Controlled Crying for dogs.

[EccentricaGallumbits]

I'm de-crating smalldog. I'm fed up with walking into his pen 18 times a day and he's a big boy now and quite old enough to cope.

However....

Smalldog now thinks that because he no longer has bars he is allowed to wake up and scratch the door ever 10 minutes. all night.

How long does it take for a small, rather stupid (but very beautiful), adult dog to understan tht he has to stay in bed and 4.30 is notgettingup time?

Why put yourself through the hassle just crate him! He is obviously not able to cope hence the scratching at the door.

Sorry re reading - my post sounds very bossy I did not mean it like that!

crate was an eyesore and i keep injuring myself on it.

He can cope. he's just bloody stubborn.

Dogs are not 'stubborn' and I suspect he is nowhere near as happy out of his crate than in it.

'Controlled crying' doesn't work for dogs. If you want him to learn to be quiet, you will just have to completely ignore him and let him learn that crying is pointless as nobody comes. Then he will eventually learnt o settl eout of the crate.

Personally, I'd stick with the crate. Is there nowhere else you could put it? Get a smaller crate maybe? Or a fabric one that can be folded down during the day?

I had a puppy pen that folded away and went in a cupboard during the day. Less of an eyesore than a crate, maybe?