Crate training

[Sabra]

Looking for advice on how to acclimate our 9 week old chihuahua to a crate. I own my own spa and plan on taking him into my office every day but there will be times when, for his own safety, I'll need to crate him (like this Christmas when we'll be visiting my in-laws who have 6 children under the age of 11).

I don't think this little fella's feet hit the ground until we brought him home. Even for a 9 week old, he's very uncoordinated so we've been treating him like a 'big dog'. (You know...run with the big dogs :D ). Unfortunately, whenever he's separated from us by more than 2 feet, he starts whining.

How do I get rid of this separation anxiety without causing trauma? Earlier, I put him in his crate across the room where he could still see me and he barked and whined for an hour. So I went to another room and it continued for another hour until he was hoarse. Then he just whined. He never did stop!

I'll take any suggestions!

[binka_nugget]

I'd continue what you're doing. Put him in the crate and don't give in, no matter how long he whines. Eventually a light bulb goes off and they just get it. :P Also, it wouldn't hurt to leave a kong w/PB or something that'll help take his mind off you leaving.

In addition to that, I'd probably start feeding in the crate, giving treats in the crate, and anything else that'll make him like going in there. Kai has always been a good boy about not whining in his crate, but I noticed after I started feeding every meal in the crate, he couldn't wait for me to reach the crate! Heck, even now, when the crate door is accidentally closed, he'll whine and paw at it until he can open the door and get in. He loves it! :P

Good luck!

[Hellow]

Unless the dog is an young one i dont see the need for an crate, the dog should know enought to not destroy the house. But seeing as your dog is 9 weeks...

[Freedom]

Here is a link to a site with loads of info. Don't worry that it is a bichon site; most of the essays apply to ALL dogs.

http://www.bichonfriseusa.com/index.htm#Educational%20mark

Scroll down, watching the middle column. You will see a heading "PUPPY INFO" Under that, is one essay "housetraining 101." Within that essay is a section on crate training. It is much as Binka nugget explained.

Hope that helps.

[Sabra]

Unless the dog is an young one i dont see the need for an crate, the dog should know enought to not destroy the house. But seeing as your dog is 9 weeks...

Hi Reggie,
I'm not worried about him destroying things. I'm more worried about him getting hurt and needing a 'safe zone' to prevent this. He's quite tiny and very quick to scoot under someone's feet plus he's just a little too fragile to be the tug of war toy between two young children.

Right now his favorite safe zone is on my chest, tucked into my flannel over shirt. Not a particularly great place if I have to cook dinner. :D

[Sabra]

Freedom,
Thank you for the puppy info. It's a great site!

[boricuajenny5]

I got my cockapoo from a run down pet store so she hated crates from the very beginning. As your dog, she also whined for hours and hours until I did something about it. She actually thought the crate was the place to go potty because thats what she did while crated in the pet shop. I tried feeding her there and she just wouldnt have it. I finally gave up on the crate and bought her a doggy bed. She now sleeps on the floor right next to my bed with no complaints. :D

[VTJess03]

Belle didn't have a crate until she was over 3 years old; I got one purely to give her a place of her own (it's 'her bedroom'). It took next to no time to train her to it. Basically I put her food bowl in it at supper time (yes, she knows the word 'supper' and now, that means going into the crate, sitting and waiting for me to bring her food to her). I started off with putting a nice soft dog cushion in the bottom, and putting her food inside, but where she could just reach the food bowl. I started moving it to the back, then, once she was used to the idea of the crate, and only then, did I shut the door behind her.

Now, it's her 'safe' place. If I give her a treat that she wants to keep from the cat, or just wants to take a nap, or wants to keep a toy after the game is over :p , she goes to her crate (I get the toy out to put it away, though). I do have a dark bedsheet draped over it, to help make it feel more like a den for her. Either the command 'Go to bed' or 'supper' result in her going into the crate when I want her to, and she doesn't complain too much until she starts getting bored or thirsty (the water bowl is outside of the crate so that the cat can share it).