Christi
Posted : 4/30/2006 2:48:28 PM
Please don't leave the puppy alone in a fenced area - he's way too young for this. Puppies can get into all sorts of trouble if they don't have supervision and structure. I'm confused - is this pup a boy or a girl? You've said both... There are many on this board that know so much more than I do about crate training so I hope someone pipes in with Crating 101. But in the meantime, based on the experience I've had with my puppy, here are a few things to think about: when he whines in the crate and you let him out, you're teaching him that all he has to do is fuss to get what he wants. This will lead to serious problems so you've got to stop this right away. Do not take him out of the crate when he's whining unless you know it's really potty time. Otherwise, wait until he's quieted for a bit and then take him out if it's time for play or to eat or whatever. Also, when he is crated and you can't be there, leave him with a frozen puppy kong filled with yogurt or cottage cheese or even peanut butter. That helps to occupy their little brains for a bit, usually long enough for them to fall asleep. You can also leave a radio on low to keep him company. One more thing, it really is okay to give him crate time when you are home (with the door closed) so that he will learn that the crate is not just a place for him to be when you're not there. He'll put up a fight at first, but this is a great opportunity to teach him "hush." Ruby was not crate trained when we brought her home but because we were very firm in our expectations with her, she only fussed the first night, really. The key is consistency. Without it, your pup will try to take advantage of you. It's good that you have help from your family. You'll need to rely on them to help when you're not home because this little guy can't reasonably be left alone all day. Can someone take him out of the crate and play with him midway during the day? He's going to need to be fed anyway, right? If they can be with him long enough for him to eat, poop, play, play, play, then potty again, he's less likely to fuss when he has to go back in the crate. Also, one thing that helps around the house is having the pup drag a leash around with him and/or keep the leash attached to you. This helps you to get to the pup quickly and helps in housetraining as they are less likely to squat in front of you. Also, have you looked into obedience class yet? A good obedience class will help you more than you can imagine. These are just the basics and I'm hoping someone jumps in with some good links to crate training. All of the above is based on my own experience so take it for what it's worth.[

] Good luck with your little

up - we have a female husky puppy in our obedience class and she's gorgeous but boy, she's a handful! [

]