GreatWhite
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- Aug 25, 2016
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ok so a few things I need a little advice/tips/tricks/words of encouragement on:
NUMBER ONE:
Last night was THE hardest night I have ever had crate training in my life.
(For reference: Truman is 5 1/2 months old, I have had him for just over a month, he is mostly potty trained, sleeps through the entire night without an accident or waking up to go potty. We are still in the middle of crate training, he is only ever crated for maybe 3 hours at a time since he gets to come to work with me every day. usually when is is crated, he will give a pretty mild whiny protest and then settle in for a nap.)
Truman usually sleeps with us on our bed at night, last night he just wouldn't settle in, he kept running back and forth across the bed, pacing, trying to play ect.
I tried taking him out to potty a few times, he didn't want to go potty, just kept wanting to play. I think he was just too wound up as he had recently had a pretty hefty play session with one of our larger dogs. After about an hour of trying to get him calm I was at the end of my rope.
So I decided maybe being in the crate for the night was probably the best option. I wouldn't have to worry about him flopping off the bed or waking us up by running over our faces all night long.
I put him in the crate, just as I have dozens of times, and he did his usual quiet wining, and I fell asleep.
I woke up a little while later to Frenchie feet running across my face (which I don't recommend). Come to find out my husband LET HIM OUT! He said it was because he was whining too much and he couldn't sleep. I was pretty po'd to say the least. Because Truman just received positive reinforcement for negative behavior I wasn't really sure what the right course of action was? Put him back in the crate? Let him try to settle on the bed? IDK?
It was my husbands fault, so I didn't want to punish Truman. I gave him another chance to try to settle in the bed again. He just would. not. settle. down. So back in the crate he goes.
The second that crate door closed the incessant screeching started. And it lasted....ALL. NIGHT. LONG.
I tried moving his crate into the bedroom, I tried covering it with a blanket, partially covering it, making it so he could see us, making it so he couldn't see us.
I tried absolutely every single variation I could think of at 2AM. Eventually it got so out of hand I had to move him all the way to the front of the house, to the furthest point from our bedroom, close all the doors in between, and turn the fan on high to drown him out. It was awful. I have never in my life had a dog throw that big/long of a fit in the crate, ESPECIALLY after doing so well up to this point.
I am pretty sure that it was my husband sneaking him out of the crate that caused this tantrum. I won't be too hard on the guy he doesn't really *get* dog training, I honestly don't think he realized the amount of training he reversed by taking him out. Regardless we will be having a long conversation about dog training when I get home from work. We really need to be on the same page from here on out.
NUMBER TWO:
Truman is teething pretty hard right now combined with being a curious puppy, he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth.
He ate a small chunk of wood a few weeks ago that upset his stomach enough for him to regurgitate it. I have been watching him chew on sticks Ect. and I hadn't once seen him actually "consume" any of it, so I wasn't sure why all of a sudden he decided to start swallowing things. Ever since that instance I have been hyper vigilant when we are playing or going potty that anything he is chewing on off the ground I either pick it up or remove it from his mouth and toss it in the garbage. I have basically spent every moment outside with him, telling him "NO" every time he picks something up off the ground, telling him to "leave it", or chasing after him and picking junk out of his mouth.
All that being said, I'm afraid I have created a monster.
I feel like he thinks it's a game, he has started to pick things up and take off immediately. All the while looking over his shoulder like "come get me sucker"! Unfortunately I can't just let him consume everything he gets his mouth on so I don't really know what to do other than continue to try to get it out before he swallows it.
I'm entirely aware that I have created this behavior, although completely by accident.
In my attempts to undo the "game" I created:
I have tried to distract him by using a squeaky toy every time he is trying to pick stuff up off the ground, to get his attention. All that basically does is distract him from going potty.
I've tried redirecting with a chew toy by sticking it in front of him or in his mouth when trying to eat something he shouldn't, this hasn't been very effective either.
I'm working with him on his recall and "leave It" commands to help.
I'm hoping someone has some advice or tips on how to redirect the behavior, turn it into a different kind of game, distract him from "snacks" off the ground?
EUREKA!
As I was typing this I think I realized what I need to do, although I am going to post it anyway in case you guys have some other great ideas!
The one thing I haven't done is putting him on a leash when we are outside, that way I can easily pull him away from junk on the ground & get it out of his mouth without participating in the chasing "game".
I am going to try this and post an update
:hissy:
NUMBER ONE:
Last night was THE hardest night I have ever had crate training in my life.
(For reference: Truman is 5 1/2 months old, I have had him for just over a month, he is mostly potty trained, sleeps through the entire night without an accident or waking up to go potty. We are still in the middle of crate training, he is only ever crated for maybe 3 hours at a time since he gets to come to work with me every day. usually when is is crated, he will give a pretty mild whiny protest and then settle in for a nap.)
Truman usually sleeps with us on our bed at night, last night he just wouldn't settle in, he kept running back and forth across the bed, pacing, trying to play ect.
I tried taking him out to potty a few times, he didn't want to go potty, just kept wanting to play. I think he was just too wound up as he had recently had a pretty hefty play session with one of our larger dogs. After about an hour of trying to get him calm I was at the end of my rope.
So I decided maybe being in the crate for the night was probably the best option. I wouldn't have to worry about him flopping off the bed or waking us up by running over our faces all night long.
I put him in the crate, just as I have dozens of times, and he did his usual quiet wining, and I fell asleep.
I woke up a little while later to Frenchie feet running across my face (which I don't recommend). Come to find out my husband LET HIM OUT! He said it was because he was whining too much and he couldn't sleep. I was pretty po'd to say the least. Because Truman just received positive reinforcement for negative behavior I wasn't really sure what the right course of action was? Put him back in the crate? Let him try to settle on the bed? IDK?
It was my husbands fault, so I didn't want to punish Truman. I gave him another chance to try to settle in the bed again. He just would. not. settle. down. So back in the crate he goes.
The second that crate door closed the incessant screeching started. And it lasted....ALL. NIGHT. LONG.
I tried moving his crate into the bedroom, I tried covering it with a blanket, partially covering it, making it so he could see us, making it so he couldn't see us.
I tried absolutely every single variation I could think of at 2AM. Eventually it got so out of hand I had to move him all the way to the front of the house, to the furthest point from our bedroom, close all the doors in between, and turn the fan on high to drown him out. It was awful. I have never in my life had a dog throw that big/long of a fit in the crate, ESPECIALLY after doing so well up to this point.
I am pretty sure that it was my husband sneaking him out of the crate that caused this tantrum. I won't be too hard on the guy he doesn't really *get* dog training, I honestly don't think he realized the amount of training he reversed by taking him out. Regardless we will be having a long conversation about dog training when I get home from work. We really need to be on the same page from here on out.
NUMBER TWO:
Truman is teething pretty hard right now combined with being a curious puppy, he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth.
He ate a small chunk of wood a few weeks ago that upset his stomach enough for him to regurgitate it. I have been watching him chew on sticks Ect. and I hadn't once seen him actually "consume" any of it, so I wasn't sure why all of a sudden he decided to start swallowing things. Ever since that instance I have been hyper vigilant when we are playing or going potty that anything he is chewing on off the ground I either pick it up or remove it from his mouth and toss it in the garbage. I have basically spent every moment outside with him, telling him "NO" every time he picks something up off the ground, telling him to "leave it", or chasing after him and picking junk out of his mouth.
All that being said, I'm afraid I have created a monster.
I feel like he thinks it's a game, he has started to pick things up and take off immediately. All the while looking over his shoulder like "come get me sucker"! Unfortunately I can't just let him consume everything he gets his mouth on so I don't really know what to do other than continue to try to get it out before he swallows it.
I'm entirely aware that I have created this behavior, although completely by accident.
In my attempts to undo the "game" I created:
I have tried to distract him by using a squeaky toy every time he is trying to pick stuff up off the ground, to get his attention. All that basically does is distract him from going potty.
I've tried redirecting with a chew toy by sticking it in front of him or in his mouth when trying to eat something he shouldn't, this hasn't been very effective either.
I'm working with him on his recall and "leave It" commands to help.
I'm hoping someone has some advice or tips on how to redirect the behavior, turn it into a different kind of game, distract him from "snacks" off the ground?
EUREKA!
As I was typing this I think I realized what I need to do, although I am going to post it anyway in case you guys have some other great ideas!
The one thing I haven't done is putting him on a leash when we are outside, that way I can easily pull him away from junk on the ground & get it out of his mouth without participating in the chasing "game".
I am going to try this and post an update
:hissy: