Help Needed! That's a crate question!

[cali baker]

okay, yet another question about the crate:

I've mentioned that i'm housebreaking Tate and Finn currently. They are 1.5yo and have mostly been going on pee pads as this was how they were raised when I first got them and lived in a condo. Now that i'm in a house w/a yard, it's time to properly train them to go outdoors.

Tate seems to have less accidents than Finn indoors so would it be "okay" to let Tate out of his crate while keeping Finn inside his crate? I'm thinking in human terms of course and how "unfair" this seems from Finn's perspective. I know that's probably not even the case.

I guess my question is, when i leave one in the crate and the other one outside to roam freely, does that do harm to the one who's inside, at an emotional level?

this whole crate thing is driving me up the wall!

 

[dalmatina38]

I don't really know about the emotional impact of one being inside in a crate and the other being outside but in our house if one is outside the other is outside too and we are there with them watching them. The Great Dane is old and prefers to go out and do her business and go back inside right away but Amber likes to hang around outside for awhile. They go out at the same time, its just easier for us to have them both on the same schedule. Even when I was potty training Amber I took Beast Dog outside too so Amber would see her going to the bathroom and get the idea,it just makes things easier on me. Good luck.

 

[Davidh]

Finn will more than likely want to be out when Tate is out, but it is a trial and error thing. Try it and see how much of a fuss Finn makes. We will do that sometime with the pups when we feel one needs a little rest or a time out.

 

[2BullyMama]

We do this now with banks and Cheli.... does not seem to have any impact on either one that the other is different than the other.... we do notice days when banks wants to be in the crate so we just place hers with the door left unlatched

 

[Vicaroo1000]

They say that dogs understand the concept of "fairness" and the pack leader treats all pack members the same; regardless of the circumstance. I try to be conscientious about this and am careful not to favor one over the other in any way. And that's not easy to do! In thinking about it from a dog's perspective, I suppose you first have to assume that being left IN the crate is somehow "unfair" --- but it's not if you're the pup having the potty problem. LOL It's fair to the human who has to clean up the subsequent mess. ha ha

I'm sorry crating has been such a nightmare for you. Does it help for you to see the crate as simply a tool for you, the human? Kind of like an extra set of eyes in potty training? Can you try giving them a special toy that they get only when they're on lockdown? Like a frozen Kong with some peanut butter or ? This might help change YOUR feelings and energy about it and that energy will pass along to them?

 

[Baconator]

I think [MENTION=2014]JeannieCO[/MENTION] has to do this with her pack if I'm thinking correctly (which is always a question in itself)

 

[JeannieCO]

Henny it's perfectly fine to leave one out while the other's crated. This is what I do with Wilson and Jack when I'm at work. They get rotated on different days so they have time out during the crate when I'm at work. There's no emotional harm, trust me on that! Sounds like Finn more than Tate needs to learn outdoor potty training more since the outdoor has been indoors due to the condo living. Plus you walk them all the time.

They'll be just fine my friend.

 

[JeannieCO]

You can also give it a try on the weekend when you leave to run an errand. Leave Finn crated and Tate uncrated. When I released Wilson and Jack to roam freely in the house when we're gone I did so in small time increments. I'll do the same with Emma when she can be trusted again not to chew up the dog beds when I leave her unattended.

 

[mabel lou]

In my opinion and it is just my opinion I think that one learns from the other. When one see the other always going out to potty they learn from that and if you have routine set up then they learn that when the cage goes open then they go outside meaning they go to use potty OUTSIDE. They should be able to play a little bit and then back in the cage and same routine again. I know this works for me and my girls, goodluck

 

[cali baker]

I really appreciate everyone's words of wisdom and sharing your experiences with the crate. This past weekend went pretty swell I ran errands and put both in the crate and interestingly enough, both T and F seemed to NOT mind the crate!! wow! The crate has been a very positive place for them these days...they get all their treats in there, they get to eat their meals in there...even Tate goes in there w/out me telling him to when he gets a snack.

I think a lot of my concerns and worries about the crate are all MY hang ups, and not the boys'. Anyways, it's only day 4 but I can say that i enjoy coming home to a relatively clean house where i'm not constantly mopping and picking up their messes. That feels nice!

 

[Vicaroo1000]

Hooray!

 

[mabel lou]

Life is pretty nice when routine is established

 

[Vicaroo1000]

Dogs that soil in the house really do not WANT to do that. I believe that whole heartedly. They can feel the negative energy of a person cleaning up piss for the thousandth time. LOL ( Hey, the neighbors might be able to feel THAT energy! LOL) Dogs are instinctual and it's in their DNA (since living with humans for so many thousands of years) to want to please us.

I had a little rescue once that would not NOT piss in the house. It was maddening. The best I ever got with her was potty pads. She came from rescue and the folks that ultimately dropped her off there, clearly did not potty train her. And while it WAS maddening, it just wasn't her fault. So I came to accept the idea that potty pads were at least acceptable and once she learned to actually accurately HIT the pads, well, that was a hippity hop happy damn day, Lemme tell ya.

 

[kazzy220]

I'm glad that things are going well!! And you've started off the right way by making sure they associate the crate with nice things like treats etc!!

 

[ModernFemme]

Dogs that soil in the house really do not WANT to do that. I believe that whole heartedly. They can feel the negative energy of a person cleaning up piss for the thousandth time. LOL ( Hey, the neighbors might be able to feel THAT energy! LOL) Dogs are instinctual and it's in their DNA (since living with humans for so many thousands of years) to want to please us.

I had a little rescue once that would not NOT piss in the house. It was maddening. The best I ever got with her was potty pads. She came from rescue and the folks that ultimately dropped her off there, clearly did not potty train her. And while it WAS maddening, it just wasn't her fault. So I came to accept the idea that potty pads were at least acceptable and once she learned to actually accurately HIT the pads, well, that was a hippity hop happy damn day, Lemme tell ya.

LOL!!!!!!!!