It's a week today since we've had Enoch. He's taking to the crate pretty well and rarely whines. Actually we found out yesterday that he only whines when he has to go to the bathroom. Handler mistake. LOL. We keep the crate in the family room/kitchen. That's where we spend most of our time. He quickly got used to the noise and busyness of the house. We've decided to wait to tether him around the house for another week. He gets lots of play time outside and potty time but we wanted to make sure he accepts the crate before we started tethering him. Right now he doesn't want to go in the crate but is fine once he's in there. Is us waiting another week to tether him a good decision?

Secondly what should I expect when I start tethering him? Is he going to be so excited to be around the house he'll start peeing everywhere? Should I only tether him AFTER he's been outside to potty? Just need some advice and experiences from others who have tethered their puppy, the good and bad. Thanks.

Maisha, I can't respond to the tethering (I didn't tether, but w/ my next pup, definately will!)

But, regarding the pup not wanting to go in the crate; are you tossing goodies in to get him to go in on his own? You want him to develop that positive association w/ the crate right from the start.

To this day, I give my 10 month old a kong smeared w/ cream cheese or peanut butter when she goes in the crate; she heads automatically to her crate when I pick up the kong and open the fridge door.

Yeah, I do offer him treats but he still doesn't want to go in. I even give him treats when he is sitting quietly in the crate. Once he's in the crate he's fine. The only time he willingly goes in is when he is tired. So I also need help on getting him to go willingly in the crate. He'll go in to get the treat but he hurries and turns around to get out. Maybe I should try the Kong. Do you smear the whole inside with the peanut butter or just plop in down at the bottom?

Maisha,

I tether and crate-train at the same time. I actually feel that they enforce one another. If I can't have the pup tethered for whatever reason, then it's in the crate. If I'm going to be doing something like making dinner, paying bills, on the computer, watching TV, cleaning the house--then I tether. Times when it's not 100% puppy time, in other words. Of course, there's outside time and playtime too.

For housetraining, my experience has been that if you have a puppy tethered to you when not in the crate that they will give some 'sign' that they need to go out...whining, barking, etc. Mostly because a pup isn't going to want to pee or poop right near you and they would prefer to be away from you to do it.

This helps you learn the dog's signals and it helps the dog understand that when they get an urge, they get taken outside. It's an even clearer message than the crate, IMO.

Sure, take your pup out as often as you would any other time. But the tether will help you on those times that you weren't expecting. It's also wonderful for bonding and preventing teeth marks on everything in your house.

Just make sure that you have something for your pup to do if he's tethered while you're not moving or you'll quickly have a mini-nightmare on the end of the leash that wants to gnaw on your ankles for lack of anything better to do.

 Quote: Maisha Butler

Do you smear the whole inside with the peanut butter or just plop in down at the bottom?

I smear the entire inside so that she has to work at it awhile to get it all out. I also used to wedge a chicken jerky piece (for dogs) in there with the PB or cream cheese, and that really took her awhile to finish when she was smaller.

None of my dogs have ever liked kongs. Always leaving me trying to get the crap out if the insides.

 Quote: Michelle Berdusco

None of my dogs have ever liked kongs. Always leaving me trying to get the crap out if the insides.

Yeah, I have to remember that not all dogs are blessed with the food drive that mine has. She'd work a kong for an hour if it meant getting a teaspoon of peanut butter out of it.