Crate training/ night crys

Hello I am new to this forum and a first time dog owner but a life time staffy lover!

I would really appreciate advice, tips and hopefully encouragement on crate training my 8 week old staff pup.

We have had her three days and she has had her crate since coming home. She will sleep in it, eat in it and take her toys to and from it but. But she is in it with the door closed (all toys inside including her kong and puppy bone to chew on and water and after a trip outside for the toilet) she yelps and crys and get upset (even during the day and I'm in the house doing house work etc).

I totally ignore her and don't come back in the room unless I need to (still ignoring). The amount of time she crys for is getting shorter but it is breaking my heart! She is in the front room as its warm and where my partner and I spend the most time. She is very clever and well behaved all day.

Please someone tell I'm doing the right thing as piece of mind and please someone advise me on how long the yelps will last for? I hate hearing her like this! I also have a defuser in the hall way as we have two cats to help settle them too and it has helped slightly.

Thank you in advance everyone xxx

You are doing the right thing. An article of clothing with your scent on it, a blanket over the crate, and a radio or TV left on will help. They also like to snuggle so a teddy bear is also a good idea.

Try a blanket over the crate, my pup will only settle if there's one on his crate, you are doing the right thing in ignoring her she's still little and probably missing her mammy and siblings she will get better p.s hi from Marley and me

Ok I'll pop an old jumper in there for her and leave the radio on over night too she had a big blanket covering it for her so it is certainly den like and preserves the heat too. She has a hot water bottle on her bed then place it underneath as hour before (so it's not boiling hot over night) and she has several teddys and chew toys. Maybe thinking just one or two more things she needs at night and she should be ok. I've started turning the tele off in the front room when she is in there alone to get used to "night time noise".

How long should her yelping last?

Thank you so much for your quick reply

Sorry, " HAS a big blanket covering her crate" .

Hello Marley and Emma. Thank you for your reply too very helpful and encouraging and soooo much appreciated x

They are all different but Suki settled in 2 nights but she was 18 weeks or so when we got her. Of course as soon as she settled we started letting her sleep with us

Also, I only put her in her crate twice a day for an hour and until she stops crying, then come back in the room and after 2 minutes of silence, let her out to play in the garden and go to the toilet then she can wonder at her please ( and my attendance ) in and out of the house until she wants to sleep again on a big pillow (even her crate). Is that right? Sorry all if I sound silly I just don't want her to know I love her but still be trained x

That sounds about right. They are very people oriented and eager to please. Strict training with positive reinforcement will help avoid future issues. Once they learn something is acceptable as a pup it's hard to get them to stop a behavior.

You are doing all the right things - Buddy has been in a crate since day one with us at 10 weeks , he is 6 months old now- if I put him in the crate during the day and do not cover it he still cries as he knows I am there and wants attention - if I cover it and tell him sleepies he moans for a few mins and then settles - I found leaving a radio on made him worse -they are all different - but he thought there was someone about and wanted to see them - now if the lights are off and he is covered he knows its night time . leave the crate open during the day and when she is tired get her to go in and just push the door to a little if she comes out that's fine talk to her and the tell her bedtime or sleeps whatever word you use and put her back in and close the door and cover her she will soon learn that she can go in and rest but come out but when you cover her she needs to sleep until you wake her .. they learn fast - the cries are hard to listen to but they will stop its the same principle as a crying baby .. good luck let us know how you get on and a picture please

Hi I'm Ziggys dad thanks everyone for the advice much appreciated .

Marley took my slippers into his crate when we first had him, God knows why he would like the sent on them

As a bit of a high jack of this post, I was wondering if anyone felt delaying a little crate training was bad, I'm wanting to wait till I know Mav should last the night "12 weeks". I've done a little work sitting outside and shutting the door whilst he is distracted.

Unfortunately this is not something we can consider at all as we have two cats and as she is very chewy/ nippy I don't want her ruining my living room (kitchens too cold for her) and I don't want Ziggy or the cats to be attacked or frightened of each other. However, I do appreciated the feedback, thank you

She's in her crate now all snug against my hot water bottle wrapped in my dressing gown with door slightly closed as suggested and she's loving it! Also praising her loads for being quiet and she goes straight back to sleep. So far so good.

At the moment I don't have photo bucket to upload pictures, however, you can google my Instagram @gabriellalock and see some pictures of her until I get some uploaded to here

O wasn't feedback sorry crossed wires, my Mavrick is only 9 1/2 weeks so was seeing if people thought I was making it harder for him bye delaying crate training till he was 12 weeks, I'm glad ziggy is doing so well with her's

Oh sorry, that was my assumption still getting used to the site

I personally think crate training is easier earlier as they just adapt quicker and don't get "bad habits". He may also struggle at night to then adjust to having to be in a crate after learning/ then wanting to do something else. That's one of the other reasons we wanted to do it as soon as she got home with us.

But I'm no expert, as you can tell hehe . I just think it may be harder for you to crate train her later on. Maybe?

Jstaff is great with advice so hopefully he may help you better

Each pup is diff of course so it may be a case of try & see what works for you both. I got my boy at 8wks hes about to turn 2, i never used a crate. As a small pup he was put in laundry with a child gate blocking door, water, blanket, & chew toy. He barely whined at all. When he was 4-5mths we let him out and he chose our bed (of course) & has stayed there since (sigh) - secretly i love it but hubby not a fan

We all do things differently. I got my girl as a rescue later in life so didn't use a crate at all but still had the whining at night and jumping of baby gates

The key with a crate though is to make it their space, somewhere they enjoy going to or can get respite from too much attention etc so by giving loads of encouragement is perfect.

Moving forward keep it a fun place, nice and cosy but do keep in mind why the crate is used. If you use it to just shut the pup away to keep it from trouble for hours then it'll be a negative experience which will fuel frustration.

As to when to start, bit of a tough call. For toilet training I would agree to delay as it's much easier to know that they've done something and whip them outside if they aren't in the crate and it can be easier for them to indicate that they do in fact need to go outside once they've learnt, however, if your going to use a crate later on introduce it now but only as a place to relax with the door open so they can come and go and not see it as a negative later on.

When she's in there we give her loads of encouragement and treats for when she finds herself wondering in (treat fairy)! Day by day she is getting more and more comfortable with it and wondered in just a minute a go after I tried playing with her (to tier her out before I go to bed in 10 or so minutes).

I'm learning just as much as her each day, so we are certainly in this together!

Thank you so much, your girl is gorgeous

It is a huge learning curve. As a new owner you'll learn about her ways and she about yours but one thing to bear in mind is to think like her. For example, would this frustrate/excite/be fun. If you can keep that at the back of your mind you'll not go far wrong with training and her well being.

That you for your nice comment about my Flo, she may look gorgeous in that avatar but trust me, she can be a real minx

Where's mavrick sleeping now Patrick? You might find that it will be harder for him to adjust if he's in your bed etc, too comfy for him to want to move but as for toilet training, I crated my pup from 8 weeks and I found it helped with toilet training, we worked out a routine that worked for us both hope that helps

How did ziggy get on last night gab?

Well, I stayed up with her till 12, turned the lights off and and television almost silent - she walked herself into her crate and went to sleep - then after 30 minutes of "down time" I took her outside for a wee, gave her a treat for weeing and fuss then put her back to bed. I closed the door slightly, turned tele off and told her good girl (she got comfy and started to drift instantly) then I closed the door and put the sides of her bed down (blanket over the crate) and walked out.

She yelped for about 30 minutes then went back to sleep. She woke at 2.30 for 5 minutes and cried. Which was good as I was about to take her to go toilet but she stopped just as I sat up in bed

Then 5am she cried for 10 minutes I came down took her outside (no fuss as she was crying) wee'd and got a treat fuss and cuddles near her crate with daddy! She's slowly getting there! But she does do a tiny wee when we come get her in the morning as she's excited to see us but I think now I've written a routine for her (our bible) she will soon stop doing that

She's now sound asleep on my lap after having a big play in the garden!

It's like having a baby really ... It's lovely and she's lovely. I just want her to settle in and know we won't leave her and will always come back, but that's just going to take lots of kisses and time!

so glad she is liking the crate more and more.. she is doing well with the toilet training too..Buddy used to have a small wee with excitement when we came down ..this will get better the older she gets ..I always know when buddy needs a wee desperately in the morning I open the crate and there is no hello just a bolt for the garden - a look of relief and then he says hello. She will soon learn that the crate is her den and that she is not alone if she is in it - I have to crate Buddy for the same reasons as you , I have a 15 yr old cat that Buddy flattens at every opportunity- playfully no aggression but the poor cat would not survive a night with him loose and I have an open plan house - I have always crated dogs and used correctly they are a great training aid .keep up the good work -cant wait to see a picture

Aw excellent she's doing well