Lastspark wrote:

And crate training is terrible and inhumane, it's a excuse to not train your dog to not chew on things and not piss on the floor. Mine was crate trained when I got her at 8 weeks and halfway potty trained. With some "I don't put up with your crap" attitude towards the potty training, she now sleeps in her crate that no longer as a door on it. And has free roam of most of the house when I'm not home about 13 days later. Maybe I got lucky and she's taking onto it quick. Or maybe crate training isn't the "best method" considering I made more progress, faster, by paying attention to her and not using the crate.

This is not what your recent post is implying.

Dogs are denning animals, when introduced appropriately the crate is often associated with their own den- a safe space that is all their own, not shared with the rest of the 'pack' (That includes you). Now it certainly is possible once the crate training is successfully completed in the smaller crate for the size of the 'crate' can be increased to a singular room and so on until the dog can be trusted in the house.

I personally crate train all of my dogs for a variety of reasons. Crates are easy transport for sick/injured animals and you don't want the first crate experience to be associated with trauma. I travel a lot with my dogs and traveling with them secured in a crate is a lot safer for them and me when traveling in the car. I also suggest, though I know most people don't listen, that crating while away from the home is in fact safer for the dog if there were to be an emergency like a house fire. Dogs are not super resourceful in an emergency such as this and tend to hide from the danger rather than trying to find a way out- I can't tell you how many dogs I've found after the fact of a fire- usually taken by smoke/CO . If the owners would have been able to tell us where to look for the dog in it's 'den' the outcome could have been so much different- when I have dogs crated in my house they are crated next to the large slider door and a tag in the window near the front door-

I am actually having a small issue with Kodiak and training. He is between 2-3 years old, and has been with me for a month.

The first 2 weeks there was no problem, he would whine and cry a little but that was all. Then last week he broke out of his crate and met me at the door when I came home for lunch. I have him in the airline style crate, which is what the rescue suggested.

After he broke out, I got some reusable zip ties and that has held him inside the crate, but I see evidence of him trying to get out most days. He tries so hard that he got a sore on his muzzle from trying to escape.

Now, I crate trained two others, and never had this problem. I have always used the correct methods in introducing them to the crate. I never use it as punishment, and when they go in the crate they get praise and a treat. When I come home, I make no big deal about it. I also use NILF methods as well. I also put a frozen kong and bone filled with peanut butter for him.

The rescue group said that soon enough he will figure out that he can't get out and will give up. I am hoping this is true!

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After he broke out, I got some reusable zip ties and that has held him inside the crate, but I see evidence of him trying to get out most days. He tries so hard that he got a sore on his muzzle from trying to escape.

Since he's a rescue this may take time and lots of positive reinforcement. He may have some separation anxiety and of course feels that every time you leave you aren't coming back. Be persistent!!!

i am having a similar problem with dakota. shes a 6 year old rescue and i am unsure of what has happened to her in the past. i built her a crate and shortly after it was done she walked right in it and layed down. for 3 days shes been in and out of it on her own with no coaxing whatsoever. yesterday we closed the door and left her in it to go to dinner. when we got home she was laying in there calm as can be. we let her out walked her played for a couple hours then it was bedtime. we put her dinner in the crate (boiled chicken) and she went right in and started eating. the door was closed so me and my wife left her alone to eat and get comfy. when we came back in the room she had ripped half the wire fence off the side and got out. i put it back together and within minutes of being in there again even with me and my wife she started the escape process. biting pulling and pushing to get out again. we have had no luck getting her to sleep at night anywhere but in the living room with my wife on the couch. my wife is not home every night so this causes problems when its me and dakota. she will not rest untill my wife is home. during the day no problem she can lay around all day with me. at night its a whole different dog. i have run out of ideas. if anyone has anything i can try it would be appreciated. thanks

Your dog has learned that she can get out, therefore she will get out. Put her in something she can't get out of, like a vari kennel or a crate with heavier gauge wire so she can't pull it off (besides which, she could really injure herself pulling that chicken wire off the crate).

Most dogs don't like to be separated from their pack when they're right in the room or they can hear you. Mine do just fine in the crates when we are gone. However, if we are home, they scream and cry. They don't like not being a part of the action

The same mentality goes for sleeping. They like to be near their pack. When your wife is gone, perhaps leaving a shirt or something that smells like her will help.

Bottom line is you need to be consistent and ignore the bad behavior and only recognize the good behavior. It sounds like you haven't had her that long, you likely need to give her much more time to adjust.

Im worried about Titan taking to her crate training.  We put her in there durning the day and when we come home she is always asleep or just laying in there.  When we try to put her in there at night she howls and wines like crazy!  I know this is normal but she wont ever stop.  We live in a duplex right now so im sure the neighbors can hear her, and I hate being disrespectful.  Right now her crate is downstairs from our bedroom in our living room.  any suggestions?  Keep in mind she is only 4 1/2 weeks old so that might have something to do with it,  but she has taken to her potty training very well.

I'd try moving it...maybe put it in your bedroom at night. Being closer to you may make it easier on her. This worked with Karli. The first night in her crate was horrible, she didn't sleep all night, she just kept howling. She was in the laundry room at that point so we moved her to the kitchen and covered the crate with a blanket. The blanket made the crate darker and den-like and we never heard a peep out of her after that night. Work with her throughout the day too when you're home with her. Feed her in the crate, leave her in it for short periods and praise her for being quiet. Hide treats in it and if she goes in on her own, make a HUGE deal out of it. It took Karli about three weeks to learn that she actually enjoyed her crate and now she goes in on her own (mostly to hide or get toys she's taken in there.)

I feed her in the crate,  As soon as she comes in from going to the bathroom outside she runs to it and takes a drink of water and looks for more food.  She goes in there all the time but the only time she freaks out is when the door is closed.  I will try taking it into the bedroom tonight and see if that helps at all.  Someone at my work suggested putting a shirt of mine in there to help her sleep?

Dizzy likes a towel over his and a fan nearby. He whines if I forget to turn on his fan. Last night, he was really worn out from playing with a 9 month old lab puppy that he put himself to bed at 9:30. It was so cute!

I have been trying to crate train my 10 week old female husky.

The first night was horrible she howled, whined, scratched at the bars of the cage all night long. The next few nights were not as bad she only whimpered for probably 15 mins and then was quiet but the past few nights have been horrible- her howling, whimper, digging/scratching at the cage bars. I also tried putting my fingers in to soothe her and she didnt seem to care, ive tried putting music on, leaving a light on, putting her favourite toys in, and nothing all she wants to do is get the heck out of the cage.
Her crate is in my bedroom and has one of the life stage metal crates and I only have it big enough for her to sleep so she does not soil in it.

She would much rather sleep on the floor somewhere then be any where near a cage.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am about to cave and just let her sleep on the floor as she is quiet.

I got my puppy last week. He will be 8 weeks on Sunday.

He hates his crate. I have tried putting toys in there, a pillow to make sure its soft and comfy but nothing works. When I lock him in his crate he will howl and scream like a mad man. Only way I can get some sleep is If i take him and put him on my bed to sleep. I tried sleeping next to him on the floor when he is in his crate, but that has not worked out. When I leave for work in the morning I throw in some treats so he goes inside and I quickly close the door... I do not want him to get into the habit of sleeping with me on the bed.

PLEASE help!

DjSamphard wrote:

I got my puppy last week. He will be  8 weeks on Sunday.

He hates his crate. I have tried putting toys in there, a pillow to make sure its soft and comfy but nothing works. When I lock him in his crate he will howl and scream like a mad man. Only way I can get some sleep is If i take him and put him on my bed to sleep. I tried sleeping next to him on the floor when he is in his crate, but that has not worked out. When I leave for work in the morning I throw in some treats so he goes inside and I quickly close the door... I do not want him to get into the habit of sleeping with me on the bed.

PLEASE  help!

OK - this is NOT meant to be flippant because I sincerely understand your dilemma and the pain that comes with it...

If you do not want him to get into the habit of sleeping with you on the bed, then, DON'T EVER LET HIM SLEEP ON THE BED. No matter what. never, ever, ever. It will be tough for...a night or two, maybe even a week or two. But, the more you let him, the harder it will be. Put him in the crate, maybe something that smells of you or his litter mates or his mom, maybe a ticking alarm clock (just outside the crate so he doesn't eat it ). Mostly, it is fortitude on your part.

I wish you luck.

DJ, just echoing what Amy said - with a twist "Raise the puppy as the dog you want it to be."  If you don't want him on your bed as a dog, teach him to keep all four on the floor.

Do a search for crate training on here, there are several threads with some good information - though the last thing you want to do is to "throw him in the crate and lock the door", you want him to associate the crate with good things and to turn it into his den.

The longest thread (and I'll assume the most informative if you can read it all) is this one (which you've already found ... oops).  The best of luck to you.

This is going to be one of the important issues for me and Sky.

I'm trying to reduce Sky's separation issues. No doubt they have deep roots in her being abandoned.

She's started associating crating with punishment. When I stand by the crate, even before I try the "crate" command, she'll slink off, tail tucked, and hide. That's something I'm going to have to steer immediately.

She makes the most heart-breaking sounds when she's having an anxious attack. I've heard her howling, from outside, when I've been coming back to the door from an errand out.

Not crating her isn't a good option yet. I would like to let her have some sessions in the yard (maybe later on with a doggy door) or in the house, but for now she's a canine poop terrorist when I try.

I've heard suggestions yea and nay for having food and water in the crate. Everything from feeding only in the crate to no food or water to keep her from having to go.

It depends on how long they will be staying in the crate, imho, as to have food and water in the crate. Quite often people do the food and water for puppies, but I imagine rescues would be the same. However, because Sky has separation anxiety, I would keep the very best treats, or frozen kong for the crate. Dogs can go most of the night without food and water, so again, imho, a frozen kong with some yogurt would give the benefit of food and liquids. If you are using "crate" as the command, you may want to change it to something like "bed time" that is what we do with both of our girls, and for some reason it brings happiness vs anxiety, our oldest had severe separation anxiety too. When you are at home keep the door open, and encourage Sky to go in with the door open, every so often tell her good girl when she is in it and not fussing, to me that is giving her positive reinforcement that the crate is a good thing. Take baby steps with her, you have to make the in crate duration small and work your way up. I do not know your situation, as to if any of that is doable, but you have 2 separate issues you are working on with Sky, reassurance that you will return is key, having her realize the crate is her safe haven will help both issues. Finding high value treats and use as a redirection, I think is more important in your situation, than feeding her regular kibble in her crate. Some ideas, frozen kong, cow ear, raw meaty bone, something that she just loves but can't always have, and something that will consume her time and take her mind off of you not being there. I hope I could help some. I am no expert at all on crate training, but I have dealt with Miya, who for no reason, she isn't a rescue, had severe separation anxiety as a pup until she was about a year and a half old. BTW, Sky is gorgeous.

I have no idea what to do.
Carter is going to be 5 months in 5 days. I've had him since 8 weeks, and started kennel training him the very night I brought him home. When I say he hates it, I mean it. He sounds like he is dying when i leave him. Some nights he does okay now, but only if he is tired beforehand.
I cannot leave him during the days.... Not even for 5 minutes. I can put him in there and give him a treat with the door open but as soon as it is latched and he realizes it (less than a minute later) he starts barking.
He has a towel in their that (used) to smell like me. I've fed him in there. I've left treats for him throughout the day in there. He'll go in there very occasionally and lay down (I praise him like crazy when he does this). He has his favorite toys in there. I've made it den like with a cover on top (two sides are by the walls, and the top is covered). I've left the tv on, I've left music on. I've left a fan on. I've tried lights on/off. We've done activities where he has to stay in for 5, 10, 15 minutes. He howls throughout.
He will howl for at least an hour straight. (my roommates have counted)
I want him to think of it as his happy place but I have no idea what to try. I've read through this whole form and many other articles and the only thing I haven't tried is the medication....but I want to hold off on that for as long as possible.
Any suggestions or thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Howdy, Carter!  Crate training was one of the worst experiences that I have ever gone through with a dog.  When we started, Zhukov would do the Husky Howl for HOURS on end.  It sounded like he was screaming "NO, NO, NO, NOOOOoooooooo!"  I would try putting him during the day for a few minutes at a time.  I tried treats.  I tried enhancing his bedding.  I tried blankets over the crate and blankets off the crate.  I tried laying next to the crate on the floor (not so comfortable for an old man).  I tried walking him just before bed time.  Nothing worked.  That dog would carry on like I was dipping him in acid.  

I actually gave up for about 2 weeks and totally destroyed whatever progress I had made, just so I could get a good nights sleep.  My wife, my son, and I were getting crazy and desperate.  Zhukov destroyed his wire crate one day while we were out.  I mean, it looked like Berlin in 1945 all over again.  I ended up getting him a big plastic crate with a reenforced door.  Then, all of a sudden..... BANG!  It happened.  He started sleeping through the night in his crate.

He is 10 months old now, and when I say "kennel up", he goes right in.  He always gets fed in it, I put the food right outside his door, and he stands in the kennel and gobbles it right up.  During the day, he will take naps in it and sometimes will just go and lay down with his head sticking out the door.

I don't have the "secret".  I can't tell you what the catalyzing factor was.  I honestly have no idea what the turning point was.  All I can say is, stay consistent.  Create a schedule, and stick with it.  It may take weeks...  it may even take a month or so...  Just keep at it.

Thank you! Hopefully Carter will experience the same realization that Zhukov did

I am trying to decide the best crate size for a 10-week old male I will be taking home the first week of December. He will be my first husky.

I am looking for a crate size in which he can be comfortable, but not too big to discourage him from going potty in it. Basically, I would like the size to hopefully last long enough for him to be properly potty trained in and when he gets bigger to upgrade to a bigger crate.

But I know that huskies can grow quickly so looking for the perfect size so I wouldn't have to upgrade the create in just a couple of months if possible.

Thanks

I have a 42" crate for my full grown dogs. You can get dividers though so that a crate that size can be used for a young pup. If you prefer to start smaller and have to eventually upgrade in size I would go for something in the 24" range, but you may still need a divider as even that could be potentially too large. That depends on your dog though. Some pups never understand potty training if they have even a little too much room and others take to it super easy no matter the space. I prefer only buying things once so I would go ahead with a 42" and get the divider. You will have to buy collars and harnesses multiple times during the growing period, might as well save some money where you can.

Thanks for the tip TwisterII. I ended up getting the 42" MidWest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate w/divider on Amazon.

Hi there, this is my first time posting, and I hope this is the right place.

As of a few days ago, I bought a husky puppy. He is 4 months old, and orginally I wanted him at 8 weeks, but the lady I bought him from was 'before' me in line and bought not only him but a litter mate from the breeder. 4 months later she decided that she couldn't handle them both, remembered I wanted him and contacted me to see if I was interested. I was and I now have him.

I've always crate trained my dogs, I even had a very vocal German Shepherd that would cry and whimper in his crate before calming down and I could praise him.

My problem is, with this current little husky boy, he learned from the pervious owner that if he cried enough he'd get out. We have gotten to the point that his crying/howling/fit throwing only lasts about 30 minutes now before he settles down. However, when I get up to go and praise him and even let him out, if he hears me, or sees me coming towards him, he starts his screaming again so I have to go sit back down and ignore him. I'm not sure how to proceed with renforcing the good behaviour as this was never a problem with my shepherd.

He has a treat dispensing chew toy in his crate, Kong with peanut butter for when I leave for a few horus. Also some other high reward items of varying degrees for shorter times, and he even eats in his crate like my other dogs.

Any suggestions would be super helpful.

I would go for relative quiet at this point... it's what I did with Z'ev in desperation. Took a bowl of leftover mac n cheese, sat at the computer, and when he'd whimper rather than dog and wail, piece of macaroni. Gradually it became, 10 second of silence, macaroni....1 minute of silence nacaroni...ad infinitum. And let tell you, art times it really seemed like infinitum.

Awesome, thank you for the advice, I'll try that and see if it helps.

amymeme wrote:

I would go for relative quiet at this point... it's what I did with Z'ev in desperation. Took a bowl of leftover mac n cheese, sat at the computer, and when he'd whimper rather than dog and wail, piece of macaroni. Gradually it became, 10 second of silence, macaroni....1 minute of silence nacaroni...ad infinitum.  And let tell you, art times it really seemed like infinitum.