We have to leave the pup in the bathroom when we go to work. We put food, water, toys, puppy pads and her kennel in there. Ohhhh she cries and cries. I came home the other day and she wasn't crying but she had been scratching at the door ( probably right when we left her) and she scratched parts of the door off, on the bottom of the door. Any thing we can do for her so she doesn't scratch so much?
Is there a reason you aren't crate training her? Its as much for her safety as for your sanity. That said, my dog is 10 and still scratches the shit out of any door she's left behind without her humans. I'm not sure there is a quick fix to that. Crate training is a much better option than a closed door.
Post by compassrose on Apr 29, 2015 9:06:05 GMT -5
I would personally get a bigger, wire crate (or I used one of those indoor play fences for kids) to give her a small space be with nothing to destroy. The pen worked best for me, because I knew she had a bed, papers, food and water while we were gone. Like this, but I only used one fence half to make a 2' x 4' area (she's small).
Is there a reason you aren't crate training her? Its as much for her safety as for your sanity. That said, my dog is 10 and still scratches the shit out of any door she's left behind without her humans. I'm not sure there is a quick fix to that. Crate training is a much better option than a closed door.
I am crate training her, I said it was in the bathroom. Can't leave her in there all day with the crate door closed. That's just mean.
Why isn't she crate training? It would be very scary locked in the bathroom all day, no wonder she tries to get out. We have two crates, we keep one in our living room where our other pup stays most of the day, and one in the bedroom for night time.
I'm all for crate training, but you guys realize that this is while the joenalis are at work, right (so probably 8+ hours)? The puppy will need to relieve itself, at least.
People we are working on crate training. But she can't stay in it all day. Trust me. I also talked to the vet and she said what we are doing is fine, I'm just asked by about the scratching.
Is there a reason you aren't crate training her? Its as much for her safety as for your sanity. That said, my dog is 10 and still scratches the shit out of any door she's left behind without her humans. I'm not sure there is a quick fix to that. Crate training is a much better option than a closed door.
I am crate training her, I said it was in the bathroom. Can't leave her in there all day with the crate door closed. That's just mean.
No, you are not crate training her if you give her the option to go in and out as she pleases, even if she's confined to the bathroom. Someone needs to let her out at lunch to go outside to use the bathroom. She'll never learn that she's supposed to do her business outside otherwise.
Not sure what you're looking for. Leaving her in the bathroom with the door closed is no less "mean" than leaving her in the crate with the door closed, as it sounds like she does not feel comfortable/secure. If you have already started crate training, chances are she would feel more secure in the crate in an open area than closed in the bathroom.
People we are working on crate training. But she can't stay in it all day. Trust me. I also talked to the vet and she said what we are doing is fine, I'm just asked by about the scratching.
Is there a reason you aren't crate training her? Its as much for her safety as for your sanity. That said, my dog is 10 and still scratches the shit out of any door she's left behind without her humans. I'm not sure there is a quick fix to that. Crate training is a much better option than a closed door.
I am crate training her, I said it was in the bathroom. Can't leave her in there all day with the crate door closed. That's just mean.
Crate training doesn't mean giving her a crate and leaving the door open so she can still roam, even in a small area. We did something similar with our first dog. Open crate in the kitchen, which was baby gated off. She wasn't potty training until we actually went with true crate training, where she was in the crate and had to learn to hold it. I agree you can't leave her in there all day without someone letting her out to pee (I think the rule to begin with is they can hold it as many hours as months they are old, but once they get that far, they'll pick it up really quickly from there). But speaking from experience, she's not going to learn not to pee in the house by training her on puppy pads in an open space. Do you have anyone who can help let her out during the day for the first few weeks? How big is she? She looks tiny from the adorable pictures you've posted but its hard to tell.
I am crate training her, I said it was in the bathroom. Can't leave her in there all day with the crate door closed. That's just mean.
No, you are not crate training her if you give her the option to go in and out as she pleases, even if she's confined to the bathroom. Someone needs to let her out at lunch to go outside to use the bathroom. She'll never learn that she's supposed to do her business outside otherwise.
Perhaps you could have expanded on your suggested course of action from the start, mrs d.
It sounded like you (and others) were saying to keep the puppy confined to the crate all day, which obviously didn't make sense.
People we are working on crate training. But she can't stay in it all day. Trust me. I also talked to the vet and she said what we are doing is fine, I'm just asked by about the scratching.
Your vet is an idiot.
It's not the worst thing in the world as a temporary solution, but it's not conducive to efficient crate or house training, and things like damage to the door are the consequences that aren't likely to have easy fixes.
No, you are not crate training her if you give her the option to go in and out as she pleases, even if she's confined to the bathroom. Someone needs to let her out at lunch to go outside to use the bathroom. She'll never learn that she's supposed to do her business outside otherwise.
Perhaps you could have expanded on your suggested course of action from the start, mrs d.
It sounded like you (and others) were saying to keep the puppy confined to the crate all day, which obviously didn't make sense.
Where did I say that she should keep the puppy confined to the crate all day? Where did anyone say that?
Post by compassrose on Apr 29, 2015 9:20:05 GMT -5
Is having a dog walker come once a day an option? I know it's expensive, but it's hard for them to be alone all day when they are so small (plus, it will help with house training).
I'm all for crate training, but you guys realize that this is while the joenalis are at work, right (so probably 8+ hours)? The puppy will need to relieve itself, at least.
Right. You can only leave a puppy for about 3 hours at a time in a crate during the day. For those who must got to work for longer than that must do "long term confinement" such as a bathroom or other small room that has no exits and is safe.
joenali, it sounds like your pup has separation anxiety, which can lead to some pretty serious behaviour issues if not dealt with properly. The ASPCA has a good article that will help you decide how to navigate this.
No, it's not ideal for a puppy to be in a closed crate for 8+ hours, but that's a lot of people's situations. The best would be to have a crate that you can block off so she just has enough room to lay down and stand up and turn around. You don't want her to have space to go to the bathroom and get away from it. Have a dog walker come in once a day to take her out.
You should really pick up a book on puppy training. I agree with all of the above. The make adjustable crates so you can move the divider as the puppy grows larger. They do make door guards to prevent the wood from getting damaged but if the puppy were being properly crate trained, that wouldn't even be an issue. Puppy training takes a lot of patience and is a PITA. As an aside, why no baby gate? There are tons of different kinds available. We have 4 gates to partition off the house so the dogs can't go up/down stairs without us. And so they can be in the hearth room while we're gone with access to the yard via dog door. Baby gates can be really useful with a dog.
People we are working on crate training. But she can't stay in it all day. Trust me. I also talked to the vet and she said what we are doing is fine, I'm just asked by about the scratching.
Post by EmilieMadison on Apr 29, 2015 9:24:03 GMT -5
I think people are confused about what crate training is and isn't and why it's used. Without C&P the entire "how to" for crate training, here's what it is and why to do it: Crating a puppy is a procedure widely recommended by trainers, groomers, veterinarians, animal shelters, and behaviorists. Crating is based on the idea that dogs are denning animals. In the wild many canid species use a small cave or dug-out area to give birth to pups and for protection while sleeping or resting. However, contrary to what some sources would lead you to believe, wild canids do not spend their day in the den. Crating, while a useful tool in many situations, can be over-used and improperly used.
Using a crate as a housetraining aid has two purposes. First, it makes it easier to supervise the puppy and prevents him from having complete access to the house where he is likely to get into mischief. Second, since puppies have a natural tendency not to soil their den or sleeping area, the puppy will be unlikely to eliminate in her crate, and more likely to eliminate when she is taken outside.
Problems can develop if a crate is used in ways at odds with these premises. First, young puppies can only be expected to control their bladder and bowels for several hours, NOT for an entire work day. Leaving a puppy in a crate for 8 to 10 hours is not an appropriate way to use a crate in housetraining. The puppy needs to be released from the crate and put outside when she needs to eliminate. A puppy who is forced to soil her crate as a result of being crated too long is not being treated fairly, and will be much more difficult to housetrain.
What should you do when you have to leave puppy alone before completing this protocol? Behaviorist and veterinarian Ian Dunbar recommends a long-term confinement area: this can be a small bathroom, kitchen or an ex-pen (a freestanding circular “fence” for puppies and small dogs), containing the pup’s crate (with door removed), water, toys and potty area. The potty area can consist of newspaper, pee pads or even a square of sod in a cat litterbox. This allows puppy to sleep in her crate but potty on an approved surface. This containment method can also be used if you must leave your puppy for longer than she can hold her bowels and bladder: this usually means your puppy’s age in months plus one. In other words, a 3-month-old puppy can generally be left for a maximum of four hours.
Crate training can be accomplished in several days, or may take several weeks, depending on the age, temperament, and previous experiences your puppy has had. You should keep two things in mind while training your puppy to a crate. First, the crate should always be associated with something pleasant for the puppy, and second, training should take place in a series of small steps - don’t try to do too much too fast.
Perhaps you could have expanded on your suggested course of action from the start, mrs d.
It sounded like you (and others) were saying to keep the puppy confined to the crate all day, which obviously didn't make sense.
Where did I say that she should keep the puppy confined to the crate all day? Where did anyone say that?
Nowhere. I said "sounded like."
Joenali said the puppy was kept in the bathroom, and your response (and compassrose) said she needed to be in the crate. You added in a subsequent post that you meant they would also be going home to take out for potty breaks.
I would recommend hiring someone who can come in and give her a potty break outside. While I'm sure the crate training plus bathroom works on paper, it really would be better for everyone if she got a break while you're at work.
No, it's not ideal for a puppy to be in a closed crate for 8+ hours, but that's a lot of people's situations. The best would be to have a crate that you can block off so she just has enough room to lay down and stand up and turn around. You don't want her to have space to go to the bathroom and get away from it. Have a dog walker come in once a day to take her out.
You should really pick up a book on puppy training. I agree with all of the above. The make adjustable crates so you can move the divider as the puppy grows larger. They do make door guards to prevent the wood from getting damaged but if the puppy were being properly crate trained, that wouldn't even be an issue. Puppy training takes a lot of patience and is a PITA. As an aside, why no baby gate? There are tons of different kinds available. We have 4 gates to partition off the house so the dogs can't go up/down stairs without us. And so they can be in the hearth room while we're gone with access to the yard via dog door. Baby gates can be really useful with a dog.
all of this.
Our dogs are crate trained, they are in them while we are gone all day (about 8 hrs, with a potty break at lunch) We did the same thing when they were puppies. They are 100% fine.