April 19, 2011

My GSD cries all the time when I put him in the crate. What can I do?

Full Question:
I just picked up my GSD pup 8 days ago. He is a magnificent dog, very intelligent. After just two day he was asking for the door to relieve himself and was asking when he was hungry. A friend of ours let us use your video, 'Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 8 Months'. It is great. But none the less we have a big problem with the pup. He does not tolerate the crate. He keeps crying and barking all the time. I mean all the time; he does not get tired of it? We follow your training to the "T." It does not seems to make a difference?

I phoned my breeder and told him about that problem. He was kind enough to tell us if we can't break him down for the crate, that he will exchange the dog anytime we want. He said that some dogs don't get accustomed to the crate. We already start to love our little monster. Don't get me wrong I love him and I will try everything to keep him. It is not the first time I trained a pup. I had in the past two Golden Retrievers. They passed away. What else can I do?

Thanks for your Advice,
Bobby
Ed
Ed Ed's Answer:
Every pup will get used to the crate, the more they scream the more they stay in the crate. It's a simple concept. It may take 3 days, it may take 2 weeks. The issue is with you and not the dog. But to have a family companion that will not destroy your home he must be crate trained. Allowing him to get out when he screams will only train him to scream more - let him scream for hours if he likes. Put the crate in the garage or the basement or outside. It makes no difference where the crate is.

Feed him in the crate too. Leave the door open and put the food bowl in there so he has to go in to eat but can come back out after he eats.

I can assure you that I have a great deal more experience than your breeder, having bred GSD's for 25 years and 230 litters. No dog in my 25 years has ever not been able to be crate trained, but I have had a lot of owners that cannot learn to dog train. There is a big difference there.

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