Crate failure

[Tagsmom]

I have used the crate before and both dogs stayed in it at least a year. But my new 5 month old toy poodle has hated it from the beginning. When I got him a month ago his momma's owner said she used crate well with momma and siblings and he did okay. Here with no one else in crate with him he did wonderful at night beside my bed for a month but 3 nights ago he started digging and yipping for at least an hour last night I finally gave up, grandkids come at 6:30 in morning I have to get some sleep. He has never been good in crate during the day. I stay at home most of the time but do shop some and since school started I have to leave him in crate a couple times a day for just 30 minutes or so. Do I just need to leave him in spite of yipping and digging. (sound like he is going to hurt himself) Or try leaving him loose in house. He does pretty good at not going in house if I don't forget his schedule. About second week I had him I left him in small bathroom and that door has pretty torn up when I returned about two hours later.
My husband says he is a brat but I love him to pieces

[pihlaja]

No, don't let him get away with yipping and yowling in the crate.

One way to teach him to be quiet in the crate is put him in the crate, let him start his yipping and yowling, and as soon as he is quiet for about 10-15 minutes, CASUALLY let him out (don't make a big deal out of it) and praise him gently.

I also find sometimes that covering the front of the crate with a towel helps, too.

If neither of these seem to be working after some time, resort to this: when he starts yipping and yowling and DOES NOT STOP, walk over to the crate and give it a hard smack on the top while using a command like "Hush!" Then, like in the above, if he is quiet for 10-15 minutes, let him out.

Later on, if you feel he is ready to graduate from the crate, you could put a baby gate in front of the bathroom or kitchen instead of closing the door so that he can still see what is going on (and hopefully it will save your door from being torn up again).

Just remember not to let him get away with things because small dogs are the world's worst at turning into snotty brats.

[Jodi]

Here's a good article on crate training: Crate Training

[Tagsmom]

Your advice is great, the same I would have given with my last two dogs and even Tag until last week. He was crate trained at night and did fair if I needed to crate him during day, but very very seldom did I need to during day. Now since school started and I am taking granddaughter to preschool three days a week I need to crate him for 30 min while I am gone twice during morning. Should I just let him cry then and let him out when I get back? Or leave him in when I get back until he is quiet. I don't think he has ever been quiet in the crate in the month and half I have had him . Even when he slept in it good the minute he heard me get up the yelping started. So you are saying not to let him out while yelping, my husband and daughter will strangle me if he yelps for 30 minutes at 5:00 when I get up. I am really good, ask for advise and then complain. I am going to make him learn to stay in the crate quietly while I am home.