Aspen used to enjoy his crate as a pup, but now he hates it. I have mentioned before that it is in the basement. If I crate Aspen while I am home and he can hear me walking around upstairs, he will bark non-stop. It's really quite loud and a non-stop bark and I feel so bad but I NEED to be able to shower, do laundry, etc. with a little bit of peace sometimes. I know people have said to move him closer to us, but would putting him in the living room really make a difference? I feel as though he gets just as anxious then and can't settle because we are in his view. Any help would be appreciated because I hate to hear him bark like that but I know the barking is for only wanting to be out and about because he gets his potty breaks, his food, his playtime, and his walks. I am just feeling really frustrated with his barking because we feel bad bringing him to our mom's house/families houses because he will just bark in his crate. How do I make him feel happy again?
...but you aren’t getting peace are you? Might it not be better to gate off areas of your house if you don’t want him following you around. We have trained Red who is now 10 months not to go upstairs (our 10 year old Lab has never gone upstairs). She will sit on the stairs and wait but mostly she just accepts me going up there and goes into her daytime bed in the sitting room. My DH has his office upstairs so when I am out and he is in there she does the same. We haven’t any gates. Aspen is probably feeling very excluded and making his feelings known . I would try only crating him when it’s bedtime or an absolute necessity.
I think Aspen is about 6 months now? Can you give him more freedom at all? What about a baby gate somewhere to keep him out of trouble, but room to move around and see you? Personally, when I showered, Quinn came into the bathroom with me and had a chew/kong or slept on the floor (still does sometimes), and pretty much just came room to room with me when I was home, and I would do some intermittent "on your bed" training and maybe some ball hiding games, or I would just give her a kong while I was cooking, cleaning, watching TV etc.
Hi Alicia What about his puppy pen instead or does he jump out? Is your routine the same? They do seem to pop up with new behaviours aye? Like for me, one day Pearl decided to back away from having her harness put on! ...independence stage.
@Atemas The living room is "Aspen's Room" as it has his bed and toys and is the most puppy-proof area in our house. He is okay in there if he has his toys but as you probably know, he is at that age where I really need to keep an eye on him cause he's mischievous! Any ideas on re-introducing the crate training and seeing the crate as a good place to go? I can get him in his crate with treats, but he is definitely not willing to get in his crate if I simply say "Go kennel!"
@QuinnM15 Honestly, Aspen is really naughty...not naughty in that I know he's purposelessly being bad but because he gets into EVERYTHING. 'm really trying to work on this but he just does what he wants. My boyfriend just kind of un-trains all the good behaviors I try to teach him. I'm very frustrated because every night is a run-around with Aspen snatching things, destroying toys, tipping over the recycling, etc. I take him to the dog park, do training, and go on long walks in new places and let him sniff his heart away. It is like he runs the house! I am thinking about going to puppy school with him once a week and making my boyfriend go with to reinforce what he should and shouldn't do with Aspen/let Aspen do. He is okay in the living room which we gate off, but normally he will just sit and wait for me or bark. Unless he has a toy that he is very preoccupied with destroying!
@Me and my dog Aspen has hated his pen since day one He would go sleep in his crate as a pup, but now he doesn't seem to be such a fan of the crate. So we basically just threw the puppy pen into storage as a lost cause. My routine is the same, as I am a student and routine is my life! Aspen just seems to be much more of a terror at 6 months. Makes me frustrated because my sister's red lab is a dream and really has been since day one. Here my boy is still biting, jumping, barking, etc. Makes me kinda upset. Don't really know what to do
I think a puppy class is a good idea. It is important for you both to go to training class together. My OH is not very interested in classes or hands on training, but he came to every level 1 class with us, and about half of the other classes we did after that. He pretty much sat in a chair the whole time, but it got him using the same cues as me and understand how to do/NOT do things. I think it was really valuable for him to hear things directly from the trainer and not just from me. He was also impressed with how fast Quinn could learn at class and translate to home (one class she was taught to go to a mat, and that night she was going to her bed when asked at 4 months - that really got him on board ). It also motivated him to help in her training more, for example recall games since he was there when we were given the homework! Training classes will also help you work on some of the behaviours you mention (jumping, barking) and will maybe give you some new ideas for your own training at home.
I personally would leave the crate unless it’s bedtime or you have to go out. I always throw a few treats in the crate for Red at bedtime - she expects them . Could you not take him with you and a mat and maybe a kong or his toys - train him to go on the mat and stay whilst you get your jobs done? Reward him when he’s quiet and calm and as he grows he will settle. I would definitely go to training and get your boyfriend to go if possible. I went on my own and to be honest my DH wasn’t particularly interested at that stage until he saw how responsive Red was becoming. Don’t try and compare him to your sister’s dog - he will get there.
Maybe training calm behaviour, such as suggested here on the forum.. Like that idea of having them with a leash on and you sitting down...I think you put your foot on the lead as they lie there and just read a book or something. Also treating him for calmness..i haven't don't this technique myself. May not be the idea your looking for...but may help to teach him to be calm. I do understand how it could be upsetting and also the fact that your boyfriend doesn't do the same things would be frustrating. I have found that at times with my family but at least they don't live with me continually doing different things with Pearl and it wasn't major things that effected Pearl I don't think.
