Crate training.Help!

[nikegirl44]

Boy do we have our hands full! I have been a lurker here for quite some time, but I need help! We have a 2 year old bully named Tubby who is a godsend! We just got our second bully this past Friday, she's 8 weeks old and her name is Poppy. Tubby and Poppy LOVE each other so we are thrilled at that! But we cant seem to remember how we were able to crate/potty train Tubs, even though its only been 2 years. So the first two nights, Poppy slept with us and Tubby (Tubby is crate trained and loves his crate, sometimes he sleeps in there and sometimes with us on the bed) and it went fairly well, she prefers to sleep on our pillows/neck. lol. But we would love to crate train her as we did Tubs. So over the weekend, we started to feed her in her crate so she can get used to it and see it has a good thing. She was fine eating in there with the door open. Then we started to leave her in there w/o the food and the door shut for a little at a time, but she would NOT stop whining! We attempted to have her sleep in her crate over night (with us waking up every two hours or so for potty break) last night. But it was a disaster! I felt so bad for our neighbors. lol we had the windows shut but still, she has a pretty piercing bark. We eventually gave up after 3 hours, and let her sleep with us.

Does anyone have any amazing tips? lol

 

[Jennifer Clark]

Have you tried covering the crate? That is finally what I had to do with Sheldon that and positive reinforcement putting him in his crate then giving him a treat and when he didn't cry he got another treat and so on till finally he was absolutely fine with it we'd tell him to go to bed and he would go get in his crate.

 

[RoxysMomma]

put her in the crate put a towel over the front so she cant see anyone make sure she has a nice bed, or just leave her in there only when you leave so you cant hear her, sounds mean but my bullys only go in there crate when left alone, my first girl don't cry but boy or boy does my stella bear make a cry what I have never ever hear before, but she was left in a empty house for a year by her self

 

[Marine91]

We covered Harlea's crate beginning the first night we put her in there. She whined like crazy that night but we remained persistent that we wouldn't take her out except to go potty every 2 hours and we would talk to her to help calm her down. Afte that first night she never whined again. You could always move the crate close to your bed so you could reach down and comfort Poppy. The main thing is to remain persistent and consistent and she will get it and know it is not a jail cell but rather a safe place.

 

[Davidh]

You can also put the crate next to your bed and put your hand down by the crate so she knows you are there and after she finally goes to sleep you can take your arm back.

 

[Samantha Orts]

We kept Junes crate next to the bed also and when she would wake up whining (after potty) I would just put my hand down and quietly "shhhh" and she'd fall back asleep. We also always fed her in there and put a handful of green beans in there for her when we put her in. Now she does great, never whines or barks, and sleeps in it all night in the living room. We also leave music on low for her at night.


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[nikegirl44]

Have you tried covering the crate? That is finally what I had to do with Sheldon that and positive reinforcement putting him in his crate then giving him a treat and when he didn't cry he got another treat and so on till finally he was absolutely fine with it we'd tell him to go to bed and he would go get in his crate.

Yeah we are covering the crate with a towel. We also give her treats when she goes in there. That's a good idea about the treat thing when she doesn't cry but she always cries. lol.

Should we just let her cry and eventually know that she will fall asleep?

Thanks!

 

[nikegirl44]

put her in the crate put a towel over the front so she cant see anyone make sure she has a nice bed, or just leave her in there only when you leave so you cant hear her, sounds mean but my bullys only go in there crate when left alone, my first girl don't cry but boy or boy does my stella bear make a cry what I have never ever hear before, but she was left in a empty house for a year by her self

We do cover her crate. But I hear mixed reviews regarding leave a blanket or towel in the crate because they might be more likely to pee or poop on it. When Tubs was a puppy, that was our mistake with him, he ruined so many of our towels lol until we finally took the towel out and let him sleep on the crate floor.

We want to crate her now, so she is used to it, when we do have to leave her home alone for a couple of hours.

The whining breaks our hearts.

 

[nikegirl44]

We covered Harlea's crate beginning the first night we put her in there. She whined like crazy that night but we remained persistent that we wouldn't take her out except to go potty every 2 hours and we would talk to her to help calm her down. Afte that first night she never whined again. You could always move the crate close to your bed so you could reach down and comfort Poppy. The main thing is to remain persistent and consistent and she will get it and know it is not a jail cell but rather a safe place.

Ah you are lucky with Harlea, she sounds wonderful, no whining after the first night!

Yeah, we have to stay presistant, your right. It's just hard to hear her cry for so long.

Did you guys only crate her at night? Or did you crate her for naps while your home so she gets used to it?

Thanks so much!

 

[nikegirl44]

You can also put the crate next to your bed and put your hand down by the crate so she knows you are there and after she finally goes to sleep you can take your arm back.

We would love to put her crate in our room, but we live in a duplex and share our bedroom wall with our neighbors bedroom, and dont want to keep him up all night. So right now we have her crate in the living room and just shut the windows in there. Tubbys crate is in our bedroom but he doesn't cry anymore.

 

[nikegirl44]

We kept Junes crate next to the bed also and when she would wake up whining (after potty) I would just put my hand down and quietly "shhhh" and she'd fall back asleep. We also always fed her in there and put a handful of green beans in there for her when we put her in. Now she does great, never whines or barks, and sleeps in it all night in the living room. We also leave music on low for her at night.


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As I said to the previous poster, we would love to do that but we live in a duplex and share a bedroom wall with our neighbor and would hate to keep him up at night. But that is a great idea.

We currently are feeding her in there as well. When you fed her in there, did you leave the door open or close it until she is done?

Thanks!

 

[Jennifer Clark]

We do cover her crate. But I hear mixed reviews regarding leave a blanket or towel in the crate because they might be more likely to pee or poop on it. When Tubs was a puppy, that was our mistake with him, he ruined so many of our towels lol until we finally took the towel out and let him sleep on the crate floor.

We want to crate her now, so she is used to it, when we do have to leave her home alone for a couple of hours.

The whining breaks our hearts.

Oh man don't I know it! I felt like the worst skin Mommy on the face of the earth but we have to keep in mind we are doing it for their safety!

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[fastmatt613]

The first night I got Rocco I put him in the crate and he cried like someone was killing him. So we let him sleep in the bed. I woke up to pee on the bed and that's the last time he slept in the bed. The second night, I put him in the crate and he cried for about 20 minutes then went to sleep. Haven't had a problem since. I know it sounds mean but ignoring them is the best way to get them used to it. He only goes in the crate at bedtime and when he's home alone and besides trying to make a run for it when I put him in there and escape, he doesn't make a sound when locked up. Now if I can only get him to stop biting my hands arms and feet, we'd be in great shape lol

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[GunnyHighway]

I think all of our advice is going to be about the same. I did almost the exact same thing as everyone else and endured the pain of Gunny whining and crying while in his crate the first night. I did let him out about every 2 hours to go potty though. Every night after that got easier and easier. That first night is tough and you feel so bad but it does get easier for them and you as the nights go by.

 

[Marine91]

Ah you are lucky with Harlea, she sounds wonderful, no whining after the first night!

Yeah, we have to stay presistant, your right. It's just hard to hear her cry for so long.

Did you guys only crate her at night? Or did you crate her for naps while your home so she gets used to it?

Thanks so much!

Sometimes we would crate her for naps and others we let her stay where she passes out if you know what I mean. It all depended on if we needed to do something or run a quick errand or not.