Just the f
I'm looking for advice, suggestions on how to crate/potty train a 10 week old Boxer. Any advice is welcome. Also, do I have to have her ears cut?
Answer
Every year, millions of dogs are surrendered to the pounds and humane societies because they are believed to be "untrainable". Their "bad behaviour" includes chewing furniture and shoes, barking too much and ignoring commands - all problems that are not permanent and easily corrected if you take the time to do so.
As difficult as it may be to remember, your dog is not a little person. You cannot reason with a dog to get him to behave the way you would like. Even though they have shared our homes for thousands of years, dogs still retain many of the instincts and characteristics of the wild dogs from whom they are descended. Bred from ancestral wolves, dogs are both pack and den animals and for this reason, most dogs will accept a crate as part of their lifestyle. Like a baby's playpen, a crate or cage is a place in which your dog can stay when you are unable to keep an eye on him.
Choosing a Crate
A crate is a dog's very own special place. When you choose a crate, be sure to select the correct size for your dog. The crate must be large enough for the adult dog to stand up straight, turn around and lie down in a stretched position. Crates usually come in two varieties: fiberglass and metal. A fiberglass crate will provide a greater sense of security for your dog; a metal crate is collapsible and will allow for better circulation.
Introducing Your Dog to the Crate
For crate training to be most successful, your dog must be properly introduced to the crate. Crate training should begin as soon as you bring your new dog home. Equip the crate with water and a blanket or towel. Start off slowly and increase the time gradually. Place the crate out of the way, but not away from the action: your dog is one of the family, and needs to feel he is not being banished when confined in the crate.
Introducing your dog to the crate should be positive and fun. Never place your dog in the crate after disciplining him. Your dog needs to feel the crate is a happy, secure place. Select a command such as "Into your house". Encourage your dog to enter by tossing a treat into the crate. Leave the door open at first. Once your dog enters readily, close the door for a few minutes, and praise him with a cheerful, positive voice. Leave your dog with a special chew toy, just for the times he is in the crate.
Scheduling is very important. Ideally, young puppies would not be crated for more than three hours at a time - they cannot be expected to hold their bladders for more than a couple of hours. Adult dogs should not be crated for much more than eight hours. If you must leave your puppy or dog for longer than the ideal length of time, be sure the crate is arranged to provide a bedding area and a papered area to accommodate "accidents". If your dog needs to use the papers in the crate, under no circumstances should you scold or punish him.
Any complaining your dog may do at the beginning is not usually caused by the crate, but by the new controls set by this unfamiliar environment. Do not let your dog out when he whines or complains. By doing so, you will only reward his bad behaviour. When your dog settles down for five minutes, release him from the crate.
Once you feel your dog can be left on his own, you may practice leaving him alone for short periods of time. Allow your dog access to only certain areas of your home. As with children, place breakables and dangerous items well out of reach!
Your dog's crate is a tool that should allow you to have a smoother, happier relationship with your dog. It is not intended as a place to leave your dog and ignore him.
While crate training is a very effective method of training your dog, it may not be the answer to every behaviour problem your dog might exhibit. If your dog seems to be taking a long time to come around, do not give up! Your dog can be trained to be a fastidious member of your household regardless of age. Just be sure to give your dog every chance to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, and let your dog know you love him for him!
The Golden Rules of Crate Training:
The crate belongs to your dog. It should be off-limits to children.
You are the "pack leader", and you are in charge. Your dog needs to learn this!
Never let your dog out when he is whining. Giving in will make it more difficult to train him.
Remember, you are doing your dog a favour by keeping him safe and out of trouble when you are unable to supervise him.
Your dog's crate is not intended for long hours of use. When you are at home, your dog needs to be out of his "house" and in your company.
Never use the crate as a means of punishment.
A puppy is like a baby. He will relieve himself anywhere, anytime. Because a newly adopted adult dog is unfamiliar with your home, he may not understand where he should "go"! Housetraining, or teaching your dog to go outside to relieve himself, is an important lesson your dog must learn.
It is up to you, the new parent, to housetrain your new puppy or dog with patience, love and understanding.
CRATE TRAINING
In the wild, wolves live in a den or cave. It is important the entire wolf pack keep this area clean. The same idea works with your family pet. Your dogâs crate is his home, his bedroom. It is likely that your dog will not like to soil his bed. Therefore, he will wait until he is let out to do his business.
HOUSETRAINING WITH YOUR CRATE
On average, puppies can hold their bladders one hour for every month they have been alive, plus one hour. For example, if you have a three month old puppy, he can wait 3 + 1 = 4 hours. If you work longer than this, the best solution is to have someone (a neighbour, a relative, a dog walker) come in at an appropriate time to let your dog out.
100 PER CENT SUPERVISION
Supervision is the key to housetraining! While you are at home, your dog must be supervised. Whether you are watching television, making dinner, on the phone or on the computer, your puppy must be watched. While it sounds like an impossible task, it isnât. Keeping the crate in a social part of the house makes it easier. Using a house lead â a small, thin lead with a little clip on it â also helps immensely. Outside, you put a lead on your dog so you can control him. If the lead is removed after returning home, control is lost. For example, when watching television, have the lead tied to a couch leg. Your dog can have his blanket and toys with him. Heâll feel safe and comfortable. The majority of accidents happen when your pup wanders off and you havenât noticed. You donât want him to sneak off into the kitchen and find a puddle a short time later. If your pup is kept from wandering, the possibility of an accident is diminished because he will not eliminate where he is sitting. 100 per cent supervision means ensuring your dog is playing with you, in his crate, outside or on his house lead.
SCHEDULING
In the morning, take your dog outside. He should urinate and possibly have a bowel movement. Spend about five to seven minutes with him and then bring him in. Do not play with him yet. Feed him breakfast, either in the crate or with the lead, and supervise it. If your pup did not have a bowel movement earlier, take him back outside about 15 minutes after he has eaten. Use the lead to keep your pup moving along while outside. Otherwise, he may start sniffing, stopping and playing to avoid the job at hand. You can say âhurry upâ and your dog will begin to associate these words with the task at hand. Praise him excessively when he has eliminated. Bring him back in the house and place him in his crate if you are going to work. Continue to supervise him with the crate or the lead if you are home. When returning after being out, go directly to the crate, let him out, praise him and put him back in. Feed him his meal, take him outside 15 minutes after he has eaten, praise him after he eliminates, and bring him back in. Continue to follow the same steps consistently.
While you are home, you should take your pup outside on a regular basis. Even if your pup is in a crate or on a house lead, he still needs the opportunity to eliminate. Also, be careful what you wish for! A pup who barks to go outside may be cute and clever now. However, you must try not to fall into the habit of leaping up every time your dog wants in or out. It is a very submissive gesture on your part. Have your pup wait a moment or two.
Setting up a schedule is also a good idea. If your pup is under four months of age, take him out for five minutes every hour on the hour. If your pup is over four months old, take him out every second hour on the hour. The schedule will help you remember when to take him out. Go out for five minutes only. It provides the opportunity to eliminate even if your pup may not need to go. Take your dog out after active play and also after napping. If an accident occurs, you may have forgotten to take him out .
FEEDING TIME
Having a puppy drink a lot of water and then placing him in his crate is much more unkind than letting him be a bit thirsty for an hour or two. Adult dogs should have access to drinking water at all times. However, this is not the case for untrained pups. Most parents will not allow their children to drink a big glass of water before going to bed. Avoid setting your pup up for failure. Restrict his water intake to three or four drinks daily and make sure you remove the water dish about three hours before bedtime. This will help your dog sleep more comfortably.
If it is a hot evening, supply your pup with a few ice cubes. They will enter your dogâs system at a slower pace. When feeding your pup, provide a high-quality food that is a good source of protein. The food must be concentrated so your puppyâs body doesnât require much of it. If you feed less, your puppy eliminates less. Food is directly related to how well puppies do in their housetraining.
EXERCISE
It is important that your pup gets a lot of exercise, especially while crate training. You can play fetch, chase or hide and seek in your home. You can call âcomeâ at the same time to provide further training. Anyway you do it, your pup needs to be able to run and play.
Every year, millions of dogs are surrendered to the pounds and humane societies because they are believed to be "untrainable". Their "bad behaviour" includes chewing furniture and shoes, barking too much and ignoring commands - all problems that are not permanent and easily corrected if you take the time to do so.
As difficult as it may be to remember, your dog is not a little person. You cannot reason with a dog to get him to behave the way you would like. Even though they have shared our homes for thousands of years, dogs still retain many of the instincts and characteristics of the wild dogs from whom they are descended. Bred from ancestral wolves, dogs are both pack and den animals and for this reason, most dogs will accept a crate as part of their lifestyle. Like a baby's playpen, a crate or cage is a place in which your dog can stay when you are unable to keep an eye on him.
Choosing a Crate
A crate is a dog's very own special place. When you choose a crate, be sure to select the correct size for your dog. The crate must be large enough for the adult dog to stand up straight, turn around and lie down in a stretched position. Crates usually come in two varieties: fiberglass and metal. A fiberglass crate will provide a greater sense of security for your dog; a metal crate is collapsible and will allow for better circulation.
Introducing Your Dog to the Crate
For crate training to be most successful, your dog must be properly introduced to the crate. Crate training should begin as soon as you bring your new dog home. Equip the crate with water and a blanket or towel. Start off slowly and increase the time gradually. Place the crate out of the way, but not away from the action: your dog is one of the family, and needs to feel he is not being banished when confined in the crate.
Introducing your dog to the crate should be positive and fun. Never place your dog in the crate after disciplining him. Your dog needs to feel the crate is a happy, secure place. Select a command such as "Into your house". Encourage your dog to enter by tossing a treat into the crate. Leave the door open at first. Once your dog enters readily, close the door for a few minutes, and praise him with a cheerful, positive voice. Leave your dog with a special chew toy, just for the times he is in the crate.
Scheduling is very important. Ideally, young puppies would not be crated for more than three hours at a time - they cannot be expected to hold their bladders for more than a couple of hours. Adult dogs should not be crated for much more than eight hours. If you must leave your puppy or dog for longer than the ideal length of time, be sure the crate is arranged to provide a bedding area and a papered area to accommodate "accidents". If your dog needs to use the papers in the crate, under no circumstances should you scold or punish him.
Any complaining your dog may do at the beginning is not usually caused by the crate, but by the new controls set by this unfamiliar environment. Do not let your dog out when he whines or complains. By doing so, you will only reward his bad behaviour. When your dog settles down for five minutes, release him from the crate.
Once you feel your dog can be left on his own, you may practice leaving him alone for short periods of time. Allow your dog access to only certain areas of your home. As with children, place breakables and dangerous items well out of reach!
Your dog's crate is a tool that should allow you to have a smoother, happier relationship with your dog. It is not intended as a place to leave your dog and ignore him.
While crate training is a very effective method of training your dog, it may not be the answer to every behaviour problem your dog might exhibit. If your dog seems to be taking a long time to come around, do not give up! Your dog can be trained to be a fastidious member of your household regardless of age. Just be sure to give your dog every chance to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, and let your dog know you love him for him!
The Golden Rules of Crate Training:
The crate belongs to your dog. It should be off-limits to children.
You are the "pack leader", and you are in charge. Your dog needs to learn this!
Never let your dog out when he is whining. Giving in will make it more difficult to train him.
Remember, you are doing your dog a favour by keeping him safe and out of trouble when you are unable to supervise him.
Your dog's crate is not intended for long hours of use. When you are at home, your dog needs to be out of his "house" and in your company.
Never use the crate as a means of punishment.
A puppy is like a baby. He will relieve himself anywhere, anytime. Because a newly adopted adult dog is unfamiliar with your home, he may not understand where he should "go"! Housetraining, or teaching your dog to go outside to relieve himself, is an important lesson your dog must learn.
It is up to you, the new parent, to housetrain your new puppy or dog with patience, love and understanding.
CRATE TRAINING
In the wild, wolves live in a den or cave. It is important the entire wolf pack keep this area clean. The same idea works with your family pet. Your dogâs crate is his home, his bedroom. It is likely that your dog will not like to soil his bed. Therefore, he will wait until he is let out to do his business.
HOUSETRAINING WITH YOUR CRATE
On average, puppies can hold their bladders one hour for every month they have been alive, plus one hour. For example, if you have a three month old puppy, he can wait 3 + 1 = 4 hours. If you work longer than this, the best solution is to have someone (a neighbour, a relative, a dog walker) come in at an appropriate time to let your dog out.
100 PER CENT SUPERVISION
Supervision is the key to housetraining! While you are at home, your dog must be supervised. Whether you are watching television, making dinner, on the phone or on the computer, your puppy must be watched. While it sounds like an impossible task, it isnât. Keeping the crate in a social part of the house makes it easier. Using a house lead â a small, thin lead with a little clip on it â also helps immensely. Outside, you put a lead on your dog so you can control him. If the lead is removed after returning home, control is lost. For example, when watching television, have the lead tied to a couch leg. Your dog can have his blanket and toys with him. Heâll feel safe and comfortable. The majority of accidents happen when your pup wanders off and you havenât noticed. You donât want him to sneak off into the kitchen and find a puddle a short time later. If your pup is kept from wandering, the possibility of an accident is diminished because he will not eliminate where he is sitting. 100 per cent supervision means ensuring your dog is playing with you, in his crate, outside or on his house lead.
SCHEDULING
In the morning, take your dog outside. He should urinate and possibly have a bowel movement. Spend about five to seven minutes with him and then bring him in. Do not play with him yet. Feed him breakfast, either in the crate or with the lead, and supervise it. If your pup did not have a bowel movement earlier, take him back outside about 15 minutes after he has eaten. Use the lead to keep your pup moving along while outside. Otherwise, he may start sniffing, stopping and playing to avoid the job at hand. You can say âhurry upâ and your dog will begin to associate these words with the task at hand. Praise him excessively when he has eliminated. Bring him back in the house and place him in his crate if you are going to work. Continue to supervise him with the crate or the lead if you are home. When returning after being out, go directly to the crate, let him out, praise him and put him back in. Feed him his meal, take him outside 15 minutes after he has eaten, praise him after he eliminates, and bring him back in. Continue to follow the same steps consistently.
While you are home, you should take your pup outside on a regular basis. Even if your pup is in a crate or on a house lead, he still needs the opportunity to eliminate. Also, be careful what you wish for! A pup who barks to go outside may be cute and clever now. However, you must try not to fall into the habit of leaping up every time your dog wants in or out. It is a very submissive gesture on your part. Have your pup wait a moment or two.
Setting up a schedule is also a good idea. If your pup is under four months of age, take him out for five minutes every hour on the hour. If your pup is over four months old, take him out every second hour on the hour. The schedule will help you remember when to take him out. Go out for five minutes only. It provides the opportunity to eliminate even if your pup may not need to go. Take your dog out after active play and also after napping. If an accident occurs, you may have forgotten to take him out .
FEEDING TIME
Having a puppy drink a lot of water and then placing him in his crate is much more unkind than letting him be a bit thirsty for an hour or two. Adult dogs should have access to drinking water at all times. However, this is not the case for untrained pups. Most parents will not allow their children to drink a big glass of water before going to bed. Avoid setting your pup up for failure. Restrict his water intake to three or four drinks daily and make sure you remove the water dish about three hours before bedtime. This will help your dog sleep more comfortably.
If it is a hot evening, supply your pup with a few ice cubes. They will enter your dogâs system at a slower pace. When feeding your pup, provide a high-quality food that is a good source of protein. The food must be concentrated so your puppyâs body doesnât require much of it. If you feed less, your puppy eliminates less. Food is directly related to how well puppies do in their housetraining.
EXERCISE
It is important that your pup gets a lot of exercise, especially while crate training. You can play fetch, chase or hide and seek in your home. You can call âcomeâ at the same time to provide further training. Anyway you do it, your pup needs to be able to run and play.
Some crate questions. ?
Bree
It's me again - more questions in preparation for my coming rotti pup.
I have yet to choose a crate.
I've read that it's not good to get rid of or stop using a crate, even after it's served it's purpose as a training tool. This makes sense to me, of course - the crate is supposed to serve as a safe, den-like space. However, my dogs have always been right up in the bed and/or furniture with me, which is where I like them to be. I've found that dogs who are crated, at least those I've met, continue to prefer their crate as a resting area, rather than beside their owner. So, question one for those of you who do or have crated their dogs. If they aren't confined to the crate at night (after house broken, of course), do they stick near you or choose the crate? And during the day when they're out?
Another thing I'm having trouble deciding is plastic or wire. My cats often climb up onto the rabbit and ferret cages and sleep there. I suspect they'd do the same on a wire crate, and I'm uncertain if this would bother the dog. However, with where I will be putting the crate, no light will get into the crate through the sides and possibly not much through the front, and wonder if it would bother to dog to be in the dark like that. Also, my room can be somewhat warm, as I house my reptiles in there as well. With the wire crate, there'd be more ventilation and I don't think it would be unusually warm where it would be situated. With the plastic, it seems like there would be less air flow and I worry about it getting uncomfortably warm. What sort of setting is your crate in during the day?
It's going to cost around a hundred dollars or more, whichever crate I get. Obviously, the pup is going to grow quite large, and if I'm going to continue making the crate available after he's housebroken, I'll need something much bigger than what he'd use as a puppy. Rather than buy two, I was wondering if there's a good way to divide a large crate, so that I can buy one big enough to last. This question is more for those with large dogs - did you start with a smaller crate, or a large? Why?
Some say not to put food or water in the crate, some say do, and some say just one or the other. Which is it? The longest he will be in the crate, besides at night, is just over three hours (I leave at quarter to nine and get back around five after twelve for lunch, at which time he will be immediately taken out). I would obviously remove anything at night, but am uncertain about the best choice for during the day. Do you make food or water available in your crate? Have you always done that? Why/why not?
These probably sound a bit silly, but I've never even considered crating a dog before. Those I know who do crate their dogs have had little success in other areas (the dogs jump, chew, and/or have poor obedience skills), so I don't want to rely on their answers either. I'll probably be back with more questions, but this is all that's come to mind right now.
Answer
My dogs were all crate-trained and they still use them. I'll crate them when I'm gone for more than an hour or so, and will crate any dog that I don't trust not to get into things when I'm not around. They'll go into their crates when the doors are open to snooze or to get away from the other dogs as well. All, however, are still more than happy to snuggle with us, lie on the couch, and sleep next to the bed.
I use wire crates in my home and at shows. They're easy to clean, easy to see into, and look nicer than the plastic ones. If a particular dog likes a more enclosed area, I'll cover the top or even the sides with a sheet or crate cover and leave the front open. They also fold well for travel, carrying up stairs, etc. I also have two fabric crates for hotel rooms or when visiting friends when I don't want to carry a heavy crate along.
My dogs are in heavy-duty plastic Vari-Kennels in the car. PetPorter from Wal-Mart used to be decent, but the plastic is cheap and weak now. If you want a plastic crate, go for the Vari-Kennel. I've seen dogs survive some horrific car crashes in a plastic crate-- it flexes and is more secure. A wire crate in a car accident will crumple and can crush or even skewer the dog on broken wires. I have two plastic crates that live permanently in the back of my SUV. When the dogs are in the car, that's where they ride. I also like the plastic crates for young puppies being introduced to crating. They tend to feel more secure, and are much less likely to get a toe or foot caught and injure themselves while learning to accept being confined. Once they're comfortable with the idea, they will graduate to a wire crate. If you choose a plastic crate and feel there isn't enough airflow, set a box fan ahead of it in hot weather.
I don't put food or water in a crate for a puppy-- they'll spill it, and some pups have drowned if they happen to get caught in the water. A puppy shouldn't be crated long enough to require food and water in the crate. For my older dogs, I'll hang a 1 or 1.5 quart stainless steel bucket (find them in pet supply catalogs, online, or at dog shows) with a carabiner clip with the hinge to the outside so the dog can't catch a lip on it. All dogs in crates have collars removed.
Needless to say, I have more crates than dogs. Right now I have two smaller crates for puppies that are in the basement unused, three wire crates for in the house, three more in storage for shows, three Vari-Kennels, 2 heavy-duty fabric crates, and an x-pen.
Crates are invaluable for house training and keeping your dog safe, as well as providing your dog with his 'own space.' Good luck with your future puppy!
My dogs were all crate-trained and they still use them. I'll crate them when I'm gone for more than an hour or so, and will crate any dog that I don't trust not to get into things when I'm not around. They'll go into their crates when the doors are open to snooze or to get away from the other dogs as well. All, however, are still more than happy to snuggle with us, lie on the couch, and sleep next to the bed.
I use wire crates in my home and at shows. They're easy to clean, easy to see into, and look nicer than the plastic ones. If a particular dog likes a more enclosed area, I'll cover the top or even the sides with a sheet or crate cover and leave the front open. They also fold well for travel, carrying up stairs, etc. I also have two fabric crates for hotel rooms or when visiting friends when I don't want to carry a heavy crate along.
My dogs are in heavy-duty plastic Vari-Kennels in the car. PetPorter from Wal-Mart used to be decent, but the plastic is cheap and weak now. If you want a plastic crate, go for the Vari-Kennel. I've seen dogs survive some horrific car crashes in a plastic crate-- it flexes and is more secure. A wire crate in a car accident will crumple and can crush or even skewer the dog on broken wires. I have two plastic crates that live permanently in the back of my SUV. When the dogs are in the car, that's where they ride. I also like the plastic crates for young puppies being introduced to crating. They tend to feel more secure, and are much less likely to get a toe or foot caught and injure themselves while learning to accept being confined. Once they're comfortable with the idea, they will graduate to a wire crate. If you choose a plastic crate and feel there isn't enough airflow, set a box fan ahead of it in hot weather.
I don't put food or water in a crate for a puppy-- they'll spill it, and some pups have drowned if they happen to get caught in the water. A puppy shouldn't be crated long enough to require food and water in the crate. For my older dogs, I'll hang a 1 or 1.5 quart stainless steel bucket (find them in pet supply catalogs, online, or at dog shows) with a carabiner clip with the hinge to the outside so the dog can't catch a lip on it. All dogs in crates have collars removed.
Needless to say, I have more crates than dogs. Right now I have two smaller crates for puppies that are in the basement unused, three wire crates for in the house, three more in storage for shows, three Vari-Kennels, 2 heavy-duty fabric crates, and an x-pen.
Crates are invaluable for house training and keeping your dog safe, as well as providing your dog with his 'own space.' Good luck with your future puppy!
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Title Post: Does anyone have experience crate training newborn Boxer pups? I just got a 10 week old female and need help!?
Rating: 100% based on 9998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
Rating: 100% based on 9998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar