Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok she is in her crate crying off and on, like someone is beating her! Please tell me this is normal at first with crate training!! I am trying to get her used to her leash because when I take her out to go potty she runs away from me and this morning I had to chase her through the neighbors yard in my pajamas! So... now we go outside on a leash but because she is so mad about the leash, she won't go potty! I KNOW FOR A FACT she has to poop but she would not go outside because she was on the leash so I put her in the crate for a nap... hopefully when she wakes up she will not be able to hold it so well and will give in for me when I take her out. The reason this is so difficult for me is because I grew up on a huge farm and all of our dogs ran loose, and were never even close to a crate or leash... and training? We just didn't do it lol. But with Sophie, obedience and behavior are very important to myself and my family. Thank you all for helping, and I'm sure you will be seeing me in the obedience chat very soon LOL!! Thanks again
PS She is no longer crying in her crate
Kasey
*Belle, Scotty, & Sophie*

Yes it can be fairly normal for some dogs to carry on like this when first being crate trained. What kind of dog is she? The advice I would give would be to place her in the crate and try not to give in to the whining and crying. I know it's hard but by taking her out quickly will only reinforce the behavior to be out of the crate. The same with leash training. You control the leash so you control the dog and where she goes. Again it's hard at first but be patient and consistant. Keep her on a short leash and keep her close to you. If she understands simple commands, have her sit on your left side then take a step and bring her with you and stop... giving a stop command. If she stops praise her, if she doesn't correct her. Gradually extend your walk with the leash training. Taking her for a long walk will eventually see some progress with the pooping and peeing, they can hold it only for so long. Good luck and post back with some progress reports.
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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

Ok.. Sophie is a german shepherd, and last night with the crate was very interesting LOL. It was night one.. and at first she cried A LOT.. I left her in there, she went to sleep but had me up every two hours and I had no choice but to take her outside because she has been having dirrhea (but we went to the vet today... that's getting better already) so she would cry when she had to go and then when she was finished I put her back and she was quiet until about two hours later when she couldnt hold it anymore. I think it will be OK.. we put her in the crate if we leave for an hour or two.. and she went in for a nap and didn't fuss long. As far as the leash goes... in less than 24 hours she has gone from flipping out and rebelling, to accepting it and walking quite nicely. When she tries to pull away I just stand still so she knows she isn't going to get her way, and after a minute she comes back toward me. She's such a good puppy.. I think the potty training will go very smoothly once her stools are back to normal.
Kasey
*Belle*Scotty*Sophie*

The first week of having an ew puppy is like the first week with any new baby- it's just plain tough. There's no getting around it.

It sounds like you have things well on the way to being more normal. Good for you!!!!

It does help if their stomachs are not upset for housebreaking.

Have fun with your new puppy and get a few good books: "Don't Shoot the Dog" is a particular favorite of mine.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles

It sounds like she's doing a lot better! For loose stool, I give my dog a little canned pumpkin, which works wonders.