November 19: Crates
Part of the requirements of raising a "Future Guide Dog" is crate training. Truthfully, crate training should be a requirement of owning a dog! However, it has taken me sometime to get to that point. I'll admit that I've been bad about letting my feelings about being confined in small placed, override my common sense about crating, and I probably should have crated MORE. However, I'm learning/learned what great tools they can be.
Sure not all dogs LIKE their crates at first, but then who would like something you were forced into and then left in for hours on end? Its important to introduce the crates in a positive fashion, so as to reduce the dogs anxiety about going into the crate.
Pompei's debut, unfortunately didn't get to be sweet and caring, as we arrived home with him around 11:00PM and I had to work the following morning at 8:00AM (which is early for me). Pompei did the whole, whining and crying thing for about an hour, before finally nodding off to sleep.
However, as soon as I arrived home the next day, we sat down and played games with our crate. Using his mid-day meal as bait, I lured him in the crate with small portions of kibble and let him move in and out freely. Then closing the door for a few seconds while he ate his kibble and opening right as he finished his last piece. He quickly caught on that staying inside the box = yummy stuff.
He got to nap in his crate, and our second night crated was much better. Since then he's had some bouts where he'd bark his head off when left behind. But soon learned that mom wasn't going to get him out unless he was silent. Now all it takes is me getting out the dog food and he's sitting in his crate waiting patiently for his meal.
I cracked up this morning, when I looked into the dachshunds crate and saw him in there.
Believe me when I say, he is STUFFED in here. He's such a goof at times!
Sure not all dogs LIKE their crates at first, but then who would like something you were forced into and then left in for hours on end? Its important to introduce the crates in a positive fashion, so as to reduce the dogs anxiety about going into the crate.
Pompei's debut, unfortunately didn't get to be sweet and caring, as we arrived home with him around 11:00PM and I had to work the following morning at 8:00AM (which is early for me). Pompei did the whole, whining and crying thing for about an hour, before finally nodding off to sleep.
However, as soon as I arrived home the next day, we sat down and played games with our crate. Using his mid-day meal as bait, I lured him in the crate with small portions of kibble and let him move in and out freely. Then closing the door for a few seconds while he ate his kibble and opening right as he finished his last piece. He quickly caught on that staying inside the box = yummy stuff.
He got to nap in his crate, and our second night crated was much better. Since then he's had some bouts where he'd bark his head off when left behind. But soon learned that mom wasn't going to get him out unless he was silent. Now all it takes is me getting out the dog food and he's sitting in his crate waiting patiently for his meal.
I cracked up this morning, when I looked into the dachshunds crate and saw him in there.
Believe me when I say, he is STUFFED in here. He's such a goof at times!
 |
| Pompei curled up on a small crate |
Comments