# Introducing Kutya & crate training question



## rkbetz (Apr 4, 2014)

We are new Vizsla owners and new to the forum. We've had Boxers leading up to this so she is a bit of a change for us. I'm still not used to a dog with a snout.  So far just normal puppy stuff as far as getting to know her goes.

I do have a question though. What age can you start crate training? It has been quite a few years since we've had a puppy and I can't remember when we started our others. We just brought her home a few days ago and we have let her sleep with us for these first few nights because we wanted sleep. She seems able to hold her bladder from the time we go to bed at 11pm until at least 5am. She does NOT like to be locked in her crate (we've only tried it twice so far and I get that she won't until she gets used to it). I just don't want to start her in there too young before she feels safe and comfortable around us being away from her litter.

I tried to do a search but I couldn't specifically find ages, just a lot of advice on crate training. Thanks!


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## hoovers7 (Sep 5, 2013)

She is adorable! You can start crate training immediately. Prepare for some sleepless nights. I wouldn't let her sleep in your bed unless you want her to stay there forever. Toby(my pup) had taken over my spot on the bed. Good luck!


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## aliciavp (Mar 14, 2014)

HI!!! Your pup is gorgeous!

We crate trained Lazlo as soon as we got him - 7.5 weeks! He did cry, grunt, hurl himself against the crate (soft crate not wire crate) to get out... but eventually, with some soft coaxing, he cried less and less each night. We did keep the crate in our room though, for the first 4 weeks. He now sleeps in his crate in the living room, one floor down


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

She is cute, and thank you for my puppy fix.


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## getsome (Oct 14, 2013)

Don't wait on the crate. That's one sweet looking puppy, and I bet it's easy to give into her.
Start with building some crate success during the day. When she's ready to curl up for a nap, let her have your lap for 5 minutes, and then transfer her to crate, probably with the door open. She'll be too tired to protest. She'll have a nice pleasant snooze and start to associate it with a calm relaxing place.
I methodically reduced the amount of time Dash got to chill in my lap (or the kids' laps) before his naps. he took it right in stride. It also helped that every time I'd put him in the crate, he found a nice treat. He would be sleepy and happy. Next I started closing the crate door on him and sitting near him on the floor... then the nearby couch... and eventually was just able to walk away from the crate. Doing things in little increments works wonders on these dogs, I have learned. If you make big wholesale changes, they will take a lot longer to adapt. 
Think of it like molding a really stubborn piece of hairy red clay that will only budge a little at a time. But once you get it worked into a shape you like, it's quite solid and more difficult to undo.
~B


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

My best advice is to start right away and stick the tough stuff out. My husband lets our puppy away with murder! It does create problems down the road if you are not consistent. It does take a lot of patience and many sleepless nights but it will come.


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## rkbetz (Apr 4, 2014)

Thank you all for your advice! We started yesterday. When she was napping I slid her little bed into her crate and left the door open for her first two naps. For the last one that was close to bedtime I slid it in and then closed the door without locking it in place. She stayed there until bedtime.

At 9:30pm we took her crate into our room and slid her and her bed in. She woke up about 10:30pm and 12:00am and cried for about 30 seconds to a minute and then went back to sleep. We set the alarm to take her out at 2am. She was amped up after coming back inside so she did cry for about 3 minutes when we put her back in. After that she slept until the alarm went off at 6am.

I am hoping she is a rockstar crate trainer, but I have a feeling it won't always go so smoothly.


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## Hunter.IT (Nov 20, 2013)

She is so cute, as everyone says, start it right away! Hunter didn't like it either, but we patiently trained him, when he was moaning i used to go and stand near the crate, not giving him eye contact nor talking to him, took a couple of weeks, then he was ok. Now he likes it there. 
They will always be where you put them first, we put him on the sofa for the firs few days, during day napping, and now he is 9 month and sofa is his favorite spot


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

Hunter.IT said:


> ... we put him on the sofa for the firs few days, ... and sofa is his favorite spot


Another good example that sofa training does work <G>

Bob


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