Dog Community

Gibson still hates his crate

dyan

Posted : 7/27/2008 4:01:25 PM

We gave up on putting him down for the night in his crate...he never did stop barking and crying, so we put a pen up next to the bed. He does sleep in it most of the night.

We do have to crate him during the day if we go away though..which is not all that often..a couple of times a week. He barked and cried probably most if not all of the time then too. Then the day my son got married and we were gone a lot.... we gave him a fresh bone..and a bunch of toys... a kong with things in it. Before the raw bone...we always gave him things but the goodies were never out of them...just a few things were out. But now I try to give him a new raw bone when we will be gone a little longer....and on short times I fill things. Yesterday I froze an older bone with yogurt and some busquits in it. I also filled a few other things. When we came home after a couple hours tops...he had not eaten hardly anything,,,, its as though he just wants to get out so he sits and barks and cries. We got home the cage was soaked from either spit, drool or slobber....one of the things he used to do all night...even the floor outside of the crate would be soaked and splattered.....from spit. THAT is how I know what he is doing. When we got home and let him out...he ran back and spent the next hour cleaning up what he was supposed to be doing in his crate while we were gone.

He has to go in the crate until he is trustworthy to leave in the house...IF EVER that is.......but I feel so bad, I wish he would just do what everybody says their dogs do in the crate...chew their toys...eat things...etec etc etec....but he seems to just cry and bark and make a mess. N0 doubt that can not be good for him.

willowchow

Posted : 7/27/2008 6:08:25 PM

Have you tried him out of the crate? What would he do if he wasn't crated? Could you give him one room when he's alone?

Sorry, I feel like I'm doing 20 questions, LOL.

Lori

dyan

Posted : 7/27/2008 6:32:36 PM

willowchow

Have you tried him out of the crate? What would he do if he wasn't crated? Could you give him one room when he's alone?

Sorry, I feel like I'm doing 20 questions, LOL.

LOL! No I haven't. I am afraid for now. Believe me I am waiting for that day when I can. He is just 4 months old...I am so afraid of what he will do. Although...my plan is to leave him in the laundry room...thats where the crate is. He will at the very least..scratch the door to pieces....he uses that foot like a tool...lol! But he is also that dog that will be busy chewing on a toy...and we know he is right there keeping out of trouble...and all of a sudden we look down and the thing he is NOW chewing on is my cupboard. HHHHmmm!

BUT when I got Bubblegum her breeder told me she MUST be in a crate, the crate can't even have a blanket or she will chew it...she will chew all toys...she will chew throw pillows..she will chew furniture...she will chew wood, and really watch out...she might chew your cushions on your couch. We put her in the crate for the first few weeks...then she became upset when we put her in.... she trembled when we walked away. So DH started leaving her out for a litttle while here or there....and she was fine. She never ever chewed up one thing...ever. She was such a good girl. I hope that Gibson follows in her footsteps...but I think he is still too young. I mean really,,,,, he is still sleeping in the pen next to my bed because he might possibley walk off of his bed and pee on the rug. Super Angry

grab01

Posted : 7/27/2008 7:50:49 PM

Could you try an ex-pen? I wonder if not having a closed over top would help?

dyan

Posted : 7/28/2008 5:35:08 PM

grab01

Could you try an ex-pen? I wonder if not having a closed over top would help?

How high is an ex-pen? I have him in a pen now by my bed at night...and it wouldnt' take a lot for him to climp it,,or knock it down. If I left it in the laundry room though...I bet he would still be upset..... maybe not in the bedroom as much...but I don't know. He won't fit in it for long anyway....

Sera_J

Posted : 7/28/2008 5:41:58 PM

Kind of stepping in the middle of this, not sure what you've tried.... but you need to practice this daily. Make it a routine, even if you're home. Every morning, you get up, let him out, make breakfast, put him in his crate, let him eat, leave him in for 5 min (or until he's quiet) in there. then do it again at noon. Or whatever, and don't leave the room, everyday. Then start lengthening it. GD's are prone to bloat, as you're aware. As are weims. Logan's in his crate for 30 min. prior to eating. Then he eats then he's in there an hour afterwards, sometimes more (as I"ll leave after he's done eating). You can't do that with a puppy, but he needs to get over the stress of the crate, as it should be a tool you're using to help prevent bloat. I'd say give him something super yummy, a cookie... but to get it he has to go over and get in his crate. You close the door, give the cookie. Let him out. Only give yummies in the crate. If he's allowed to eat yummies out of it, then he has a choice. If he wants his bone, he has to have it in his crate. Period. He shouldn't get anything outside of his crate, at this point. He should RUN to his crate to get in in no time.

If he cries while he's in the crate, sit down next to it. Wait till he shuts up, let him out.

A few things I've done to help my dogs crate train.

Good luck.