Alex T Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 Okay, the wife returned home from work today (1.5 hours), to find that Isis had eaten about 2 drops of wall paper as far up as she could reach. You can imagine the phone call i recieved! Well on the way home I went and called in to our local pet store and bought a Large Dog Cage - heres the problem - Beauty (My GSD) loves it and wont come out of it - she's never been trained to go in one but loves it! Isis on the other hand wont go anywhere near it - if she's going past it she darts past it as quickly as she can. I got her to go near it with treats, but her ears were back and she appeared petrified of it. Any ideas on how to get her to be comfortable with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberianandy Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 try feeding her meals in it so she associates it with a good thing apart from that not really sure we never crate trained suka not had to so can't really help any more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 could you put beauty in in and feed isis treats so that she sees and senses there's nothing wrong with it? or put her fav toys in there with some food like andy suggested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austinville Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 Here's a pretty good introduction to crate training - http://www.sibrescue.com/crate-training.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex T Posted July 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 Thanks all - tried putting her food in there - as long as it was by the door she was fine - i nudged it in a little further and she woudlnt go in to eat it! Tried her with treats after she'd been outside and she tentatively entered grabbed the treat and retreated quickly. Beuaty still loves it - in fact shes gone to sleep in it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 Well we got Alaska at 7 weeks and had for about 1 week until a friend said i could loan their crate, it was a nice size for a puppy, nice and cosy >> I put a pillow in there, her fav bagpuss teddy, and i covered the crate in a small, old baby blanket of mine:rolleyes: Because Alaska and the litter were crate trained from day one, she darted right in there and had a little nap. However (isn't there ALWAYS a "however" lol) she loved company and hated being locked in it or left alone in it. She would whine, pee and even poo in it:confused: We realised putting such a padded mat like a pillow in there (for such a young puppy) made her confuse the pillow with her pee pad and she thought it would just absorb it. So we went and bought a really small cushion so she could lie on it. This seemed to do the trick as far as the relieving herself in it. The whinning: We knew she was used to it, and we knew she was being spoilt, regardless she was not associating the crate with good things. So we fed her in there with the door open, if we gave her a treat or a chew we would feed it to her in the crate with the door open >> but not let her take the chew treat out either. Its great your other dog likes it, from now on make it a game, dice some cheese and reward your GSD each time she goes in. When Isis goes in do the same, lure her in there and make her sit whilst having the cheese in her view, make her do tricks in the crate for cheese: eg: sit, down, paw, kisses ... From now dont shut her in, simple make it a soft heaven full of treats and toys. Really praise your other dog when she is relaxing in it, soon Isis will be like: "Whats all the fuss?" and hopefully come over. Im assuming Isis is potty-trained, if this is the case feel free to cushion it out with blankets soft toys, i would also advise covering the top with some sort of dark, thicker blanket. This will really be like a soft, warm, cosy, dark den >>> I can promise you if you dont force her to go in there, you will often find her in there after a long day snoozing:) <<< The only problem is your more likey to find your GSD in there! I would probably buy another one if i were you >> Our two have one each and they stick to their own one that smells like them:cool: I think its great Isis is in the proccess of being crate trained, you never know when she will need to go in one >>> travel, vets and so on.... Heres a helpful site: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/crate_training.html A word of advice, we rescued Balto at 5 months and he had been in a crate his whole life, it didn't stop him; it just prevented him >>> but when he got out he: - Chewed the hoover wire - Chewed the phone wire - Chewed the front door curtain - Chewed the carpet However we found the answer lol >>>> Bitter training spray >> He hates the stuff, we douse his sleeping area weekly and its a real success. Crate training is great but sometimes you need the crate + another training aid. Good luck:wave: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex T Posted July 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Wow - thanks for such a great reply! When we are around Isis will only chew her toys, its when we are out that the problem happens - hence the reason for the crate. I think things are going well. She was lured in with treats today and actuallly stayed in it for 5 mins by her own accord. She's a little warey (sp?) of the noise the metal tray makes as she walks in, so ive added a blanket underneath the tray to prevent it! Im quite impressed as how shes taken to it so far - I know I shouldnt have but i did place her in the cage with the door shut for 5 mins whilst i popped to the shop - she seemed fine when i got back and actually approached the cage by herself later on. Just hope she takes to it and will use it - as my only other option is to build an external run the both of them whilst we are out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 oh that's fantastic - sounds like a short stint in it every day will really bring her on, i'm sure she'll love it as much as Beauty in no time - good reply ice, added to rep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberianandy Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 thats great news alex sound like she is heading in the right direction just stick to letting her go in five mins a day also when you are in leave the door open so she can go in and out if she so wishes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Great news Alex, seems like shes really taken to it, and hey only you know if shes ready, maybe leaving her in there for 5 mins did a good thing. Glad its going okay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arooroomom Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 I had the same issue. Mickey was never destructive (pre-Cheyenne) and when we got Cheyenne we didn't get a crate at first and would just pen her in the hall. Then she figured out she could jump it, eliminate in the house/shred things, and then jump back over the gate when she was done. We then got a good size crate. The first thing Mickey did was climb right in and took a nap. Cheyenne wanted NOTHING to do with it. So we would put Mickey in there and stick her in there too. That worked for a few months before becoming too cramped. So now it was time for Cheyenne to be a big girl and stick it out in the mean old crate all by her lonesome. Well. She hated it. Absolutely hated it. But i wouldn't give in to her temper tantrums. As i type this she's asleep in her "room" with her face in her food bowl. Gate open. She doesn't need to sleep in there now but at night once she's done watching TV on the bed with me, she hops down and gets in the crate. She races me to the crate at meal times. I think she'd be sad if i folded it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunc Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 How do you know it was Isis that did the damage and not Beauty ? I ask because we made the same mistake of blaming Wolf once for something like this as butter in the mouth as we thought Saskia wont do anything like that WRONG, we set-up a camera and watched her do the damage :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice and Cripton Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Good point Dunc >> Added to rep Alaska the 'Golden Girl', NEVER chews, a few weeks ago we noticed the beads that cover up the hallway window were chewed within an inch of their life...must of been Balto we thought......... Only to wak up one morning and catch her in the act!!!! tutut lool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex T Posted August 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Just thought i'd better update this thread: Isis now loves her space - she will freely enter and exit the crate throughout the day as we leave the door open for her to do so. Beauty has now learnt that this is Isis' space and will not enter it anymore - which is kind of a good thing, as Isis is getting possesive over her space towards Beauty. We have closed the door and left her in it on numerous occasions whilst we have been out shopping and have recieved no complaints from the neighbours - so i am assuming that she is quiet when we are out. On the other side of the coin however, was out cleaning the cars the other day and thought it wise to fasten her in the crate and Beauty behind the stair gate as i needed the front door left open - boy did she howl, and it got louder and louder. Lots of strange looks from passers by! So far nothing else has been damaged whilst weve been out and Isis has been using the crate, so again we are assuming that weve caught the right culprit - either that or Beauty doesnt want to be locked in whilst we are out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 ohhh great stuff!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damrod Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Never use the crate for punishment!!! Always a positive safe place to go!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex T Posted August 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Damrod - I would never use it as a punishment - It needs to be a safe haven for her to go, somewhere that she knows and feelssafe in! If i used it for punishment it would have the reverse effect that it is intended for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberianandy Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 sounds like isis and yourself have cracked the crate trainin well done just wish my 2 was as keen as isis is lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damrod Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Damrod - I would never use it as a punishment - It needs to be a safe haven for her to go, somewhere that she knows and feelssafe in! If i used it for punishment it would have the reverse effect that it is intended for! Exactly, just a kindly reminder for all. Have a couple of friends that use it for punishment and I know that one day it might backfire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted August 15, 2009 Report Share Posted August 15, 2009 thats great news Alex If I have to my boys in the crate to have the doors open for any reason (take the shopping in or wash the cars, ect ect) they will moan alot too (Gizmo will howl like mad!) but when we are out, as far as I know, they are quiet until they hear us pull onto the driveway and will go absolutely wild. Sometimes I think if they aint careful the house will fall down where they scream so loud! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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