I had to buy a crate for my dog, any advice?

Make sure she has her toys and food/water in there then make some thing in there that she would like, but don’t put any where else in the house so that if she wanted it she would have to go in it and reward her some time for not winning while she is in there.

You say "only" until you get home from work. How long is that? 8-9 hours? That’s not really the point of a crate. When people say it’s good for a dog, they aren’t talking about leaving them in it all day. That borders on cruelty.

Isn’t there any room in the house without soft furniture, like the kitchen? Get a baby gate and confine her in there. Buy Bitter Apple Spray and spray anything she can reach. It’s super bitter, so she won’t want to chew it. There’s just got to be something better than a crate. A little crate time won’t hurt, but all day is far too long.

jonathonspanks, you are a disgusting human being. I have never laid a hand on either of my dogs in violence and they have both turned out wonderfully. They respect me out of love, not fear. Just reading your post makes me feel sick for any animal that may come into contact with you. If you need to beat up dogs to show them who’s boss, maybe you should get some professional help with your anger issues.

Crates are not cruel or inhumane. You do, however, need to get her used to the crate before leaving her in it all day. Start by putting her in the crate in the evening. Put some chew toys in with her or something else to keep her busy, i.e. Kong. You can even leave the crate door open for awhile so she can go in and out. Make the experience pleasant for her. Do not drag her into it or slam the door on her.

Start to leave her in the crate for longer periods of time. If you can get home for lunch to let her out for awhile, I would recommend it, at least for the first week or two.

Just remember not to let her out of the crate if she is barking or whining. This is especially hard after you’ve been at work at day. Help the situation by staying low-key, do not talk to your dog in a high pitched voice or get all excited before you let her out. She needs to realize that she has to stay calm and quiet in the crate. Ignore the dog when you come in the house and calmly walk over and let her out of the crate if she is quiet.

Don’t feel bad about keeping her in the crate, it is better than chewed up furniture! Good luck!

Make sure the crate is large enough for the dog to stand up and turn around in. Put lots of fluffy bedding in it. This is especially important for big dogs, such as yours, that are prone to hip problems. Make sure she has plenty of toys that are safe for her to play with unsupervised. Every time you put her in it give her a treat so she associates the crate with something positive. NEVER, EVER use the crate for punishment.
If crate trained properly, your dog will think of the crate as her den and will enjoy being in it. Good luck.

Start by putting it in a common place a put her in it for a little bit at a time and make sure she can see you so that she knows that you are not leaving her. Put a litle treat in it to make her want to go in. When she is not looking put another treat and repeat every so often. Eventually she will go in just to see if there is a treat and she will connect her crate with a good thing and be happy in it. Feed her in it so she knows that it is her space.

Make sure that it only big enough to get up stretch turn around etc. If it is too big she will go to the bathroom on one side of it and sleep on the other. Good luck and it is not cruel.

Make the crate a positive thing. Give her toys in the crate, like the Konga ( the toys you fill with small food or treats).

She will continue to chew until she is at least 2 years old. Patience. patience. The first two years is tough, but after this, she will be the best.

Good luck to you.

Crates aren’t bad, if you don’t leave the animal in there 24/7. I had the same problem with my Husky and I trained her to a crate and she is now 8 months old and doesn’t chew on furniture. She also trained quicker. I wouldn’t advise putting food, water or toys. they could chew that stuff and maybe choke. Treats are also a positive reinforcement, which tells her that she is doing something good. But you also need to use negative reinforcement. I wouldnt recomment hitting but you should get a water bottle and spray her and tell her no when she does something bad. I hope I was helpful

Start on a day when you will be home for awhile, like a Friday. Leave crate open, treats and few indestructable toys inside – so she can investigate. Then when she seems more calm with the crate, take her on a long walk and really tire her out. Feed and crate, or feed inside crate for a quick nap while you are near (same room) and then out to potty and back into crate. Do not give in to whines and cries or give attention to any negative behavior while she’s confined. She will probably want out and it can only be on your terms when she relaxed. She will get used to the routine, and the best thing you can do is really excersize her before you leave if you are going to crate while at work, or at least confine to a laundry room or bathroom or larger room to stretch for long hours. If she is destructive in the crate you will have time to monitor her behavior before actually leaving the house to make sure she’s not going to destroy a toy and choke, destroy the crate and get hurt, etc.

not only will crate training your dog save your furniture and belongings, it will also protect your pup! you need to get her used to it gradually, because she has had free run for a while it sounds. get the crate and open the door to start, encourage her to check it out while you are there. make sure there is comfortable bedding in there. toss a few really good treats in there so she goes in. don’t close the door right away, let her get used to the crate first. give her a bone or rawhide to chew and encourage her to do it in the crate. once she seems comfortable enough, close the door to the crate while you are there. the next step is to leave for five minutes, then 10, then 20 etc. she might bark and whine at first. the key is DO NOT go to her when she does this. you don’t want to teach her that whining and crying is a way to summon you and get out of the crate. only when she stops crying should you return and let her out. it seems mean to let her cry, but it is the only way to teach her.

crating is a good thing to do, but you can’t expect her to hold it for 8-10 hours if that is how long your work day is. dogs don’t like to soil their crate. you really need to find someone who can come and let her out at some point during the day. a nieghbor, friend, or paid dog walker.

DO NOT BUY A WIRE CRATE,these creates can be harmful to your dog and the also can see more of what is happening around them.BUY a plastic crate ,new if possible(mke sure all the parts are there,you can purchase a crate almost any ware,pet store prices are higher,so try Wal-Mart ,they sell crates,or any other dept. store!!!!!

The crate is a dogs home or house all ways have a blanket in it
The dog should and does enjoy going in it.

WHEN YOU PUT YOUR DOG IN THE CRATE, SAY "CRATE and then your dogs name" AND REPEAT THAT IN TILL YOU PUT THE DOG ALL THE WAY IN. ( pick th dog up and carry him to the crate and then put his head in and give him a little push, while saying "crate")
After about 2 mounths you will just have to walk over to the crate and say the word "crate and the dogs name" a few times and your dog should go straight in.

As for him eatin the furnature put the crate in the living room ( or in the room that he chews the funatur) and leave the crate in that room and put the dog in the crate when you are not home.
this way he will get use to being in that room.
AS FOR HIM EATIN THE FURNATURE PUT THE CRATE IN THE ROOM WHERE THE FURNATURE IS. AND PUT THE DOG IN THE CRATE AND LEAVE HIM IN THERE WHEN YOUR NOT HOME.
It might talk a little longer than 2 mounths because all dogs our diffrent.

The parts that are in cap locks are the most importan
good luck

My gram has to crate her dogs too. After they go in, she gives them a treat so they don’t think the crate is a bad place. they are also the first thing she takes care of when she gets home now they love the crate.(crate=bone)

There is nothing wrong with crate training!! I have 4 cocker spaniels and they have all been crated trained. Make sure it is the right size she should be able to stand up and turn around in it. Place it where she can still see what may be going on. Sometimes it is best to start out slow like a couples of hours at a time like during dinners or company . Give her a small treat when she goes in and use training words like "crate" or "get in ur crate" they learn that just like when u ask them if they need to go outside! Put her favorite blanket or toys in it. Night time is also a good time to crate train. Unless she sleeps with you! She might fuss some but just reassure her that it is okay. Kinda like the first night you brought her home and she cried! My dogs love their crates and have can often be found just laying in them sleeping with the door open! I think they feel "safe" in them even if I am at home.

And…………you could also "gate" her in a certain room. I use my kitchen. I have 2 kid gates ( that you use to keep kids in or out of rooms purchased at wal-mart) If I am not going to be gone very long I just gate them in the kitchen they can’t do much harm there and they have dog pads to lay on for comfort. Don’t feel guilty about crate training her! you could actually be saving her from hurting herself or choking on something that she has chewed on!! Good Luck!!

You should also put her in the cage when you go to bed at night. The cage should be just big enough for her to lay down comfortably without alot of extra room. I have cage trained my last 2 dogs and they both turned out WONDERFUL!!!!
making them sleep there at night also gives them a place that they KNOW is their own.-

what i do with my dog is put him in at night and when im gone and i always give him a treat and as soon as i get home i let him out thats the first thing i do, at first he cried alot but eventully they will get over it and my other dog i did the same thing and now she dosent chew anyhting or use the bathroom in the house

A crate large enough for the dog to stand up in and stretch his legs. We keep our dog in the crate at night otherwise he barks at every little noise. He only sleeps in it too whenever he is tired he goes to his crate and sleeps, Go to your local Pet store they will give you the right advice

Personally I think that it is cruel to leave your dog in a crate all day. They can run around, and with some dogs, it makes things worse. I would try to use a spray that you can use on your furiture that taste bad. They have this in pet stores and such.

violence is the best way to train a dog, if she does something wrong hit her, if she constantly does the same thing wrong, keep hitting her until she yelps, you have to show her who is boss, and who is just a dog

dont go overboard, just slap and yell, get aggressive, its how dogs learn

all this giving treats and rewards, its political correctness gone mad

Crate training is the best thing you can do for a dog even though at first you may think it is cruel…it is not. All the experts agree that it gives them a feeling of security when you are not there. They tear your house up because they are basically having an anxiety attack. But do not leave them in their crates for more than four hours at a time…that is cruel. I go home for lunch at 12:00 everyday to let them out to go potty and play for a little while…at 1:00 when it is time for me to go back to work they automatically go right back to their crates and wait for me to come home at five. Petco or Petsmart can give you advise or books on crate training and believe me both you and your pet will be happy. Do not listen to the sadist that told you to hit and yell at the poor dog. I can only pray this person does not own a pet of any sort or god forbid have children.

we felt guilty too when we started crating our pup, but it’s so relieving to know when you return home your house wont be eaten. it’s been a year for ours and they love them. they go in their "houses" to nap, together and separate. as long as you got a big enough crate, she will be OK. dogs are pack animals that will relate easily to a den environment, although it’s gonna take about a month to get her interested. try not giving sooo many treats during the day so you can giver her one as you crate her when you leave. also, to ease the crying, try a frozen peanut butter KONG filled with cheerios to get her in there and occupied. we also crated while we were home for short amounts of time and praised ours for going in and napping. or going in without resisting. you’re doing the right thing! good luck!

if you place the dog in a caged in area in the house with furniture and so ripes it then disipline her by simply rolling up some newspaper and spanking her butt ot nose but not hard and say know then place her in her cage for about an hour it worked with all my dogs

First of all she is a puppy and destructive and she will have to be confined when you are not supervising her play. Think of her as a 2 year old child and how much supervision they need to stay out of trouble. After she is older and you have spent time training her what NO means and she understands what is acceptable ( these are what you must teach her) then she can spend more time outside the crate with less supervision. If you have an outside fenced yard that would be the very best solution.

Here…Here DSGotch..Excellent advise. Too many people treat a crate as punishment. Dogs need to know it is a "safe place" not a bad place. If the crate training is done right, dogs will love their crate.
I have smaller dogs, one of which is from a puppy mill. I rescued her. I am a firm believer in crate training, if done right..extremely opposed if done wrong (punishment). I would not put my puppy mill girl in a crate because of her background in a crate. Wouldn’t traumatize her again. I got a "porta-crib" or Play and Go to train her. She absolutely loves it!! It is her safe place, and will ask to be put in there if she is anxious or upset about something. And she calms right down once there. I wish there was a way I was able to let her get in it by herself.