Crate Training

[CMJ]

Hello

We brought our little now 9 week old Jack Russell/Yorkshire Terrier cross home last week. He's lovely and getting settled in. He has slept through the night in his crate for the past 3 night (approx 11pm-6am) which is fabtastic.

I was wanting some advice on day time crate/puppy playpen training. He's not overly keen on being either in the day. The downstairs of our house is open plan with no way of blocking parts off really, so he has free range to roam. However there are times when we need to get stuff done and can't supervise him (he chews and is obviously toilet training so needs supervision if out of crate). I tried putting him in the puppy play pen whilst I had a shower, he was upstairs with me but he got pretty frantic, crying and howling the whole time. He has his bed, toys, food etc in there.

Today I'm trying to spend more time with him in his crate. Placing him in and giving lots of praise, treats in there, trying to get him to play with (and without me in there). He seems to quite happily sleep in there when he's tired in the day but that's on his terms. When awake he may play for a few minutes but then wants out. If the door is shut he will immediately cry. I know I need to try and help him self settle in there. Should I let him cry it out? But what if he just continues to cry. I'm worried if I let him cry for a bit but then let him out I'm teaching him if he crys he'll be let out but at the same time I don't want to leave him in there crying for a long time?

Sorry for long post and thanks in advance

 

[excuseme]

Hello.
Your puppy has not long left it's mother and siblings and already is going through the night for 7 hours peacefully in his cage. What an amazing chap.
What are your plans for him during the day time and what do you want to achieve.
Do you work, how long are you planning to leave him alone while you are out of the house, do you have a garden for him to use and play in ?
Personally I think a play pen is a lot kinder in the day time than more time shut in the cage.
This information may help with replies that you will be getting.

We would all like to see some pictures of him too. PLEASE

.

 

[Tinytom]

He already spends 7 hours in a crate ...i too would use the playpen and please do not let him cry ...i would take him into the bathroom with you if he gets so distressed whilst you are out of his view ...
If you put him in his crate and he gets very distressed i would only put him in at night when he is happy to sleep in there ...

 

[Finsky]

Hello

We brought our little now 9 week old Jack Russell/Yorkshire Terrier cross home last week. He's lovely and getting settled in. He has slept through the night in his crate for the past 3 night (approx 11pm-6am) which is fabtastic.

I was wanting some advice on day time crate/puppy playpen training. He's not overly keen on being either in the day. The downstairs of our house is open plan with no way of blocking parts off really, so he has free range to roam. However there are times when we need to get stuff done and can't supervise him (he chews and is obviously toilet training so needs supervision if out of crate). I tried putting him in the puppy play pen whilst I had a shower, he was upstairs with me but he got pretty frantic, crying and howling the whole time. He has his bed, toys, food etc in there.

Today I'm trying to spend more time with him in his crate. Placing him in and giving lots of praise, treats in there, trying to get him to play with (and without me in there). He seems to quite happily sleep in there when he's tired in the day but that's on his terms. When awake he may play for a few minutes but then wants out. If the door is shut he will immediately cry. I know I need to try and help him self settle in there. Should I let him cry it out? But what if he just continues to cry. I'm worried if I let him cry for a bit but then let him out I'm teaching him if he crys he'll be let out but at the same time I don't want to leave him in there crying for a long time?

Sorry for long post and thanks in advance

As other have suggested.
I would also add...now that the weather is still rather good. Take you pup for a 'walk', carry him around and let him see things around in the wide/wild world. When you come in..he will be little baffled of it all so you could put him into pen for few minutes then take him out again..give more activities and toilet break and take him back to pen again and so on. Let him used to the pen in small 'instalments' but after he has already done something that uses his brain or is classified as 'activity'... He will be in much more settled mood after draining the little excess energy.
If he learns that the pen is only a temporary thing then it is not as scary place to be and he will be much settled to wait for the next time he is allowed out.

 

[CMJ]

Thank you for your replies

I know, he really is an amazing boy I will try and upload a photo.

My husband permanently works from home and I'm currently at home 5 days out of 7. We have a 9 year old son. We don't have any intentions of leaving him on his own for any amount of time anytime soon. I guess eventually much further down the line there may be times where we need to leave him for the odd hour but this would be infrequently. It's just I read that you should try to get them crate trained early on to prevent separation anxiety when they are older. I'm just really keen to get things right from the start so he is a happy healthy doggie.

He has been out several times already for socialisation. He attended a taekwondo grading in the park and very sadly a funeral (outside the church due to Covid). He happily slept in my arms and took everything in his stride.
We have a decent sized patio and garden and take him out regularly under supervision.

I was in the bathroom with him when he was in the playpen, he just wasn't happy in there. I think maybe I am trying to do things too quickly and need to take it a bit slower. I hope eventually he is happy in his crate and playpen and sees them as his safe space.

Thanks again

 

[Tinytom]

Terriers really do love being with their humans ..my 2 jrts live with 3 lurchers but they are my shadow ...
Doing everything slowly will make a very happy pup turn into a lovely balanced dog

 

[Finsky]

Thank you for your replies

It's just I read that you should try to get them crate trained early on to prevent separation anxiety when they are older.

Development of separation anxiety has various ways of surfacing. Young dogs can actually develop fear being alone..by just forcing this separation upon to them. It is important to get the dog comfortable with its surroundings at first. In new home everything it has previously known is strange. So I would recommend taking slow steps, taking account pup's comfort levels.

Now I'm not saying this to judge you or about your pup (I'm thinking out loud) .. I have noticed this pattern of rush to get young pups trained surfacing with many posters? And I'm wondering where this is coming from?
Dogs are capable to learn new things through out their lives..so as far as I see it..as long as the pup is starting to pick up some basics in first few months of its life..rest will follow up as the dog is physically and mentally developing further.. they are never 'complete packages', just like us humans...we too develop new skills through out our lives.
But then again, I personally like to take my time and let the dogs show me the pace they want to/can learn. Things I started teach at first was toilet training, sit and general behaviour...but lot of that they pick naturally through out daily interaction anyway. Or is it because I have been able to be with my dogs 24/7 and maybe other dog owners are feeling that they have to rush because they have 'train to catch'?

 

[CMJ]

Thanks for your reply Finsky.

I can't speak for other owners but we don't 'have a train to catch' and as I said above we will mainly be with him 24/7 but I guess all dog owners at some point will need to leave their dog for a short while if they have something to attend to where dogs aren't allowed such as a doctors appointment. You ask where this is coming from and again I can't speak for other dog owners but just from reading/researching about new pups and dogs in general. There was a book recommended by a number of people on this site (I forget the author) that frankly terrified me. It was basically along the lines of if you don't do certain things within a certain number of weeks of your puppy age then it will cause all sorts of issues long term. I think there is a lot of conflicting information out there which is confusing for new dog owners.

I feel much more reassured that having him with us all the time isn't going to cause problems when/if we need to leave him on his own for a short while in the future.

 

[Finsky]

Thanks for your reply Finsky.

I can't speak for other owners but we don't 'have a train to catch' and as I said above we will mainly be with him 24/7 but I guess all dog owners at some point will need to leave their dog for a short while if they have something to attend to where dogs aren't allowed such as a doctors appointment. You ask where this is coming from and again I can't speak for other dog owners but just from reading/researching about new pups and dogs in general. There was a book recommended by a number of people on this site (I forget the author) that frankly terrified me. It was basically along the lines of if you don't do certain things within a certain number of weeks of your puppy age then it will cause all sorts of issues long term. I think there is a lot of conflicting information out there which is confusing for new dog owners.

I feel much more reassured that having him with us all the time isn't going to cause problems when/if we need to leave him on his own for a short while in the future.

You have very lucky dog being able to have its human 'pack' around so much. I've had some neighbours who have done the 'classic'..had pup for few weeks and then they've thought it is ok to return back to normal and get back to work again.
Nah...being all the time in home with the dog is not causing issues...but the pup do need to be trained to feel confident to be on its own too and when coming back home, not going bonkers and making a big deal out of it is very important. To start with if your pup can see when you nip out..say hang laundry or something but not allowed to follow every time you do that...then after few times expand that to that he is having to wait behind the door but without a view, but just a short moments to start with..after each few times being on its own and waiting being extended little more again. Ideally you just come back in with much fuss at all 'like it would not be a big deal'..eventually they get used to it for being just that, 'not a big deal'. That same approach works with many other things with dog lessons when we don't want to encourage the pup to get worked up.
Long time ago, when I didn't know any better..I happened to make one of my dogs to suffer with separation anxiety. It was all caused by our own behaviour by being overly excited to greet her when we came home.
We never saw the signs her building the anxiety up and then one day we came home and parts of the kitchen and her bed was shredded..and then it started to happen again and again.
But on a positive note..once I figured out what was the reason why she changed and once we started to alter our home coming reaction, over period of time her behaviour returned back to where she didn't appear to show any issues anymore. In fact now I think about it...she was fully 'cured'! I used to take her with me to work..and one day somebody came to talk to be as I parked up and we ventured to check something out that was an urgent issue. As I came back to the car, I noticed when being distracted from normal routine I had forgot to close the car door....'OMG'. But there she was...bless her...sitting on the drivers seat, next to wide open door and looking through the front screen and keeping eye on things She had worked it out that it was her job to be a guard dog and after that one incident...she would always be on guard in the car....nobody would dare to put hand inside without 'its ok' from me or she would quietly lift up her upper lip She wasn't aggressive at all...but she did give fair warning and people did respected row of pearly whites on the show ..I can't recall never ever getting growl out of her!
Ok..now I'm rattling too much...