Crate training...is it bad if I stop?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMO, crating when you leave the house and crating when you're asleep are collectively too much crating. Where does your other dog sleep?

I would keep crating when you leave, and also make the crate a fun snack place when you're home. Lots of short trips in and out of the crate, make it NBD to go in and stay a few minutes. But let him sleep elsewhere.

Do not let a puppy be unsupervised. If you are sleeping, you aren’t supervising. My neighbors thought crates were cruel and they let their puppy sleep in their room. The puppy chewed and ingested the baseboard and paint. Lots of time and money at the pet ER convinced them that puppies shouldn’t be unsupervised at any time.

This is the correct answer. If you're not actively engaging a puppy, it should be crated until/unless it has been fully house-trained (not just housebroken/potty-trained). Chewing your stuff may be an annoyance to you, but it might be a medical emergency to your dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've had our puppy for a month; she's three months old. We also have an older dog and they're getting along well.

We have been attempting to crate train the puppy and it is not going well. She will eventually settle in the crate for naps (recommended by trainer) and at night, but will not stay in it for longer than 90 minutes without whining to come out, and it often takes 30+ minutes for her to settle down. I have not slept in my own bed since getting her. When I leave the house, she will bark and howl in the crate until I return. My nerves are shot and I cannot deal with the barking, whining, and drama associated with this F%&%cking crate: it also seems to make no difference in terms of house training. I know she can 'hold it' for longer than 90 minutes as she's slept with me on the couch for several hours with no accidents.

FWIW, we've been working with a trainer and practicing with Susan Garrett's 'crate games'. At this point, I'm inclined to just get pee pads and leave her out with the older dog: having her semi-relax in the crate for a few hours a day doesn't really help me.

Has anyone else ditched the crate?

Who is this idiot trainer recommending "naptime" for dogs? It's mentioned on the other puppy thread, too... This is nonsense, and if your trainer suggests it, fire them immediately. Everyone knows the sleeping puppy is best for snuggling. Puppy should be "napping" at your side while you post to DCUM. Forcing the puppy to "nap" in a crate is going to get you exactly this.

Crate puppy overnight. Wake up as needed for potty breaks (depending on age). Take puppy outside for potty, then feed/train (kibble should be used as rewards, not just free-fed from a dish at this age), then back out to pee, then puppy should be pretty sleepy and crate for a bit. Then out, then play/train/feed, then out again, then crate (unless you play too hard and puppy sleeps on/near you, in which case, success!). Repeat until 'last call' walkies, then crate overnight (again, waking up to take puppy out as needed, depending on age).

But the idea of "okay, it's nap time" is garbage. Naps are the result, the "natural consequence" of proper training; we don't train naps.