crate training.

I have just brought Poppy a crate as she's not settling very well at night I am hoping this will help her.

Do you think I have left it to late she's 13 weeks old now or will it still work?

Any advice on what best way to get her use to it. Just sat her in it before with a treat she loved the treat but sat there not looking impressed with the crate afterwords.

I do hope it works I'm not getting much sleep listening to her barking downstairs. I have been round to see one of my neighbor's and given her a box of chocolates and said I was sorry for the noise she makes and took Poppy with me. She was really nice and said she was no problem and for me not to worry. Going to call later to see my other neighbor as shes at work now.

Try not to worry too much, but it is a pain when you are losing sleep. I know about the neighbours though...we live in an old house split in 2, so they can pretty much here everything and vice versa.

Well, the main thing to remember is to get her into a routine that suits everyone and STICK TO IT!! It will take time, but I don't think at 13 weeks you are too late. Just do what you are doing in terms of getting her used to it; ie, associate it with something positive like a treat, or her fave toy.
She will bark at first, but try not to cave in! Gus still tries to do his escapee routine now and again when he is in there. He will try to climb up on the door of it to get on top of it, then out!!! But it has never worked to date (touch wood!). He doesn't not like being in there and never cries or barks now. I think he would just prefer to be with us if he could!

Let us know how she gets on.

Lynne & Gus wrote:Try not to worry too much, but it is a pain when you are losing sleep. I know about the neighbours though...we live in an old house split in 2, so they can pretty much here everything and vice versa.

Well, the main thing to remember is to get her into a routine that suits everyone and STICK TO IT!! It will take time, but I don't think at 13 weeks you are too late. Just do what you are doing in terms of getting her used to it; ie, associate it with something positive like a treat, or her fave toy.
She will bark at first, but try not to cave in! Gus still tries to do his escapee routine now and again when he is in there. He will try to climb up on the door of it to get on top of it, then out!!! But it has never worked to date (touch wood!). He doesn't not like being in there and never cries or barks now. I think he would just prefer to be with us if he could!

Let us know how she gets on.

Thanks Lynne I just hope it works i'm so tired today last night she bark on and off for an hour then she work up at 5am and did the same. I didnt really want to use a crate as I was hoping she would be ok but dont think she will. So the crate is my last hope. Fingers crossed.

I give up ive set the crate up put her bed in and made it all cosy. Instead of Poppy going in it my cat as decided she was going in it instead.

Keep going don`t give up hope, you will get there sooner than you think

and don`t forget we are all here to suport you, i wish i had had this site when i first got molly i might have been stronger then, instead all 3 dogs are in bed with us and its no fun

adele wrote:Keep going don`t give up hope, you will get there sooner than you think

and don`t forget we are all here to suport you, i wish i had had this site when i first got molly i might have been stronger then, instead all 3 dogs are in bed with us and its no fun

Yes this site as been great given me loads of advice.
Thats one thing i don't want and thats to take her upstairs all my dogs have always slept downstairs but have settled by now. I have read somewhere to take the crate into your room first at night then gradually move it downstairs. But not sure if that would confuse her more.

Well, I wouldn't...like I say, make your mind up what routine you want her to be in and stick to it!! Just be strong. You will get there! As Adele says, we are all here to offer support and advice. Try not to let it bother you too much (I know thats hard when you are sleep deprived - and there is nothing worse than having to listen to them bark/cry) but I promise it will work out. Chin up!

Thanks again Lynne. Poppy is such a love and great through the day I love her to bits. Been walking round doing my shopping today in a trance as I'm so tired.

So really hope the crate works for her as well as us. I know it wont be a quick thing and it may take her time to get use to the crate.

I know how you feel - we went through a stage with Gus... he used to waken at 4.30 every morning. Our neighbours had visitors sleeping in the room directly below Gus and they told us they could hear him! So one of us would have to get up and take him through to the livingroom and sleep on the couch (rather than take him to bed!!) we did this til the visitors went away, but had another few days of it after they'd gone because he'd gotten in to this routine!!! when we knew they were away, we just put our earplugs in and let him bark until he got fed up and went back to sleep!!

its worse than having a human baby is`nt it

adele wrote: its worse than having a human baby is`nt it

You got that right. Got my ear plugs at the side of my bed again for later.

The problem with some puppies is routine.....i had a couple of people ring me and wanted to know why their puppy was screaming at 5am in the mornings....i told them that my hubby gets up for work at that time and used to feed them before he went to work

So whatever routine they was in before sticks and the new owners found it really hard to stop them from crying at 5am

Just keep trying and remember as long as they are warm, dry , have a full tummy and have been to the toilet then be strong and try to ignore the cries.

Kaz65 wrote:I give up ive set the crate up put her bed in and made it all cosy. Instead of Poppy going in it my cat as decided she was going in it instead.

There's a moral there close the door! No honestly do not give up, I would suggest a snuggly toy or two for poppy to cuddle up to and a couple of treats. If she goes to sleep during the day anywhere just lift her in the cage gently - eventually she will see this as her sleeping place and will actually go there on her own accord. I have always used them for sleeping my shids - once I had more than my first anyway... I always felt confident that in an emergency they would be safe as I knew where they were etc - daft I know! When I had a house with a downstairs bedroom off my hall, my dogs would move towards the all door as the night went on and at about 9.30 pm I would have a pile of sleeping shih tzu by the hall door waiting to go to bed lol!

Josh doesn't sleep in hsi crate now at bedtime though he is always crated in a large crate in my kitchen on the few hours he is left alone - I then know he is safe as he is a bit of a monkey for mischief!! I got him used to his in my bedroom.... he didn't bark or cry if he could see me and when he was distressed when I first left him alone at home I found tha if I put him in his crate in the bedroom he just snuggled down to sleep as he thought this was normal!! So you see they do accept it and you find that they will go into it in their own accord. Josh has one at my work place - he never is put in it - but often when he wants to be away from us he climbs in and curls up!

Just keep up the training and you will find she very quickly accepts it and I can tell you that they find it natural as it is very like being in the "nest" all dogs feel safe in an enclosed place. When I no longer used crates for Opal and Precious as they came up to bed with me in their final years, at any other time when they slept Opal would usually squash herself under the stepstool to sleep!!

Oh and MIng used to use the legs of the table when she was left in the kitchen and Poppy used to squash in the corner of the kitchen where some wonderful kitchen planner left a gap between units that you can't get anything in but is cupboard size once you get through the gap

Becca and Lesley. I keep putting her in and she as a sniff round then comes out again. I put her in before and sat at the door playing with her while she was in the crate she seemed a little more at easy with it. But we will see when its time for bed.

You're doing all the right things... don't get upset if she doesn't settle to the routine straight away as she has had a bit of a different routine for a couple of weeks. The main thing is to stay firm and POSITIVE cos they pick up any little anxiety and multiply it a thousandfold lol!!
By firm I mean calmly, quietly insistent and resolved don't wan anyone calling the rspca lol!

i crated my lot in my bedroom... just beside my bed... if they cried i just touched them between the bars..once they realised i was nearby they calmed down and went back to sleep.... little by little they slept all night thay now have a large puppy pen more roomy!!!
now they sleep in their crate in the kitchen, all except youki ... he just doesn't like his crate!!!
and as he the only one to have a few privileges he does sleep on my bed!!!!!

I don't think 13wks will be too late. Willow was 10wks when we got her, and it has taken less than 2wks for her to settle into her crate. After lots of crying and barking, me getting up every hour during the night, she is now quiet as a mouse! I still have to get up at 4am, but just to let her out to wee, not because she crys! I tried leaving it once until 6am, but she had wee'd...so 4am it is, which I don't mind. Willow has her toys in her crate with her and a special toy that is only for crate time!

Good luck...You will need it....but be strong, hopefully in a few weeks you will be having alot more sleep!...I know easy for me to say now!!

isolde wrote:i crated my lot in my bedroom... just beside my bed... if they cried i just touched them between the bars..once they realised i was nearby they calmed down and went back to sleep.... little by little they slept all night thay now have a large puppy pen more roomy!!!
now they sleep in their crate in the kitchen, all except youki ... he just doesn't like his crate!!!
and as he the only one to have a few privileges he does sleep on my bed!!!!!

Sounds like you go the same way as me Isolde - the touching does seem to reassure them and getting up at 4am Lucy is also a brill idea. I did that too because a puppy doesn't like to soil its bed and I think it hampers the training. It is only for a few weeks till they have control of their bladder through the night completely!

Thanks guys you have all been a good help and lots of good advice. She fell asleep so I put her in her crate she stayed in there for 10 mins (left the door open). She as just fell asleep again so I have put her back in up to now she's stayed in there again. So got my fingers and toes crossed she will get use to it soon.

she isn't going to be long settling in that routine!!

I crated Hattie until she was six months then felt confident she could go in the utility room with Daisy.

She soon got used to going in her crate at bed time and when we went out. You know they are safe all cosied up in there so just keep going I am sure she will soon settle. Have you tried leaving a radio on low for her and I was told a clock helps something to do with the mothers heartbeat.

The utilty room has a puppy gate across the entrance and is off the conservatory so they can see through the bars and out in to the garden but I also know they are confined and safe in there.

the girls were already used to being crated... their breeder is a frim believer in crating espécially at night...

as they each have their own crate they go in when they want a bit peace and quiet..
the kind of crate i use is a puppy pen with a grille en the floor a pee pad undeneath
and special dry bed (??) on one end of the grille that way if there is a little accident during the night the pee sort drains through the dry bed.. and is never soaking wet..

and usually about 8 pm, they go into their crate on their own and don't move until next morning!!!!

Crate Training has been a God send for me...
NO mess, no chewing, Lolas has a safe environment thats her own...

I dont think you've left it too late
You need to persivere though...I can be hard when they cry (and they do at first)
Eventually it will come good

I praised Lola when she started going in the crate and offered her little treats (bribery never fails lol)

We were advised to put the crate in a room that was used a lot- so we put it in the living room and thats where it stays day and night

I use the crate when I take her out in the car or to go to the vets

I can count on one hand the number of times she has had an accident in it....and thats not bad going as we had her at 5 weeks old (far too early we know...it wasnt our choice...)

Never use the crate as punishment and dont lock her in while your in the same room
Put some of her toys in it
I was advised to wear an old T shirt and then put it in the crate ...that seemed to work well

It wont take long....eventually it'll just click

I would advise anyone to get one

Let me know how you get on

Good Luck
XXX

Just a little note Karen to say it`s never too late. Harvey was 5 months old when we got him & introduced him to the crate. We were really lucky as he took to it imediately, but it sounds like your both doing really well. Keep up the good work

Well put Poppy in her crate with her Kong toy and her two favorite toys. Locked the crate she was fine till we left the room then she started barking crying you have never heard so much noise. I lay there 20 Min's listening to her now normally I don't go down but I have never heard her that bad so YES I went down.
You should of seen the sight she had messed big time really loose and everywhere she was full of it the crate was full of it. So at 11.45 I ended up bathing her and then had the crate to deal with all over the bars and everywhere didn't think she could do that much.

Once I had a clean and dry Puppy and crate I put her back in but left the door open. I walked to the door and closed it (top half is glass) but left the light on in the back room. i stood so she could see me but gave no eye contact every time she barked I swung the door open and shouted NO BARK and YES i sprayed her with water she did this about 6 times then all was quite and she slept till about 5.45 she then woke up on and off barking till my hubby got up for work at 6.30 for work.
I feel awful I sprayed water at her but had read somewhere this might work. It did but left me upset.