Baileysmom
Forums Regular
I agree, you have to ignore the whining and crying as long as you know he's not doing it because he has to go potty. First of all, use treats when putting them in their crate, you always want it to be a positive thing to go into the crate. Try to have them go into the crate on their own free will by luring them with a treat, and associate it with a command (we say "kennel" in a very upbeat tone of voice). Then leave the door open and let them walk back out. Repeat this often, then close the door when you do have to leave them in it, giving a treat right after closing it. Once they associate the crate with a treat, they are less likely to cry when shut in. The first few weeks we had Bailey, the first couple of nights he'd do his business outside first, and then cry right after we put him in his crate, so we knew it was for attention. We ignored it, and it took maybe 15 - 30 minutes before he got quiet and went to sleep. Then the next night, it was shorter that he'd quiet down and go to sleep. Then shorter, then no whining at all. However, it was like having a newborn baby that woke in the middle of the night for the first month or so. And it was because he had to go potty. He'd make it until about 4am, I'd let him out only for potty (no playing) then right back in the crate. After a month or so he'd make it until 6am which is when my husband gets up for work anyways. Now he's 6 months old and he lets us sleep in on the weekends until 8am!
We are BAD puppy parents and did leave him in the crate for 8 hours. Unfortunately we both work very far from home and couldn't come home at lunch, and all of our neighbors work during the day too, and we couldn't afford doggie daycare. However we kept an old towel in the crate in case he had to go, it would absorb the urine, and had the crate large enough that he could lay down in a clean area if he did pee. That was because we got him at 7 weeks old and we knew this would happen, I did not expect him to hold it all day and we'd just change the towel to a clean one if he did wet. He did wet his crate until he was about 3 1/2 months old, then he started to be able to hold it after that point. Now the towel is gone and has been replaced with a nice fleece dog bed, and he has no problems holding it. We've done it this way with all our dogs, I know it's not the ideal situation to let them wet their crate, but it's always worked for us and our dogs have always still loved their crates and became crate trained (no potty in crate) as soon as they were physically able. They both RUN into them as soon as you say "kennel" and will sleep in them or go to them for security even when the doors are wide open.
We are BAD puppy parents and did leave him in the crate for 8 hours. Unfortunately we both work very far from home and couldn't come home at lunch, and all of our neighbors work during the day too, and we couldn't afford doggie daycare. However we kept an old towel in the crate in case he had to go, it would absorb the urine, and had the crate large enough that he could lay down in a clean area if he did pee. That was because we got him at 7 weeks old and we knew this would happen, I did not expect him to hold it all day and we'd just change the towel to a clean one if he did wet. He did wet his crate until he was about 3 1/2 months old, then he started to be able to hold it after that point. Now the towel is gone and has been replaced with a nice fleece dog bed, and he has no problems holding it. We've done it this way with all our dogs, I know it's not the ideal situation to let them wet their crate, but it's always worked for us and our dogs have always still loved their crates and became crate trained (no potty in crate) as soon as they were physically able. They both RUN into them as soon as you say "kennel" and will sleep in them or go to them for security even when the doors are wide open.
