Hi Everyone - whilst I've been a Labrador owner for many years, I've never used a crate before. My new puppy will be introduced to a crate when collect her in a few days and, having read lots of information online as well as the excellent Ellie-Bo instructions, I am aware that the puppy must be gradually introduced to the crate, extending the time spent in it each day. I want the puppy to sleep in the crate at night so is it acceptable to place the puppy in the crate on the first night at home if I get up in the night to let her out to do her toilet?
I strongly recommend the Happy Puppy Handbook which goes into this really well. And this - https://www.thelabradorsite.com/crate-training-your-labrador-puppy/ All pups are different. Some cope much better than others. This is what I do - I have a cardboard box with blankets by my bed. This is my ‘plan B’. The pup arrives at about 11am and I do what is suggested in the link above - treats and naps in the crate with the door open through the day. At bed time I pop the pup in the crate then wait by the crate, door closed (with my hand in if the pup is whimpering) and leave once the pup is asleep. I go to the pup at 4am ish for a wee break (no interaction, no talking, just wee and back to bed). I do this for a few days then start standing in the room and leaving when the pup is asleep for a day or two. After that I just leave. I have a heat pad for winter pups, leave a ticking clock and the radio quietly on a talk station. So far I haven’t needed ‘plan B’ - but it really helps as it gives me the confidence to leave the pup. If the pup is wide awake after the 4am wee break I snooze in the front room with the pup on my knee, they soon sleep longer. If they shout before 4am for a wee I get up earlier the next night to take them out - so that I get to them before they shout. This way they don’t learn that shouting ‘works’. And welcome to you from Mags, Tatze and Keir from Manchester UK Tatze is my pet dog, a black Lab and she's four years old. Tatze means 'paw' in German. Keir is my fifth Guide Dog puppy, a yellow Golden Retriever/Flatcoat cross and he's six months old.
I'm surely no expert, but we instituted the crate from day one. She cried the first night, and I had to take her out at 2am once or twice, but for the most part she picked up quickly.
Hello Nadine, Congratulations with your new pup! What I did, from the first day on, was give him every one of his meals in his crate. I also left treats in there for Obi to find. Soon his crate became the place 'where all the magic happens' . The first night I slept next to his (closed) crate. The next night I slept on the sofa, a short distance away from him. By the end of the week, I was back in my own bed upstairs. He adapted to the crate just fine.
I introduced a crate from day 1 by dropping treats for my pup to find and dropping treats in to the crate when in there. I move the crate to the bedroom for the first week or two (timescale entirely up to you ) and take pup out for toilet when they start getting restless.
Many thanks for your helpful suggestions, most appreciated. I've bought the Kindle version of Pippa's book. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I think I will follow your suggestion and go cold turkey! Many thanks everyone for replying. I now feel much happier with going forward with the crate. Merry Christmas everyone.
Hi, We have just got a new puppy, not our first Lab, but a big shock going from an established Senior, so my experience is very recent. Picked up pup on Sunday. We realized very quickly that there wasn't a box that could contain such an inquisitive being and our bedroom is also too far from the back door. Slept with closed crate next to sofa for 2 nights and moved it back to the utility room after that, but still stayed downstairs on sofa. He needed to get up twice the first night, around 2 and 4am, once with early waking (5.30-6am) on the next 3 nights. Each time he was put in the crate there were cries of protest but nothing too distressing, and definitely less each time, but last night he did not protest at all and he slept from 11.15pm to 6.45am. During the day I did put him in the crate, with door open, if he fell asleep on me a couple of times and have dropped in the occasional treat. This is a marked contrast to our first dog who had a crate, loved it and made it his sanctuary, but was not locked in at night and used puppy pads; he wasn't clean at night for 4 months.
Thank you so much for your very interesting and informative response. As I said, I haven't used a crate before but know how much family and friends have found them useful and the dogs have made them into their sanctuaries. So, fingers crossed that 'Peggy' accepts the crate and I've also bought a baby monitor so that I know when she needs to go out. Onwards and upwards! Merry Christmas.
