# Things to Help with Crate Training



## nyrangers10 (Jul 5, 2017)

So I've posted a few times before, but figured I'd update and ask for further advice from seasoned V owners. Alvie is growing and doing pretty well. Some behaviors (like sharkies) have all but disappeared as she hit 16 weeks. She knows basic commands and has actually slept through the night rather well. Last night was a little rough, however. 

So my wife went back to teaching so Alvie unfortunately has had to be in her kennel from 8 am to 3 pm. We have family come let her out midway through, but there have been a few days she had to go the whole 7 hours. She has had no accidents! But she absolutely hates her crate. We currently have a "sleep" crate in our bedroom that she has had her whole time with us, and a living room crate that we've had for about 5 weeks that we put her in whenever we leave or she needs a break.

I get discouraged because I read how so many of your Vs love their crate, go in by themselves, sleep with the door open, etc. Alvie refuses to go in her crate without extreme effort. We always put treats in there and have used PB filled kongs with varying success. We don't "throw" her in as punishment or yell at her while putting her in. But now she is very wary of going into her day crate even with kongs(her favorite treat so far). Sometimes it gets to a point where we have to pick her up and place her inside because we have to leave.

Her sleep crate is a whole other issue. We have her original puppy blanket from the breeder, and a tshirt of mine that I change out after a few days (I wear undershirts to work everyday so I rotate them in). We've tried putting blankets in there but she gets bored and chews them. It's all just very inconsistent. 1 week she went to sleep immediately when we put her in her kennel. But now she cries for 20 minutes. Another week she slept easily till my alarm went off at 5 am, now she wakes us up at 4 am. Last night she woke us up at 1 am and cried for 3 hours even though we took her out to go potty. 

I know the schedule change may have thrown her off (from being with my wife to being alone all day). We make sure she is out of her kennel pretty much all afternoon when we are home, and take her for walks and to the park to sprint around. She even falls asleep on us around 9 pm. But as soon as she goes in her kennel, she cries and cries!

I'm sort of at wits end with it. Sometimes I feel like we goofed up big time picking this breed (even though I've seen amazing adult Vizslas). My wife, who loves animals, has stated that she can't stand this dog. Our next steps are to take her to training (1 time per week), puppy play time at Petsmart, and doggy day care (1 time per week). She has all her shots finally, so hopefully we can expend her energy better.

Sorry for the rant and probably incoherent post here. I'm going on no sleep and tons of anxiety of how tonight is going to go. Any advice on what to do, especially with her kennels, would be much appreciated.

Thanks!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

It does sound like the work schedule change has set her back.
I would start feeding all meals in the crate. Even if you have to do it with the door open at first.
When family comes to let her out, do they take her on a walk through the neighborhood, or let her out in the yard. 
A neighborhood walk would be better. Followed by some playtime in the yard.

Some things you can try.
Move her crate to a different area.
Do very short crate times when home. Five minutes at a time. 
Classical music, DAP spray. 
Her favorite treat, that she only gets when crated.
Training classes, and a day care are get ideas to break up her schedule.


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## nyrangers10 (Jul 5, 2017)

Thanks for the help Texasred.

I can definitely try feeding her in her kennel. I do believe part of the reason she wakes us up earlier than my alarm is for food. We started a habit of me waking up at 5 am, getting dressed, taking Alvie outside, and feeding her by 5:15 am. I think she knows that morning time means food time. The current routine is that I get up, let Alvie out, potty, feeding, I get ready, crate Alvie, and leave. Then my wife wakes up an hour later, lets Alvie out, gets ready, crates her and leaves. Should we start waiting to feed her until my wife gets up so she doesn't think 4 am = food time? Or are we a little too late?

It depends on the family. Some only stop by to let her out quick. Others have stayed for an hour to play with her a bit. 

We usually don't crate her longer than 10-15 minutes if we are at home. The only time we do is if it is only one of us and we have to shower or something like that.

Her favorite treat right now is pb kongs, but I don't know if we should make a new kong for every time we have to put her in there. Would this include her sleeping crate as well?

I've heard classical music or talk radio might soothe her, but I don't know if she needs it during the day or not (since I'm not home to know if she is crying or just chilling). I can tell at night that if she is crying and my wife and I start talking, she quiets down.

I want my pup to be the happiest pup in the world, but I know she has to be crated for her own safety. The biggest thing right now to me is making her see the kennels as safe places and not the "my parents are leaving me stuck in here all day" type of place.

Thanks


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Maybe feed her when you put her back in the crate in the morning, for your wife to let out.
I'd save the kong treat for when she is having to spend longer periods of time in the crate. Maybe use a few tiny training treats, or string cheese for short periods of time. None of mine have been able to resist string cheese.


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## MikoMN (Nov 29, 2016)

You are not alone in this situation. Every dog is different. Our dog has never chosen to go to his crate "just because." Really, the only time we find him in there is when he has done something he knows he shouldn't and thinks he will get in trouble. He hated his wire crate, but doesn't mind his plastic, more closed off one. He will wine and refuse to lay down if we don't have any padding in there. He chews blankets, or pads up, but will leave towels alone if we use them for padding. 

As you saw with the sharkies, sometimes our dogs just go through stages and then grow out of them. I don't have the most experience, but am learning we have to stay diligent to our coaching through the hard stages, and sometimes time is all that is really needed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## nyrangers10 (Jul 5, 2017)

Thanks for the replies. I fed her in her kennel last night and today with the door open. She went in pretty easy for a kong today. Very small sample size but it looks like it may be working a little. I also put down an old soft snuggie in her sleeping kennel and she slept from 930pm to 5 am without waking us. Not sure if she was just tired or if the bedding helped her stay comfortable, but I guess I'll keep trying it until she starts trying to rip it up.


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