# Crate Training - some unanswered questions.



## Ruscha_Baby (May 22, 2011)

Hello

This is about our standard boy, Genie, who came to us at 8 weeks and is now 12 weeks old. 

Well it seems we have started out all wrong, even though this is our 4th poodle (first standard - the other 3 are toys and a mini.) I should have read up in the first place, but thought crate training was all about putting them in and leaving them to howl, which didn't work, even though it worked fine with the toys... so now I have read up and will be doing the next-to-our-bed method at night, etc.

The problem we will no doubt experience is as follows...

Until now we have been leaving him in a hallway with his crate open (he likes to sleep in it) and peanut butter Kong, toys, etc. We only ever leave him twice a day for about an hour each time, but we have always returned to pee-pee on the newspaper and the corner of a wall chewed. Sometimes he has had a poo too.

So we need to be able to leave him in his crate (closed, I presume) for no more than an hour, does that sound about right? And this will teach him to hold his pee/poo? Also, the reason why we leave him is to walk our other dogs (we were advised to walk the new boy separately... thoughts on that also appreciated.) So while his entire pack are out of the house, I expect he will howl the place down, but there's no choice is there?

Also, when we go out but leave ALL of the dogs at home, is it best to crate him in the same room as the other dogs? The other dogs are not crate trained but have never done anything wrong and just sleep on the sofa. The existing dogs are all girls but this new guy is a needy boy! Lol. 

All suggestions will be greatly appreciated, as they always have been.


----------



## Ruscha_Baby (May 22, 2011)

Just noticed that I contradicted myself... Lol... Our existing girls were crate trained until they didn't need to be anymore, so they have long forgotten the idea of crate and not sofa. ?


----------



## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

IMO you already have a benefit of him liking to sleep in his open crate. I feel like that will make the transition easier. I would go ahead with your plan but add to it. Since he likes kongs I would stuff one & freeze it. It makes them last a bit longer & soothes gums for teething puppies which you are probably dealing with right now. Frozen kongs are only for when he will be left or for helping him settle at night. I use a 50/50 mix of peanut butter & yogurt for stuffing. You can also mix in some kibble if you like. This is a special treat for crate time only to help make it a rewarding place. I might even crate when I'm home & he's tired for short naps 30 min to an hour. That way if he cries you can reward once he's quiet & he will learn that quiet in the crate is also a good thing.


----------



## Ruscha_Baby (May 22, 2011)

poolann said:


> IMO you already have a benefit of him liking to sleep in his open crate. I feel like that will make the transition easier. I would go ahead with your plan but add to it. Since he likes kongs I would stuff one & freeze it. It makes them last a bit longer & soothes gums for teething puppies which you are probably dealing with right now. Frozen kongs are only for when he will be left or for helping him settle at night. I use a 50/50 mix of peanut butter & yogurt for stuffing. You can also mix in some kibble if you like. This is a special treat for crate time only to help make it a rewarding place. I might even crate when I'm home & he's tired for short naps 30 min to an hour. That way if he cries you can reward once he's quiet & he will learn that quiet in the crate is also a good thing.


That's really kind of you, thank you. 

When we go out and leave all the dogs, do you think he should be crated in the same room as them or out of sight?


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

In addition to poolann's excellent suggestion I would show him you want him to be quiet in the crate by closing him in and going just out of sight. If he is quiet even for a few seconds go back and praise/reward. Extend the quiet time you expect before you reward to help him see that quiet and relaxed is good.


----------



## Ruscha_Baby (May 22, 2011)

lily cd re said:


> In addition to poolann's excellent suggestion I would show him you want him to be quiet in the crate by closing him in and going just out of sight. If he is quiet even for a few seconds go back and praise/reward. Extend the quiet time you expect before you reward to help him see that quiet and relaxed is good.


Thanks for your kind advice - it will be followed. 

I am still concerned about leaving him when I go out without any dogs. Would you crate him in the same room as them or in the bedroom (where I intend starting the night time crate training, in keeping with general consensus on other threads.)


----------



## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

If the other dogs ignore him when he's crated I might be inclined to have him in the same room. If they go to him when he cries I might not. This is my feeling just because attention from the others could cause him to continue crying because he gets attention. My crates are all in my kitchen & Racer sleeps out of his crate at night but if we leave during the day he is still crated because he gets into mischief when we're gone. My other two dogs ignore him or sleep in their open crates.


----------



## Ruscha_Baby (May 22, 2011)

poolann said:


> If the other dogs ignore him when he's crated I might be inclined to have him in the same room. If they go to him when he cries I might not. This is my feeling just because attention from the others could cause him to continue crying because he gets attention. My crates are all in my kitchen & Racer sleeps out of his crate at night but if we leave during the day he is still crated because he gets into mischief when we're gone. My other two dogs ignore him or sleep in their open crates.


Sorry to sound so British, but that lovely - kind thanks and best wishes.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I agree with poolann about where to leave him.


----------



## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

Ruscha_Baby said:


> Sorry to sound so British, but that lovely - kind thanks and best wishes.


No worries, love. My mother is British.


----------



## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

I crated Willow following a schedule similar to this:

6am - 7am - outside, eat, play
7am - 8am - outside then in crate
8am - 9:30am - walk outside, play in bathroom while I shower
9:30am - 12:30pm - outside then in crate
12:30pm - 1:30pm - outside, play 
1:30pm - 4:00pm - outside then in crate
4:00pm -4:30pm - walk outside
5pm - dinner, play, outside
6pm-7pm - outside then in crate (while I cooked, etc)
7pm-9pm - outside, play, outside
9pm - in crate for the night.....

I know Mahlon used a different type schedule, in this thread:

http://www.poodleforum.com/23-gener.../124609-help-overwhelmed-stay-home-mom-2.html

I started with 1 hr crate stays, then increased to 3 hours. She can now stay in as long as I need for her, too. NO accidents. I also cover her crate with a sheet... she prefers it...


----------



## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

I have no advice. Both of my toys crate create themselves in about 2 weeks or less. I was lucky. Hope thing will go smoothly for you.


----------



## PoodlePaws (May 28, 2013)

Also I didn't go on a schedule. The only times they were created were at night, if we left the house, or in the shower. I also did not take them out of the crate at night for Pee breaks.


----------



## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

I found the crate really helped with housebreaking. Now Zoe only sleeps in it for night and when I leave for more than an hour. She never minds going in because we started that way.
Our schedule was similar to Willows,I posted it in many threads. 

Hope it goes easy ... just start with a small amount of time and add gradually.


----------



## hopetocurl (Jan 8, 2014)

mom2Zoe said:


> I found the crate really helped with housebreaking. Now Zoe only sleeps in it for night and when I leave for more than an hour. She never minds going in because we started that way.
> 
> Our schedule was similar to Willows,I posted it in many threads.
> 
> ...



I went looking for your schedule and couldn't easily find it... So, I improvised!


----------

