Hello to all

Since Monday I have a lovely eight week old Welsh Springer Spaniel puppy at home.  I never had a dog before and am unsure about some issues.  I read the thread in the General Forum for novice puppy owners, but have still a question.  Fipps does not choose her crate as her sleeping place.  She puts herself down on the livingroom carpet/ rug in front of the fireplace (fire is off at the monment) or on the kitchen door mat.  When I take her to her crate, then she might stay in it, or not.  I think she knows exactly, when I take her to it what I want her to do, but she just likes to sleep somewhere else.  Sometimes she stays, cuddles uo in it, and she never whines, when I shut the door or leave the room.  I generally leave the door open, because I don't want her to think, she wpuld be automatically locked up in it.  At night she is fine with it.  Sometimes she whimpers a little, but she generally is fine.  I gave her a kong in the crate, which made her staying in it, but then she takes it outside (crate is in the living room)  and has good fun on the livingroom carpet.  It is not, that I dont't want her to be on the livingroom carpet, she is allowed to lie there, too.  I that the problem?  Should I always put her in her crate when she sleeps, during the day? (And she sleeps a lot!)

Thanks for advice and regards from bagpipe

It sounds as if she is doing very well. If she is happy to be in the crate when you want her in it, I'd let her go on sleeping where she wants during the day.

Hello

Thanks for your answer.  So you mean , everytime when she sleeps on the carpet and I want to go upstairs or quickly do some shopping, that I should take (carry) her to her crate, lock the cratedoor and leave her?  I did that a few times,sometimes staying with her and sometimes leaving her alone in the room.  It doesn't seem to  bother her.  But what if I have to leave the house for two hours and she is not sleepy?  I never dared trying it out, but I think she would not like it.

Thanks for your help

Regards bagpipe

Yes, I'd pop her in the crate when you need to leave her alone.

"But what if I have to leave the house for two hours and she is not sleepy?"

Pu her in the crate for short periods when she is awake while you are around. Make sure that she has plenty of toys and chews and she will soon get used to it.

Hello

That is somehow my problem.  You say 'when she is awake'.  Because she is so young, she is either in a real playmood, or she is sleepy/fast asleep.  When she is sleepy and I put her in it, she is fine with it.  But  I can't fit my life completely round her mood.  Do you know what I mean?

Thanks Bagpipe

It depends what you are aiming for with the crate. Crating means that if you have to do something else then you know that bagpipe is not going to get up to mischieve or urinate on the carpet while your back is turned! It took my pup a few weeks to like the crate, he wouldnt chose to go in it at first but like yours would sleep in it at night. I would pick mine up when he fell asleep and put him in the crate but leave the door open so he could come out when he woke up. I would also give him his meals in the crate and after a short time he would race into the crate when he saw his bowl arrive. Put toys in there and make it den like - perhaps a blanket over the top and sides. Mine didnt like the crate too near the TV, prefered a corner of the room. Basically make it a pleasant place.

Hello

When she (Fipps is her name) has toys in it, she often takes them out, she doesn't play in the crate.  I put little meaty treats in it today, she liked that of course.  When I hoovered yesterday, she was scared and she rushed in it for shelter.  I was glad to see that.
The crate is covered and is in a corner of the livingroom. 
Sometimes I pick her up as well and put her in it and leave the door open.  Sometimes she stays, but sometimes she walks straight out, just to cuddle up on the rug in the livingroom.  But then I feel I have to insist her being in it.  Maybe I'm wrong and shoud just leave her on the rug.  She is so young and only a short time with us I really don't want to put her off me (and the crate).

Thanks Bagpipe

Hi bagpipe.

I think you should hide more treats in the crate.  Hide them under her bedding in there, so she has to hunt for them.  Hide them when she's not looking, so she finds them by 'accident'.  Soon she'll think she crate is a magic place where treats just appear from no where, and she'll start checking it all the time.

To make the crate her chosen place to sleep, there are some things you could do.  You can pick up the doormat and the rug in front of the fire - by taking away the other nice places to sleep, she will be left with only one option...the crate. 

Also have a think about why she might not prefer the crate - could it be that the crate is in a drafty place?  Or she feels left out and not in the centre of what's happening when she's in it?  Perhaps moving it to another place might make it a nicer option for her?  The crate should be in whatever room you use most, wherever most people are.

When she goes into the crate, swing the door shut and stay in the room for a while.  You can read a book or do some housework - anything really, but stay with her.  If she is quiet, then let her out after a while.  Never let her out if she is making noise, because that way you will be rewarding the noise and it will be more likely to happen again.

Gradually increase the amount of time she is in the crate for with you in the room.  Another idea is to watch TV or a film while she's in the crate.  (You can give her a kong and shut her in there.  It's a good idea to save the kong only for the crate - so it becomes something special that she only gets in the crate.)  You can also start shutting her in the crate and going out - at first just go out and come back in immediately and let her out.  Then go out for a minute.  Then 5 mins.  Then 15 mins.  Then 30 mins.  Not all in one day - over a course of weeks you need to gradually increase it.  Always make sure she is 'empty' before you crate her.  If she is ever barking or whining don't let her out - she will just do it more.  Wait for at least several secs of silence, then let her out.

Hello onetwothree

Thank you very much for that idea with hiding the treats.  It sounds so simple, but I would have never thought about that.  And I can tell you, it works.  I started hiding them yesterday after I read your suggestion and Fipps walked later on in the crate, I think to get a toy out or so, and ...ah... whats that?  She disapeared in it to look for them.  I don't hide them very much, only a little.  Now she sometimes goes to the crate just to have a good sniff.  Sometimes there is something and sometimes not. 
She is actually such a good dog.  I'm just worried and nervoes.  Since weeks I'm reading in this forum what problems some people have with their dogs/puppies I and got a bit worked up, so since  Monday when we eventually brought the  puppy home I'm worried about that stupid crate :-)

Anyway thanks again for that great idea.

Regards Bagpipe

dont worry about it, let Fipps come out when wants too, the idea of the toys and things in the crate is to reinforce it as a nice place, it doesnt matter if she takes them out. Meals in the crate really worked with my pup. Treats are a good idea too. In a couple of weeks try hiding them under the crate base cover/mat so that she has to spend a few mins searching for them.  At this young stage you just want her to learn to like the crate. Later on (12 weeks+)you can do other things to encourage her to stay in the crate for short periods of time building up the time gradually. There are lots of posts you can refer to on this web site about crating including posts to my desperate questions!!! at the time. Now when I go to work or out for a short while my 19 week old pup is happy to be in the crate with toys and a stuffed Kong. This has also strengthened the toilet training as I havent had any accidents for 6 weeks now since leaving him in the crate. However 3 hours topps is the maximum you should leave them in the crate once they are used to it. Its worth persevering with but dont get tense about it.

Hello JuneH

'...but dont get tense about it'

You hid the nail on the head.  :-)

Regards Bagpipe

Yes, I second that.  Remember, this is where people come when they have problems (usually), so if you just read this board, then you're bound to get the wrong idea about how many people there are out there having problems - I bet most people don't have many - not many serious ones, anyway.