Crate Training - when to start?

[Daisyandjoe]

Hi,

We are collecting our first mini dachshund in 4 weeks and have decided we're going to crate train him. I've read a few books and articles and most say to introduce the puppy gradually to the crate by throwing treats and toys into it and waiting for him to go in, others say to put him in with toys, shut the door then only pay him attention if he stays quiet. I'd rather do the gradual way but will only have one full weekend to do this before going to work on Monday. I do only work part time and will be back after an hour on the Monday, but my worry is that he will howl while I am gone and undo all the hard work from the weekend. We are also getting him at 8 weeks old and I've read that puppy's don't start remembering properly until 10-12 weeks.

Just looking for a bit of clarification fom the experts!!

Thanks

Daisy & Joe

 

[MatthewLP]

Hi,

We are collecting our first mini dachshund in 4 weeks and have decided we're going to crate train him. I've read a few books and articles and most say to introduce the puppy gradually to the crate by throwing treats and toys into it and waiting for him to go in, others say to put him in with toys, shut the door then only pay him attention if he stays quiet. I'd rather do the gradual way but will only have one full weekend to do this before going to work on Monday. I do only work part time and will be back after an hour on the Monday, but my worry is that he will howl while I am gone and undo all the hard work from the weekend. We are also getting him at 8 weeks old and I've read that puppy's don't start remembering properly until 10-12 weeks.

Just looking for a bit of clarification fom the experts!!

Thanks

Daisy & Joe

I would get the crate ahead of time and have it ready to go when you bring your doxie home, as this will be his home within a home for awhile. I have crated all my doxie.

Becuase Doxie are weaned off from thre brother, sisters, mother ect. I would greatly expect some howling for a few nights. this should not be a presistance issue but not uncommon. They more they feel welcome as their own 'secure' home it shouldn't be a problem.

In my years of dealing the Doxies when I'm bring a new puppy I'll wear some of my everday clothes around the house for a few days and pet that in their crate. Becuase Doxies are Hounds their sense of smell is very good and use that as a common bond in my experience and keeps them from feeling loanly or less secure. I throw in some other day or two clothes should they get dirty or soiled near by.

Kai my latest doxie took to crate training like fish to water. I kept the door open, threw a blanket over the top to keep him warm and feelings of comfort and it goes right to it like its own home.

Also when your little guy is tired and falls alseep try to put him/her in the crate. Yes you might wake him up a little bit. I covered up the crate and sit in my chair for awhile untill he stopped crying. and yes it can take 15, 20 to 30 min some times. Don't be tempted to take him out to confort the dog, you'll be asking for trouble later on.

Crate Training is also good for potty training as well when you are away. dogs "typically" don't like to potty where they sleep. so it helps them hold it with in reasson. However Puppy's bladders can't hold it for very long after drinking because they are not developed enough yet.

I crate train right out of the gate and feel its the most effective way for me and the dogs safety.

I would'nt hold your breath thinking that working with a new Doxie puppy over a week or weekend will provent any problems with Howling or Crying. some of it will be expected for a few nights. Best way is let them get though it. Some of it your going to have to allow and deal with and is often harder on the owners than the dog.

Matthew Plummer
Kansas City, Mo

 

[Steph]

Matthew has some good advice.

Remember though that you want the crate to be a happy place, never a place for punishment. Other things that you can try is get an old fashioned ticking alarm clock (don't set the alarm) and cover it. The ticking is soothing to a new puppy and if wrapped in something that you have worn (sweater, tshirt, sweatshirt) will make the pup more comfortable. Also a hot water bottle that they can snuggle with or a large stuffed toy (with no parts that can be chewed off) make great crate buddies too.

A radio, a tv and or a fan left on can be comforting when you are away and mask any outdoor noises that pup may feel the need to bark at. Special toys that pup only gets when he/ she goes into the crate are another awesome training tool. My boy only gets special heavy duty chew toys that he can work at while I'm away and he's in his crate.

Good luck! And if you have any more questions, just holler one of us can help out

 

[Steph]

Oh! And I always recommend crating doxies. It comes in handy if they ever go down in the back and need to be on crate rest for any length of time.

 

[Ixyavi]

I began crating Cricket during our bedtime (which is morning) the very second night he was with us. He was 8 weeks old at the time. There was a ton of yelping and hollering as expected and after a few rough nights of finding the perfect place for his crate that afforded us thr most sleep, things soon settled into a routine. It broke my heart for the first three days. After a week he barely cried for ten minutes before settling. He is 11 weeks today and only grunts a bit for a few seconds lol.

Crating is the best thing ever. I give him a quarter pupperoni stick every time I have to crate him and never ever go to him when he whines. Its a battle of wills at first but its much better in the end, and safer for him because I have two cats much much larger and I need to supervise all interactions.

Not to mention that puppies think every speck on the ground is food.

The gradual method is nice if you have a ton of time to dedicate to it. But honestly its a lot less hassle to just calmly carry him over "time to go nigh nigh!", treat, and leave the room. I promise you wont traumatize your puppy. Just never ever put him in the crate as punishment or even when you feel angry with him.

 

[luvmydoxie]

I would get the crate ahead of time and have it ready to go when you bring your doxie home, as this will be his home within a home for awhile. I have crated all my doxie.

Becuase Doxie are weaned off from thre brother, sisters, mother ect. I would greatly expect some howling for a few nights. this should not be a presistance issue but not uncommon. They more they feel welcome as their own 'secure' home it shouldn't be a problem.

In my years of dealing the Doxies when I'm bring a new puppy I'll wear some of my everday clothes around the house for a few days and pet that in their crate. Becuase Doxies are Hounds their sense of smell is very good and use that as a common bond in my experience and keeps them from feeling loanly or less secure. I throw in some other day or two clothes should they get dirty or soiled near by.

Kai my latest doxie took to crate training like fish to water. I kept the door open, threw a blanket over the top to keep him warm and feelings of comfort and it goes right to it like its own home.

Also when your little guy is tired and falls alseep try to put him/her in the crate. Yes you might wake him up a little bit. I covered up the crate and sit in my chair for awhile untill he stopped crying. and yes it can take 15, 20 to 30 min some times. Don't be tempted to take him out to confort the dog, you'll be asking for trouble later on.

Crate Training is also good for potty training as well when you are away. dogs "typically" don't like to potty where they sleep. so it helps them hold it with in reasson. However Puppy's bladders can't hold it for very long after drinking because they are not developed enough yet.

I crate train right out of the gate and feel its the most effective way for me and the dogs safety.

I would'nt hold your breath thinking that working with a new Doxie puppy over a week or weekend will provent any problems with Howling or Crying. some of it will be expected for a few nights. Best way is let them get though it. Some of it your going to have to allow and deal with and is often harder on the owners than the dog.

Matthew Plummer
Kansas City, Mo

I am asking you this question because you seem to have some very good advice....

I am crate training my mini. It has been 4 nights (that he has been with us) and he is doing fairly well at night. The breeder that we got him from gave us instructions, which we have been following. They go like this;

Put the crate by our bed at night. Put him in it. If he starts crying, put our fingers through the holes to let him know that we are there. (This usually works). If he doesn't stop crying or is very "squirmy", take him to go potty outside.

We have been doing this every night.

My question:

How long does he need to sleep in our room? He does go potty when we take him out in the middle of the night.

How can I get him to take his naps in the crate? We go to the gym every other day and put him in it. I place a treat in the crate and he steps inside. I say "Kennel" and shut the door. We leave but as we are leaving, all chaos breaks loose. He crys,howls, barks.....

Any advice on this?

 

[MatthewLP]

I am asking you this question because you seem to have some very good advice....

I am crate training my mini. It has been 4 nights (that he has been with us) and he is doing fairly well at night. The breeder that we got him from gave us instructions, which we have been following. They go like this;

Put the crate by our bed at night. Put him in it. If he starts crying, put our fingers through the holes to let him know that we are there. (This usually works). If he doesn't stop crying or is very "squirmy", take him to go potty outside.

We have been doing this every night.

My question:

How long does he need to sleep in our room? He does go potty when we take him out in the middle of the night.

How can I get him to take his naps in the crate? We go to the gym every other day and put him in it. I place a treat in the crate and he steps inside. I say "Kennel" and shut the door. We leave but as we are leaving, all chaos breaks loose. He crys,howls, barks.....

Any advice on this?

Good Breeders such as yours give great advice for new Dachshund owners so you're on the right track there.

How long should your Doxie sleep in the room? That depends. They can adjust to their new location within few days. Being by your bed was a short term comfort to hear, smell and not be alone in your new home. I wouldn't want to give a specific time, each Dachshunds reacts differently. but if you feel your Doxie is responding well go ahead and move on to the next step. Keeping in mind there will be a minor setback.

Me personally. I put my little one in the crate when it was time go to bed. I Sit in the recliner nearby and watched TV. I also covered the crate up with the light weight blanket to give extra comfort. This way he can't see all the distraction, but he could still smell my presence. When he calmed down and fell asleep, Turned off the TV and went to bed. There was some whining involved but I ignored it and he finally went to sleep.

Also I wear some of my sweatpants for a few days. Dachshund are hounds so its all about smells. Its helped me when I have a heavy whiner or crier.

About Nap Times and leaving the house. This is a hard one. This is more about the breaking in stage. This is where the light weight blanket comes in handy. They can't see me getting ready or leaving. Plus I do give my Doxies some time to settle down before leaving. (For a new puppy) I wouldn't condone this for adults.

Also another idea for nap times. When they fall asleep in my lap or arms I know It's hard, but I put them in their crate.

Feel free to let us know how progress is coming alone.

Matthew Plummer
{Kansas City, Mo}

 

[luvmydoxie]

Good Breeders such as yours give great advice for new Dachshund owners so you're on the right track there.

How long should your Doxie sleep in the room? That depends. They can adjust to their new location within few days. Being by your bed was a short term comfort to hear, smell and not be alone in your new home. I wouldn't want to give a specific time, each Dachshunds reacts differently. but if you feel your Doxie is responding well go ahead and move on to the next step. Keeping in mind there will be a minor setback.

Me personally. I put my little one in the crate when it was time go to bed. I Sit in the recliner nearby and watched TV. I also covered the crate up with the light weight blanket to give extra comfort. This way he can't see all the distraction, but he could still smell my presence. When he calmed down and fell asleep, Turned off the TV and went to bed. There was some whining involved but I ignored it and he finally went to sleep.

Also I wear some of my sweatpants for a few days. Dachshund are hounds so its all about smells. Its helped me when I have a heavy whiner or crier.

About Nap Times and leaving the house. This is a hard one. This is more about the breaking in stage. This is where the light weight blanket comes in handy. They can't see me getting ready or leaving. Plus I do give my Doxies some time to settle down before leaving. (For a new puppy) I wouldn't condone this for adults.

Also another idea for nap times. When they fall asleep in my lap or arms I know It's hard, but I put them in their crate.

Feel free to let us know how progress is coming alone.

Matthew Plummer
{Kansas City, Mo}

Thank you so much for the advice! He is a whiner and cry's a lot in his kennel (when we leave) so we are taking baby steps. I give him a treat when he enters the kennel as well as praises. I guess it is something that will take time to get used to. We only leave him in it for a max of an hour. He doesn't go to the bathroom or anything, which is good. I think we will keep him by the bed for a week longer, then move him to a different location in the room. Maybe after a month or so, he will be completely okay sleeping in a spare room.

Thanks again!

 

[MatthewLP]

I think thats great. A month may be to long if you little boy is adapting well. Move the adjustment period along if you can. Will make the adjustment easier for him and you won't have to deal with any "needy" problems later as he matures.

And your quite welcome. We are always here to help.


Matthew Plummer
{Kansas City, Mo.}

 

[vizzla]

Hi,

We are collecting our first mini dachshund in 4 weeks and have decided we're going to crate train him. I've read a few books and articles and most say to introduce the puppy gradually to the crate by throwing treats and toys into it and waiting for him to go in, others say to put him in with toys, shut the door then only pay him attention if he stays quiet. I'd rather do the gradual way but will only have one full weekend to do this before going to work on Monday. I do only work part time and will be back after an hour on the Monday, but my worry is that he will howl while I am gone and undo all the hard work from the weekend. We are also getting him at 8 weeks old and I've read that puppy's don't start remembering properly until 10-12 weeks.

Just looking for a bit of clarification fom the experts!!

Thanks

Daisy & Joe

Why a crate? In sweden its illigal to keep dogs in crates indoors.
If you want him to have a safe place to relax, I would have a crate with NO DOOR and put up a fence around the crate so he has some room to walk around. Put something with your smell on it in the crate, like a t-shirt. It calms our boy down. You wont get him crate-trained on one weekend. It can take months for some dogs to feel safe inside.

Good luck!

 

[Wandering Man]

In sweden its illigal to keep dogs in crates indoors.

Really? Why?

We crate trained PD early on, but have left that training far behind. He sleeps with us now, and I've often felt a little guilty about not keeping up with the crate training.

On the other hand, I've known people that only let their dog out of the crate for a few hours a day (an American Shepherd). Their reasoning is that they haven't had time to spend with him, and he "goes crazy" when he is released.

I find it hard not to be judgmental about their treatment of the dog.

 

[vizzla]

Because dogs (and other pets) need their space. They are not ment to lay down in a crate. In my world you never keep an animal locked up for other reasons than carrides or for recovery.

It is only legal to keep dogs in crates/cages at dogshows or in car.

But maybe I missunderstand the word crate? Do you have a pic?