Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys

• 10-17-2007 12:04 AM

  sunshinenmysoul3 Joined on 10-17-2007 Louisiana Posts 15 Points 25

  Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact We adopted Jackson about 5 or 6 days ago, and the vet says he's about 6 months old, but we really don't know what kind of dog he is.. just a mix. (if any one wants to look at his pic and venture a guess you're welcome to!) Anyway the question is, many people suggest when putting your puppy in his crate to place some of his favorite toys in there with him.  So what do you do with a dog who doesn't play with any toys and dislikes his crate?  We've tried blocking him in the kitchen with a gate, and it worked fine the first night, but the next night he apparently jumped over the gate and slept on the couch.   He's a pretty sweet little pup and will sleep in the same spot on the sofa all day except for when we are trying to play with him or when we take him outside, and as far as we know, last night he slept in his little doggy bed all night on the floor in our room.   He (so far) hasn't got into any trouble and has had no 'accidents' in the house, but we would like him to be crate trained for when we travel and when we cannot be home.   also, he is not at all interested in any of the toys we have for him (he's probably never had one.) so how can we get him to play and chew on these (instead of our socks and newspapers)

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• 10-17-2007 12:13 AM

  In reply to sunshinenmysoul3

  Bonita of Bwana Joined on 09-13-2007 Foley , Alabama Posts 1,671 Points 4,655

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact There are several toys that almost every dog will like for one reason or another.  Bones with a rope passing through it may not attract him BUT if you soak it in chicken boullion or put cheeze whiz inside the bone now you are talking!!  A candboard box taped shut with treats inside is yet another time passer for pups.   Frozen treats are good , especially for teething pups. Kongs packed with  a combo of cheese and tiny cookie is great.   Really anything that prompts the pup to investigate for a treat is good. When a puppy doesn't like his crate I MAKE them like it. They are fed only in the crate. I don't feed 100% of thier daily food aat any one time instead i cut back a bit and everytime I crate them they get treats. I never  put them in angry.  I keep the crate times short to start. If puppy howls put a blanket or sheet over the crate and most will quiet quickly. Crate training is not simply a convience it is a life saver! Good Luck! Bonita of Bwana AKC Rhodesian Ridgebacks Champions, Therapy Dogs and Awesome Companions

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• 10-17-2007 12:24 AM

  In reply to Bonita of Bwana

  erica1989 Joined on 02-21-2007 Clearwater, Florida Posts 2,681 Points 260

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact It is going to take him time to adjust. I had Casey home for probably 3 months before he even pricked an ear at a toy. I would give him a bit more time, follow Bonita's instructions about making the crate a happy place. Don't associate it with just you leaving. Put a blanket from you bed in there, to remind him of you. Some hotdogs are a good insentive to go in the crate too =]

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• 10-17-2007 12:40 AM

  In reply to sunshinenmysoul3

  Infiniti Joined on 08-06-2007 Chicago Suburbs, Illinois Posts 886 Points 175

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact First of all, congratulations on your new pup!  He looks like a charmer, and I liked learning about how he got his name in that other post. The best advice that I can give you for a pup who won't sleep in the crate is to wear him out.  My AKK tried vigilantly to avoid sleeping in the crate for the first week that we had her (she's 4 months old now), so my husband and I just started to tire her out before putting her in the crate (ie. go for a long walk, play exuberantly with toys, etc.).  If your pup is tired, he'll be much more likely to sleep in the crate.  As for learning to love the crate (which I amend you for thinking ahead with travel), you have to strike a good balance in terms of crating your pup when you're leaving, and crating the pup when you're not.  With Honor, I would crate her at random intervals throughout the day, so that she eventually learned that being crated did not mean separation.  If your pup was adopted from a shelter, he's probably more wary of crates than other dogs, and it will take consistent patience on your part in order to show him that you'll always come back to him when he's crated.  As for toys in the crate, it can make separation anxiety easier, or distract an intelligent dog from boredom.  But some dogs like toys in the crate, and some don't.  For Jackson, I would definitely try Kongs or other food toys at first, in order to show him that toys are delicious and fun.  And as loud as they can be, have you tried squeaky toys?  Most squeakies will at least get a dog's attention, and hopefully Jackson will take it further.  I would also "show" Jackson how much fun a toy can be.  Dogs learn so quickly from physical reactions, and if you're acting like playing with a toy is super-exciting, he'll probably eventually want to join in the fun.  Once you get Jackson into playing with toys (I definitely recommend the Kong), it will make it easier to stop him from chewing on your belongings.  If Honor gets a hold of something I don't want her to have, I'll issue the "Off" command (very useful), and then replace my belonging with her toy.  When she picks up her toy, I'll praise her super-enthusiastically, so she learns that her toys are way cooler than mine. I hope this helps!  I'm sure there will be other great suggestions on the way, and good luck!   Lisa and: Honor - Alaskan Klee Kai * Nike - Shetland Sheepdog * Dubby - Holland Lop * Max - Mini Lop

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• 10-17-2007 1:13 AM

  In reply to Infiniti

  sunshinenmysoul3 Joined on 10-17-2007 Louisiana Posts 15 Points 25

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact Infiniti: And as loud as they can be, have you tried squeaky toys?  Most squeakies will at least get a dog's attention, and hopefully Jackson will take it further. yes we have tried some squeak toys but he seems to be a little afraid of them right now.   (I had a dog growing up who was afraid of them too for a while but eventually came to love them. We think he thought he was hurting them!)  Thanks for all the advice.  I'm thinking about getting him a different kind of crate to try and see how that goes.  My husband works from home, and as of right now, I'm not working so except for my husbands business outings, we are pretty much always home other than the occasional trip to the store or dinner out.  We don't want to have to keep him in the crate except for travel (we do travel a lot), while we are out of town (for his own safety), and at night. he hasn't been home with us for very long so i know he is still adjusting and getting used to us so I am of course very patient with him.  It doesn't seem like he is really recognizing his name yet, though I hope he does soon. (I'm hoping I can teach him to sit soon!)

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• 10-17-2007 1:24 AM

  In reply to sunshinenmysoul3

  Sera_J Joined on 09-10-2007 Western Washington (State) Posts 2,788 Points 830

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact Awwww ADORABLE pup, congratulations.  So sad that he doesn't want to play with toys.  It always breaks my heart. I'd try stuff a kong and try that with the crate... or perhaps a bully stick or other tasty treat. Good luck and more pictures! :) Lani- Dog.community Moderator "If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space." Clowns to the left of me...

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• 10-17-2007 1:28 AM

  In reply to sunshinenmysoul3

  pheryn Joined on 04-16-2006 The Hills Posts 247 Points 100

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact Congratulations on your new dog! I am in the same boat as you. Harley has only been in my house for a little over a week, and she only very recently (about two days ago) "chose" her favorite toy (which she now carries with her into every room, ripped up the corner of it, and is now attempting to find the perfect spot to burry her treasure). So just give her time. She is also young so I am sure that is a factor. Soon, she will feel more comfortable and she will start feeling less anxious and she will start playing (or tearin apart) her toys :) And keep reading the forums and dont be afraid to ask more questions. The search feature has helped me tons and everyone here is so helpful! Nikki 's Harley! Dogster

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• 10-17-2007 8:30 AM

  In reply to sunshinenmysoul3

  calliecritturs Joined on 09-10-2007 Central Florida Posts 7,251 Points 1,975

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact He may not feel secure enough YET to play with toys. And if there was some serious abuse before you got him, he may not ever be able to access his "inner puppy" enough to play.  Persist -- gently try but don't overwhelm him. It takes a good while to acclimate a dog to a crate when they've developed a negative feeling. Feed him in there, give treats in there, DON'T shut the door at first and just generally make all the best things in the world happen in that crate.  I have even just lain down NEXT to the crate with a book just to give them the idea this is the 'chill out and rest' place.  Then in little tiny steps you begin to do things like give him a Kong stuffed with his breakfast ... and close the crate door.  Open it when YOU say ***not*** when he whines or gets upset -- in fact the trick is to 'open' it when he barely knows it was closed!!  Even if he doesn't 'play' with his breakfast in a Kong it should keep him busy.  You simply want to extend the time the door is closed ... but never open the door in response to him carrying on and whining -- nope, he's got to be quiet (even if you have to stick your fingers in the crate wires and calm him down). Gradually you leave -- just a minute "Going to the bathroom, I'l be right back!!" ... go to the kitchen and back, go out the door and RIGHT back in ... you extend those periods too.  He learns you WILL be back and he won't be abandoned and he learns to trust you. Crate-training shouldn't traumatize.  and if he's sleeping well without bothering anything, then don't crate during the nite.  He will NEED to be with his pack during the night.  In fact, our crates are IN the bedroom -- I want them to associate the crate with sleeping. Easy does it -- just make sure you 'win' by never letting him get reinforcement to whining by letting him out while he's whining.  That can get tricky but it's essential.

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• 10-17-2007 8:40 AM

  In reply to calliecritturs

  Jewlieee Joined on 03-23-2007 MI Posts 5,712 Points 4,170

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact  I don't really put toys in the crate with my pup. In my house, the crate is the place to get extra special treats - such as a kong stuffed with something yummy, a really good juicy bone, etc. This way my pup sees the crate as a good thing. Toys he can have whenever out of his toy box. But he only gets the special high valued things in his crate.  You might want to try something like that.

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• 10-20-2007 3:28 PM

  In reply to sunshinenmysoul3

  sunshinenmysoul3 Joined on 10-17-2007 Louisiana Posts 15 Points 25

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact Thanks everyone for your suggestions.  Little jacson is starting to play with several of his toys, and last night he slept all night in his crate!  We did buy him a new one, much bigger, and bigger than most people suggest. But he is already house broken and have never had an accident in the house. He did whimper a while after we shut the door, but I laid down on the floor next to him for a little while, and once he calmed down, he was good all night. We, for now, want him in his crate at night so he will not jump up on the bed with us.  This morning, after his walk, I tried to let him stay in the bedroom with us with out closing up the crate, but he tried about 15 times to get up on the bed (he jumped up and I put him on the floor, up and down, up and down) so I put him back in so I could get some more sleep!   He won't go in there today.... I think he's afraid we'll shut him in again.  I'm going to try to get him back in a little today with some tasty treats!

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• 10-20-2007 10:03 PM

  In reply to sunshinenmysoul3

  pheryn Joined on 04-16-2006 The Hills Posts 247 Points 100

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact Oh Harley does that to me too! Trying to get up on the bed. (she once jumped from the day bed onto my bed... if I had family jewels... they would have been crushed! But I was secretly proud of her for figuring out how to do that). I've learned to ignore her and block her view of me. She'll eventually give up. Right now, she's down to two attempts a night then she just sleeps under my bed (I dont know why she likes it there... but she even keeps her favorite toy there). Her crate door is open so she can go there too. And she also has a pink chair to sleep in. I think that might have helped her slow down on the trying to sleep on the bed... was the pink chair. Its this big chair where I sit in (and is close to my bed which is I think also a factor... they just want to be close to you!). We would cuddle there until she would fall asleep. Then I would get up and leave her there and go to my bed. When she would try to get to my bed - I would put her on the chair. Then she, I guess, kinda new her place from there. So now she sleeps in the pink chair, her crate, and under my bed (all in one night... ahaha). Getting on my bed is by invite only Nikki 's Harley! Dogster

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• 10-21-2007 1:34 AM

  In reply to sunshinenmysoul3

  californiaglock Joined on 08-22-2007 Northern California, USA Posts 303 Points 95

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact i filled the crate with comfy blankets, some pillows, and left the door open to the crate all the time. he wanted nothing to do with crate for a day. after he went in, that was his little comfy home and he darted in there anytime he needed a place to sleep or feel "safe".  my dog never had any potty problems so we ditched the crate .  if you dont have the crate yet, go on craigslist.org or some other classifieds and you can find plenty good used wire crates. about the toys, just give the dog a while to warm up and just play with the toy yourself, soon he will probably want to see what the fun is all about and get curious and wanna play. good luck, congrats on the dog

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• 10-21-2007 12:57 PM

  In reply to californiaglock

  buttonbutt Joined on 08-03-2007 Temple, Texas Posts 205 Points 450

  Re: Crates and a puppy that doesn't play with toys Reply Contact You've been given some really great advice here.  Not sure I could add much.  Zipper, my rat terrier rescue, was picked up by animal control at 5 mos. of age.  She was such an intense little hunter of bugs (and ate them all) I feel certain she was stray for some time.  We got her last September and she JUST NOW is beginning to play with her first toy, a Kong Wubba.  She LOVES it!  It will squeak, but she hasn't figured out how to do it herself.  But goes ballistic when we or our other one, Button, squeak it!  Here's a pic of it (left)...   As she began to play with that (by the way, she has learned it by name in just one week) she began to take more interest in the Puppy Kong and the Kong rubber bone with a rope through it. She also likes the firehose pictured above, but has chewed off the "handle"  Ratties are aggressive chewers for such little dogs.  They'll destuff a toy in 5 minutes flat!  Be patient with your little guy.  He'll probably get the hang of toys eventually, just like Zipper did.  Peggy Mom to Button & Zipper Two friendly RatTexans

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