Hi, I have an almost 4 mos old black lab, Sampson. He's a great pup, smart, loving, and just a great addition we made to our family. I'm having trouble leaving him. I tried to crate him for 10-15 min and you would've thought it was for hours upon hours. I am not a fan of crating a dog to begin with so I don't push it on him. Luckily, I have someone able to be home with him at all times or he comes along when able. The past few weeks my brother has said as soon as I leave he just whines and cries. He knows I'm coming back as I've always gone to work since we first brought him home so this is nothing new. When I put him in cage he does the same thing and once he's released, he is so worked up! He peed twice on my floor which he hasn't done since I first got him. He house trained easily so I know this wasn't an "accident". There is gonna come a time where I do have to leave him alone. He will never be alone for hours or anything, but rather than drag everyone with me to the store so someone can sit in the car with him I'd rather just be able to go and come back. He has always chewed or eaten everything he gets his mouth on. I've kept everything up so he don't get hurt but he's getting bigger and he knows it. He now puts his paws on a dresser trying to reach for things. He gets in purses if left in his reach. My point is he's no dummy. But I don't know if this chewing is typical teething for a puppy or if its an anxiety too. Please, any input would be greatly appreciated. We go back to the vet Thurs and I will speak with her about it. I'm also waiting on a return call from a puppy class for training. I want him to be safe in regards to the chewing, but I would love to know he is not going crazy when I leave not only health wise, but for his piece of mind that he's never gonna be left. We got him at 7 weeks so aside from the breeders we were his only home so it's not like he's been abandoned ever!
I forgot to mention I typically only work 3 days. They are 12 hours, but again he's not left alone at all. Not sure if the long hours have something to do with it either, its split up through the week not 3 consecutive days. I'm at a loss.
Hi there,Welcome to the Forum. Don't be afeared,Sampson sounds like a lovely ,typical Labrador pup! I used a crate and many of the other members on here have too....Can you tell my why you aren't a fan?They are so useful....if used properly. They can help you with toilet training stage ...although you sound like you've made great progress there ,or just to give your puppy a happy safe place to retreat to rest in or give you some worry free time so you can get out and do the things you have to do.Its all about among the crate a FANTASTIC place to be If you have a look on the main website there are several articles that can help you ...here is one to start you off http://www.thelabradorsite.com/crate-training-your-labrador-puppy/ 10-15 minutes is too long if you are starting from scratch and that was your first attempt? Id go right back to the beginning and start to build up very gradually from literally a few seconds upwards. Make the crate really appealing,leave treats in there for him to find...feed him his dinner in there.I know some dogs really don't get on with the crate,but I'd say you don't know that yet,give it more of a chance...but then if it really isn't working out you could look at some alternatives,child gates,puppy pens...they are options that can allow you to secure your puppy too. Most of us became Domestic Gods and Godesses and this stage .....perfectly tidy counters ,nothing left on the floor...etc They are keen to pick up everything and of course he is still teething at the moment so nothing is safe.I survived by actually being quite lucky ( I didn't get my dog Dexter until he was 5 months) giving him lots of chew toys of his own , stuffed Frozen kongs where a godsend and the best distraction and occupation,ice cubes to chase and eat and and cardboard item whatsoever that I could hide a few pieces of kibble in and give him a game to play. Hope there's a few ideas there for you. best wishes Angela and nearly 3 year old Dexter x
Hello and welcome to the forum! This is hard, but it's something you have to crack. He needs to learn to be alone because there may be a time when it's unavoidable. I agree with Angela - the crate was my saviour with my two. Using it when they were young meant that I knew they were safe, and my home was safe while I was out. I work from home and so they don't need to be left alone a lot, but I make a concerted effort to have them spending time alone. I put myself in another room for the odd hour, and take them out separately a lot so that one is left alone at home. It gives them independence and teaches them the skill of self settling. As Angela said, you have to build up very slowly at first with the crate. Lots of treats "appearing" in there. At first, don't close the door, then quietly close and open it straight away. Then keep it closed for a few seconds, and gradually extend the time. Most dogs get on very well with it when introduced gradually and it gives them a safe place to retreat to. Even though my two are no longer crated during the day or at night, they will often take themselves in there for a bit of quiet time, or if they have something they want to protect. I also agree that, when you go out, or when you put him in the crate for training purposes, give him something to occupy himself with. Frozen filled kongs are great for this. Start off with really tasty things (eg a tin of sardines, mushed up and mixed with some of his kibble) and, over time, you can reduce the value, and the calorie content, by just using soaked kibble put in there and frozen. But starting off with something really smelly will keep his attention better at this stage.
Thank you both. The problem is not the crate. He will go in on his own, he has his toys in there, I left his kong and treats. He actually likes the crate. It's being alone. He will stay in the crate all day long without a problem as long as I'm home. It's not even that he's left alone, since he behaves the same way if he is free to roam the house and i leave him with my brother. It's me leaving! If my daughter is home it doesn't seem to bother him as much but he will still whine and cry at first. Even then when i return he is sooooo happy to see me its almost like hes saying youre back, you came back looking for belly rubs and recognition. I do reassure him by giving him this attention once home. I could walk across the street for few minutes and come right back and he will act as if i left him for some period of time and hes so happy to see me. I assumed the chewing was just puppy teething. I just wasn't completely sure that's all it was. He does get excited when people in general come in or walk down the street. But it is different than is reaction to my return. Other people its like he is saying hi, im glad you came to see me lets be Friends, pet me pet me!!! With me it is almost like oh my god you came back you really came back i was so scared you forgot me. Haha I'm making it seem like i know what he is saying but it is 2 completely different reactions from him. We can be in separate rooms for long periods of time and he is fine. Not sure if i am making sense. But I cannot leave him in the crate and leave because it intensifies the issue rather, than worry about my house I am worried hes going to give himself a heart attack. Again i appreciate all input as I have never seen this with a lab, maybe a small yippee dog yes.
Not that I'm not open to a crate, but I just have never really had a dog that was in a crate. Growing up we had a lab, my uncle has a lab, and I've just never really been exposed to a dog that HAD to be crated I guess. I would prefer gating him in a room just to give a little freedom. This is his home too. I am willing to make more attempts with the crate if his behavior wasn't increased by a ten fold.
First off, you don't want to encourage an overblown reaction to you when you get home. My two are definitely my dogs and react more to me than anyone else coming in, but if you encourage it, it will never stop. You need to teach him that being calm is the way to go to get attention, so when you come home, don't give him any until he's settled down. Otherwise you're rewarding the manic behaviour and he won't learn to manage his impulses. It's super hard, because you want to reassure him and, hey, it's nice to be welcomed so enthusiastically, but it's not doing any of you any favours for the future. If you don't want to use a crate, then don't. Lots of us find them super useful tools, especially in the early days, but lots of others don't use them. If you're not comfortable with it, then no-one is making you
It's not that I don't want to use the crate but it seems to increase the problem rather than be helpful. Ughh it is very hard to not react to his welcome since he's underneath me as soon as I open the door. Maybe I'll try having them put him on the leash and keep a little distance until he settles. Do you think that would help? I just feel bad that he acts that way since it's completely uncalled for. So it's me that's a big part of the problem. Tomorrow I work so when I get home I will refrain from responding to my welcome until I'm in the door and he's not all over me. I will also make attempts with the crate while I'm off for short periods of time. So if 10-15 min is too long to start at should I do 5 min and gradually go from there? Today while I was cleaning he went in and laid there playing the entire time. So it's not like he's boycotting the cage. It's simply my absence. Hopefully I can break this behavior of his!!! Thank you again!!!
If he's happy in his crate with the door shut as long as you're in the same room, then gradually build up the time you're doing that. But, you're right, removing yourself from the room will make him anxious to start. So, you need to start slower with that; simply put him in his crate, shut the door, walk out of the room and then straight back in. Over time, you can build this up to 30 seconds, then a minute, then five etc. Only come back into the room when he's silent (even if for a second) and don't talk to him at all when he's whining.
Hi there ,sorry I wasn't around much after I replied to you yesterday.Fiona has given you great advice,it's so tempting to fall on the floor and love them when you come home because they make you feel like the world with their welcome but it won't help Sampson with his worry. I didn't realise he was ok with the crate,that is great ...if it's really you leaving the house that upsets him then that is what your focus needs to be on.Similarly to crate exposure time,you can build this up very slowly.Leave the house,close the door ,wait a few seconds ( or for a quick second of silence in any crying or wailing) and come back in and gradually build up from there...it will get to the point where you are standing in the street outside your house for minutes at a time but it will work if you persevere. It's tough to do this when you have to already leave for long periods of time for work so I'd keep changing up your routine when you are leaving the house for a long time .....he will already know what you do,put your shoes on,pick up your keys,pick up your bag,say goodbye to everyone etc ...watching you do your normal ritual can build his anxiety levels so he's already upset by the time you leave.A frozen kong will be a great tool to help you with this,fill,them with something amazing and provide a good distraction to your departure. If crates aren't for you then they aren't for you...completely down to personal choice.I don't think they were wildly used though until fairly recently.My parents certainly didn't when we were young and started having dogs?My boy is nearly 3 ,the crate is still up in his room and sometimes he will go and lie in it of his own accord ....I don't think we will ever take it down.He has free run of the house now,probably from about 16 months but we built that up gradually,maybe we were lucky but we had minimal damage to the house and apart from dog proofing dangerous things ( electric leads) we didn't have to move anything radically. Let us know how you get on with Sampson,you sound like you've got willing volunteers you can call on too keep him company which is so helpful x
I had never used a crate until we were waiting for Juno to arrive and read all the advice and benefits of crating, the greatest being that your dog can't chew up your home while you're out. Juno was left in her crate from the first week she lived with us, so from 11 weeks, as I had to go shopping and my husband was away in the UK for work. I had a nylabone that I used for her when I was leaving to go out. She used to go in her crate and I would give her the nylabone and say goodbye. She has not been crated for the last 4 months but I still give her the nylabone when leaving her at home alone. One of the other benefits of the crate is that of course you puppy has to be quiet before be released when you arrive home so helps to encourage the behaviours you want.
Somebody may have already said this but when my boy was little we used to put a blanket over his crate as to somewhat make a den for him. The blanket would only cover two and a half sides (his crate was massive!!!) What i used to do was cover the side of the crate where he could see me "leave" the room so he wasnt actually watching me go, i started with a few seconds and gradually bought it up to an hour or two. Not only did it give me some downtime to myself but kept him safe if i did have to pop out. It really helped my boy cope with his anxiety and now hes 18 months i can leave him go roam the house as he pleases when im out. Just a warning if Sampson is a chewer keep an eye on him as my boy did manage to pull some blanket into his cage and chew it! I also used to leave my jumper or top that id worn the day before in his crate if i went out and that used to settle him right down, often hed fall asleep on it before id left!!! We did the same thing the first night we bought him home at 8 weeks, we had a blanket with his mother's scent on it, within 15 minutes of arriving home he was fast asleep on the blanket. Hope some of this helps
Thank you all! This is all very helpful information!! Yes, it is my absence that is what it is. Even when I'm home if I go into the other room he's right behind me. If I'm downstairs usually ends up under the dining room table because he can see me no matter where I'm at I believe. Tonight I did not respond to him other than a wait a minute when I came in the door. He of course followed me around . By the time I put my stuff away and got a drink he had already calmed so I then gave him his belly rub that he just loves. He did really good even without me responding to him right away. But right now his head is on my lap. Lol... he is a chewer he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth so I have to be careful of what is in his reach. So no I don't believe covering the cage is a good idea. I think the anxiousness combined with his love of chewing wouldnt be such a great idea. Tomorrow we will work on the cage since I will be home. Thanks again all of you!! I'll keep you posted.
