Crate training an OES puppy
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| Yes! But remember it is not a place of punishment. It is a place of safety and security. There are times you need to have the dog away, safe and having it willingly go into it's "cave" is great. Also the dog can self control in chaotic situations by going to the cave. It might be a house full of rowdy children, it might be a storm, or whatever. Traveling you may want to keep the dog in a secured (tied down) crate to prevent injuries in case of an accident. Having pup already accustomed to a crate makes transport so much easier. You can have the crate in your bedroom initially as you can calm the dog or hear it's pleas to go pee every two hours......or so it seems. If allergies prevent such close habitation, it is perfectly OK to select another spot. Keep it out of drafts.........even dogs don't want drafty cold.......or overly hot locations for their private retreat. Keep furnishing simple because puppy will pee in crate......you miss a call or they don't know to call. Lots of enzyme cleaner, old towels, etc for new puppies. |
| Thanks for your help. Our bedroom is on the second floor and will have the crate in this room. Should I have a second one on the first floor for during the day? I will be home most of the time to raise him and really don't want him in his crate that much. But I am assuming I will need it. ie: running to the store, etc. Speaking of the car. How do I take him around with me? Do i buy a large carrier or another crate? I usually see dogs in other cars just sitting on the seat, but what about when he is a puppy? God forbid, but I don't want him flying around if there is an accident!! And if I have to buy 3 crates, oh boy $$$, any suggestions on where I can order then on line at a reasonable price. One more thing...how long do I crate train him? 6 mos...a year or two? |
| And another very emphatic YES! Jonsey's Rule #1 of Puppy Raising: If you cannot see your puppy, they are getting into trouble. (Even if they were asleep when you walked out of the room.) So, if you cannot have your puppy at your side, they should be safe in their crate. Not to mention that potty training is much easier with a schedule, and if they do have an accident overnight, the crate will be much easier to clean than any carpet in your home. Benson started with a wire crate right at my side of the bed. I could hear every move she made, and often slept with my hand resting on the crate, so she could smell me. She made it through 5 straight nights (with frequently scheduled potty breaks) without a single whimper. When hubby and I switched sides of the bed for the first time, it was pretty distressing (http://bensonthedog.wordpress.com/2011/08/21/mommy-are-you-mad-at-me/) but she fell back into her routine very quickly - when I got back to the "correct" side of the bed.  Traveling is MUCH easier if you can set up your crate at your new destination. The first thing we do at a hotel is set up her crate, and she pops right in to make sure it's just right. If we (rarely) have to leave her alone in the room, even for a few minutes, in she goes. And if you plan on doing ANY kind of dog events (weight pulling, agility, showing, etc.) you'll need him crated between turns. I am also a FIRM believer that any pet (or person!) in a vehicle needs to be secured. Either a crate or a high quality dog seatbelt harness is very important. If we're visiting, or having a lot of guests in our home, the crate 1) keeps her out from underfoot, and 2) gives her a safe space that everyone respects, so she isn't forced to interact against her (or our) will. This is especially helpful if there are small children around: "Benson is in her crate, so you have to leave her alone until I let her out." We also have a strict "no food from table or counters" rule - and with her safely in a crate, guests can't slip her a bit of food or a bone, or let her lick the dessert plate clean (which you probably won't discover until the bout of diarrhea the next day). Last, but far from least, is the "safe zone" it provides. Benson isn't bothered by thunder and wind, but my last dog, Max, was terrified. If something distressing was going on, all we had to do was check in his crate, and he was always there. No amount of comfort we could offer was better than the safety of his crate. (As a side note, Max had been abused by his previous owner, and it took us over a month of consistent, patient work to get him to willingly go into his crate. Once he realized it was a safe and comfortable place rather than a "punishment," he absolutely loved it.) Finally, it's much easier to introduce the crate to a puppy, while you are still establishing routines. Whatever you want your furbaby to do as an adult, start teaching it now. Good luck! |
ElizandMike wrote: Thanks for your help. Our bedroom is on the second floor and will have the crate in this room. Should I have a second one on the first floor for during the day? I will be home most of the time to raise him and really don't want him in his crate that much. But I am assuming I will need it. ie: running to the store, etc. Speaking of the car. How do I take him around with me? Do i buy a large carrier or another crate? I usually see dogs in other cars just sitting on the seat, but what about when he is a puppy? God forbid, but I don't want him flying around if there is an accident!! And if I have to buy 3 crates, oh boy $$$, any suggestions on where I can order then on line at a reasonable price. One more thing...how long do I crate train him? 6 mos...a year or two? Oops - posted my reply before I saw this! I personally wouldn't get a second crate for the house, especially while he's still puppy-sized. When you step out, just take him upstairs to the crate that he's used to. Downstairs, if you have a laundry room or bathroom that you can puppy-proof, you could potentially just gate it off until he's trustworthy, so you can safely cook or work around the house and still check on him easily. For riding, we use a seat-belt harness for Benson. I really like the Champion brand (http://usak9outfitters.com/CCSS.htm). Check out the "Puppy Package." With my last 2 dogs, we got seatbelt harnesses from our local pet store, and they worked well enough. Personally though, I think the Champion design works much better, and is definitely worth the price. As for how long to crate train? That'll be your judgment call. My last pair used crates their entire lives. With Benson, we put her crate away at about 8 months old (but still confined her to the bedroom overnight), and we only set it up when we travel now. BUT -- we have a VERY small house - I had to store some of our bedroom furniture in the attic just to set up her puppy crate. There is no good place in the house to leave a crate set up for her. And we are self employed, so we are home all day with her. She can interact with us any time instead of finding new and interesting (and destructive) ways to entertain herself when she gets bored. If we still had outside jobs, we'd find a spot for the crate (probably in the middle of the living room!) By the way, we MUST have pictures when your furbaby comes home!!!  |
| Yes, yes, yes absolutely you should crate train your puppy! I believe it should be mandatory for all puppies! It can be a lifesaver, both for you and your puppy. For our first puppy, the crate was on the first floor (bedroom on 2nd), this did not cause any issues. She was only crated at night until about 5 months old, afterwards she was crated whenever she was home alone to nearly 2 years old. In hindsight, I would have stopped crating her when home alone by 1 years old, but she was our first dog ever and we were over-cautious. Not that she ever complained, the crate is not and never should be a punishment (if you need to put your puppy in a time out, tie him on a short leash to a chair leg for 5-10 min or so, not crated!) With our 2nd puppy, at first I had the crate in the same spot on the first floor, but shortly moved it to our bedroom because I thought it would be nice to have her so close (and the other 2 would sleep in our bedrooms too). This didn't work too well, I think she found it too hot and I ended up moving the crate back to the the first floor. She was only crated at night until barely 4 months, and then she decided she had to sleep uncrated in our bedroom too, like the other 2 (yes 3 total, but only 2 puppies, it went puppy, adult, puppy  ), and she was only crated when we were out until about 6 months--she has always been in a big rush to grow up and be a big girl like our other two.  Keep in mind, it takes a fairly large crate for an adult sheepdog, I have a small car, and there's no way I could fit an adequately sized crate in it (not to mention 3!), so you can only realistically have a large enough crate in your car if it's a minivan or SUV or something. I have a couple of folding cloth travel crates which I use when travelling to dog sports etc. I don't actually have the steel crate at home anymore, I lent it to a new puppy owner a while ago. Here is our youngest, Gracie in her crate on the first night at her new home (note I never used a small puppy-sized crate, it was a full-size crate with an adjustable divider inside, so she started with only a small part of it available, and wow, I had to move the divider often! They grow so fast!  ): |
 looking at puppy pictures of my babies is dangerous...  |
| Thank you all for sharing your knowledge. This is our first dog and so we begin with an OES puppy!!! We both have always loved them. I love the tip about gating her/him in the 'puppy proofed' bathroom on the first floor, if needed. I appreciate the repeated reminder that the crate is a safety zone and not for punishment. My niece recently adopted a little adorable puppy. I puppy sat one day and when I left I had to put him in his crate. He has adjusted well to his crate training but I cried the whole way home, because I felt like I was being mean. I now realized it is for their own safety......I am learning:) I think I will just have one crate on the second floor. I am assuming to always leave the crate door open for him/her to go into. There will be no kids involved but one 7 year old, boy, awesome cat. Any advice on this cohabitation process. I am a little concerned. I will not put much in the crate...thanks for that advice. Just a blanket and his/her fav toy...does that sound right? When I leave the house and when I put puppy in the crate, can I leave the bedroom door open for kitty to go in and out or will that irritate the puppy? You all are so helpful, I know now I will ask more questions on other subjects involving our new puppy. We will not be able to have our baby until the end of Jan. at 10 weeks old....it seems so far away, but I am trying to get ready. Thanks again!!! |
Just to warn you, we started off with our first dog ever in the form of an OES puppy in January nearly four years ago. Now we have three.  Just warning you, they are kind of addictive! |
ElizandMike wrote: I think I will just have one crate on the second floor. I am assuming to always leave the crate door open for him/her to go into. There will be no kids involved but one 7 year old, boy, awesome cat. Any advice on this cohabitation process. I am a little concerned. I will not put much in the crate...thanks for that advice. Just a blanket and his/her fav toy...does that sound right? Your puppy will be a puppy, so he will learn quickly how to live with your cat, the cat will likely decide how it wants to treat your puppy. Likely the cat will teach your puppy his place pretty quickly. |
Definitely crate train. Not only does this protect your home but the puppy as well. Lyra loves her crate but expects a small treat every time she goes in so we often find her laying there sleeping.  If you need a crate or two but can't afford one, ask around. You'll probably find a friend , relative or co-worker that has an extra crate in their garage they are willing to sell or lend to you. Craigslist or other on-line sites have good prices on pre-owned crates too. And if the puppy grows out of a crate you buy, you can always resell it there. A second crate for the car is a good idea if you have it and have room for a crate in the car. Just a barrier between the front and back seat will help keep the dog out of your lap and causing an accident, not to mention possible damaging the interior of your car. It wasn't until Hurricane Katrina that the importance of crating any pet really hit home. Many people had to leave their pets behind because they weren't trained to be tolerant of a crate. Most families didn't even own a crate for their pet and most shelters didn't allow uncrated pets if they allowed them at all. Rescue groups couldn't even get animals out of harm's way because they refused to be crated. When traveling, some hotels will not allow pets unless crated. At shows and events crates are often helpful just to give you both some downtime. There is no downside to crate training, even for people who don't like the idea of crating a pet. It could ultimately save their life one day but if nothing else, it definitely can make life easier for you as a dog owner. |
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