25 February 2011

Crate success

Crate success

So at last we have a puppy who happily sleeps in the crate, her own space, also known as her den. Many people who are unfamiliar with proper crate training think this idea is very cruel. Understandably so - it looks mean to lock an animal up into a small space!! But the idea is not to confine the pooch in there for ever! The idea is to keep them out of trouble. Therefore out of the pool, out of your cat's hair, off the persian carpets and out of your flower beds. The idea is also not to keep them in there for hours on end. Dogs need mental stimulation, physical exercise and attention! But dogs also love a safe, 'secret' place to sleep. In the crate no beast (including kids) can jump on them from behind, it's a dog's natural instinct to like the crate if introduced to it properly... and clearly our puppy now loves it. She actually prefers the crate over the 3 alternatives... she's got a BIG pillow, a basket cut out from a carboard box with a thick blanket in, and the tile floor which she sometimes prefers because it's cooler to lie on in the hot summer. The crate only has a towel in it, which she sometimes pulls out to lie directly on the newspaper (presumably because it's cooler).



All I did to get her used to the crate was to give her small pieces of biscuit/biltong inside the crate every time we came in from outside, gradually putting them deeper inside the crate. I was VERY skeptical at first, because she looked very scared of this cage until I found her sound asleep one morning inside it and since then she hardly sleeps anywhere else (except on the couch when I forget to put the pillows up ;) I found her the other morning happily perched on top of the couch. She's a big comfort-seeker! Smart little pup, I forgot to put the backing pillows to the front so she can't climb on... and she decided it has to be tested!! But other than the couch (which obviously wins hands down, but she's not allowed on!) the crate is her absolute favourite sleeping spot! I haven't closed her inside it yet!! The crate is quickly getting too small for her (it's actually the cat's travel crate that I just tested to see if it will work) and I will be getting a proper big one just for her and then our crate training will advance to actually closing her up inside while she sleeps and then for short whiles during the day... just so she can get used to it. 


I have also sorted out Jenni's fussy eating habits: I give her more food in her morning and evening meal (with the chicken & rice or Hills canned puppy food) and for the other 2 meals I drizzle a small amount of maple syrup mixed with water on top ;) And now she eats her little heart out - like a starving shelter pup. Look at empty bowl and full tummy :)

All fall down - the maple syrup did the trick!

2 comments:

  1. Hey Why Not! Glad you found my blog so I could find you! This crate training thing is very good - you probably know, in the USA it's quite standard that all dogs ha e these crates, and it works! Persevere with the training - we got our first dog 3 years ago and the first few months were tough, now we can't imagine life without him!

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  2. Thanx for leaving my first comments Christine :D and thanx even more for the encouragement! Good luck with your gardening and blog.

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