Puppy dragging crate around when left alone

[Michellea20]

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Hi, I have a 10 week old Cavachon who will voluntarily enter her crate and sleep in it when its in the living room in the day/evening near us, door left open (although she leaves it to follow us around the house if we walk out of sight). When we go to bed put the crate in the kitchen leaving the crate door open and she immediately starts dragging it across the tiled floor by pulling the blanket inside as well as crying and whining. This goes on for a good 30 minutes or so. This is her is 9th night with us. We ignore all this but I'm wondering if I should continue or remove the crate and let her sleep on the blanket only? Or maybe try closing the crate door now? Bit worried about trying that one too soon. I have been putting little treats in it and feeding her dinner in it to get her to like it and during the day when we are with her she goes in it but I've not closed it yet. Do you think I should try closing the crate door? Or get rid of the crate?

Any advice is much appreciated

Michelle

 

[Michellea20]

She has plenty of toys and a kong

 

[Hagrid]

Does she have any time on her own apart from at night time? It might be worth giving her some alone time in there with some toys and a kong before a nap so that she gets used to the crate.

You may also want to close the crate door so that she cant get out and drag it around as you wouldnt want her to get hurt if the crate fell or caught her paw.

 

[goldenbear2013]

Crate training is brilliant! I would recommend it to any dog owner.

What you have done so far is good. A stuffed kong is a good one as it occupies her and you can leave the room whilst she is munching away on that. This is also a good method as you can build up the time that you leave the room, getting her ready for when you leave her completely.

Now night time.

When i had my dog, we had the crate in the bedroom with the door to the crate locked so he couldnt get out. The bedroom door was open and the landing light was on.

This was for 2 weeks.

Then he went out onto the landing with no lights on, crate door still locked for another 2 weeks.

Then he went downstairs into the kitchen, kitchen door open and landing light on with the crate door still locked. this was for another 2 weeks then the light went off and that is where he has slept ever since with no fuss from him at all.

As i have personally done this method and it worked very well with my dog then to me its the best way to crate train them and get them used to sleeping in their crate securley when you are there or not. Day or night time. It is a gradual process but as it is done over time, its not too frightening for her and she is reassured that you are there at first so more inclined to settle down.

if she whines ignore her. If she cries it maybe because she needs the toilet. In that case, pick her up out of the crate, put her in the garden to do her business, give her a fuss when she goes to the toilet so she knows she has done well, pick her back up and put her straight back in her crate. No cuddles in between, so she knows that the only reason you are tending to her is to take her out (this is obviously of a night time). BUT, make sure you pick her up. If you let her follow you she could start running about thinking its play time and it will be harder to make her settle down.

it will be until she is about 14 weeks approx before she can hold it until the early hours of the morning.

Hope this helps!

Sophie x

 

[gypsysmum]

As above, I would teach her to settle with the door shut. Try it first during the day when you know she is going to be tired and will chew her kong and then, hopefully, fall asleep.

Never let her out when she is crying. Wait for her to be quiet and then open the door. Better still - let her out before she even starts crying. This teaches her that a quiet dog gets released while a noisy one gets ignored.

 

[Michellea20]

Absolutely brilliant advice Sophie & Gypsymum, thank you very much for that, I will stick with it and do it gradually. Thanks Hagrid, I will try closing the crate door I think. thank you all!

Michelle

 

[Michellea20]

Hi Sophie,

I have been following your crate training for the last few days so the pup now sleeps beside my bed in her crate. She has gone from whining for around 20 minutes down to 4 or 5 minutes quite quckly so its going really well thank you! I just wanted to ask about when I start to gradually move her away from my bedside. Do I wait the full 2 weeks as you did or do I begin moving her once she goes into her crate at night and does not whine at all? I would happily keep my dog beside me forever but I am trying to teach her to be ok on her own so she doesn't end up with SA x

Michelle

Crate training is brilliant! I would recommend it to any dog owner.

When i had my dog, we had the crate in the bedroom with the door to the crate locked so he couldnt get out. The bedroom door was open and the landing light was on.

This was for 2 weeks. Then he went out onto the landing with no lights on, crate door still locked for another 2 weeks.

 

[eingana]

Hi Michelle

When you're sure that she is happy in the crate then start making the changes, but you do need to get her used to each one for at least a couple of weeks between changes, because she needs to start processing things as the 'new normal' and be OK with them.

The upside of this is that you only have to wait a couple of weeks for a dog to be OK with changes If you were training cats then it could take 6 months to get to that stage.

 

[Michellea20]

Hi eingana,

Thank you for your advice, that makes sense. I will give it two weeks for each stage then to be sure she is happy.

Many thanks!

Michelle x

 

[goldenbear2013]

Apologies for the late reply.

and my answer is also keep her there for a couple of weeks.

puppies are very clever but they also need to settle into a routine and it has to be done gradually as not to make them anxious or think that they have done something wrong when things change and they don't know why.

Keep it up!!! I'm so pleased my advice is helping you!

Keep asking questions if you're not sure, that's why this site is here

Sophie x

 

[Michellea20]

Hi Sophie, Thank you for your reply, Your advice is most definitely helping me, I can't thank you enough! The pup has actually been silent the last couple of nights, not one little whimper, I'm so happy! I will keep her where she is for the full 2 weeks like you & Eingana have advised, thank you thank you thank you :- )

 

[goldenbear2013]

Awwwww yay!!! you're most welcome!

Glad she is doing so well!!!

You must be a proud momma

Sophie x