crate trainning

piratekitty · 10-31-2011

I have been working on crate training Hunter since August. Hunter was never crate trainned and panics being closed in to small spaces. When he was 2 he had to spend time for 4 days in a small kennel crate at the vets and it was not pleasant for him. Had he been crate trained I know he would have been more secure with being by himself. So it has been my goal to help him feel more secure with this. I have been feeding him his meals in the crate. He has been fine with going in for that, but spending more time in there he really didnt relax. I have never closed the door on him of course. Well after talking to my trainner tonight at class he gave me some ideas to try to move Hunter forward to being more comfortable. Move his crate to another room, put his favorite blanket in there. Then ask him to go in. keep the door open at all times. If he stands, keep him in till he lays down. Once he lays down call him out in a excited happy voice to you, praising good boy then ask him to go back. Repeat a couple of times. He said he might take a hour to relax to lay down, but he will lay down.
I did this, this evening. Hunter stood in his crate looking out at me for about 20 mins. then layed down, so I called him out, and repeated this 3 more times, and then gave him a break for the rest of the night. He headed out his doggie door to go to the bathroom. When he returned he walked over to his crate sniffing it and then walked in, turned around, layed down and fell asleep. This is such a big leap for him, and progress! And it was just a couple of simple things that made him relax. I plan on building on this progress so he will feel his crate is a safe place he can go and hang out . Atta boy Hunter. Just had to share this progress.

reeskujo · 10-31-2011

That's great!!...My last Akita Kujo who I had before I got Seigi was a rescue and when we got him he had only been at the shelter 3 weeks..They had him in a huge kennel run that was more then enough room for him..However when we got him home and went to start the crate training process we found out very quickly it wasn't going to happen...He was so traumatized by being caged at the shelter that when we put him in the crate he would continually bang his head against the crate door..It was so bad that we had to take him out so he didn't get hurt..As a trainer I tried absolutely everything to make him feel more secure about it but it didn't happen..It was so bad that when I had to rush him to the vet when he had HGE even though she wanted to keep him over night for I.V fluids she decided against it because the stress of him being crated would've made it worse..

lange · 10-31-2011

Good for Hunter! I am absolutely 100% for crate trainging as long as it's used right & never abused. Crates are not cages to me and most dogs will need to learn to be comfortable in a crate at some point in their lives. I have mentioned this before but some people are just anti-crate period. I've always thought it was unfair to dogs because (like what you just went thru) vets will put your dog in a crate when they stay the night and how sad for a dog who is sick, hurting, without you, and on top of that, scared of being in a crate. I'm glad you didn't give up on Hunter. He now has another home to add to his safe places. Good work!

Sorry about Kujo, Ree. Poor thing.. I never knew he was adopted.

Lunareclipse · 10-31-2011

That is great. I am glad you crate train your dog. Crate training sure does make potty training so much easier.

reeskujo · 10-31-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by lange

Good for Hunter! I am absolutely 100% for crate trainging as long as it's used right & never abused. Crates are not cages to me and most dogs will need to learn to be comfortable in a crate at some point in their lives. I have mentioned this before but some people are just anti-crate period. I've always thought it was unfair to dogs because (like what you just went thru) vets will put your dog in a crate when they stay the night and how sad for a dog who is sick, hurting, without you, and on top of that, scared of being in a crate. I'm glad you didn't give up on Hunter. He now has another home to add to his safe places. Good work!

Sorry about Kujo, Ree. Poor thing.. I never knew he was adopted.

Yeah he was tied to a tree an abandoned during one of the hurricanes when we lived in Florida and we adopted him 5 days before they were going to euthanize him simply because he was an Akita!

CorkyMax · 10-31-2011

Quote: I've always thought it was unfair to dogs because (like what you just went thru) vets will put your dog in a crate when they stay the night and how sad for a dog who is sick, hurting, without you, and on top of that, scared of being in a crate.

That is a very good point, Lange. I never would of thought of it.

akismaster · 10-31-2011

I'm up for people that crate trains their dogs. I prefer dogs that have their crates and being trained right with their crates because I love them to have their own sense of home. Plus, it's a clean house especially if it's sleep time.

However, a lot of people mis use the crates and just cage up their dogs. I feel bad for these dogs because they are locked up like prisoners. Dogs need to walk and to release some energy by exercising.

Lunareclipse · 10-31-2011

Most dogs love their crates. I don't see why some people think they are bad. Humans have thier own bedroom, their children have their own bedrooms too. It isn't so bad to give the dog his own personal space also. To him, his crate is his bedroom.

P.S. He keeps your chewed up diary under his pillow.