Toilet Training and Crate training help!
 

My little pup is currently is 2 mths and a half. I adopted her when she is 1 mth going to 2 mth. I tried to toilet trained her and crate training her. But the moment I put her to the crate, she would yelp, whined and bark loudly. So I can't do anything but to let her out. Until now, she is not being trained in the cage.

Toilet training=I tried to put newspaper all over the floor. Sometimes she would poo and pee at the newspaper but most of the time everywhere. What should I do? Both of this training I have done most of the reading at all the bookstore and tried their method of whatever they tried to teach. But it's not working.

This is her newest photo.My little baby, Elizabeth(Lizzy) 2mth and half. Mixed Breed.
http://www.petfinder.my/photo/pet/233/23329-96612-l.jpg
http://www.petfinder.my/photo/pet/233/23329-94519-l.jpg( 1mth half)
http://www.petfinder.my/photo/pet/233/23329-94505-l.jpg( 1 mth half)

PS: Does anyone know what mix breed is she mix with? Her mom is half Lab. She look like a sheltie yet a GSD at times. She is very furry{tongue}

Re: Toilet Training and Crate training help!
 

Hi,

I think you are facing the same problem with many of dog owners out there including myself at one point in time.
I am not experience dog owner in any way but I have idea to share.

Crate training
1) Prepare yourself - Make sure you are not in any kind of negative energy mood (tired, panic, angry, frustrated and sorry etc).
2) Visualise positive outcome. Imagine the result and picture what you want. That is your puppy is happily staying in the crate.
3) Live in the now. forget about what was happening yesterday. Your puppy did not do it right yesterday does not mean she will not do it today.
4) Stay in a calm and assertive state.
5) Get ready some of her favourate treats and a clicker (animal training tools, I bought it from ebay. Not many pet shop sells it in Malaysia)
6) Lure her with the treat to lead her to the front of the crate. slowly lead her 2 front paws to step into the crate. Everytime she did it right you click and reward with treat. The final result is to make sure her entire body is in the crate. However, do not close the crate door in this first day.
7) Continue the same exercise until she goes into the crate without too much of hesitation.
8) After that make her sit or lay down in the crate in a relax state. Then close the door and give a treat. count 1 to 5 and open the door to let her out again. Continue the exercise and continue to increase the time she stays in the crate. 5 seconds....10 seconds........till 5 mins.
9) Ultimately you have to put her into the crate and move away from her sight.

Try and see. We shall talk about the toilet train later. Good luck and Cheers{victory}

Re: Toilet Training and Crate training help!
 

3 cheers for feltan's excellent advice. I am not expert myself but now raising 2 puppies (one is 5 months and another is 3 months).

Besides what feltan said, I want to add that no matter how much they yelp, whine or barked, keep them in the crate provided you know that he has done all his regular business. For us, this usually happened just before we sleep when we put them in the crate. This is bad especially from the first week when they will be protesting at night. After a few nights (maybe a week) they will know that despite all the whining, nothing will work.

I remember waking up once at 2 am when my Golden made so much noise. We thought he wanted to relieve himself and we took him out. Nothing. Just absolutely nothing. It was pretty frustrating at that time but now we can laugh about it.

Re: Toilet Training and Crate training help!
 

Feltan- Yes. I tried doing it in a calm manner of state and then I throw her toys and some treats in there. I even put her water bowl and food bowl inside. But after she finished her dinner, she would start yelping and whining. I tried to ignore her but is getting too noisy. One time, she was so upset when I open the cage to let her out. She purposely bark at me and ran inside the cage and pee at her food bowl. I was surprised at first when she went in herself but when I saw what she has done, I couldn't help but smack her face. The only time she let herself in the cage was when she was tired out after a bath. She would sleep inside it for hours. By the way, I tried training without the clicker.

Lohcl- The first few days Lizzy slept in my parents room for comfort. By around day 3 to 4, she sleeps outside the room. I can't let her bark too much as my neighbors will be annoyed and is a burden to them.

Thank you for both of your good advice. Is a bigger cage better?{oh}

Re: Toilet Training and Crate training help!
 

You may want to try feeding her in the crate. Let the dog associate the crate as her home, her room, her den, a safe place to protect herself. A place for her to eat, relax and sleep. Also fix her water bottle inside the crate, so she knows that is where she should drink from. Keep the bottle far end of the inside, not near the entrance where she can put her head inside and drink from without getting her whole self inside. You may also want to give her one of those bones made of cowhide that she can chew inside the crate for a long, long time. If she chews it outside, snatch it away from her, and when she gets it again, she will want to hide away to chew it. Chances are, she will retreat to chew inside the crate.

Let her get used to this for a few days. Then you start to crate her by closing the doors.

As for the toilet training on newspapers, why do you want to train her to pee on newspapers? At two months old, she seems like a big dog to me. If you think she has genes of a Lab, sheltie, GSD, etc she is going to grow big. You would eventually need to line up a lot of newspapers at home. If you still think you want to train her on newspapers, I suggest you leave some scent of her urine on the newspapers where you want her to pee or poop. Just changing the newspapers all the time and removing the scent, she will not know the newspapers is where she is supposed to pee and poop.

You may want to consider training her to pee and poop outside, i.e. if you have a garden. Once she is crate trained, you can quite easily train her to pee and poop in the garden. Once she can accept being in the crate, then you let her out into the garden everytime she leaves the crate. Only after she has peed and pooped, you let her back to roam inside the house. If she does not pee or poop, move her back into the crate for another 30 minutes or so. And try again.

Hope that helps.

Re: Toilet Training and Crate training help!
 

Thank you Wilderness. Yes. She is 2 mths and half. I am not quite sure what breed it is but the Aunty who gave me say that her mom is half Lab and is quite big. I wanted her to be inside the house. I don;t plan on making it a guard dog but just a indoor companion. She is at her 1st Vaccination now. I got gave her the mini sorts or rawhide(cowhide) which she bites but she is so alert that the moment I close the crate, she starts barking. Thank you for the info's thought. will try using yours and Feltan's idea. Thank you.{muacks}

PS: I am not sure of her breed cause she is a mixed breed. But both of her ears are standing now. She half loom like Husky when she rolls around. Her fur is really furry. Like those carpets.{oh}

Re: Toilet Training and Crate training help!
 

Most important is training. at the end of the day when she got it right u will wonder how u did that .. it's interesting {happy}

I'm snowie's owner anyway hehe.. recognize Lizzy {victory}

Re: Toilet Training and Crate training help!
 

Bigger cage is not a better idea. We want to make the cage their safiest place in the house not for punishment or for isolation.
Most important your dog can feel your energy. Based on your description I feel that you have a higher eneergy and dominent female puppy.
Perhaps you can start exercise her first to drain a bit of the energy before giving her training. But make sure you don't tired her over because it will lost her concerntration.
Put food and water in the cage means that is the place to eat and drink. We want to make it the cage is the best to rest and stay calm.
You already made the cage a bad experience to her, she already associate cage as isolation. I think you will need more time to change the way she feels. Don't give up. There is long way to go.
To become a happy dog owner and have a happy dog please do become a pack leader (lead your dog as a leader) and treat your dog a dog. Do not humanise them.

Re: Toilet Training and Crate training help!
 

Metal poki- yes! I noticed Snowie's Banner! {happy}

Feltan- Somehow, she jump inside the cage after I scolded her. then she lie down in there. Is it a good news or bad news?

Re: Toilet Training and Crate training help!
 

Most important is whether she goes into the crate on demand (without you being angry or upset. Because that is not the reason to have pet. They are suppose to make us happy). After that she remain in the crate without barking and panic.
Further more you must follow up on every discipline action. The Dog Whisperer will show you what does it mean.