# Help with Crate/Separation Anxiety



## TeamShipley (Apr 23, 2013)

Hi everyone!
Long time follower, first time poster... My wife Katie and I just got our sweet little Lola-belle 2 days ago and we're so excited to have her. Me being the ultra-nerd that I am have been reading books and trying to follow conversations on this forum for the past 6 months or so in preparation for her to come home. 

So its only been 2 days and already Lola is living up to the vizsla nickname of the Velcro-dog. She's almost always underfoot, or on your lap. When we take her outside to go potty she mostly is just content sitting by your feet instead of doing her business.

My question is, with this being the case, we've had some issues as brand new parents and crate-training. We don't want her to develop any anxiety about her crate or about us leaving her (we both work, but Katie has some days off and I can usually come home during the day to let her out.) Any recommendations on her not whining so much in regards to being in her crate. She's usually good until you close the door. Last night she even sounded like she was loosing her voice a little from whining so much. 

She doesn't avoid her crate, she'll even walk into it and nap, but I just wanted to know if anyone had any tips on how long its okay to let her whine it out or when it's causing distress that could be traumatizing. Thanks!


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Super-awesome-yummy treat that is only available in the crate.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Cute picture 

I placed the crate in the master bedroom. Dog sleeps five feet away from us. Didn't have the nerve to break his heart. 
Placed the blanket breeder gave us in the crate. 
That blanket carried his mother's and littermate's scent. 
This way Sam whined only in case of emergency and that whine sounds way different than the simple whine she is trying to train you with. 

In any case they go potty often. If in doubt, always potty first. Always accompany her when she goes potty, good for your health as well. You will move a lot and will probably think about canceling the gym membership. Good idea. 

Tolerate and treat train and at four months start her on mild obedience work. Gain some respect. But no heavy discipline before 16 weeks. Enjoy. 


Julius.


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## lonestar (Jun 2, 2013)

Awww.....lola belle, +1 on the name!

I admit to being a total squish here and she'd be in bed with me in a flash. I mean, look at that face. And, they're only puppies once. I know, everyone has their own stuff about sleeping with their V, but I've been raising them successfully for 20 years and I have to tell you that other than the sheer joy of sleeping with them, the bonding experience really helped us achieve what I'd call perfection...it's a time when you're really close and protective with them, and also making no demands at all. A V who's bonded and secure will do absolutely anything at all for it's people. If you decide to have her sleep in her crate, keep it in your room so she's still close, and maybe cover half of it so it;s cozy and den like. And, learn to differentiate the needy, whiny cries from the more immediate demands for legitimate attention.

Ok, that said, the most important thing to remember about crate training is that it is not a punishment..but rather a safe place for them when they are alone and unsupervised or when they need to just be by themselves and in their own space. So, you want to make it really comfortable, with blankets and toys, and also feed her in there, at least some of the time. And, never keep her in there "too long", as in bladder bursting.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

"but I've been raising them successfully for 20 years" - lonestar ;D
 :
! Show us them memories ... raising and breeding hot dogs ;D


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Welcome to the forums, TeamShipley and Lola-belle!! 

She is adorbale!! ;D

The really nice part about HVF (Hungarian Vizsla Forums) is that we all try hard to remain respectful of the opinions of others. That said, here's my opinion: I think you should let Lola-belle sleep on your bed with you. I'm sixty-five years old. I've always had at least one dog. I've never used a crate. Just as lonestar said, it's all about the bonding experience. ;D ;D ;D

Congratulations on your new family member!! Will you be posting some more pictures??


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## TeamShipley (Apr 23, 2013)

Thanks all. We really appreciate all of the feedback so far. We've been really good about not using the crate as any form of punishment and she is becoming more and more comfortable with it. She still is pretty attached to us (which is a great thing!) but we're learning how to not be stressed out by the crate. We'll consider letting her sleep with us more. Right now we've let her into bed with us in the early mornings (after she's been out to eliminate first of course) and she has been pretty good about it. My wife, Katie, says that our little Lola is like me in that she flops and rolls all over the place in her sleep.  

Thanks for such a good first experience here on vizsla forums! We'll continue to post and ask questions as well as upload some more photos!


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

They will graduate from the create, too soon is not advisable. The dog will not/cannot rest as well as it would in a crate. 

BTW they like to sleep in large round bowl shapes as opposed to flat surfaces. The den they'd dig in the wild is never flat bottomed. 
Pics attached... Sam's choice. 

http://www.vizslaforums.com/index.php/topic,6971.msg53565.html#msg53565

 Sam's choice


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## CatK (May 29, 2013)

Originally feeling that dogs belonged downstairs, since getting Morris I now want him to sleep in my bedroom just to be closer to him for more of the 24 hours available... any winning arguments to bring my partner around to another man in the bedroom?!


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

CatK said:


> Originally feeling that dogs belonged downstairs, since getting Morris I now want him to sleep in my bedroom just to be closer to him for more of the 24 hours available... any winning arguments to bring my partner around to another man in the bedroom?!


My husband didn't want the dog in the bed either. It lasted about 2 days and I started sneaking Ruby in with us. She was only 8 weeks old at the time and would stay close and curled up next to me. He didn't even notice she was there until the wake-up kisses (face licks) she'd give him in the morning. Over a year later and she still sleeps with us. I don't ever see it changing.

He used to complain about it, but now on several occasions I have caught him waking up in the middle of the night and snuggling/petting her and then falling back asleep. Big baby! : 

Don't know if that helps you much, but maybe try asking to have him in there with you in a trial basis? I bet your partner finds that he doesn't mind much!


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## lonestar (Jun 2, 2013)

CatK said:


> Originally feeling that dogs belonged downstairs


I think we all started with that disbelief...

If you present this as "another man" in the bed, your partner will surely rebel, unless he's into things best not discussed here .

You might be a bit ahead of him with your attachment to your Morris, I'd just give it a little time and let his bond grow. In time, he'll either be more bonded to Morris, or you'll be single again (*Sarcasm*).


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## Jlaha (Jul 12, 2013)

We've only had Kimber about 5 days now and each night he wines to be let out of his crate as soon as its time to go to bed. My husband wants to bring him to our bed too, bc he cuddles so easily with us on the couch (except he always wants to lay on the pillows). But, it's me that wants the separation. This is my bed, this is your bed (crate). I suppose it will eventually be the same when we have kids. I do see how the bonding could be beneficial, but I think we get that on the couch during the day without having to lose extra sleep at night. He doesn't wine very long in his crate, but I'm hoping eventually that will lessen too as he becomes more comfortable in his crate and in our home.


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## CatK (May 29, 2013)

I completely agree, and we've trained him to sleep downstairs now without whining or barking. We even let him out in the night and as long as we don't fuss over him and put him calmly back in his crate he won't whine then either, just straight back to sleep. I think it took about a week and a half for him to get used to it. 

I wouldn't want him sleeping on the bed as he's going to get pretty big, and I know I'd wake up with a dog on my face every day (which I think I wouldn't mind, but the other half might, and as you say Jlaha, there have to be some boundaries!), but I'd really like to move his crate to the bedroom now his peeing is more under control. We definitely couldn't have him with us to start with as there are two flights of steep stairs that we'd have to run a squatting puppy down when half asleep and we thought that might be a bit dangerous!

I'm hoping as Morris is more and more trustworthy keeping his legs crossed till he's let out, maybe the other half will come around. It's only a matter of time... every time I look at them when they don't realise they're cuddling


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