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I have a few more questions. You'd think I'd never had a dog before! It's not that my previous dogs were perfect, it is that I haven't had a puppy for 18 years and my last (and only other) puppy was much different than this one.
Simon is a 4.5 month old English Setter mix we got from the Humane Society. He's been neutered and is a sweet puppy who loves people, kids and other dogs. He's been doing better around my cats, but will chase if they run from him. They are learning to walk calmly away from him, but when he starts bowing/puppy talking, he gets them to run. I know he is trying to ignore them, but he really wants to play. He misses the puppies from the shelter. We start obedience school next week.
Crate training is going much better now that I've removed the bedding and used Nature's Miracle to clean the crate. I keep the times short and he whines a bit, but then settles down. However, if we leave the house he will pee in it. He loves to ride in the car and gets very agitated if he hears us go off in the cars without him. Or is that a coincidence? It seems like he is fine if he knows I am still here.
He is attached to my SO. He whines when he leaves the house or the car (we've gone with to the hardware store and sat in the car a few times) and I believe this could be the beginning of separation anxiety?
I've gotten a lot of great advice here so far, we both thank you all.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanna B.
I have a few more questions. You'd think I'd never had a dog before! It's not that my previous dogs were perfect, it is that I haven't had a puppy for 18 years and my last (and only other) puppy was much different than this one.
Simon is a 4.5 month old English Setter mix we got from the Humane Society. He's been neutered and is a sweet puppy who loves people, kids and other dogs. He's been doing better around my cats, but will chase if they run from him. They are learning to walk calmly away from him, but when he starts bowing/puppy talking, he gets them to run. I know he is trying to ignore them, but he really wants to play. He misses the puppies from the shelter. We start obedience school next week.
Crate training is going much better now that I've removed the bedding and used Nature's Miracle to clean the crate. I keep the times short and he whines a bit, but then settles down. However, if we leave the house he will pee in it. He loves to ride in the car and gets very agitated if he hears us go off in the cars without him. Or is that a coincidence? It seems like he is fine if he knows I am still here.
He is attached to my SO. He whines when he leaves the house or the car (we've gone with to the hardware store and sat in the car a few times) and I believe this could be the beginning of separation anxiety?
I've gotten a lot of great advice here so far, we both thank you all.
I wouldn't worry too much about the separation anxiety.
It's been my experience that puppies have to learn to be comfortable by themselves. Do your best not to reward freaking out when the people or a person is out of sight and you'll be fine. If you are patient I'm confident that this will abate before the dog's 12th month.
Anyone have any insight to the peeing in the crate when we leave in the car issue? I put him in the crate this morning when I was ready to take a shower and sat in the office (not visible from the crate) for a few minutes. He was very agitated and yipped and whined for 5 minutes. I took my shower and expected the crate to be wet because he was so wound up - but it was dry!
He is spending the night in bed (very high bed and he stays on it) and is holding it just fine for 7+ hours, but I stick him in the crate after my SO leaves for work (and he's been out to pee/poop for a little bit) so I can get a few more hours of sleep, and when I take a shower or need to leave the house. So it isn't like he is stuck in the crate for long periods of time. But if we leave in the car, he pees in the crate.
Today he peed in it when I was in the house. I had made sure he peed and pooped before I shut him in it. He was pretty agitated and whiney when he realized I was awake.
How small is the crate--does he have to lay or stand in the pee? If not--you need to divide the crate to make is small enough. When I have had a hard to train pup I have made it very small--like 1/6 the size of the crate (in other words enough room to turn around and lay or sit down)--
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,309 posts, read 38,774,074 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanna B.
Today he peed in it when I was in the house. I had made sure he peed and pooped before I shut him in it. He was pretty agitated and whiney when he realized I was awake.
How do you handle it when he has an accident in the crate? I seem to recall that my golden was getting close to "almost trustworthy" housebroken at about that age, but you can expect some relapses until about the time all of his adult teeth are in. If he is getting close to his first birthday and still having issues with this, then its time to start worrying in earnest.
It's easy to despair when you are in the middle of being mom to a puppy, but puppies do not blossom into well trained dogs overnight. It definitely takes some doing and, unfortunately, there will be setbacks.
If you are making sure that the pup is evacuated before he goes in the crate, he isn't enduring unreasonably long stays in the crate and the crate is properly sized then you are doing what you need to be doing. If he can relieve himself in one part of the crate and retreat to a clean part, the crate is too big. The crate needs to be sized so that if he makes a mess it will be up close and personal.
Last edited by jimboburnsy; 09-18-2009 at 10:00 AM..
How small is the crate--does he have to lay or stand in the pee? If not--you need to divide the crate to make is small enough. When I have had a hard to train pup I have made it very small--like 1/6 the size of the crate (in other words enough room to turn around and lay or sit down)--
Thanks! The crate is pretty large. I know that dividing it may help. I just can't figure what to use that he won't chew. I have a large plastic crate, like a vari-kennel type. I am also afraid that if it isn't secure something used to divide it may fall on him and he may be hurt - so I've left the crate intact. I'd go out and buy a new one but I am very short on $$ right now, so I have to make do with what I already own.
I just can't set a pattern with him. I don't put him inside the crate unless I know he's eliminated, but that doesn't seem to make a difference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimboburnsy
How do you handle it when he has an accident in the crate?
I let him outdoors without saying a word, then I clean it out. I've been letting him out in the calmest manner I can, trying not to make getting out of the crate a big deal, and ignoring him until he's gone out and peed/pooped outdoors. Then I do the big praise/treats/celebration.
I'm just thinking now it is going to take more time with him.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,309 posts, read 38,774,074 times
Reputation: 7185
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanna B.
Thanks! The crate is pretty large. I know that dividing it may help. I just can't figure what to use that he won't chew. I have a large plastic crate, like a vari-kennel type. I am also afraid that if it isn't secure something used to divide it may fall on him and he may be hurt - so I've left the crate intact. I'd go out and buy a new one but I am very short on $$ right now, so I have to make do with what I already own.
I just can't set a pattern with him. I don't put him inside the crate unless I know he's eliminated, but that doesn't seem to make a difference.
I let him outdoors without saying a word, then I clean it out. I've been letting him out in the calmest manner I can, trying not to make getting out of the crate a big deal, and ignoring him until he's gone out and peed/pooped outdoors. Then I do the big praise/treats/celebration.
I'm just thinking now it is going to take more time with him.
Thanks. I know the crate is too large. But he isn't going in one spot, more like he goes and tramples through it and spreads it out, due to his agitation.
I also have a separation/anxiety issue. My Shih-Tzu puppy is almost 4 mo old and I've had her for almost 1 mo. She is very attached to me and when we have to leave for short periods of time I put her into the crate (small one) but when I get home I open the dor very quietly and I no whinning or crying; however, when I get to her crate she is panting very fast and it scares me that it could hurt her. She is doing well with inside training on the pads and I have her confined in my living room, but we can't "barricade" proof the living room totally so that's why I want to use the crate when needed. I too have had dogs all of my life and never dealth with this issue; however, I always had two of them and they were always poodles. This is the first SZ I've owned and she's very smart and loving. she is easily trained as she willalready sit, stay, down and come. But put her in the crate and that's another whole issue. All in all I'm sure things will work out. I'm hoping that the potty training will soon be perfected and then I know when I go out she just lays by our front door. Hurry Hurry Potty Training!
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