Crate training new puppy

oliwa

Hello,

I have an 11 week old Basset Hound that I am trying to crate train. I read several articles online about what to do and I'm wondering if I am straying off course.

I picked her up last Saturday and the first night she had no problem in the crate. She whined a little when I put her in it so I could eat, but I had the crate 3 ft from me and she calmed down and went to sleep. I always give her lots of praise when she "goes to her room" and I give her treats and toys. I never use it for punishment and I try everything I can to make sure it is her happy place. I am guilty of only crating her at night and when I leave for work. My parents live a few doors down and they let her out several times a day, but my Mom says she takes a long time (10 minutes) to calm down when she is recrated.

I have to admit that she is spoiled and I let her sleep next to me on the sofa. I like rubbing her big ears while I watch TV and I don't want her in her crate because I can't wait to get home after to work to play with her. When we are done playing she always wants up on the sofa because it's so soft and when I put her up there she falls asleep in a matter of seconds.

She never goes in her crate to sleep unless I "make" her go in it and then she always whines for a few minutes. I know she prefers the sofa, but I want her to be comfortable and content when I have to crate her.

What can I do to reacclamate her with the crate? Should I start the crate training from scratch?

Mikey

Sounds like your doing OK Perfect that you are not punishing with it. THe only thing I'd do is step up the time she's in there when you are home. How bout when you shower, put her in with a treat and let her out when your done and she's calm? Also feed in the crate with the door open

fawkese1

my best recommendations would be to step up the value of the reward she gets for using the crate and lower your expectations for the amount of time that she is in it...

also if it takes her a while to finish her treat while she's in side, that may help, a stuffed kong toy is a good option...and freezing a stuffed kong makes it take even longer....

does she have a dog bed anywhere? does she use it? it may help to get her a dog bed, make that a positive place to be then slowly move the bed into the crate...

fawkese1

i know you said that you looked this up, but here's a couple more sites that might help

American Dog Trainers Network -- How To Successfully Crate Train Your Puppy

www.perfectpaws.com/crt.html

Crate Training | The Humane Society of the United States

oliwa

The 3 places she sleeps are on my sofa, on the floor on one of the pillows from my sofa, and her crate. I had a large folded blanket in her crate, but she seemed to move around a lot like she couldn't get comfortable so I bought her a 3" orthopedic pad that is really soft. She doesn't fidget around as much at bedtime.

I'll try crating her for short periods and see how that goes.

oliwa

Last night I put her crate about 3 ft from me and gave her one of her favorite treats as I put her in her crate. I was planning on only keeping her in for about 20 minutes, but she whined for the first 10. She would whine a little, then lay down for a few minutes, then whine some more. It was REALLY hard to keep her in there, but I was careful not to let her out when she was whining because I didn't want to reward that behavior.

After 20 minutes I opened the crate and she immediately woke up and exited the crate.

fawkese1

did you give her anything good while she was in there? if not, then she may be associating the crate with something bad....give her something good, that will take some time to consume, like a chewie or a stuffed kong...while she is in the crate...something so good that she cannot help but chew on it...before she finishes whatever it is, let her out, and take the good thing away...she only gets that while she is inside...
are you feeding her in the crate?
giving her treats while she is inside?
giving her a cue to go in and a reward for doing so?

oliwa

My process last night was as follows...

I got one of her dog biscuits and walked up the crate. Showed her what I had and said "Go to your room". I repeated this and she looked at me and then the crate. I put the biscuit in the center and repeated "Go to your room". She put her front 2 paws in, grabbed the biscuit, and quickly exited.

I took the biscuit from her and repeated "Go to your room" this time with the biscuit in the back corner. She entered, but her butt was in the way so I gently nudged it in. I repeated "Go to your room", said "Good Girl!", and closed the crate. I stood next to the crate and she started to whine. I spoke to her in a calming voice and put my fingers through the crate. She laid down and stopped whining. I walked 3ft away to the table so I could eat and she acted up again. I walked back over to the crate and again spoke calmly. She tried to climb up the sides of the crate and she tried to push the door open. I stood there until she quieted down and went back to dinner.

She acted up again and I said "No!" in a stern voice. That had no effect.

After 10 minutes I decided to ignore her and I ate my dinner. She was doing great for 9 minutes (I was going to let out after 10), but she started whining softly. I didn't let her out and I waited until she was quiet for a couple minutes. I then opened her crate and said "Good Girl!". She quickly exited.

I was reading the link from the Humane Society and I deviated from their instructions. I've crated her every night and every day since I've had her. My parents come over a couple times a day to let her out so she isn't in there for more than a few hours. During the day, I put her crate at the end of the bathroom lined with pee pads so she isn't confined for long periods of time.

I have a kong, but she doesn't seem to go crazy for it. She loses interest rather quickly.

I haven't tried feeding her in it yet.

Also, I move the crate so it is in the same room with me. Night time it's next to my bed and day time it's in the family room.

Criosphynx

iam going to hit this in points, please don't take it like Iam picking you apart, its just easier this way
Don't show her the food. You want her to go in on her own and then you reward...
Thoughts on training with food

don't add a cue until she is doing it for you. By saying "go to your room" when shes not doing it, you are teaching her "go to your room" means not to go into the crate...once she is going in on her own, 100% of the time, then you add the words.


if she whines you need to look away from her and ignore it...BUT if shes whining, that means you are going to far to fast, so next time, make the baby steps MICRO steps...som' dogs can't jump from an open crate door to closed in one shot...you may have to first grab the door, reward, then grab and move the door, then reward, then close it 1/4 way, then reward...with ten reps minimum of each before you go to a harder step.

don't do this anymore, it will not help you


try one minute sessions next time...the magic thing with training is never set the dog up to fail. If you are not willing to bet $100 that the dog will do what you ask...don't ask the dog to do it.


this is the key element, I suggest you start



this is a good idea...you may want to just buy another crate to save your back. lol


we are here if you have any questions

fawkese1

what crios said ...smaller steps...shorter amounts of time...etc...

remember that you want her to think her crate is a wonderful place to be...a safe place where good things happen to her, think of this everytime you do any crate training...you want the dog to want to be in her crate....

is the crate a wire one? if so, she may like it more if you covered it with an old towel or blanket to create a bit more of a "den" for her.... cover the top and 3 sides...

and you said you have a kong, but she lost interest??? what are you stuffing it with???