[MayaTheLab]

Greets,

We just got a 8 wk old english Yellow lab pup last week named Maya. It's been a long time since I had a new pup (14 years) and I'm a little rusty.

We are crate training her. After the first week she goes into the crate and plays with her chew toys. I put a dirty shirt of mine in there and give her a piece of kibble when she goes in there. When I throw a toy across the kitchen floor she brings it back and goes right in the crate. Housebreaking is also going well.

The question I have concerns leaving her in there at night. The very first night we left the crate in the kitchen and she cried like she was being tortured. I held my wife back and said she'll quiet down, well she didnt after about 20 minutes. Eventually my wife went down and slept on the couch near her and she was fine. Since then we put the crate in our bedroom and she is better but still cries initially and one of us lays on the floor next to the crate and she quiets right down. Then when she needs to go out its the same procedure when she comes back in.

She's getting better but still cries when we leave the room(she's gated in the kitchen) or even when a friend stops by and then leaves

I think that maybe we should just tough it out and leave her in there until she cries herself out, but we need to get a good nights sleep and its really hard with her in the bedroom. Should we give her some leeway since she's still so young? Any suggestions?

[Durbkat]

I think you are doing good with crate training. I have a travel crate that I put my dog in and then I sit the crate on top of a rubbermaid container so that it is almost level with my bed so my dog can see me and I can easily reach over and let him sniff my fingers if he is upset or to tap on the top of the crate and say stop, this command has worked really well on getting him to stop whining. I hardly got any sleep in the first few weeks of having my dog but now I can get a full nights rest as he will go in the crate when I go to bed and when I get up at 6:30am to get ready for school he is still quiet and barks if I start to oversleep so I can let him out.

[MayaTheLab]

Well last night went ok I guess. She cried for about 25 minutes when we first went to bed. Then at 2:30 when I took her out for her bathroom break it was another 15 minutes of crying. Its hard because I need a good nights sleep which I haven't gotten in the week we've had her.....

[brlady]

I know that this may sound mean to some people but....my advice for your and your wife is to put her crate back in the livingroom or the kitchen (where ever you want it when she is a full grown) and leave it there She will not die from crying for a while. I promise I have crate trained every single foster dog that has come through my house (including puppies) and yes, they do cry and make a big fus at first but once you get past two or three days of this it will settle down. You cannot give into her and go running when she wants out of her crate. If you want a well behaved crate trained dog, then stick to your guns! Out of the over one hundred dogs that have came through my doors I have only had one (adult) need more time adjusting to his crate. With plenty of chew toys and postivie reinforcement he too was successfully crate trained. Remember to use the same word each time you put her in the crate. She will eventually just go in everytime you tell her the command. For example, I tell mine to "crate" and they all go get in and wait for me to shut the door. When you are first crate training a pupper you must remember to give lots of praise. Do not sit by the crate and pamper the pup, just walk by and bend down and give her a treat and say "good girl". She will learn with time that her crate is her safe place, her den and she will love it. You can try and ease the seperation from your room to the livingroom by giving her an old shirt that smells like you. Also, giving a puppy an old shoe is not a good toy. You do not want them to think it is ok to chew on shoes, so I would stick with the store bought toys. You must not let her do anything as a pup that you would not want her to do as an adult, i.e. chewing shoes, biting fingers, nipping heals, etc. Start early and you will have less trouble with a full sized Maya. Good Luck!! & Stick to your guns....

[RonE]

People with babies or puppies are going to be sleep-deprived for a period of time.

The good news is: That period of time is much shorter for puppies.

[MayaTheLab]

thanks Brlady. One reason to keep her in the bedroom at this point is that if she's in the kitchen neither of us will hear her and get her out for midnight bathroom break which at this point she needs.

Also once she is fully housebroken we have no problem with her sleeping in the bedroom or even at the foot of the bed. Unless they have health issues and inadvertantly make messes - our pets are members of our family and go where we go.

Last night- 2:30am poop, 7:45 am poop, and poop right after breakfast at 8am. I would have never thought so much could come out of such a small package!!

Now if I could just get her to stop eating it!!!! yuck

[WAgal]

We moved out crate to the bedroom from the livingroom as there was too much distraction and sage would not settle down. In the bedroom she will sleep for 2-3 hours at a time during the day and does very nicely at night. We finally had to let Sage cry it out those first couple days and now she doesn't even whimper. The crate is on my side of the bed but not next to it. We put it next to the slider more so for the night potty trips. That said, it's been 4 weeks for us and neither of us has had a good night's sleep!! Goes with the territory. We, too, are new at the puppy thing not having doen it for 12 years! Maybe there is hope for us afterall!!! LOL!

I also have a yellow lab pup. What is an "English" yellow lab?

[FilleBelle]

There are a lot of terms floating around to describe different kinds of Labs...show, bench, field, English, American, and some that I might be missing.

As I understand it, English Labs are on the smaller end of the breed standard in height, but extremely stocky and heavily built. They also have the larger, more blunt head/muzzle and the thicker, otter type tail. According to popular belief, these "show" or "bench" dogs are more mellow and laid back, as far as Labs go.

The American Lab is skinnier, with longer legs and a more pointy, petite head. These "field" dogs are higher in energy and drive.

I looked into this when I got Alvin, who is more of the barrel-chested type. I don't think there's been an actual breed split in Labs, though. Anyone have more info?

[Alpha]

First off: APPLAUSE!

You sound like you and your wife are doing a FABULOUS job! I must say, I'm pretty impressed

Where you put the crate is up to you and your wife. There is no "best" place to put it quite frankly.

Some people like to keep it out of the bedroom and some like to keep it in the bedroom, mostly as you mentioned, to help the housebreaking along.

I personally like my dogs in the bedroom with me. It gives me a sense of everyone's together, and I know that they're okay etc etc.

If you choose to keep the crate in your bedroom, but don't want to put up with constant whining is there a way she can be in the crate but still see you in bed? Sometimes just knowing that we're there quiets them down.

Other than that, you are doing ALL of the right things

A worn, dirty shirt so you can smell you, maybe a plushie toy with her to remind her of her littermates, things of that nature.

She's still very young, so I would be reluctant to baby her too much now, or YOUR behaviours aka lying on the floor to put her to sleep, will become EXPECTED, and we don't want that lol

Stick it out! You guys sound like you are doing so well already, give it a chance and remember that being taken away from their littermates is a big deal. They're used to sleeping in a heap of soft puppy love, it may take some time.

[Anela]

You have what amounts to an infant on your hands. Maya must be the cutest thing I've ever seen!!

I had the same experience when I adopted a four month old Hound/Shepard last year only it was longer for me since I went through puppy-hood.

The crate needs to be in your bedroom, and living room, and anywhere else you are for at least a few months. To reduce the crying, put a sheet over the top and sides, leave the front open so Maya can look out. When she starts to cry, gently say "stop" while gently tapping on the top of the crate. This may take a few times, but soon dog will get the message that crying is associated with the crate tapping and your command.

Make the crating a positive experience by giving a small piece of treat and tons of praise. Supervise every second dog is not in crate for a few months. Maya needs to earn her free time from the crate gradually by earning your trust.

Make sure she get's tons of exercise a couple of times a day, Lab pups have tons of energy. During and after play she will drink lots of water, make sure she get's a potty break!

Anela

[MelissaW]

I believe your dog will cry its self out it just takes time. Melissa

[MayaTheLab]

Originally Posted by FilleBelle

There are a lot of terms floating around to describe different kinds of Labs...show, bench, field, English, American, and some that I might be missing.

As I understand it, English Labs are on the smaller end of the breed standard in height, but extremely stocky and heavily built. They also have the larger, more blunt head/muzzle and the thicker, otter type tail. According to popular belief, these "show" or "bench" dogs are more mellow and laid back, as far as Labs go.

The American Lab is skinnier, with longer legs and a more pointy, petite head. These "field" dogs are higher in energy and drive.

I looked into this when I got Alvin, who is more of the barrel-chested type. I don't think there's been an actual breed split in Labs, though. Anyone have more info?

Yes that is correct, the English style is exactly like you describe, and I believe it is some sort of 'split' as you put it.

Last night was amazing! She didn't cry at all when we first went up and when she came in from her midnight run she only whined a minute or 2!

I swear this dog is perfect as far as a puppy goes. At 9 weeks (1 week with us) she is comfortable in the crate, sits when she comes inside from potty time, and hasn't had one accident inside where we weren't negligant for not keeping an eye on her. She has not had one single accident in her crate or when we allow her on the sofa with us. I'm trying to get her to sit when I feed her and she hasn't gotten that quite yet though.

I'd possibly like to train her to be a bird dog, but my wife has said no so far. Well I figure I've got about another 10 months to work on her

Here's a link to our blog with photos of Maya. www.rumbold.blogspot.com The 2nd post down has her parents.

Here's the post about our last lab Dimples leaving us http://rumbold.blogspot.com/2007/05/...st-friend.html

[SSpiro]

Originally Posted by Anela

You have what amounts to an infant on your hands. Maya must be the cutest thing I've ever seen!!

I had the same experience when I adopted a four month old Hound/Shepard last year only it was longer for me since I went through puppy-hood.

The crate needs to be in your bedroom, and living room, and anywhere else you are for at least a few months. To reduce the crying, put a sheet over the top and sides, leave the front open so Maya can look out. When she starts to cry, gently say "stop" while gently tapping on the top of the crate. This may take a few times, but soon dog will get the message that crying is associated with the crate tapping and your command.

Make the crating a positive experience by giving a small piece of treat and tons of praise. Supervise every second dog is not in crate for a few months. Maya needs to earn her free time from the crate gradually by earning your trust.

Make sure she get's tons of exercise a couple of times a day, Lab pups have tons of energy. During and after play she will drink lots of water, make sure she get's a potty break!

Anela

Good read..

[MayaTheLab]

Last night was phenomenal, she made it until 5am! Even though the bedroom crate is large she won't go in it.

Here is moments before she took her first (unintended) swim

[Durbkat]

Ha ha, its like he saying "ok, I'm gonna do it, 3...2...1!"

[SSpiro]

Originally Posted by MayaTheLab

Last night was phenomenal, she made it until 5am! Even though the bedroom crate is large she won't go in it.

Here is moments before she took her first (unintended) swim

So cute! How old in that picture?

[MayaTheLab]

Originally Posted by SSpiro

So cute! How old in that picture?

She was born Aug 6, that pic was taken last week. She's already losing her puppy fluff and will be shedding soon

Last night she had to go out at 3am, before that a few nights she made it until 5:30. She gets dinner at 5:30 pm and plenty of time outside for potty breaks including right before bedtime @ 11:00 and we try to limit her water and playtime after 8pm. Her new thing is crying at about 6:30 and I stick her on the bed and she crashes until I get up around 7:15.

[SSpiro]

Wow.. so young and so big!

[MayaTheLab]

Originally Posted by SSpiro

Wow.. so young and so big!

you think big?? she seems average for a lab to me....