puppy behaviour

[Gaelle]

Now that Cuthbert is going back in his crate when unsupervised not only does he bark the house down which I expect but he is also dirtying it despite having been out for that purpose not long before. Is this normal and what do I do about it? He is 7 months old now. I have also noticed that if I am out of his sight for any length of time he always tries to get to me.

[Janis]

my tow can bark while in their crate but soon calm down! i have never found them to soil or dirty and find this one strange as they don't normally soil their own space!

the only advice i can give is PERSEVERANCE!

also it might help to pop a large blanket over the crate so as to calm him down! it really is a matter of practice and routine!! even if you only pop him in his crate for 5 mins increasing it over a period of time and praising him on completion! it really is praise the good and ignore the bad!
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Cockapoo's...a little of this, a little of that..........
the perfect combination!

[Deborah Hamilton]

Are you leaving food and water in the crate? Stupid question I know but they don't like soiling near their food.

I would agree with Janis to persevere though. You need to show who the boss is. Good luck

[John Thomson]

Gaelle,

Cuthbert is trying everything he can think of to get you to back down and not put him in.....don't give in.......if you do he will again have the upper hand and call the shots in the house.for both your and his sake you MUST not let him win this battle.........when you have control life will be so much easier for you....
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John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[Gaelle]

I will persevere but I have found if I leave his bowl anywhere near him he will upend it to try to eat it!
Thanks
Gaelle

[Janis]

gaelle i would also ask how often you are feeding him! maybe changing his feeding times!

as for chewing try pigs ears or a rubber kong from a pet shop with treats inside to occupy him! eleanor once told us about paddy whacks which i chews as well and our two love them ! one by one you might need to try different things til you find one that cuthbert just loves getting his teeth into! as i say my two love pigs ears and rawhide chews!

some puppies learn quicker that others while others just need a stronger more structured routine! be strong and keep up the good work!
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Cockapoo's...a little of this, a little of that..........
the perfect combination!

[Deborah Hamilton]

[Gaelle]

I have just started adjusting his feeding times to twice a day about 8-9a.m and late afternoon from three times daily. I am trying to be strong and have no desire to give in after all I feel this is a battle I HAVE TO WIN for everyone's sake but I feel it won't be easy. He upends and tries to chew any kind of bowl. He can't get far chewing the stainless steel one but he does give it a very good try!!
Thanks
Gaelle

[John Thomson]

I have always used a large ceramic water bowl...........GSD puppies have a love of playing with water bowls..as for feeding Poundland do great stainless feeding bowls at £1.00 each
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John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[Deborah Hamilton]

[Lindy]

Chin up Gaelle you will get there, pigs ears, paddy whack and rawhide are all great chews which might help keep his mind occupied whilst in the crate and a kong with peanutbutter or beef paste with cheese at the bottom, some biscutes or sausgae in the middle and the paste/peanutbutter on the top they love it and it take ages to get through and is full of different foods to keep them interested (remember to take this out of his daily allowance of food or you will end up with a wee fat boy). If it's a big cadge and he has lots of room try and particion off a bit so he has less room and is less likely to soil it as he will have to lay on it otherwise. He is just a strong willed boy and you need to match that by being stronger than him you will get there just persevere and stay a calm and paitent as you can

[Suzanne H]

It also helps if there is a routine associated with the crate ie do the same thing. I took us months to get Otto to sleep in it at night without whining at night or in the morning but just persevered - he now knows that living room light off means pee then bed. We don't give him a kong at night.

If we're going out, he gets a kong and it distracts him - he's less willing to go in during the day, but the pleasant association with food means the minute I go near the fridge with it he goes into the crate himself.

they do settle into it in the end.

[Gaelle]

7a.m. and I'm really tired Cuthbert has been up most of the night. He was put in his crate at 1.30 before Martin went to bed. The DAP diffuser is on but 4a.m he was soiled and shouting the house down. M went down cleaned him and put him back in his crate (minus the tray which was being aired) still he didn't settle. I took the next turn , let him out to garden again (nothing) and there was NO WAY he was going back in his crate without a loud argument and at 4a.m not good for ANY kind of relationship including neighbourly ones So I had to let him stay loose this eventually helped him settle but I couldn't sleep for worrying about what he was getting up to. Thankfully nothing was chewed in the 2 hours I went back to bed for. Now it appears we have catch 22 if he goes in his crate at night then during the night he'll disturb the neighbours and if he's loose he'll probably chew and I won't get much sleep anyway. I can try during the day with leaving him to howl in his crate until he quiets down but overnight? How can i cope then? He shouldn't need overnight attention at his age. I feel we're going back instead of forward . I'm picking my battles but so far it seems like he is winning the overnight one. Suggestions please? Life is becoming very fraught in this house!!!

[Suzanne H]

You may have to ask the neighbours to bear with you for a few nights...to break the worst of it, we had to let Otto bark until 4am. It was a nightmare.

after that he whinged some nights but we just ignored him, he stopped eventually. If he started barking in the middle of the night, I knew he was needing out so went down, didn't switch the light on, didn't touch him or speak to him. Put him out and straight back in then went back to bed.

It took a bit longer to get him to sleep in past 5am - but I would let him out and turf him back in and go back to bed. He barked for an hour! It took till he was 8 months to get a proper bed routine, and that was probably lengthened because I was a bit anxious about it and he knew it. But the only key is to get it into his head that barking is pointless - you wont come till you're ready.

If that's not feasible, you could try putting the crate in with you until he gets used to sleeping in it, then move it gradually out into hall, then shut the door, then in the kitchen.

Otto never pooed in his crate, so the case isn't the same and maybe not the approach...but worked for us ie ear plugs!

[shirley c]

How long are you leaving him in the crate at any one time ?
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lurchers Pixel and Zev and whippet, Fen
3 cats, Greebo, Yu and Lexx - 2 ferrets and Dales pony Jazz and adopted pony, April