I usually put the radio on for mine if I leave them in their crates for a while during the day (not at night, though). They now expect it, so if I go into the kitchen and turn the radio on I find two dogs at my feet waiting for their Kongs, ready to go into their crates!
Duncan is now 16.5-17 weeks old & I had to build up the time I left him as well like the others said, but I started when he was 9 weeks and I had had him about a week or so and I went into another room for a minute or so... then built up to a few minutes... then 10-15, then 30, then I left for 30-45mins... it took me 2.5 weeks but I built up every day and varied the amount of time I was leaving for so it wasn't always longer than the day before and he understood the point that I would ALWAYS come back to him! I also always leave a light on in the kitchen/living room area where his crate is and I put on the TV on low volume and leave it on or the radio or something so there is noise/voices he can hear and not dead silent since it is never dead silent when I am around. I give him a treat to occupy himself for at least the time being when I first leave and shut the door - usually a chilled treat I have filled with peanut butter and put in freezer for a little while, but not until it is completely frozen and putting the treat in there with him helped him see the crate as a good place/place where he got treats and the treat occupied him for I think the first 10-20 minutes at least when I first left so that he wasn't howling the entire time. He definitely still cried when I left at first, but as time went on and he realized I always come back and his crate is a good place I was able to leave for longer and longer and he doesn't cry at all now when he goes in! We have worked up to about 3 hours (I work from home so I am in another room in my office and could hear him if he cried, but he doesn't make a sound from 8am till about 11am when I take him for a walk) - I am sure he could do 4, but haven't tried since I work from home and take him out and feed him from 11-12 or1230 every day. You will DEFINITELY be fine by September, don't worry! It only took me a few weeks total to work up to this and Duncan HATED his crate for the first couple weeks or longer so don't worry!
Thank you for the responses and support. This forum is amazing!! We will keep going everyday for a minute or two
I would also wait until he has calmed down and is not crying before you go to him and open the crate because if you open it up and save him when he is crying and making noise he may think the louder and more noise he makes the more likely you are to open it for him ... he has to learn that he needs to stay in there for periods of time and you will always come back, but will not open it if he is whining and being loud
Do you allow your dogs on the sofa. I am concerned we are spoiling Alfie by cuddling him on the sofa when he s tired. He never really goes to his crate for a sleep in the day unless i put him there he just comes to the sofa. I am wondering if this is going to make him too dependent and leave us with separation problems? Thanks Rebecca
Mine are only allowed on an old battered sofa in the kitchen , mainly because one in living room is still fairly new . Before new sofa though , the dogs were allowed up no problem . They don't seem confused by it though ! And lots of people here welcome cuddles on sofa too . I wouldn't say your spoiling him at all , he's still very young ( can't remember how many weeks ) and still finding his feet with you all . Xx
My boy is allowed on the sofa - he alternates between cuddling with us on the sofa and his bed or the floor - the challenge for us will be this coming weekend when we are off to visit my dad for his birthday and he will not allow dogs on his furniture - can't see this going wrong at all! Guess I will be sitting on the floor at lot this weekend
yep I do the sitting on the floor too when I visit relatives. At home we have a 2 human 3 dog 2 cat sized sofa. sadly we are now down to just 2 dogs and 2 humans so we can spread out a bit more now.
You don't need to worry, a strong bond with your dog doesn't lead to separation problems. But being sure the pup is alone for a short time every day with something tasty to keep them occupied, making it up to an hour by six months old helps to avoid separation problems. ...
Our dogs are allowed on a throw on the sofa. Saying that though, when were were crate training our pup Bramble, we avoided her getting too cosy on the sofa next to us in the early days. Her crate is in our lounge and we preferred to have her snuggle with her toys, a chew or kong in there until we were happy she was fine and knew her crate was a super safe place to be We didn't really want to run the risk of her preferring our sofa to her crate, and then her feeling she is being "banished" so to speak.
Thats my concern with Alfie but he loves the sofa :s. Wont really settle in his crate during the day :s.
Would you settle in a crate though if the other choice was a comfy sofa? Juno has never been allowed on the sofa and has a bed in the lounge and in the kitchen. When she was little she didn't have access to the living room during the day so had the choice of settling on the floor, in her crate or in the cats' bed. As she outgrew the cats' bed she used her crate more for snoozing during the day.
Just reading through your post about the crate training. We are going through the same issue now. He will sleep in a soft sided crate next to our bed at night but he is NOT liking the crate we have downstairs at all, he will go in it to eat and grab a toy, but then it is right back out. I tried putting it in the kitchen with him with the door open while I was away for a couple hours yesterday and he went into it and peed!! We are getting a different style crate this Friday and will try the whole thing over again and hope to get it to work. It is the most frustrating thing I have ever dealt with!!
Fair point. I am now popping him in his crate whenever he is tired during the day and staying in eyeline until he falls asleep. Hope he will get the idea :s
Alfie is the same with toys and food. He will happily go in there at night just not during the day. I have started popping him in their during the day whenever he gets tired and staying in eye line until he falls asleep, hoping he will get the idea. Not sure if tjis is the right thing to do? :s
Congratulations! my boy, Leo, is 5 months old and I remember when we brought him home he acted so shy the first few days but then came around, and slept alot. Everything sounds normal to me and enjoy him!
