

As a breed they are already prone to obsessive compulsive disorders and this kind of activity can cause serious behavioural problems




Appledoll - sorry to hear you are having problems crate training your puppy - how long are you leaving her during the day?

She can go out into your private garden before her vaccinations take effect - just not out to where other dogs are toileting - although it is good to carry her around to see other dogs and socialise her.


Please download and follow the advice in the Ian Dunbar books, they are extremely helpful

http://www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloads

FREE to download -
BEFORE You Get Your Puppy and AFTER You Get Your Puppy

essential reading for all new puppy guardians they will answer many of your questions - think of them as an instruction manual for puppies

[gamefanz]

Hmmmmmm I did not know this.
Becky

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do NOT encourage Cavaliers to chase laser pointers

As a breed they are already prone to obsessive compulsive disorders and this kind of activity can cause serious behavioural problems




Appledoll - sorry to hear you are having problems crate training your puppy - how long are you leaving her during the day?

She can go out into your private garden before her vaccinations take effect - just not out to where other dogs are toileting - although it is good to carry her around to see other dogs and socialise her.


Please download and follow the advice in the Ian Dunbar books, they are extremely helpful

http://www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloads

FREE to download -
BEFORE You Get Your Puppy and AFTER You Get Your Puppy

essential reading for all new puppy guardians they will answer many of your questions - think of them as an instruction manual for puppies