Hi everybody! I got my lab puppy this past weekend, and he's so much fun! Potty training is going well with few accidents that thankfully, I've caught in action. He's also learning, slowly, to chew on toys rather than other things. And he gets a TON of compliments from neighbors haha I can't seem to get this crate training down though, I have no idea what it is. I started off introducing him to it, making it comfortable and putting a few of his favorite toys in it. He would go in, lay a little bit, and come out whenever he wanted. I have fed him in it a few times, done some work sitting in front of the crate while he's in it, door open and sometimes door closed, and I have praised him with a treat and vocally when he has gone in by himself. The first night, he whined a little bit, only a few minutes if that, then went to sleep. The second night, he didn't whine at all! Not even when I put him back in overnight after potty breaks! Last night however, he whined practically the entire time. At one point, I took him out to potty, not addressing him or giving him attention, and after he didn't use it for 2 minutes, I took him back. I tried ignoring, but he whined for over an hour, eventually throwing himself around inside, trying to get out. I have neighbors attached to my unit, and I was and still am worried that I'm going to get a complaint. Because I didn't know if the neighbor would complain, I took him out again, took him outside to potty, and when he didn't go, I laid him in bed with me. He slept practically the entire night. A took him to the restroom two times throughout. During the day, he is okay being in his crate. Sometimes, he'll wake up in his crate and just sit there quietly. When he's sleeping and laying around, I'll place him inside. Should I keep ignoring his whining at night even if it doesn't stop? And did I make a huge mistake by letting him sleep in bed with me? Thank you so much! I'm excited to watch as Apollo learns and grows!
