for the first time I am crating my new 8 wk puppy. He is fabulous but after 6 nights I have given in! He goes to sleep without any problems in the crate , door is shut. He woke at 04.00 and wanted a wee and poop. Clever boy. However, on no account did he want to go back in. He howled, screamed scratched at the floor and sides. I tried sitting beside him, soothing, gently speaking but to no avail. In the end I took him to my bed where he promptly fell cuddled in and fell asleep until 07.30. I am really disappointed in myself for giving in like that and taking him to my bed. But the rest of the house got to go to sleep. Any advice on what I should have done instead would be really helpful. Thank you
Hi, where is the dog crated to start with ?. My suggestion would be (if possible) crate him in your bedroom with you for a week or 2 then try and introduce sleeping downstairs when he has nailed it for a week or so upstairs with you.
I'm going to get into trouble for saying this on here (everyone seems to be big crate fans) but maybe read Dogs Hate Crates by Ray Lincoln. I'm not opposed to crates for transport or for short periods (minutes not hours) or medical reasons but really uncomfortable with their use for longer periods. My own dog was crate trained by his previous owners but appeared to have no other training whatsoever. His behaviour dramatically improved when we stopped closing the door on his crate. The rescue centre we visited when we got him was full of crate trained dogs who had been abandoned. I'm increasingly convinced they prevent dogs from learning how to calm themselves, behave appropriately and bond with their humans.
In trouble ? For having an opinion ? I for 1 will say you are very welcome to your own opinion, like we all are .
Kyko has slept in his crate since day 1, it's in the hall outside the bedrooms, I will say that's the only time he's in his crate as he has never been destructive even when alone we haven't felt the need to use it, but he loves going in at bedtime. First week he would cry when put in & we would sit next to him till he settled then he'd be up again about 3 for a wee & we'd have to sit with him for another half hour till settled, then he'd wake about 5am and didn't want to get back in then so we'd get up with him. After about a week we (maybe wrongly?) let him cry it out, first time almost an hour, then 20 mins then straight to sleep after he's finished his kong. Around the same time he started sleeping through till around 5am when we'd get up with him & cuddle on the couch till time to get up. This only happened for another week or so & now he's runs in quite happily between 10.30 - 11.00 & is happily snoring within about 5 minutes. He will then stay there till alarm goes off at quarter to 7. Sometimes we hear him stirring around 6.30 but he just quietly plays with a toy till we wake up, but mostly he's sleeping happily until the alarm
Put the crate by your bed. Puppies need an attachment figure. Mature independence (feeling safe alone) comes from an internalised sense of your presence. If you do not enable them to feel safe and secure in the crate with you present, they will never feel safe and secure when you are absent. Pretty much all the same principles of human attachment theory, apply to dogs. Crates are excellent tools.
