Hi

Well done for taking things slowly, too many people just shut a puppy in a crate and expect them to like it.

I would say however, that the times you decide to shut the door, make sure your puppy is tired i.e. had a good run around, pee etc. etc. and you know he is likely to be more relaxed.

Put a Kong in with him, stuffed with something nice, or an extra special chew stick. Smackos in the Kong are good, or Cheese. When you shut the door, stay in the same room as him and only wait four or five minutes, before opening the door. He probably won't even notice. When you can do this in the same room, just do the same and go into the other room for a moment and come back. Don't return to puppy if he is crying.

You will probably find that by pottering around the kitchen - if the crate is there, or wherever it is, the puppy will relax and doze off.

It really is a case of just letting him know that when you are in the crate, I am around, but I won't be paying you any attention. It also helps if you don't always give your dog attention on demand at other times.

Below is an answer of mine for a similar thread, some bits may help...

Crate training

Presuming your puppy is used to going in their crate at food times, with nice treats and sleepy times (if they fall asleep elsewhere, pick them up and place in the crate) you eventually can shut the door for short periods, a puppy shouldn't be distressed in their crate, unless they need to pee/poo and then it is up to you to get them out asap.

Put puppy in the garden when likely to pee/poo, when she does, use command and give lots and lots of praise (food if it works!). Take back in and puppy should be OK for about an hour or so, when will need to be taken back out, or upon waking if they have had a sleep. If puppy doesn't 'perform', put into crate (locked!) with chew or something for 10/15 minutes and then take back out again and repeat the process. When puppy performs then you are back to the safe zone again and can have free run of whereever. This should build up so you can go several hours and puppy starts to either whine in the crate, or goes and whines at the door when they need to go. Be patient, you may have accidents. Ignore these, but reward the good results.

It may be worth restricting the places puppy can go in between times, so you can keep an eye on whether they are doing the usual 'need to go' tricks, sniffing, circling, licking, waiting at door etc. etc.

DO NOT PUT PUPPY PAD IN CRATE - this defeats the object of toilet training. Puppy pads give mixed messages anyway and are not the greatest things to help get a clean dog.

Puppies have to learn from us and be guided by us how to do all this, as they don't have their mums to show them!

At night, don't feed puppy after 6.00pm. Try and make sure your puppy has gone to toilet the latest you can and that you have seen them go. If not, do the crate, outside, crate, outside, until they go, at night when it is cold and wet it isn't easy, everyone should get there puppy in the summer - much easier!!! (joke!!). My record is until 2.30 in the morning, but we have had a lot of puppies go through our house!

Then, making sure the crate is in a safe, warm place - next to your bed if necessary so you can hear any figiting and if necessary get them out as soon as possible (carry don't let them walk down stairs, or they will pee on the way) ! Bear in mind as puppy grows more confident you can move the crate back down stairs in stages i.e. to the door of the bedroom, out on the landing, to the bottom of the stairs, into the kitchen.

Put the puppy into the crate and go to sleep, puppy may cry a little or whine, but will learn to settle down if ignored, or just reassured with your voice. Be prepared to hear figiting at any time and take puppy downstairs. If you don't better you get up around 6.00am and take the puppy out, use your command to get a result, or just use the command when the puppy does the action to get the association going - depending on what stage you are at.

If puppy doesn't go, put back in crate and do the 10 minutes, crate, outside, crate thing again.

If puppy pees in the crate in the night, either, you haven't heard them!, the crate is too large and gives them room to go to far away from their bed, you didn't see them 'go' before settling them down - or maybe all three!!

It can help to have two crates if you are doing this upstairs.

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It sounds like you have gone past the stages for this, but some of it may help. Keep up the good work, you are doing well so far.

Kate

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