Thinking of abandoning the crate - just not working for us

[mintchocchick]

It's early days I know - we've had an 8 week puppy home for 5 days and most things are going as well as you'd expect. House training is getting there gradually, we have toys to distract from biting behaviour so fine there but the crate training is a disaster.

Our kitchen has no wall space for the crate so the crate is in the sitting room which is a very quiet out of the way room. When he's free to choose, Zebo will sleep on the kitchen floor - he's found his spot in front of freezer and always curls up there.

So even though I've followed kikopup crate training method, as soon as I close the crate and leave him he wails, cries, bites crate. It is awful. At night he cries, in the day when I pop upstairs he cries and I tried going out the house and could hear him crying through letter box.

Whereas I left him in kitchen for school run today - all safe and stair gate up at kitchen door. When I came back he was happily asleep in his place. When I go upstairs and leave him in the kitchen he whines a bit but then curls up and sleeps.

I can't see the point of continuing with the crate. I'm thinking of just having him in the kitchen, behind stair gate and building up his tolerance to this gradually. But obviously I don't want to abandon crate unless I'm totally sure we will stick to kitchen approach, as I hate the idea of faffing around and confusing him.

Any advice?

We gave up with the crate after a few weeks with our rescue pup , he didnt like it and it was a huge space waster . I can't see an issue with what you're doing as long as you are prepared for the inevitable chewing . Personally we've always left ours in the hall so there is minimal stuff he could damage and he only chewed one small bit of woodwork and has never done it again after it was repaired. My dog will happily be left for hours and he sleeps in the hall overnight ,I like the fact that he can wander around if he wants .

Seems fine to me. I used a crate until my older dog had accepted the pup, and as a safe space to leave the pup if I couldn't supervise him. Now he's 6 months old, the crate is in the garage and he hasn't used it in months. Crates are very useful, and indispensable for some dogs, but they don't suit every situation.

Have you tried putting the crate in the bedroom with you at night? If he whimpers you can reach out your hand to reassure him.

Thanks.

No we haven't taken it upstairs - the crate is huge! Needs two people to carry it so that isn't really practical.

I'm upstairs now in the study, have been for 20 mins and Zebo is asleep downstairs in kitchen - when I clanked the stairgate to leave, he opened an eye and sleepily looked at me going but no drama.

I might look into that spray stuff that stops them biting furniture as the only problem are chair legs which he could chomp into.

There is absolutely no reason for you to use a crate if you don't want to. Just make sure the area you're leaving him in is properly puppy-proofed, so nothing left out that he might chew or swallow, no cables he can access to chew etc and if he's happier being left like that, that's fine.

We have a baby gate across our kitchen door and when Pip's older he will be left in there with Lurcherboy when we're out. I'm not confident of being able to safely puppy-proof it to the point of leaving a pup in there while we're out for a couple of hours or so (old house, awkward space and not enough storage etc) so will be waiting until he's older and more reliably trustworthy. For now he loves his crate and chooses to both play and nap in there, so it suits us and him - the same isn't true for every pup/household.

When Lurcherboy was a juvenile and his teeth were bedding in we just used to turn the chairs upside-down on the kitchen table when we were out, so he didn't chew the legs - although he was a strange pup and never chewed anything really.

There may be times when your boy will have to go into a crate, such as at overnight vet stays or inpatient treatments, so it might be worth persisting with getting him to make some positive associations with a crate over time.

Thanks moose. Definitely finding the kitchen works better than crate.

I had a peaceful shower this afternoon and pottered upstairs with a small whine after 20 mins but nothing else. When I came down he was lying on pillow quietly so I gave him loads of praise and some treats.

Totally different from crate. Our kitchen is easy to puppy-proof as only wide wooden drawer units, cooker and fridge/freezer. No shelf space or storage things and no empty space for kids to put clutter so it's perfect except in not having a blank wall for the crate. But he seems delighted with his space in front of freezer. We had a dog that lived in the kitchen when I was growing up so I like him being here, plus maybe better for guarding the house than if in a crate!

If the crate is not working for you, then just don't use it. There's no need to feel guilty for anything. Each dog is different, just like people.

My Staffy hated the crate, would cry to be let out. The Doodle loved it. Would take himself off to bed in it!

Bit of a no pointer now as they both sleep on the sofa or in the bed with us!

We abandoned our crate within a couple of weeks. We have a gsd and honestly it was like she was possesed in there! Shes bloody crazy anyway but as soon as she went in there she would crash around try to dig her way out and howl the loudeat saddeat howl you have wver heard. She woke ds a hunderwd times a night plus the neighbours.

No need for a crate id you are happy with puppy being in the kitchen. Thats what weve done. Stairgate at the door too. Unfortunatley we are atill having no luck with training....she messes in the house moat of the time at 9 months old and eats and chews everything in sight. But....no noise at night which is a big bonis!

To be honest, the most important thing at this stage is that he gets used to and comfortable with being separate from you for short periods, it doesn't matter where, as long as he's safe and can't destroy anything you hold dear.