I just rescued a female 4 month old Boxer/Rottie mix. The previous owner was not nice to her, although they let her sleep in the bed. I have a crate for her (since she is young and has to earn trust of being alone in the house) unfortunately she whines and whines and WHINES when we put her in. She learned how to escape so I need to get a lock of some sort so she cannot open the door, but how can I get her to stay in there overnight without whining allllllll night (since she is going to be a large adult dog, myself, husband and the dog will not fit in the bed eventually). I have no problems with her other then the crate, she is very intelligent and friendly just want to try and get her used to the crate so when she is large she wont be kicking us out of the bed. LOL!! Thanks!!!!
Any advice will be helpful!!!
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my rottie and doberman both slept with my and hubby in our bed! LOL
You just have to ignore the crying. Everytime you acknowledge the whimpering/crying you are only reinforcing it. Tough to do I know, but ignore it! Also I suggest taking a shirt with your scent all over it and putting it in there to help confort the puppy since it sounds like seperation issues. He will eventually get over it and realize the crying isn't going to get him out!
You just have to ignore the crying. Everytime you acknowledge the whimpering/crying you are only reinforcing it. Tough to do I know, but ignore it! Also I suggest taking a shirt with your scent all over it and putting it in there to help confort the puppy since it sounds like seperation issues. He will eventually get over it and realize the crying isn't going to get him out!
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Sounds like she's a little spoiled, be sure to make the crate a GOOD place for her and ignore the whining, NEVER EVER give in to the whining, it will only make it worse in the long run. If she still need t ogo out in the middle of the night for a potty break, set an alarm to wake you up so you can take her out, then as she gets older set the alarm for later and later until she gets up at YOUR normal wake-up time.
Remember that there will be an extinction burst, when the whining will become worse before it gets better, usually if you can get through that, things will start improving and the whining sessions will get shorter and shorter until they're done.
Remember that there will be an extinction burst, when the whining will become worse before it gets better, usually if you can get through that, things will start improving and the whining sessions will get shorter and shorter until they're done.
It is soooo hard to ignore the whining when you have to wake up for work, my hubby sleeps like a bomb can go off in my room, lol... She is a good girl and holds the potty all night til I wake up for work so no waking up for me in the middle of the night.. 
I thought maybe there was a way to get her to stop whining... I don't mind her in the bed now but my hubby and I are not the smallest people so when the dog is 80+ lbs it will be hard to break the habit of the bed...
I thought maybe there was a way to get her to stop whining... I don't mind her in the bed now but my hubby and I are not the smallest people so when the dog is 80+ lbs it will be hard to break the habit of the bed...
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Where is her crate located at night?It is soooo hard to ignore the whining when you have to wake up for work, my hubby sleeps like a bomb can go off in my room, lol... She is a good girl and holds the potty all night til I wake up for work so no waking up for me in the middle of the night..
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Put the crate in different room, either the family room or another place where she's with the family during the day, but away from you at night. It will increase the chances of successful crating. Use the crate as a get away place for her during the day, so she's not JUST in it at bedtime and it becomes a good place.
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When I crated mine their crate was in the laundry room! Complete other side of my house! I personally wouldn't put the crate in my room!
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then I guess you will have to put up with the whinning. Putting it in another room isn't punishing her. You are giving her human feelings. She will be fine in another room. Like I said before... move the crate and put an old shirt with your sent on it for her to smell while in there! I think you are spoiling her too muchI don't want the crate to be a bad place and I think in another room is like she is punished...
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I don't want the crate to be a bad place and I think in another room is like she is punished...
Not if it's in a place that you are in during the day.
Hugo's Doggy Den
Crate Training Your Dog
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not saying that having the crate in your room is spoiling her. I think you are trying a little too hard (not trying to be rude). Dogs need to learn a little independance and that it is okay to be away from you for periods. If the whinning is keeping you up then move the crate. Just as cshellenberger suggested, put the crate in a active place (daytime) in your house, keep it there all the time and at night she will still be in a safe spot. You can teach her to like her cage and it is a good place. My dogs loved their crate and I would find them going in there on their own just to lay down! I always thought of them thinking that it was their safe spot/their room!
OK but what if we don't really put her in during the day??? Since my husband does work from home... I am not using it as a way of potty training, just for safety now since she is still a pup, when he goes out he puts her in (even though she escapes, we need a padlock) and to break the habit of being on the bed is really the only 2 reasons we use it...
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It's not spoiling her, but it IS making it harder on YOU to crate train and still get some rest. By the crate being in your room you're ONLY using it for her at night to go to sleep, by keeping it in the family room you're more likely to use it for her naps and when you can't 100% supervise her, which can make it easier to get her to accept it with the proper motivation. She's more likely to connect the crate as a negative place if it's ONLY used one certain time of the day.
I will weigh in, tho it sounds like the OP has their mind made up.
I do not have the dog in the bedroom. I never have. I do not have the dog sleeping on the bed. I never have. My dog made noise one night. Previous dogs were similar (some made noise for an hour and never did again).
Just putting the dog in the crate and going to bed is not how you crate train a dog.
I suggest you put the crate in a different room. Your dog needs to learn to be home alone at some point and this will help her with that. I also suggest you teach her to go in the crate and it is OK to do that. I started by tossing a treat in the crate. Some dogs will jump in and get the treat and jump out. Others will stand in the crate and eat the treat. Doesn't matter because you are going to do this with the door open.
I would also feed her in the crate. One half of her meal she eats from a bowl in the crate and the other half she stands in the crate and you feed her by hand. All the while the door is open.
At some point you shut the door. I start by having the dog go in the crate for a treat (by the time the dogs goes in easily for the treat she is hearing "go Crate" so she will associate going in the crate with that cue). When she goes in the crate for the treat I stand NEXT to the crate (not in front of the door) and hold the door closed until she finishes the treat. When she turns around to leave, you are standing next to the crate with your hand on the door. Now.. holding the door closed,. turn you back to the dog. MOST dogs will sit when you do this. As soon as she sits, open the crate door. this gets her thinking "sit = door opens." Every time you let her out of the crate, turn your back to the dog after unlatching the door and stand there until the dog sits b4 letting her out.
The reason behind putting the crate in another room (beyond teaching her she can be alone and be OK) is this dog is used to being in the bed. By having the bed proximate to the dog, it is sort of like teasing her.. she thinks she should be there. By putting the crate in a different room, that enticement of the bed has been removed. Just an idea.
Another idea has to do with exercise. In the evening before bed, take your dog outside and play with her and walk her. She can be walked at this age. You can use the walks as a chance to train her.. stuff like sit, lie down, stand, stay. Get her tired. Do this early enough so you are back in about 1/2 hour before you go to bed. As she gets older, you will have to walk her MORE.. and probably do it earlier. This will become an hour of very brisk walking.. as in 3-4 miles a day.
Bring her in and just b4 you go to bed, take her out one last time (it never hurts) and then crate her for the night. Give her a Kong toy in her crate stuffed with something like cottage cheese or peanut butter or liverwurst (fill it and then freeze it.. you have to plan for this). Shut the dog in the crate and go to bed.
If she makes noise later (when she is done with the Kong) have ear plugs. Use them. Letting her out of the crate for making noise trains her that making noise gets her out of the crate.
See if all this works.
I do not have the dog in the bedroom. I never have. I do not have the dog sleeping on the bed. I never have. My dog made noise one night. Previous dogs were similar (some made noise for an hour and never did again).
Just putting the dog in the crate and going to bed is not how you crate train a dog.
I suggest you put the crate in a different room. Your dog needs to learn to be home alone at some point and this will help her with that. I also suggest you teach her to go in the crate and it is OK to do that. I started by tossing a treat in the crate. Some dogs will jump in and get the treat and jump out. Others will stand in the crate and eat the treat. Doesn't matter because you are going to do this with the door open.
I would also feed her in the crate. One half of her meal she eats from a bowl in the crate and the other half she stands in the crate and you feed her by hand. All the while the door is open.
At some point you shut the door. I start by having the dog go in the crate for a treat (by the time the dogs goes in easily for the treat she is hearing "go Crate" so she will associate going in the crate with that cue). When she goes in the crate for the treat I stand NEXT to the crate (not in front of the door) and hold the door closed until she finishes the treat. When she turns around to leave, you are standing next to the crate with your hand on the door. Now.. holding the door closed,. turn you back to the dog. MOST dogs will sit when you do this. As soon as she sits, open the crate door. this gets her thinking "sit = door opens." Every time you let her out of the crate, turn your back to the dog after unlatching the door and stand there until the dog sits b4 letting her out.
The reason behind putting the crate in another room (beyond teaching her she can be alone and be OK) is this dog is used to being in the bed. By having the bed proximate to the dog, it is sort of like teasing her.. she thinks she should be there. By putting the crate in a different room, that enticement of the bed has been removed. Just an idea.
Another idea has to do with exercise. In the evening before bed, take your dog outside and play with her and walk her. She can be walked at this age. You can use the walks as a chance to train her.. stuff like sit, lie down, stand, stay. Get her tired. Do this early enough so you are back in about 1/2 hour before you go to bed. As she gets older, you will have to walk her MORE.. and probably do it earlier. This will become an hour of very brisk walking.. as in 3-4 miles a day.
Bring her in and just b4 you go to bed, take her out one last time (it never hurts) and then crate her for the night. Give her a Kong toy in her crate stuffed with something like cottage cheese or peanut butter or liverwurst (fill it and then freeze it.. you have to plan for this). Shut the dog in the crate and go to bed.
If she makes noise later (when she is done with the Kong) have ear plugs. Use them. Letting her out of the crate for making noise trains her that making noise gets her out of the crate.
See if all this works.
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MY dobbie used to escape all the time as well. I had to use a keyed pad lock (I left the key in in tofor any emergency reasons). Even if your hubby is home all day it is still "her place" her retreit! So if she goes in there to lay down during the day with the door open, then lots of praise a nd a treat! That way she knows it it a good place and will like to go in there!
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