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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Thank you to all who offered suggestions.  We will work harder.  We had a trainer come to our yard at the beginning and that gave us all the basic commands.  He is a pretty good loose leash walker and we continue to practice that skill.  A group puppy class we took was all the same basic commands and sort of a waste.  I would be up for puppy day care but I am not sure he would like being dropped off in a strange place.  I think it has been a combo of his adolescent defiance.  He knows he is not supposed to put his paws on the table or try to break in to the toy area so that is what he is just waiting for the opportunity to do.  He is not into kongs and we got a bunch of food puzzles but he solves those super easily.  He likes bully sticks and other natural chews in the evening (ignores nylabones, rubber chews) when he just hangs out with us but we have to mix those up or he gets sick of them.  I am surprised at the backlash on the crate time since that is really what all the books and trainers recommend.  He is used to it so we can safely leave the house to grocery shop or go to doctors appointments.  I think also the dark and bad weather has made it so we spend less time in the yard playing fetch or kicking a ball around.   Think it is frustration with all the negative behaviors we are getting despite the effort.  But obviously the message is more effort, more stimulation, more attention.[/quote]
There are many books and trainers that do not recommend locked crates. [/quote]

Including ours.[/quote]

As a first time puppy owner (4mos) am just curious: how do you keep a puppy or young dog safe when you can’t supervise, without a crate? We have not met with our trainer yet (start in two weeks...she just had her last puppy vaxes today) so I don’t know what he will recommend. But I don’t see what I would do with her when I can’t supervise, if not the crate? She is in there at night when we are sleeping, and for a few naps etc during the day (and during that time I get things done that I can’t do when she is out). It would not be safe for her to have free run of the house. Also, we don’t go out much lately, but what would I do with her when I have to run to the store for an hour? Ideally DH or our (older) kids are with her but that isn’t always possible. I guess this just does not make sense to me...

Our puppy likes her crate and will go lie down in her own...after we got home from the vet today she went to the crate herself and fell asleep. I did lock the door behind her because I had some chores etc to do, out of earshot.

It’s hard for me to imagine never using a crate, I guess...[/quote]

There are different philosophies on that just like there are raging debates on how to sleep train your kids.  Some things work better for different dogs.  Crating your dog is just fine, it's excessive crating and never giving them enough stimulation that is a problem.  My last dog never "outgrew" her desire to be in her crate sometimes.  She knew that nobody would bug her, that the kids wouldn't come pet her or disturb her sleep if she went in there.  My current dog doesn't like it as much, but she's also more social in the sense that she loves the attention at any time, even if it wakes her up.  They're the same breed dog.  Just keep your dog out and about with you as much as possible, and crate her when necessary.  At least until she's older and you know that she won't chew through an electrical cord or do anything else that might cause her to harm herself.
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