Crating, doesn't like it much

[spawn207]

My rotti pup seem to dislike his crate. I will try to coherce him to go inside but I have to do it with a treat and once he goes in I give him another one. I try to crate him too much but I have 2 kids that need me and I can't have him running around the house getting into things that I am not aware of. How can I make it easier for him to like his crate and make him go in without a fight.

He's been biting alot on my feet or my pants leg, I need help. I try giving him a chewing toy, may work for a little but not long. What chew toys are good for rotti that he can really enjoy?

[Luvtails]

try searching these forums as there is alot of good information on the subjects you are asking about. also as soon as he is old enough get him into puppy classes. they help the puppy and you as a new dog owner, as for your questions...

you can try a "kong" toy and put peanut butter in it so he has to spend time licking it out and only give it in the crate.

feeding the pup in the crate also helps him associate it with good and it keeps the kids out of the dogs bowl:)

make sure you pup is out of the crate to get proper exercise both physical and mental. being tired will help him remain calm in crate. also young pups have small bladders and need to be out often.

your puppy needs to be socialized and bond at this early age, are you sure you can do this?
I don't ask this to be critical but you state the puppy is always in the crate. can you gate him where you and the kids are? I have gone as far as putting baby diapers on a puppy to prevent accidents on the rug.

[lengel]

Give him every good thing in his crate - toys, treats and food. It shouldn't take more than a few days for him to run into it as soon as you pick up a toy or cookie. Use anything smelly to stuff a Kong - cheese, peanut butter, hot dog bits, liver treats. Never force him into it. Give him all kinds of reasons to go there himself.

[Anne]

Originally Posted by spawn207

My rotti pup seem to dislike his crate. I will try to coherce him to go inside but I have to do it with a treat and once he goes in I give him another one. I try to crate him too much but I have 2 kids that need me and I can't have him running around the house getting into things that I am not aware of. How can I make it easier for him to like his crate and make him go in without a fight.

He's been biting alot on my feet or my pants leg, I need help. I try giving him a chewing toy, may work for a little but not long. What chew toys are good for rotti that he can really enjoy?

How long and how often is he in the crate? How old is the pup?

[Kayla13]

Hi everyone, Im a first time rotty owner.....due to get my first pup in about 8 weeks.
Could i get some info on crating and any other tips i should know before i get my pup?

Thanks

[Maxxx]

Also try not too feel bad putting him in the crate. He'll feel it and not want to go in. Definitely put treats in there with him, or a nylabone or his favorite toy. We also used a puppy kong and it worked wonders. Everytime he went in, he got his kong. Pretty soon, I'd pickup the kong in my hand and off he went right into the crate, even if I didn't want him to go! Good luck!

[Weily4Life]

Originally Posted by spawn207

My rotti pup seem to dislike his crate. I will try to coherce him to go inside but I have to do it with a treat and once he goes in I give him another one. How can I make it easier for him to like his crate and make him go in without a fight.

What size crate do you have? Is it big enough for you to get in there with him. (I started crate training my two adult Rotties 4 weeks ago before Greta had to go for surgery the following week). Of course the crates are big 48" x 30" x 35" high. We also have crate pads for them. The crates arrived one day and the pads the following day. The day with just the crates I tossed treats in and they gingerly stepped in after the treat. They stepped on the crate tray and backed out. So, I put a blanket in each. This helped a little bit, but the tray still seemed to feel the slight up/down movement of the crate under their feet. They went in after the treat and then backed back out.

The following day when the pads came, things went much better. I tossed in treat, they went in, and didn't back out immediately. To get them to see that it could be a comfortable place to be I entered each crate in turn, curled up on one side and called one of them in (lured with a treat). I did not force them to stay. During the first couple days, lure with treat, praise "good girl", if they came back out, toss in a treat again, "good girl", etc. It became a game. It is important to make it fun, a good place to be, not a punishment.

Here are a couple of links that might be helpful to you.

Crate Training | The Humane Society of the United States

American Dog Trainers Network -- How To Successfully Crate Train Your Puppy

Best of Luck!

Dawn

[enklined]

I've got a question to ask RE: create training - how important is it that the puppy sleep with you? Mina is 10 weeks, and we have one crate downstairs in the living room (where we spend most of our time when we are home). It sounds like dogs like sleep next to their owners....should I invest in ANOTHER crate? Those things are cheap, you know :p

Right now Mina bites at the crate and whines for about 15 mins everytime i put her in there. I do everything by the book - treat her for going in, treat her when i shut it, i place a kong in with peanut butter and treats at night time, and I never ever put her in there for being bad. Still, for the last week and a half, she whines and bites at the crate. I'm afraid she might actually her herself one of these times - break a tooth or something!

Would buying a second crate help with her separation anxiety? Or is it that its only been a week and ahalf and shes not fully acclimated to the crate yet?

[spawn207]

Thanks u guys for all the wonderful responses. Today I changed it a little bit. I did partition an area in the kitchen for him. I placed a gate where he can only be and he seemed to be ok with it. I check on him from time to time to make sure he doesn't have any accidents. He did however peed on the floor when my son was playing with him, he told me about it. I'm afraid that by not crating him I will be having more accidents then usual and I don't want that. I have been giving him breaks playing and taking him out to go, I just don't want him to think that since he is not in his crate he go in his new place now.

As for feeding him I don't know if I should continue putting him in his crate to eat. I did put some food and water in his new dishes and he did go for the water but not much of the food, When he finished the water, he did eat a little food but not much as usual. How long can I leave dry food out there for him when he doesn't eat and when should I take it away if he does or doesn't eat it.

I will try the kong toy with cheese in it tonight when I put him down for bed. I will let u guys know how it goes.

Mayra

[Luvtails]

I moisten the dry kibble with some water and put it down. I never leave it for more than 20min. whatever is left (usually not any) I will give to my adult dogs. as I read in your other posts he is going to be treated for coccidia (sp?) he might not eat very well during treatment. you can entice him with some meat mixed with his dry food, i put raw hamburger my puppys food. are you feeding 2/3 cup a day or per meal? My puppy is 16weeks and weighs 35lbs and is eating 3 cups a day and is not fat. Seems like not enough if that is his daily ration

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by enklined

...how important is it that the puppy sleep with you? Mina is 10 weeks, and we have one crate downstairs in the living room (where we spend most of our time when we are home). It sounds like dogs like sleep next to their owners....should I invest in ANOTHER crate?...Would buying a second crate help with her separation anxiety? Or is it that its only been a week and ahalf and shes not fully acclimated to the crate yet?

In our house, the pack sleeps together. DH, I, and our two girls sleep in the bed. Foster Boy has his crate in the bedroom and that's where he sleeps. All our fosters have the crate set up in our bedroom and that's where the dog sleeps. (Once the dog earns his feedom and no longer has to be crated, he's free to sleep where he wishes as long as it's on the floor on a dog bed on the floor and not on the furniture or in the bed with us.)

Where Mina sleeps is up to you.

If you want her to sleep in the crate in the living room, that's where she'll sleep.

If you want her to sleep in your bedroom, buy another crate and set it up in your bedroom.

Mina is fussing at night because this is the first time in her young life she's not been cuddled up at night with her sibs and sleeping with the reassuring presence of her mom. She's homesick, but she will get over it.

[spawn207]

I tried moistening his dry food and he does not like it, he refused to eat it. I'll try your idea with the hamburger meat and see what it does. Now if he does eat it, how will be able to wean him out from the mixture of hamburger meat. Will I have to continue this all the way to adulthood.

Mayra