Crate training a 5 year old

[Cassers]

Hello,

I just adopted a 5 year old female Basenji who doesn't seem destructive but for reinforcing potty training and not risking to come home to a destroyed apartment, I'd like to crate train her. I have a large wire crate for her. She's wont go in so I have to bribe her with treats or food. I have a water dish, a blanket, a bed and a few chew toys in there as well. Once in, she cries non-stop and it looks promissing that she would howl too. I live in a condo and I'm at work the typical 9-5 so I want her to like her crate and enjoy the 9 hours she'll spend in there without crying and making lots of noise. Should I let her cry until she tires herself out and hope that after a few days or a week she'll be fine? Is there a trick to making them like their crate? This is my first attempt at crate training and I would love to make it work, and have her go in on command. She still has to trust me since this is only day 2.

Any good advice will be considered and appreciated!!

Thank you!!

Livia and Casey

[Rita Jean]

Could be she was only in a crate at night and with that having been said she may not have had her food and water and toys. She might not understand why she is in there during the day. I know when we got Jaycee she was puppy in March but that first week at night was no fun at all. We put Jaycee in the crate and she would cry and cry my husband slept in the livingroom with her on him for a couple nights. Maybe if you have time you could put her in there for a hour and then let her out and just keep adding time. She just needs time she will come around. Good luck and lets know how the crate time is going.

[tanza]

Since she is a rescue, do you know anything about her before you adopted her? Was she left loose in the house? Was she crated before? Kept outdoors? In a Kennel Run type of situation? Sounds to me like she was never crate trained as a puppy and now at age 5 it is going to take lots of time and patience to crate train her… IMO... All of this was way new for her, include you and your home. And you need to start "small" with the crate if she has never been in one...

[Cassers]

Hello again,
Any more detailed instructions as to how to proceede with the crate training? She cries constently, and I'm leaving her in the crate when I am home, to see how she will react. The crate is in another room, so she can used to being alone. Should I come in the room though and calm her down? Should I just ignore her?

To reply to Tanza's advice, what's "IMO" and what's "starting small"? Is small an hour? two hours? Until she doesn't cry anymore?

Again, I'm new at this, and it doesn't look like she's destructive at all if left alone in the house, but she needs her potty training reinforced because she'll pee in the house if left alone, even if she just came back from outside. (She doesn't do it when someone's with her). Should I then explore a diffrent technique to correct the potty training issue? She knows to pee and poo outside, she just decides to pee and poo in the house if you leave.

Advice greatly appreciated!!

[tanza]

Starting small is 5 minutes…. and while you are home, IMO she should be with you, not in a crate. She knows you are there and wants to be with you. Start by feeding her in the crate.. or giving her treats in the crate... Is she food motivated? If so, start by tossing a treat in the crate and praising her for going in and getting it. You can also try taking a Kong toy and filling it with peanut butter or something else yummy and giving her that in there crate with the door open....
Here is a link to a good DVD on crate training http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTA287

Crate training for a 5 yr old adult is going to take way more then a couple of days… You never said if you know what her back ground was?

[khanis]

IMO is "in my opinion"

Look through everything that you got from rescuea bout her previous living situations….
With a rescue, you probably won't get all the past history, just what the fosters know.

I got a 7yo dog back that left my house at 13 months old crate-trained.. that was the last time he'd been in a crate!
Let me tell you he HATED the crate.... but I had to get him back to learning it was okay... after a week I left him loose and he never touched a thing... but you aren't going to know how they are unless you leave them out.

Good luck!

[MacPack]

I don't crate, but have listened to lots of chats about it and I understand the main thing is to be slow, and make the dog WANT to be in the crate, never crate as punishment. Like Pat said, treats to make her go in, praise…door open. Over and over, stuffed kong in the crate, etc. After she goes in and out easily, you start to close the door for a few seconds..not latched, just pushed closed. And on and on, longer each time over many days, till the crate is not a threat and she feels safe and comfy there. NOT an easy thing!

As for soiling the house, you can keep her leash on her and tie it around your waist so that she is always with you. Any indication that she needs to go out, go immediately and praise when she goes. If she does pee, you can immediately correct her and take her out, it works pretty quickly to enforce good potty habits. As an adult, she may not need to be crated when you're gone, once she has good house manners.

And "IMO" is 'in my opinion', by the way.

[tanza]

Is there a way that you can keep her in one room when you are at work that might be on floor insteat of a rug in case she needs to pee?

[nobarkus]

It's best to use a plastic crate like Vari Kennel (large #400) instead of a wire crate. There's a small reservoir inside that goes around the out side edge so the pee does not stay puddled or go on your floor. Also just put news paper in there, no cloth or any bedding. They can chew up the paper with no problems. Cloth or any bedding is dangerous if they swallow it. I just brought home an 8 month tri this weekend from BRAT and he will stay in his crate all day. I walked him for 30 minutes before I left today. If you can wear them out first they will be more relaxed in it.

[wizard]

As Tanza said you have to start with baby steps for crate training (actually all training). Entice her into the crate with food or treats but leave the door open; then feed her in the crate with the door open; then treat her and close the door; etc.

It might be that she doesn't like to be left alone (there might have been something in her background to set her up for anxiety). In which case you have to work with "disappearing" for short periods of time (into another room with the door closed for example) then gradually increase the time. When I got my #2 beastie he was already 5 yrs old and I made arrangements for some vacation time so he would only have to be home alone for 3hrs then 4hrs then 6 hrs, etc. I also left him in the kitchen overnight for the first few days so he would get used to my "absence" that way too.

As for the peeing in the house, it could be all of the above - 9 hrs is a long time to hold it if she's not used to that. Start her on a regular schedule to do her business, praise her a lot when she does and even give a small treat. There are also "piddle pads" available at most pet stores that you can use indoors but they must also be trained to use them (generally instructions are included) so start by putting one where she pees in the house then gradually move it next to the door then outside; use it with lots of praise. I would suggest, however, that you find one that is not blue (they seem to notice the blue and mine would tear them up instead).

Hope this helps.

[lvoss]

Here is a crate training handout by Dr Sophia Yin http://www.askdryin.com/movies/CrateDogLR.pdf

She also has a video that shows the process on her website. Look for the one on crate training.
http://www.askdryin.com/dog_movies.php

[jonny b.]

I have searched x pen on the site but it comes up with no matches. Hansel chewed a hole thru the plastic carrier/crate in an hour big enough to get his head and one leg through. so he cannot go back in that one. we have another one that we can use until i get something better. x pen or metal crate without the bottom that slides out? how tall/what size. i am thinking that the 8 panel 36" tall with a top on it. that way i can put a small pen in the house for daily use and move it to the yard for a few hours outside on nice days in the shade. i think i can even make it for both dogs outside and put a divider in between so they dont get to wrestling and get to rough. is there a better brand or what? i know i have read some about preferences but like i said when i search it says no matches ( i think it is because it brings up so many matches). sorry to re ask a question i know has been coverd. i just cannot find it!!! :0
i am also concerned about it being movable or being tipped over. he will go in the crate willingly and doesnt complain when i feed him in the crate. he really likes the crate if i leave the door open. but i do not trust him to leave him loose when we are gone. so there has to be some way to contain him that makes us both happy…

[renaultf1]

Look up "Exercise Pen" (xpen)…:D

I have the 48" with a top, mainly because I had (she seems to be fine now that other bs live in the house) a dog with separation anxiety and wanted as much space as possible. I put a crate (removed the door) with bedding (clipped to the side of pen so the pen couldn't be moved) inside the xpen so she could lie down. Ruby wasn't a digger so I didn't need to worry about the xpen not having a floor to it. If yours is a digger, maybe get a piece of linoleum to put under it for inside.

I'm sure 36" would be fine with a top. The top adds a lot of stability. The other thing you can get if you find them moving it outside are tent stakes...they push into the ground. And if you went without a top outside...I'd go 42" or 48" and probably clip 2 pens together so they have plenty of space.

One more thing...how close are you to Nevada? Petedge has instore pickup...you call your online order into the store and pick it up so you don't pay shipping...stores are in Nevada & Mass. They also have a sale room in those stores...awesome. Online right now they have free shipping for the week if you spend $175 (I think)...
The key is finding free shipping on oversized items (crates & xpens fit that category)...

[Quercus]

Ha, ha…the title of this thread immediately made me think...yeah, I need to crate train my five year old (human child!)

[dash]

@Cassers:

Hello again,
Any more detailed instructions as to how to proceede with the crate training? She cries constently, and I'm leaving her in the crate when I am home, to see how she will react. The crate is in another room, so she can used to being alone. Should I come in the room though and calm her down? Should I just ignore her?

To reply to Tanza's advice, what's "IMO" and what's "starting small"? Is small an hour? two hours? Until she doesn't cry anymore?

Again, I'm new at this, and it doesn't look like she's destructive at all if left alone in the house, but she needs her potty training reinforced because she'll pee in the house if left alone, even if she just came back from outside. (She doesn't do it when someone's with her). Should I then explore a diffrent technique to correct the potty training issue? She knows to pee and poo outside, she just decides to pee and poo in the house if you leave.

Advice greatly appreciated!!

Hi Cassers. Unfortunately there is no one way to do this or any quick fix. Where did she come from? What did they do? I had a heck of a time crate training my dog and he was crate trained from a pup. Some dogs will not tolerate the crate. Is she in the crate all night? IF so, do you exercise her in the morning before putting her back in? You could try a nanny cam to see if she is calming down after you leave.
Definatley feed her in her crate for 1. Then you have to build her up to likeing it. I don't think she needs water in there and be careful what bedding you put in there because if they get frustrated enough they will shred it and eat it possibly causing blockage. Tanza gave great advce with starting at five minutes. Always reward when putting in the crate as well.

Just for comparison, we ended up going with an ex-pen for Dash after several months of attempted crate training. That worked for about 3 years and then he decided he didn't like that either. Now he is loose.

Good luck!

[jonny b.]

ranualtf1, thanks! that worked. i did to exercise pen, but it said too many matches too. thanks. again.
dash, this is HAnsel that ate his crate. but otherwise he is doing great!)

[dash]

He clearly could not stand the thought of being away from you!!;)

[jonny b.]

haha. you are right. he is already spoiled. but we love him! i am searching for a stronger kennel/crate. suggestions? Brandon thought hansel might figure out how to tip the xpen over and get out. or worse yet, unhook it. we believe he is smart enough. if he had thumbs he would be out of the kennel door we have him in. appearantly he doesnt even need thumbs. chewing works better. haha

[jonny b.]

http://www.petedge.com/Edemco-Galvannealed-Modular-Cages-ED260.pro?parentCategoryId=194&categoryId=310&subCategoryId=502

what do you think of this? the words indestructable jump out at me….

[jonny b.]

http://www.petedge.com/Edemco-Galvannealed-Modular-Cages-ED260.pro?parentCategoryId=194&categoryId=310&subCategoryId=502

what do you think of this? the words indestructable jump out at me….