Stop Puppy Crate Crying and Teach Your Pup to Love Naps

[@vbs4257]

Great ideas!

[@DunbarAcademy]

Thank you! Best of luck putting them to use!

[@fivewoa]

Thank you for this. Big help!

[@DunbarAcademy]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@lindsaymoore5852]

This is well timed- thank you!! ❤️

[@lindsaymoore5852]

My pup did great the first few days but has been struggling today (it’s Thursday and we got him Saturday). He was unwell yesterday (parasites) so we got out of routine and he got held a lot. But he when he’s well he really needs the crate naps 🤣

[@DunbarAcademy]

Yeah, if you can teach your pup to enjoy spending time in their crate it makes so many other aspects of puppy training so much easier. I'm sorry to hear your pup is dealing with parasites. I hope he feels better soon!

[@zakerid]

@5:46 not my pup. He’s been crying throughout the ENTIRE night. Pretty brutal.

[@DunbarAcademy]

Oof! That sounds rough, I'm sorry. He really cried the entire night, with you sitting there, right next to him, keeping him company? That's very unusual and it means this pup desperately needs to develop some confidence so they don't end up with a lifetime of separation anxiety. I would use all of your pup's food to teach him to LOVE going into his crate and spending time inside, and I would do this all during the day to get him ready for night time. I would play with them outside the crate to tire him out, then hand-feed him inside his crate to build the positive association. If your pup keeps getting food and praise when he's in his crate, he will learn to like it pretty quickly. He'll also learn to like you so your presence will help him feel safe. Have you seen any progress yet? Is he starting to feel better about his crate? Have you hand-fed him lots of food while he's in his crate?

[@zakerid]

@ it’s so rough. Following your instructions and we had a little win today. 1 hr nap in the crate.

[@voiceandear3]

Also does it make a difference who is with the puppy as long as we (me, my partner and our son) follow the training?

[@DunbarAcademy]

Hopefully all of you are forming a positive, loving relationship with the pup, and so all of you should be able to comfort the pup. Of course, if the pup doesn't like one of you, then that person will have more trouble comforting the pup. Each of you should be hand-feeding and playing with and training your pup, giving your pup lots of reasons to love you all!

[@voiceandear3]

Hi, what if it takes longer than 10 or 15 mins? Could it take longer and if it does should i continue?

[@DunbarAcademy]

Yes, it could take longer. Yes, you should continue. Just make sure they don't really need to potty. If they don't need to potty, then yes, stick with it. They need to learn to settle down happily in their crate and if you stay nearby and talk to them sweetly and reinforce at the right times, they'll figure it out and this will change your lives together immeasurably for the better. Remember, if they stop whining for a fraction of a second, praise them. Mark that moment! Reinforce those moments and they will grow into minutes, and eventually, into hours of happy puppy napping!

[@anseaneecopelandwilliams825]

Interesting but now you have to sit there and don’t move for an hour? Because as soon as you move they are back at it again.

[@heytam7162]

Don’t put them in a crate in the first place!

[@DunbarAcademy]

If you teach your pup to enjoy spending time in their crate (which is easy to do), it can make a lot of other aspects of puppy training much, much easier. It's also really useful for emergencies, travel, and general household management. If you don't take the time to teach your pup to enjoy their crate, it can be really traumatizing if a situation ever arises where your dog needs to be crated, and their are a lot of situations like that.

[@heytam7162]

@@DunbarAcademy if you have to teach a pup to “enjoy” being crated then that is a problem in itself. I understand your reference to emergencies but we will have to agree to disagree. 🐾💙

[@clairemack223]

@@heytam7162 Has your dog ever had an overnight vet stay? If so, they likely stayed in a crate or a kennel. Wouldn't you rather have the peace of mind that your dog is well trained in such a situation so they will know how to settle down comfortably for the night? What about traveling? Unless your dog is a registered service dog, they would need to be crated for a flight, whether in the cabin or cargo. Even in a car, your dog should definitely be either buckled in or crated for their own safety. Our rescue dog required tons of patience with crate training, but we knew it was an essential skill for him. There are so many potential hazards for dogs in the household. Using the methods we learned from Dr. Ian Dunbar's e-books and online classes, we gradually allowed him more and more freedom in the house until he could be trusted to have free roam. Now, he never needs his crate, as he never makes a mess or gets into anything. Even though he no longer needs his crate, I'm so glad we crate trained him, as I'm much happier knowing that my dog can handle such a situation with calm confidence, should the need arise.

[@robinrutherfordcost4748]

Had a Bull Terrier owner whose pup passed away because they got tangled up in a garment bag as the owner didn't want to use a crate when he was a pup. Was told by a fireman that if a dog is in the house in a crate versus loose and could be anywhere, they're more likely to rescue the dog in the crate. If you travel with your dog, most places that allow dogs, they have to be in a crate and not be noisy. You want to be able to go to dinner and not worry about them. Not using a crate is a bit like leaving a toddler home alone and loose in the house. The first time in a crate should not be their spay/neuter appointment at the vet's. Traumatic for the pup/dog and the vet won't be happy either. If more breeders got their litters used to a crate Before going to their permanent homes, there would probably be a lot less frustrated dogs and owners. Hope that helps.