Crate training first few days home

[Hayden]

Alright y'all today is the day I pick up Odin!!! got everything puppy proofed as much as I could. I've got a large crate with a bed in it in my living room and a smaller crate in my bedroom for him to sleep in at night with old towels in it just in case an accident happens. Both crates are covered with blankets to make it seem more den like. I've read in a few different places about feeding the puppy in the kennel to help him get adjusted but I'm just not sure about it. Didn't do that with my last dog. Any thoughts?

 

[JanS]

Oh you must be excited and of course we need lots of pics when he gets home!

Yes, I always fed our pups in the crate and Albert still prefers it to this day so he runs in there on his own when it's feeding time.

Expect to hear lots of whining and crying the first few nights, but if you ignore it he'll figure out that it doesn't do any good.. That said, you do need to determine the difference between fussing and needing to go out, which could be a few times per night.

I also used large towels in the crate for bedding and it made for easy clean up in case they do have an accident.

 

[My2Girls]

Yay! Congrats!!

We did the same thing. One crate in the bedroom and another in the kitchen.

 

[Regalis]

I don't feed in the crate as I've found it tends to create an issue of guarding. Not a huge deal if you intend to always crate feed.

My dogs eat out in the open. They get accustomed to all sorts of commotion and action around them as they eat this way. While I don't LET my kids or anyone else bother the dogs while they eat, I make sure that they tolerate it. Since we also camp a lot where they are outdoors for feeding, they have to beable to comfortably eat in the open.

 

[Viemarangelrock]

We don't crate feed. He has his food & water dish connected to the outside of his crate, so they are raised and off the floor (he had a tendency to flip his bowls)

Occasionally, he has a filled Kong with cream cheese, peanut butter or treats. I freeze the kong to make the fun last longer!

It's entirely up to you. Some like to introduce the crate to the pup with their meal inside to make the crate more appealing to them. It's your choice

 

[Regalis]

It's entirely up to you. Some like to introduce the crate to the pup with their meal inside to make the crate more appealing to them. It's your choice

This is a good point. I use treats for this purpose. I start it right away with a command such as "kennel" or "crate" and once they are in, treat. It takes some time, but consistency is the key here. My 8 month old is to the point that he goes into his crate and sits at night, usually without being told, as soon as I start getting the biscuits out that I only give at night.

 

[GennyB]

Both of my dogs had started their crate training by the breeder. Really helped make the process a breeze.
Rumor, my 6 month old pup, I did feed in her crate in the beginning. She is a busy girl and was distracted by all the new stuff. When I fed her, she would start to eat and see something she just had to check out. It was like "oh food, chomp, chomp, hey what's that? Have to go see. Oh I was eating, chomp , chomp."
Putting her in her crate really helped her focus on eating.
She's in heat right now so the crates are my friend. Both dogs are pretty good in their crates so I'm finding I set a timer to make sure they get rotated. I got busy the other day and forgot Drake. Bad Mommy!

 

[Hayden]

So he's home now. The breeder had fed him right before I picked him up at 5pm. Its nearly 10pm now and he still hasnt gone to the bathroom. Pee or poop. I've taken him out multiple times and all he seems to do is hide under my feet or crawl up my leg to be picked up. Anyone know whats going on?

We went back inside 5 minutes ago and he immediately started falling asleep in my lap so I placed him in his crate. Turned him into the devil. Hopefully the crying stops soon. I put him into the crate in the living room for now because I've got some homework to finish before bed. Gonna transfer him over to the one in my bedroom when I go to sleep. Good idea?

 

[WiglWerm]

Stay strong, don't give in! That crate will be a life saver at many stages of his life (puppy and doberteen for sure lol)! My girl is 1 yr now and still uses her crate multiple times a day. After the initial "cryin like their dyin" they tend to like having their "own" space and some will seek it out on their own. Good Luck sounds like you've been doing your puppy homework!

 

[MischasMomma]

I know I commented on your other post, but in regards to the feeding, I, like Jan, started out feeding in the crate and now Mischa goes there on her own when it's dinner time. We had issues with crate soiling, so it was my hope if she ate in there, she would stop peeing in there. I also randomly change up where she eats, to get her accustomed to being comfortable anywhere. Sometimes she eats in the family room, sometimes she eats in the kitchen, sometimes she eats in the living room. I don't want her to HAVE to have her crate in order to eat, because that's the way it was going for a little bit. Now, it's food, she'll eat anywhere lol

 

[NikiL02]

We fed mostly from a kong to start with so fed in the crate. Now he eats outside of it but like Rumor will get distracted (mostly by the cat.)
And the crying in the crate is normal.

 

[Viemarangelrock]

Hang in there! It's common to have a few or more restless evenings.
He may appear extra clingy to you for the minute as his surroundings are new and he needs to settle in. Keep consistent and he will eventually settle down. It's very daunting for them moving to a new home, away from Mum and littermates.

 

[mila_the_doberman]

Alright y'all today is the day I pick up Odin!!! got everything puppy proofed as much as I could. I've got a large crate with a bed in it in my living room and a smaller crate in my bedroom for him to sleep in at night with old towels in it just in case an accident happens. Both crates are covered with blankets to make it seem more den like. I've read in a few different places about feeding the puppy in the kennel to help him get adjusted but I'm just not sure about it. Didn't do that with my last dog. Any thoughts?

Good thought to keep a crate in the bedroom - and even better to create the den atmostphere! For Mila, we positioned the crate so she could see us and used a crate divider and blankets to create a small and warm space for her We feel the fact she was able to see us gave confidence she was not alone. She didn't cry a single night (we did expect her to do so, but were super happy she didn't - I honestly feel this is rare though and we just lucked out). After three weeks, we transitioned the crate to a different room of the house (it's final spot so to speak) and she has done well.

Crate feeding - we don't. Just a preference, really. I like to wipe out the bottom of the crate a lot and wash her crate blankets often (usually on mondays when I bathe her) - I feel food would simply give me more to clean

 

[squeedobie]

Consistency is crucial! I never followed through with continuing the breeder's kennel training routine (putting Blitz in at night to sleep by himself and for an hour or so each day to keep him on a schedule) and now have a dog who throws an almighty fit whenever he has to stay in his kennel for any length of time. I am talking fits of OMGIAMGOINGODIEWHYAREYOUDOINGTHISTOME puppy rage wherein he shifts the actual position and location of his kennel several feet and, once finally quieted down and let out, will have soaked paws because of how excessively he drools. I'm not sure if it's separation anxiety he's exhibiting or just a side-effect of his excessive tantrums. Regardless, while I'm working now at curbing this behavior, it's something I could have easily avoided had I continued with the routine he was used to before slowly shifting it to something more agreeable to his new lifestyle (vs. just stopping using the kennel all together). In the past, I knew better! But I got waylaid by puppy cuteness and all sensibilities went out the window. It also doesn't help that Blitz has a very determined and headstrong personality.