Hello.

I have some what of an odd and frustrating situation. Our new chocolate lab puppy is 4.5 months old and we've had him 5 days now. I own Leerburg's Basic Dog Training and Pack Leadership DVDs (awesome, by the way).

OK, we are in the early stages of crate training and when he starts to bark, I ignore him and after awhile when he does NOT stop barking, I walk over and place a sheet over his crate. This quiets him down immediately. I then give it a few minutes and lift the sheet, but when I do he starts barking again. I then place the sheet back over and he quiets down immediately.

Well this is great, but I don't want to have to drape a sheet over his crate FOREVER and I feel like he is calling the shots and is in control of the situation. At first when I draped the sheet he would pull the sheet through the crate and rip it up so now I had to result to hanging the sheet from the wall with tacks and hang it a certain way, so not to come within his reach. Needless to say, the sheet is VERY unattractive and I don't want to keep it as a permanent fixture.

I guess I am asking if I should continue to drape sheet over his crate and give in to what HE wants or.....? Don't get me wrong I think it is great that he quiets down so quickly with the sheet, but by him DEMANDING it over his crate ALL the time....Im not sure how to play this.

Thanks in advance!

Loretta

My advice would be to just hang the sheet. He is still very new to your home and it sounds like the sheet- which is creating a den-like atmosphere is comforting to him. Could you use a piece of plywood on top of the kennel to keep it from the jaws of the little pup. I've done that. Then just use a pretty table cloth and decorate it like a side table Noone will be any the wiser to your makeshift furniature piece. Eventually you can marker train him to sit nicely in there without the sheet, but I'd say choose your battles wisely right now. Others (more experienced members) will asnswer soon I'm sure. Congrats on the puppy!

Me too. I'm thinking he had a crate that backed up to a corner or was under a piece of furniture, and now he's used to that den atmosphere.

Also, I'm thinking that a little way down the road, you may well be able to move the covering back a little, then a little more, and perhaps end up with only the back end of the crate draped.

I don't know if I'm over-accommodating, but I've had four (one is a present pack member) who were much more comfortable with part of the crate draped. I've discovered it only by trial and error.

I would probably not do it "on demand." I would probably have it already draped and not go through the barking and the "cure."

I pretty much agree that this is a natural comfort to many individual dogs and that it's not a battle I'd choose to fight. JMO!

It's a thin cloth and there's still air circulation, right?

I'm curious about other people's house dogs, especially newly acquired, and whether this is relatively common or it's just me.

I have often covered puppy crates. It reduces the stimulus around them & allows them to better relax, yet still be in the 'family' areas of the house & hear the talking, tv, radio, other dogs etc. Maybe it's the den feeling that it creates, not sure.

I don't isolate pups, but want them to be able to be in the active areas like the kitchen or den with the other members of the family, but for some pups find that is overstimulating others don't. Depends on the pup.

Just be sure that there is enough air circulation around the crate so it doesn't get too warm in there in the hotter weather.

Well, If it is any comfort, my 85 lb. 18 month old male shepherd cross sleeps in his sheet and blanket covered crate. It is the ONLY place he seems to truly settle down. We figure it is because everything is muffled in there and he can finally tune out from the outside world.

I would not interpret your pup as 'calling the shots'. He is a puppy, who is crying out for comfort. If draping a sheet is going to give him that, then suffer the intrusion to your interior decorating knowing your puppy is getting a good rest and building a sense of security that there is someone who understands what he needs to feel safe.

Jethro's crate is a big, ugly box that doesn't really fit anywhere. But it is his 'safe place' and we'll keep it for him as long as he needs it.

Mind you, I am an inexperienced dog handler trying to keep up with a semblance of 'in charge' with this big boy. And my house is very obviously a 'dogs live here' kind of place, so the draped crate probably fits in better than I wish it did.

Thanks a lot, everyone. I figured it gave him a sense of security. I love the "decorating" of the crate idea and then slowly lifting parts of it back over time.

I too don't believe in isolating pups, that's why his crate is right in family room, where we all gather. I was just a little thrown off, thinking he would want to "SEE" all that was going on around him.

He's proving to be a REALLY smart pup! Can't wait to order Leerburg's Puppy 8 weeks to 8 months DVD.

Thanks again. : )

 Quote: loretta lewis

I was just a little thrown off, thinking he would want to "SEE" all that was going on around him.

"See" but not so much "be seen" ?

lol! Yep, you're right!

I agree with everyone's advice. I used a sheet to cover my Mal pup's crate for the first few months. If it helps make your pup feel comfortable and relaxed then why not?

I was concerned that she would be reliant on it as well though. But when summer hit I was able to transition her to an open wire crate without problems.

Great to know. Nice to see others experiencing the same thing and able to transition in the future!