New puppy and crate training question - MyCorgi.com2024-03-29T13:19:47Zhttp://mycorgi.com/forum/topics/new-puppy-and-crate-training?commentId=1150197%3AComment%3A689047&feed=yes&xn_auth=noA personal anecdote from me:…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-06-23:1150197:Comment:6905192010-06-23T23:04:10.658ZMonica, Orion, and Laikahttp://mycorgi.com/profile/MonicaShroyer
A personal anecdote from me:<br />
My brother's australian shepherd was eating off a plate when he was a pup, stepped on the edge and it flipped up. I'm not sure if it struck his nose or not but it made a whole lot of racket and scared the heck out of him. For a looong time after that he'd only eat off paper plates and freak out at the sight of a real dinner plate. After a while he did get over it though and can now eat off real plates, haha. So they can definitely gradually get over their horrible…
A personal anecdote from me:<br />
My brother's australian shepherd was eating off a plate when he was a pup, stepped on the edge and it flipped up. I'm not sure if it struck his nose or not but it made a whole lot of racket and scared the heck out of him. For a looong time after that he'd only eat off paper plates and freak out at the sight of a real dinner plate. After a while he did get over it though and can now eat off real plates, haha. So they can definitely gradually get over their horrible traumatic puppyhood events. That is where your early soci…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-06-22:1150197:Comment:6892292010-06-22T17:01:12.740ZBethhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/Beth306
That is where your early socialization is key. For a well-socialized puppy who gets to see lots of new and fun things, and friendly people and dogs, one or two bad experiences are put in the context of all the good ones and don't stand out. But if your pup never sees much but your own four walls and backyard, then has a bad experience out of the home area, it will stick.<br />
<br />
Just like if your dog has met dozens or hundreds of dogs and one charges or even attacks him, chances are he'll still be ok…
That is where your early socialization is key. For a well-socialized puppy who gets to see lots of new and fun things, and friendly people and dogs, one or two bad experiences are put in the context of all the good ones and don't stand out. But if your pup never sees much but your own four walls and backyard, then has a bad experience out of the home area, it will stick.<br />
<br />
Just like if your dog has met dozens or hundreds of dogs and one charges or even attacks him, chances are he'll still be ok with dogs. But if he only knows one or two dogs and then has a bad experience with a strange one, it will really stick.<br />
<br />
Some dogs with genetic tendency towards fearfulness would not follow that generalization, of course, and for them one bad experience can be hard to reverse, even with good socialization. I was just coming back to mak…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-06-22:1150197:Comment:6892172010-06-22T16:29:55.972ZCarlahttp://mycorgi.com/profile/Carla448
I was just coming back to make a similar comment. People talk about the "critical period" of puppyhood and how they can be scarred for life by events that take place within that period. While I think there's truth to it, it's not as dogmatic as some would have you believe. If you put the dog in the crate, it may or may not have a negative memory of it (sort of depends on how you do it) but even if it's not that pleasant, you can work at these things and it's not the end of the world. Casey was…
I was just coming back to make a similar comment. People talk about the "critical period" of puppyhood and how they can be scarred for life by events that take place within that period. While I think there's truth to it, it's not as dogmatic as some would have you believe. If you put the dog in the crate, it may or may not have a negative memory of it (sort of depends on how you do it) but even if it's not that pleasant, you can work at these things and it's not the end of the world. Casey was the same with the car at first, but eventually realized that the car goes fun places more often than bad places (and I didn't do anything as intensive as Beth to teach her that). Now when we go outside and she sees the garage door open, she bee-lines it straight for the car knowing that we're probably going to a hiking trail or the dog park. Positive experiences have simply become more prevalent than negative ones (the vet, leaving the breeder, etc.)<br />
<br />
<br />
A personal anecdote: when Casey was about 3 months old, we were standing next to our garage and, not thinking about it, I pushed the button to close the garage door. It makes some crazy high-pitched squeaking noises and is kind of loud when it shuts, and Casey FREAKED OUT and ran under the deck like Freddy Kruger was coming to get her. She was wide-eyed, panting and scratching to try and get away. I was convinced that I had totally scarred her for life and she would forever be afraid of the garage door. Well, a few weeks ago (at about 10 months old) we were leaving the garage after parking the car and as we were walking to the backyard I started closing the garage door. Not only did she not even notice the door was closing, she wandered back under the closing door into the garage (What a dummy - fortunately, we have one of those motion sensors on the bottom of the door which if tripped, make the door go back up). I didn't do anything intentional to habitualize her to the door or make it a positive experience, but she certainly isn't scarred for life. One thing we found with Jack…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-06-22:1150197:Comment:6892102010-06-22T16:03:25.548ZBethhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/Beth306
One thing we found with Jack was that the sudden intro to the crate did not make him dislike the crate, but the traumatic exposure to the car made him hate the car! So what we did was as soon as he cleared the vet's check-up (he'd already had two sets of shots), we started taking him on lots of short car trips to fun places. We'd literally put him in the car and drive him to another part of the park two blocks away, say, and then take him out and make a nice fuss over him and let him sniff and…
One thing we found with Jack was that the sudden intro to the crate did not make him dislike the crate, but the traumatic exposure to the car made him hate the car! So what we did was as soon as he cleared the vet's check-up (he'd already had two sets of shots), we started taking him on lots of short car trips to fun places. We'd literally put him in the car and drive him to another part of the park two blocks away, say, and then take him out and make a nice fuss over him and let him sniff and roll around in the grass, and then crate him up and take him home. It took a few trips, but he soon learned that car= fun places and got over his dislike of the car in a hurry. Good luck with your Riley! We…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-06-22:1150197:Comment:6891792010-06-22T15:00:40.318ZCarol Reahttp://mycorgi.com/profile/CarolRea
Good luck with your Riley! We used a crate with our only non-rescue corgi, Odie, which we got at 81/2 weeks old. If I remember correctly (9 yrs ago, and I'm getting old) he took to the crate right away. We started with a small crate and then graduated to a bigger crate as he grew. We kept the door open during the day and closed it at night. When we brought Lucky home, Odie used his crate as a place to get away from that new whipper snapper that had invaded his home. Bringing in an older dog and…
Good luck with your Riley! We used a crate with our only non-rescue corgi, Odie, which we got at 81/2 weeks old. If I remember correctly (9 yrs ago, and I'm getting old) he took to the crate right away. We started with a small crate and then graduated to a bigger crate as he grew. We kept the door open during the day and closed it at night. When we brought Lucky home, Odie used his crate as a place to get away from that new whipper snapper that had invaded his home. Bringing in an older dog and trying to introduce them to a crate hasn't worked for us, so start it now. Enjoy your new little bundle of joy! Thank you all so much for the…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-06-22:1150197:Comment:6891292010-06-22T14:09:08.162ZAmy Berryhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/AmyBerry
Thank you all so much for the great advice! My kids (12 and 10) will be with me when we go to get Riley, so they will be able to help with keeping him engaged on our ride home. I feel better about the crate thanks to all of your suggestions. It going to be a wild and wonderful next couple of months!
Thank you all so much for the great advice! My kids (12 and 10) will be with me when we go to get Riley, so they will be able to help with keeping him engaged on our ride home. I feel better about the crate thanks to all of your suggestions. It going to be a wild and wonderful next couple of months! Don;t worry about the slow in…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-06-22:1150197:Comment:6890502010-06-22T08:24:26.353ZElla and Lilyhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/EllaandDerek
Don;t worry about the slow introduction to the crate. Just make sure you aren't just shoving him in there. Make sure you talk to him in a comforting tone when you place him in the kennel the first time and if possible place the kennel so he can see you as you are driving and keep up the dialogue the entire way home. I did this with Ella and she whined a little but quickly got over it. As Sam said, make sure he can always see you and keep the kennel in the center of the action. Make him feel…
Don;t worry about the slow introduction to the crate. Just make sure you aren't just shoving him in there. Make sure you talk to him in a comforting tone when you place him in the kennel the first time and if possible place the kennel so he can see you as you are driving and keep up the dialogue the entire way home. I did this with Ella and she whined a little but quickly got over it. As Sam said, make sure he can always see you and keep the kennel in the center of the action. Make him feel like the kennel is a safe and happy place.<br />
<br />
When it comes to potty training with the kennel, make sure you have a Kennel that is small enough that he won;t be able to potty in one corner and then sleep in another. Also, the first few days he should stay in the kennel most of the time. When you take him out DO NOT let his feet touch the carpet. This will most likely lead to an accident because puppies instinct is to pee on the first soft thing they touch. Place him on the grass and gently reinforce the potty command. If he starts to play stop him and again reinforce going potty. If he doesn;t go then place him back in the kennel. Wait 10 mins then try again. If he does go let him stay out of the kennel for some playtime. Generally 15 mins or so then straight back to the kennel. Rinse and repeat. While potty training I make sure playtime is carried out inside so potty and play are not confused. Like the other people who com…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-06-22:1150197:Comment:6890472010-06-22T08:11:51.536ZHaley Merlothttp://mycorgi.com/profile/HaleyMerlot
Like the other people who commented, Donny rode in my lap on the ride home while someone else drove. He slept the whole time, and when he did wake up, he was more interested in observing and chewing a treat than trying to escape. He was 8 weeks old, and it was a 6 hour drive.<br />
I preferred this over a crate because Donovan had never seen a crate before, and I wanted his first time away from his mother to be less scary. However, it's really a matter of preference. I don't think it'll be…
Like the other people who commented, Donny rode in my lap on the ride home while someone else drove. He slept the whole time, and when he did wake up, he was more interested in observing and chewing a treat than trying to escape. He was 8 weeks old, and it was a 6 hour drive.<br />
I preferred this over a crate because Donovan had never seen a crate before, and I wanted his first time away from his mother to be less scary. However, it's really a matter of preference. I don't think it'll be traumatizing if it's easier to use a crate.<br />
<br />
Also, the puppy will cry the first night guaranteed. Play with him until he's about to drop, and then put him in a divided crate with a towel/blanket and something to chew if he wakes up. He will sleep sporadically, and cry no matter what. But be comforted by the fact that he's not crying about being in the crate-- he's crying because he's lonely.<br />
<br />
Feed him in his crate, use positive crate training during the day, and he'll learn to accept it as his assigned sleeping place. Donovan hated his crate at first-- a few weeks later, if he heard me brushing my teeth he'd race to lie down inside it, excited about bedtime. It really works. :) In my case, a slow intro work…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-06-21:1150197:Comment:6886302010-06-21T23:45:35.661ZCarlahttp://mycorgi.com/profile/Carla448
In my case, a slow intro worked very well because we dropped the crate off at the breeders the week before we were to pick Casey up. The breeder kept Casey and a sibling in her kitchen with the crate (door off so they could come and go freely) for the last week she was there. She spent the day with everyone else, then the first 5 days of the week with her sibling in the kitchen, then the last two days by herself (if I remember correctly). She could come and go from the crate as she pleased, and…
In my case, a slow intro worked very well because we dropped the crate off at the breeders the week before we were to pick Casey up. The breeder kept Casey and a sibling in her kitchen with the crate (door off so they could come and go freely) for the last week she was there. She spent the day with everyone else, then the first 5 days of the week with her sibling in the kitchen, then the last two days by herself (if I remember correctly). She could come and go from the crate as she pleased, and typically slept in the crate with her sibling, and wandered the kitchen for food, potty-breaks on newspaper, playing, etc.<br />
<br />
This was a slow intro in that she gradually introduced herself to the crate as she saw fit. I think this could actually be do-able in a kitchen at a person's new home if they really felt like investing the time and didn't mind possible bathroom accidents on the floor. That said, had we not had the opportunity to leave the crate at the breeder’s house, I would not have chosen this route personally. I'm pretty cold-hearted, and probably would have just put her in the crate (obviously with a toy or two and a treat), closed the door at night and been done with it, lol.<br />
<br />
It certainly depends on the dog, but I most definitely have heard crated dogs who do not quiet down quickly (my sisters Springer Spaniel comes to mind, who spent <i>hours</i> whining the first several times he was crated. Good lord that dog was unhappy. I have had 5 pups and always…tag:mycorgi.com,2010-06-21:1150197:Comment:6885152010-06-21T21:12:33.061ZJane Christensenhttp://mycorgi.com/profile/JaneChristensen
I have had 5 pups and always used and still use crates. From the time I pick them up and always in the car to when they can't be supervised and at night. My dogs love their crates and some do eat in them,nap in them go in them to get away...it's their "safe" haven. At night I always put them in there with an old towel and a toy or stuffed animal next to my bed...some cried a little but I would dangle my hand or pet them a bit and they would be fine. As long as they don't feel like they are…
I have had 5 pups and always used and still use crates. From the time I pick them up and always in the car to when they can't be supervised and at night. My dogs love their crates and some do eat in them,nap in them go in them to get away...it's their "safe" haven. At night I always put them in there with an old towel and a toy or stuffed animal next to my bed...some cried a little but I would dangle my hand or pet them a bit and they would be fine. As long as they don't feel like they are being punished by getting "stuck" in there I really don't see a problem. I send a blanket with the pups that leave with their littermates scent...so you might want to take a small blanket and ask if you can do that...as well as mom and dads scent! Congratulations!