# Crate training help for 13 week old V



## Becky68 (Feb 4, 2014)

Hi we have a 13 week old V Anwen who to be honest we haven't been consistant enough with the crate training.

We started when we brought her home at 7 weeks by feeding her in there and occasionally leaving for very short periods app half hour every couple of days and also getting her to go in, sit in her basket whilst we gave her treats.

At 12 weeks after only being able to exercise her for 1 week she accidentally swallowed my earring and needed surgery for it to be removed, which meant everything had to stop IE exercise etc due to her staples, as she couldn't go in with a collar on or be left without just in case she ripped them out.

I will be looking to return to work soon where she would be left for app 6 hours two days a week with my parents letting her out for a short walk/toilet in between and we need to get this sorted asap.

When we did leave her we put her in calmly with her Kong, chews etc but she just howled and barked, she might of settled and heard the car pulling up and started again but we don't know. When she spent the night at veterinary hospital the night after her operation she barked all night.

She will be having her staples out on Monday and that's when we want to start in earnest to crack the crate. We're hoping that when we can exercise her more it will make it easier too.

I must add she has been sleeping upstairs on our bed since her opp and sleeps from 10 till about 7.30 wakes for a wee and then back to sleep on the settee which is in the conservatory next to her crate. Before that though we did sleep downstairs with her and then at 10 weeks we put her in a soft crate upstairs next to our bed which she was OK until about 3am but she was a bit smaller then, we will start that again tonight.

We know we haven't been consistent enough, so probably haven't helped but it's d day when the staples are out and any help and advise very much appreciated! I love the forum as everyone is so hellfull and knowledgeable and I look forward to any reply.


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## Becky68 (Feb 4, 2014)

*Re Crate Training 13 week old puppy*

Hi All,
I posted on Training and Behaviour a request for help and advise re the above, I probably should of posted it on here sorry, .I'm just wondering if anyone has any suggestions?
Looking forward to your expertise as we had no problems when we crated our Golden Retriever but we knew a Vizsla would be different.
Many thanks in advance.


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## daul77 (Jan 22, 2014)

*Re: Re Crate Training 13 week old puppy*

I'm trying to do the same with our 7 week old, I know your pain! 
Been feeding him in his kennel and giving kennel commands for treats and treat him when he is in there. I also have been putting him in the kennel with a kong or deer antler, letting him cry it out for a while and then hoping he gets some chewing or kong time in. He was up at 3:45 this morning and I could tell he was ready to be up for the day. ( he had a big day and I couldn't keep him up past 8:30 so I new I was in for it in the morning )I however was not. I took him out for a wee put him back in the kennel and waited it out for about 25 min when he just flipped a switch and stopped crying. I got to sleep in till about 5. I got up and he was still quiet so I thought while he's good I better let him out. He was a little tornado for a while since he was ready to go at 4. Sometimes though you just have to tough it out put in the earplugs and tell yourself the payoff is worth it. For the dogs sanity and ours 
How is your training going?


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I merged the posts for you.
Deb.


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## Becky68 (Feb 4, 2014)

Hi Daul77,
Many thanks for your responce! Training at night is fine she goes into her night crate which is made of soft fabric app 10 as she's ready for bed and sleeps until 4am and then she comes in with us, my husband works shifts and we have 3 other children in the house so to make it esier and quiter thats why we let her.
I have left her for 3/4 of an hour yesturday and today and well she just had to put up with it really, she was barking after being put in and when i pulled up in the car.
She has though taken herself in a few times and settled down whilst the gate has been open and then typical somebody in the house make a loud noise or the phone goes and she's back out but i think its positive she decided to go in of her own accord.
I leave the TV or radio on for background noise as advised by the breeder. But we also have a 12 year old Golden Retriever so i'm wondering if she crying to be with her.
It's time now and i'm determined to crack this, so I will have to be strong and assertive!!!
How's it going for you?


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## daul77 (Jan 22, 2014)

About the same. Night time is fine but during the day he does not fully settle down until after he's voiced his disapproval for a while. About 25 min or so. If I make to much noise and he wakes up it's whining again for 20 min or so then back to sleep. I haven't left the house yet but I do go back to work tomorrow so I'm pretty determined today to get him some kennel time. When he does settle I have him sit and if he is still calm treat him then let him out. I might have to get out of the house today though for my own sanity. Even if it's just a quick trip to the store.


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

Daul77 said:


> About the same. Night time is fine but during the day he does not fully settle down until after he's voiced his disapproval for a while.


I promise it gets better you guys!  Dexter went from barking all night the first two nights, to barking for an hour on the third night, to barking for 15 minutes by the end of the first week. They do like to "voice their disapproval" (well said, lol) but they seem to figure out pretty quickly it's not worth their time if you stay consistent (which is the hard part!).


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## Becky68 (Feb 4, 2014)

Many thanks dextersmom,
I think i've been worried as she's 13 weeks i've missed the boat :-\ especially as she had the unfortunate accident, but will keep rtying 
Thanks again for the reassurance it helps loads!!!!


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

Happy to help! Just repaying all the people that got me through it  Thank goodness everyone was so convincing in telling me to keep going, I wanted to give up all the time. But it really IS all worth it (for my peace of mind and for Dexter's safety!) and can be done!

These little guys are really smart - which goes both ways. Ideally, use it to your advantage  They pick up pretty quickly that barking gets them nowhere (as long as that's the case) and give it up. But you have to make it through the initial attempts (and stay strong!) to get there!


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## Monkeymands1977 (Apr 15, 2014)

Is anwen going into the same crate as the one she sleeps in at night? We've trained our puppy who's now 11 weeks and he's happy in his crate. After we got him we spent a whole day playing for an hour and then in the crate, and kept doing that over and over. What we find is coughing really loudly when he's in it and crying, as it's like an interruption. But he has two crates, one upstairs and one downstairs and he settles in the upstairs one a lot better so we put him upstairs. He doesn't make a sound now. And sleeps through until 6am.


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## SeqViz (Feb 24, 2014)

I think it is crucial when crate training them that they go in on their own volition and not be stuffed in the crate and the door closed from the beginning for extended periods of time. We feed our pups in the crate from the first day we get them and place an old sweatshirt with my scent (unwashed) in with him to sleep on with the door open from the beginning. If he falls asleep on our lap or on the floor, we pick him up and place him in the crate and leave the door open. I recommend two crates, one next to the side of your bed while house training, and one wherever the center of your household activity is. Ours is the kitchen/dining room. Close the crate door only for short times in the beginning so they are comfortable and it becomes their den. Leave the house for short amounts of time when they are a pup as you must prevent separation anxiety. Every time he goes into the crate, he either gets fed or a treat. It must be a positive experience and not a punishment for them. The key is very gradually setting up a routine and sticking with it. Remember they want/need to be with you and not in a separate room. They were torn away from the comfort of their family. After housebreaking our V, he sleeps under the covers next to me every night, no exception. He turned 4 years old last week. Playtime so they get tired, continued patience, and consistency will get you there. Good luck! Vs are the best!


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## Becky68 (Feb 4, 2014)

Many thanks for your help with crate training!
Anwens absolutely fab!!! in every way!
We're sort of getting there as we have only been giving her treats when she sits inside and she checkily will go in and say Hay! I'm in so come on where's my treats!
She has also on her own gone in and settled to sleep but will come out if any movement in the house where theres always something happening and no matter how hard you try to stop teenagers crashing in asking whats for tea etc its hard to catch them to warn them shhh the pups asleep! :-\
We had a lovely walk yesturday (a bit longer than planned as we got lost in the woods) but when we got back she went straight in and slept for about an hour, woke had a nose around and wee and then went straight back in to continue her nap. 
I think we're going to just let her bark it out though as when she was left after settling her in her crate with her cuddly toy, pigs ear etc which i spent app 5 mins sat by her (almost inside it at one point), I also put classic radio one fro some calming music. I shut the gate and used the command settle down and left her Barking! The house was quiet as all big ones were out, she barked constantly for half an hour which then my husband let her out as I had gone for some retail therapy but he made sure she calmed before he opened the gate.
We're going to try for longer today and increase over the next few days as on Tues 6th May its our middle sons 18th Birthday and we've booked a family meal. 
So if she's going to bark the worst she'll get is a sore throat and she may realize one day it's not going to get her anywhere( living in hope) I must add that she barked the whole night after her opp a few weeks ago after even sedation.
Maybe too much stimulation on the PS3 

20140504_090631 by bigbikeshortlegs, on Flickr


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## ZStotts (May 7, 2013)

When I crate trained Lily, I would actually lie in the crate with her to help her be more comfortable with it. For the first week before leaving her during the day I would lay with her for about 15 minutes before she would fall asleep next to me. After that, I would leave. I always made sure to have a tv program on for her. (She loves Disney channel - for whatever reason)

She took to the crate pretty quickly. I think it only took bout 1.5 weeks to get her trained. Now she is 14 months old and rarely whines while in it. However, she is only in it while I am at work as she sleeps in bed with me during the night.


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

Yes they have to go into the crate willingly. You need to put them in the crate while you are at home too. They need to learn that the crate is a place of safety and that it is ok to be alone and be comfortable with it. You really need to be consistent or it will come back and bite you!(believe me I know). Dharma sleeps in our bed and is sooo Velcro that we can't go to the bathroom without her being in there. She does have to go in her crate for a few hours here and there or the odd 6 hour day. She digs to China still and will bark for a bit. She has in the past banged her nose on her crate door. Putting any bedding in with her is futile. Dharma is almost 1 year old and it is getting better. Her crate even with a board in it was 4 inches too big so we switched to a smaller crate and the anxiety is a lot better than it was. We have had a lot more clean crates(not pooped) recently. She eats her food in her crate with the door open. When we have to put her in her crate we give her special treats and we clicker her in and tell her she is a good girl. Also they may equate something that you do or say with going in the crate. Try to analyse what it is that you do too.


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## Becky68 (Feb 4, 2014)

Many thanks very everyone's help and advise she has been getting allot better, we have been giving food and special treats which she sometimes goes and sits in by herself and waits for them, we also close the door for a few moments and give the treats through the wire and then let her out.
We have also bought a second crate for her and all's safety whilst traveling in the car as we have a seven seat-er, she will go in and no complaining as this must be crating a positive as there's a nice walk at the other end or going home.
Anwen who's now 16 weeks also sleeps at night in our bed and sleeps from app 10 to 6 with no potty breaks and then goes back to sleep downstairs on the sofa until i wake her for a walk. Then back to sleep!
We bought a large crate which is 65cm high, 61cm deep and 90cm wide and we've put a bed in the one in the house and a mat in the one in the car, we're going to try the mat in the house one just in case that may make a difference. When we ask her to go in we advise her to settle down. We'll keep going as it's important to her and our older dog who's 13s safety.
She is absolutely amazing and at puppy classes the trainer told me she's the best short haired Vizsla she's ever had which made me soooo proud!!!!! The only one moan is that she still jumps up and pulls our older dogs ears and collar to play every now and again not all the time and being a big old softy Megan hardly tells her off so we can't leave them alone, I would love to be able to trust them to be alone together but I can't risk it, so on with the crate training.


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