I have read and read on effective pup training over all - and most articles and books highly suggest crate training. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with it. I was raised around GSD's and all had the run of the house as well as the yards per my parent's choice.
I have purchased a crate - all suggested one that wouldn't leave too much room for him to romp around in it because that would encourage potty use - I leave the door open during the day so he can go in as he pleases and know that this is his "Safe Place". I have been trying my absolute best to set a routine for him - being so young I would assume a routine would be wonderful a pup just as it would be an infant child. However - each night around 9pm we start our "Bedtime" routine by going outside, doing his business, have a few laps of water, than into the crate and lights out. He just whines - howls and barks. I've tried putting his favortie "Stuff" in there to comfort him as well as a suggested shirt that smells like me (Someone told me the scent would comfort him) but he is darned determined to throw an all night puppy barking party.

I am not expieranced in crate training and I must admit - the puppy whining does melt my heart but I do NOT give in. Can you please suggest a book, video or article I can read and learn from to make this work? We mainly use the crate at night - he does go with me almost every where except for when I can't take him in the grocery store, ect. Than I leave him in his crate.

I appreciate any suggestions. Thanks in advance.

HI Amanda,

It might be best if you step up his crate training during the day so he's not so isolated (feeling) at night. The idea is to leave him locked in his crate for very short spells to start with, maybe go for a five minute walk.

Do not talk to the pup before you leave or immediately when you get back. Don't make a fuss etc. as this may enhance his anxiety, just stick him in his crate a couple of mins before you go and let him out a couple of mins after you get back. Gradually increase time until he gets used to the fact that he's in there till you say he can come out and no amount of screaming will help.

Ignore him when you let him out until he settles then call him to you.

I'm not sure about the whole velcro dog thing as it can lead to separation anxiety so try to break up your time with him as much as possible.

HTH

John

Hi Amanda,

Just a few more suggestions. You can also place a ticking alarm clock right beside the cage and/or place a blanket over the cage. One other thing I do is to let the pup stay up as late as I do then when I go to bed she stays downstairs in her crate away from me, your pup hearing you walk around might make him want to come and stay with you. hth

Kim

Ed has articles on his site that go into detail on crate training: http://www.leerburg.com/housebrk.htm and http://www.leerburg.com/groundwork. My GSD is 6 months old. He came home with us at 9 weeks of age and we started crate training right away. He screamed and whined and barked and cried, at first. After about a week he started to settle down, and by 2 weeks he was fine with the crate. There is light at the end of the tunnel! One thing though, we also purchased a small crate for him to begin with. He outgrew it very quickly, so start looking around now for a good deal on a larger crate. In a few very short months you'll need one.

 Quote:

Ed has articles on his site that go into detail on crate training: http://www.leerburg.com/housebrk.htm and http://www.leerburg.com/groundwork. My GSD is 6 months old. He came home with us at 9 weeks of age and we started crate training right away. He screamed and whined and barked and cried, at first. After about a week he started to settle down, and by 2 weeks he was fine with the crate. There is light at the end of the tunnel! One thing though, we also purchased a small crate for him to begin with. He outgrew it very quickly, so start looking around now for a good deal on a larger crate. In a few very short months you'll need one.

The higher quality metal wire crates have an wire divider and multiple doors so you could use a large for 2 small dogs or one large pup, and he/she grows the crates grows . I wish I would of spent the extra 60 $ for one years ago instead of buying the cheaper plastic ones. Slide out floor is a nice option also. Crate training is probably the easiest and most effective thing a novice trainer ( like me ) can do to set up a good foundation for the dog. Dogs spend most of their day, sleeping or laying around anyway, better in his crate than on the couch or the bed setting up problems down the road. Eds got tons of info here on doing this properly

Well, you know what they say about hindsight. Initially, we wanted a crate we could use in the car, as well as the house. It looked to us like the Vari Kennel would fit the bill, and be easier to get into and out of the house/Expedition than a wire crate. When he outgrew the small Vari Kennel, a relative gave us a large one. That's when we found out the big one is too heavy for my wife to easily move around. So we ended up getting a large Pet Gear soft sided kennel for the Expedition. Of course, at 6 months, he's not strong enough to jump into the back of the Expedition, but too heavy for my wife to comfortably lift, so we had to work that out too <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> So now we have 3 crates. A large Vari Kennel in the family room. A small Vari Kennel on top of that which we use for storage, and a large "portable" crate for the truck. Can't have too many <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thank you so much everyone. We're still working on it - I've started putting him in his crate for short periods of time during the day in high hopes that he'll see this as his safe house instead of a scary place. He seems to be getting better with it. I'm crossing my fingers he'll learn, he's pretty smart. =0) Thanks again!

hi amanda... just wanted to share with you my experience in the crate training department...

from day one my GSD was introduced to the crate. by the time i got home after picking him up it was just about an hour before bed time. so i took him outside and took food and water away(not like he would have eaten it anyway since he didnt eat for a while) he whined for a total of about 3 minutes and i just covered the crate with a towel that i had just recently used so it had my scent all over it and that stopped all whining... to this day he has never whined, barked, yelled, kicked or screamed to get out and accidentally i discovered he actually prefers to have his 2 meals in the comfort of his crate... also now that i have mastered the stay or "bleib" command i can say crate and when he goes in i just say bleib and he stays in there... sometimes i just say go lay down and point at the crate and he knows exactly what i want from him and does it with no protest at all and i can leave the door open and he wont come out until i release him... oh and most important i have always associated the crate with a positive experience such as loads of treats (in the begining) and during the day when i leave for work i always give him a kong and a couple of chew toys to play with... i stuff the life out the kong with hot dogs, spaghetti,brocolli,carrots and just about anything that fits in it to include his own left over food if any. sometimes i freeze his little bowl of water that hangs on the door and he goes crazy licking the ice and as he is busy with that is when i leave for work and then i do it all over again at lunch time when i come home and let him out...

Thanks for sharing your expierance. It's nice to know there is hope. Our pup is doing MUCH better. Night time is still posing a problem more than day time. I'm still routinely putting him in his crate - at night I generally have him "In bed" by 9:30 so that when we're actually ready for bed around 10:30 - 11pm , he's gotten all of his whining out. But generally within 1/2 hour of my laying down he's up and barking his little head off. I just ignore it until it's aroun 3am to take him outside. I'm really trying hard to get him into a routine so he knows what to expect and what IS expected of him. It would just make my life and his life a bit easier. =0)

 Quote:

Thanks for sharing your expierance. It's nice to know there is hope. Our pup is doing MUCH better. Night time is still posing a problem more than day time. I'm still routinely putting him in his crate - at night I generally have him "In bed" by 9:30 so that when we're actually ready for bed around 10:30 - 11pm , he's gotten all of his whining out. But generally within 1/2 hour of my laying down he's up and barking his little head off. I just ignore it until it's aroun 3am to take him outside. I'm really trying hard to get him into a routine so he knows what to expect and what IS expected of him. It would just make my life and his life a bit easier. =0)

Have you tried the light cloth tossed over some of the open part of the crate at night? I've had more than one dog who liked that den-like atmosphere.