Crate training
The first sheepie was not crate trained, but was kept in a bedroom/bathroom area during the day. Until one day after many years he just decided to start destroying the carpet and bathroom floor. After that he got the free run of the house and was very happy! Their second one, Paddington was crate trained, but really dislikes his crate- even to this day and he is 7 yrs old. I have been reading the puppy threads here and am seeing that the new pups do not like their crates. Has anyone had a positive experience with crate training? Does your sheepie ever go into their crate just to rest on their own? I plan on crate training and want to do it the right way. Thanks! |
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Both my girls love their crates and will go into them on their own when they just want to rest, or chew on a treat. When it's time for me to go to work, I just say "Crates" and both dogs go into their own crates and sit there until I close the door. They don't whine or bark at all in their crates, except when the cat teases them and runs back and forth in front of the crates or jumps on top of one and dangles her tail through 
They never have been whiny in their crates, right from day one they spent some time in there. When I put them in I praised them and gave them their favorite treat, then ignored them completely until it was time to come out. I store their toys and chews in their crates too, so it has always been a place to go to find something good. My first OES hated her crate though. She never grew out of it. She barked like mad when she had to be in it, and went so crazy she would have the crate halfway across the room. She bent it, broke it, and learned to open almost any lock. I didn't get her as a young pup though so who knows what happened before she came to me. |
| We have had good luck with crate training too.
We made the crate cozy with favorite toys, and never forced the issue of going in the crate. We leave the crate door open during the day when we are home. We reward going in the crate with a treat (he likes milkbones) when he goes in on his own. At night, we give a special (just for the crate) treat, we have found a small piece of swiss cheese is the right incentive. Now we say bedtime and he heads for the crate !!! We do not make an issue of our leaving or arriving home. As a small puppy he would whine, but as he got older he sleeps or plays with the toys until we get home. We leave the TV on as he loves to watch old movies !! We never leave him longer than 3 hours (he's 10 months old now) Good luck with crate training, and congratulations on your new puppy !! |
| Thanks for the information thus far-please keep it coming!
Also-I plan to start off with a small crate that I am borrowing. But after that will plan to go to the larger crate- I was thinking a vari-kennel, and not one that is completely metal. Is the large size big enough or best to go with the x-large? I think my parents have the x-large for Paddy. And- does anyone know if the vari-kennels come with dividers so the puppy doesn't get the full run of the crate before they are ready? Thanks again! |
| maggie loves her crate - the first 2 nights were a little much but after that she adjusted. When I leave the house I just say in your crate and in she goes followed by a treat. So I guess you could say she tolerates it but she never just lays in it if we are home except after she was fixed, she want in there for a day or so afterward. We are now giving her the run of hte house as we have adopted another girl 14 months who was not crate trained and all is going well. Overall training Maggie to use her crate at night and when we were out was really easy. |
| Sorry, don't have info on the Vari Kennel.
We chose the softside crate from Pet Gear. It has mesh windows, and is very durable. You can fold it up for traveling. The Drs Foster and Smith catalog stocks it. Whatever you chose, buy the largest crate. The sheepies grow fast !!! Our breeder suggested using a box to decrease the size of the crate. This worked out well for us. Best of luck with finding comfortable sleeping quarters for your puppy!!! |
| Is the softsided crate that durable? Meaning once the sheepie gets full grown and leans against one of the walls or charges a wall.....the whole crate won't tumble over? I would love to have one that travels well.
Thanks! |
| Hi Wendy,
Our guy is 10 months old, no problem with crate stability at this point. (He is now 80 lbs.) The frame snaps into place, have not had any problems with it coming apart. It folds flat to about 4 inches,and you can carry it like a large portfolio. I can't speak to the durablity of crates by other companies, but this one has held up well !! I think the Midwest company makes a metal crate for traveling, if you prefer.... |
| just got a soft side crate, am really impressed with how sturdy
and durable it seems (thanks again zahra!) although hasnt been puppy tested yet 8 more days arg!!!  |
| We've had our pup for a few weeks now, he's almost 10 weeks old. I actually have been crate training for one week now. It has worked out pretty good, I wish I would've started the day we brought him home. Last night he slept in his crate from 10 pm - 5 am without a problem. This was the first full night he slept through since we've had him. His potty training is going very well also, hasn't had an accident in 5 days or so!! I also crate him if I leave during the day, although he's not as fond of the crate during the day! |
| Pooh has his crate routine--in the morning it's out of the crate and wait for me to dress for a walk, then after morning routines it's a quick walk before I leave for work and into his "downstairs" crate. He will walk in, turn around and wait for me to give him a cookie and to close the door.
At night, similar thing. After his nighttime walk, i get a cookie, and we go upstairs together where he will go directly into his now enclosure and sit and wait for the cookie. Then he either lays in the crate or outside it, but always ends up in the crate on his own. |
| Ok- here's a question- does anyone have experience with crating for off again on again schedules? My hubby works 12 hour shifts 3 days a week- so we'd only need to crate part of the week (a 1/2 day wednesday, and thursday, friday). Is it going to mess the dog up to not have every day be the same for crating?
Anybody have any ideas? Karen  |
| I just tell Sam to go to her room...and she does. If it is my turn to pick up the kids from school, she usually is ready to go into it around 2:00. But sometime she comes for the ride and she is very ready to hop in the car. I guess what I am trying to say that there isn't much of a routine. It changes all the time. And she is ok with that. |
| Hi Wendy, my Murphy loves his crate, we brought him home at 8 wks old,we had his crate waiting for him. It is a x-tra large, we got it at tractor supply,and it does have a divider so it can grow with the pup. The company's name that makes this is New World Pet Products. Hope this helps you out. Lorie |
| How did all of you get these great crate-loving dogs? Clyde won't fuss too much when he's in there anymore but when he knows that it's time to go in, he's like, hey, look how good I am, mommy. Why would I need to go in there? I sure wish he loved it. We've tried everthing-- treats, praise, never forced it-- I've now just accepted it as a personality thing! |
| We started crate training the day we brought Pooh home. Put blankets and toys in there and made it fun. I don't know that he really loves the crate but he knows that when we leave that's where he goes and at night he still sleeps in it even though he gets crate and then some for space. |
| Okay, I've decided to try the crate with my new rescue dog, MIller who is year and a half. The questions I have, is how should I start to train him. Max, my first oes, who never pees in the house, will not be crated. Will this affect the training? Miller has been spending the past week while I'm at work in the bathroom, with no mistakes. But last week after we got up and ready to go out, he peed right in the hallway and just looked at me. then later that night, went big poty in front of me. but on Saturday night I went out for 5 hours and left him and Max in the house, and I didn't see any mistakes. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. |
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