New Crate Issue

Mike17535 · 01-17-2005, 06:06 AM

Hi, I'm new to the forum and web page. I have a 9 month old pure bread German Shepherd who is now having some crate issues. Up till about 2 weeks ago he was fine and would sleep the whole night. We would be able to put Tanner in his crate at about 10 or 10:30 and he would sleep till 7 or 8 am with no problems or at least not bark to be let out. Now all off a sudden Tanner is barking at 5am on the dot to be let out. I know we should ignore him, but right now we still own our condo and are waiting to close on our new house, so I have neighbors to deal with too. When I let Tanner out at 5am I go lay down on the couch and he lays next to me and does not want to go out till 7 or 8am which is his normal schedule, so it is not a matter of him needing to go out. We have also tried upgrading his crate. We used to have a 40x23x28 hard plastic crate and thought that it was his size and he was crampt, being that he is 90 plus pounds right now, so we have gotten him a 48x35x30 metal crate. But that is not working either. I really have no clue. I don't want to take the chance and leave him out alone overnight giving the fact that the condo is in contract to be sold, so I really don't want to have to be making any repairs do to Tanner. I would consider letting him stay in the bedroom, but my wifes cat is in there and Tanner wants to play and the cat wants nothing to do with him. Still after the last 7 months Tanner has not figured out the cat does not want to play with him. Thanks for any ideas anyone has in regards to my little problem with Tanner.

***Carrie*** · 01-17-2005, 06:51 AM

Welcome to the forums, first of all. Hope you'll enjoy it here.

It does sound like a problem if he's cramped and uncomfortable in the crate. Is the new crate any better? If so, is there a possibility of bringing that into your bedroom at night. At least he'd be with his family group and couldn't get the cat. That might make him more at ease. Or what about asking (yes, asking...lol) the cat to sleep elsewhere until the dog is trustworthy to be left loose. That probably won't happen until after you move though.

It is a problem when you have such close neighbors. As a last resort, you could hand out ear plugs to all the neighbors and tell them you're trying to train your dog and thank them for their patience. (?)

Good luck. Let us know how it goes. Maybe someone else will have a better idea for you.

GSD · 01-17-2005, 07:26 AM

how soon till you're moving into your new house?? It sounds as if quite a little problem has been created. I would try, as carrie said, to bring the crate into the room with you. I think after a night or two the cat would get used to the dog being in there and the dog would realize he's with the family, but still can't chase the cat. Being in the condo makes this difficult because you can't ignore him, and its apparent that he doesn't need to go out, just wants attention, and he's getting it. Hopefully bringing the crate in the room will allow him to go back to his normal schedule, but if not, you'll probably just have to continue rewarding this unwanted behavior until you're away from so many close neighbors and can try and "retrain" him. Its not an envious position that you're in, that can be very difficult.

LabLuver22 · 01-17-2005, 07:36 AM

He might be barking because he's hungry. Try feeding him later at night. Also, try exercising him before putting him in his crate for the night. Don't exercise him directly before putting him in his crate, though. Another thing you might want to try is putting a blanket over his crate. This might not work for all dogs, but it worked wonders with mine.

Good luck! Welcome to the forums!

***Carrie*** · 01-17-2005, 08:33 AM

The only trouble with feeding him later is he'll probably have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night....maybe a small snack would do. I think that's a great idea of LabLuver's to exercise him a while before putting him to bed, but be careful not to run him hard within 2 hours of eating and 1 hr. before eating. (bloat or intussusception)

LabLuver22 · 01-17-2005, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carrie

The only trouble with feeding him later is he'll probably have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night....

Good point, I didn't think of that.

flyndog · 01-17-2005, 01:47 PM

Is anything different in the home or has anything at all changed in the last 2 weeks other than the dog wanting to get up early?

Mike17535 · 01-19-2005, 07:19 AM

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, but I think we might have found an alternative. We did not want to change his eating habits because it works perfectely for our work schedules, and we can really predict when Tanner is do to go out. What we did was put one of those door gates across his door in the bedroom where his crate is kept. Yes he has his own bedroom, with the computer in it. His door is directly across from our bedroom so he can see into our room and see us. Last night was the first attempt and I would have to say it was successful. We left his crate open, the only problem I had was that he either slipped under the gate or jumped it and next thing i knew he was on my bed. At that point it was like 5:30am, so i just moved the gate to my bedroom door and he laid outside the door till he had to go out at 7am his normal time. No barking, just a wimper here or there in the begining, but no loud shepherd bark that was occuring. So I think this might work till we move which should be either March or April, then he will have an entire finished basement at night. I can say that I heard him go inside his crate a couple times during the night. Again thanks. I would add a pictuer of Tanner but I keep getting that the file is too large, any sugestions

***Carrie*** · 01-20-2005, 10:38 AM

Well, good....sounds like he's happier being nearer to you. Dogs do like to be close to their family. It doesn't mean they have to have their way about everything or getting on your bed if you don't like that. I don't like my dogs on my bed because I like the whole thing to myself. LOL. But they DO need to be somewhat close I think.

***Carrie*** · 01-20-2005, 10:48 AM

Oh...your picture problem. Do you have Microsoft Paint? You go to Paint and open the file box...hit open. Then your pictures will come up. You pick a picture and open. Then when it comes up and it's huge, click images (on top) click stretch/skew. Go to where it says 100% (vertical and horizonal) and change it by typing 50%. Hopefully that will be small enough. Then click file (on top) and click save as.... name it and make sure the format is jpg, not bmp. Under where you name it is another drop down menu. Click jpg and then you're set to click save. Now you have resized and reformatted your picture.

Now you go to the picture gallery here. And click upload photos if it doesn't automatically take you right to the correct page. Upload photos button is up on top...near right hand side in small letters. You'll come to a page that has a browse button (3 of them) click one and it will take you to your pictures. choose a picture to open. (You can actually hit browse again and upload up to 3 at a time.) Hit submitt and it will go in the gallery. Then be sure to click process to secure it. Then go to your gallery and click on the photo to make the big one appear, not the thumbnail. Then right click and hit properties. In the box highlight the url address and copy. Then go to the thread you want to post it on and right click and paste. Then highlight that and click on the little yellow icon on top that will wrap with image brackets. You're all set.

I hope I didn't mess up and forget something. This is a newly aquired skill I just got onto so it's possible I left out something. Let us know.

01-17-2005, 06:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
Mike17535 German Shepherd Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 73	New Crate Issue Hi, I'm new to the forum and web page. I have a 9 month old pure bread German Shepherd who is now having some crate issues. Up till about 2 weeks ago he was fine and would sleep the whole night. We would be able to put Tanner in his crate at about 10 or 10:30 and he would sleep till 7 or 8 am with no problems or at least not bark to be let out. Now all off a sudden Tanner is barking at 5am on the dot to be let out. I know we should ignore him, but right now we still own our condo and are waiting to close on our new house, so I have neighbors to deal with too. When I let Tanner out at 5am I go lay down on the couch and he lays next to me and does not want to go out till 7 or 8am which is his normal schedule, so it is not a matter of him needing to go out. We have also tried upgrading his crate. We used to have a 40x23x28 hard plastic crate and thought that it was his size and he was crampt, being that he is 90 plus pounds right now, so we have gotten him a 48x35x30 metal crate. But that is not working either. I really have no clue. I don't want to take the chance and leave him out alone overnight giving the fact that the condo is in contract to be sold, so I really don't want to have to be making any repairs do to Tanner. I would consider letting him stay in the bedroom, but my wifes cat is in there and Tanner wants to play and the cat wants nothing to do with him. Still after the last 7 months Tanner has not figured out the cat does not want to play with him. Thanks for any ideas anyone has in regards to my little problem with Tanner.

01-17-2005, 07:36 AM	#4 (permalink)
LabLuver22 Laura Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 488 Rep Power: 89	He might be barking because he's hungry. Try feeding him later at night. Also, try exercising him before putting him in his crate for the night. Don't exercise him directly before putting him in his crate, though. Another thing you might want to try is putting a blanket over his crate. This might not work for all dogs, but it worked wonders with mine. Good luck! Welcome to the forums!
	__________________ "Some days you're the dog, some days you're the fire hydrant." --Unknown I love my pets! Gabby, German Shepherd-Lab mix Trish, yellow Lab and future guide dog! Sherbet, DSH orange-and-white Napper, DSH tortoiseshell Marty, guinea pig

01-17-2005, 01:47 PM	#7 (permalink)
flyndog Unleash The Possibilities Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Marfa, TX Posts: 3,969 Rep Power: 185	Is anything different in the home or has anything at all changed in the last 2 weeks other than the dog wanting to get up early?
	__________________ mARFa Dog Training and Behavior

01-17-2005, 06:51 AM	#2 (permalink)
*Carrie* Super Moderator Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: north panhandle of Idaho Posts: 7,551 Rep Power: 292	Welcome to the forums, first of all. Hope you'll enjoy it here. It does sound like a problem if he's cramped and uncomfortable in the crate. Is the new crate any better? If so, is there a possibility of bringing that into your bedroom at night. At least he'd be with his family group and couldn't get the cat. That might make him more at ease. Or what about asking (yes, asking...lol) the cat to sleep elsewhere until the dog is trustworthy to be left loose. That probably won't happen until after you move though. It is a problem when you have such close neighbors. As a last resort, you could hand out ear plugs to all the neighbors and tell them you're trying to train your dog and thank them for their patience. (?) Good luck. Let us know how it goes. Maybe someone else will have a better idea for you.

01-17-2005, 07:26 AM	#3 (permalink)
GSD Herding dogs Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: WI Posts: 1,147 Rep Power: 140	how soon till you're moving into your new house?? It sounds as if quite a little problem has been created. I would try, as carrie said, to bring the crate into the room with you. I think after a night or two the cat would get used to the dog being in there and the dog would realize he's with the family, but still can't chase the cat. Being in the condo makes this difficult because you can't ignore him, and its apparent that he doesn't need to go out, just wants attention, and he's getting it. Hopefully bringing the crate in the room will allow him to go back to his normal schedule, but if not, you'll probably just have to continue rewarding this unwanted behavior until you're away from so many close neighbors and can try and "retrain" him. Its not an envious position that you're in, that can be very difficult.

01-17-2005, 08:33 AM	#5 (permalink)
*Carrie* Super Moderator Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: north panhandle of Idaho Posts: 7,551 Rep Power: 292	The only trouble with feeding him later is he'll probably have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night....maybe a small snack would do. I think that's a great idea of LabLuver's to exercise him a while before putting him to bed, but be careful not to run him hard within 2 hours of eating and 1 hr. before eating. (bloat or intussusception)

01-19-2005, 07:19 AM	#8 (permalink)
Mike17535 German Shepherd Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 73	Thanks everyone for your suggestions, but I think we might have found an alternative. We did not want to change his eating habits because it works perfectely for our work schedules, and we can really predict when Tanner is do to go out. What we did was put one of those door gates across his door in the bedroom where his crate is kept. Yes he has his own bedroom, with the computer in it. His door is directly across from our bedroom so he can see into our room and see us. Last night was the first attempt and I would have to say it was successful. We left his crate open, the only problem I had was that he either slipped under the gate or jumped it and next thing i knew he was on my bed. At that point it was like 5:30am, so i just moved the gate to my bedroom door and he laid outside the door till he had to go out at 7am his normal time. No barking, just a wimper here or there in the begining, but no loud shepherd bark that was occuring. So I think this might work till we move which should be either March or April, then he will have an entire finished basement at night. I can say that I heard him go inside his crate a couple times during the night. Again thanks. I would add a pictuer of Tanner but I keep getting that the file is too large, any sugestions

01-20-2005, 10:38 AM	#9 (permalink)
*Carrie* Super Moderator Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: north panhandle of Idaho Posts: 7,551 Rep Power: 292	Well, good....sounds like he's happier being nearer to you. Dogs do like to be close to their family. It doesn't mean they have to have their way about everything or getting on your bed if you don't like that. I don't like my dogs on my bed because I like the whole thing to myself. LOL. But they DO need to be somewhat close I think.

01-20-2005, 10:48 AM	#10 (permalink)
*Carrie* Super Moderator Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: north panhandle of Idaho Posts: 7,551 Rep Power: 292	Oh...your picture problem. Do you have Microsoft Paint? You go to Paint and open the file box...hit open. Then your pictures will come up. You pick a picture and open. Then when it comes up and it's huge, click images (on top) click stretch/skew. Go to where it says 100% (vertical and horizonal) and change it by typing 50%. Hopefully that will be small enough. Then click file (on top) and click save as.... name it and make sure the format is jpg, not bmp. Under where you name it is another drop down menu. Click jpg and then you're set to click save. Now you have resized and reformatted your picture. Now you go to the picture gallery here. And click upload photos if it doesn't automatically take you right to the correct page. Upload photos button is up on top...near right hand side in small letters. You'll come to a page that has a browse button (3 of them) click one and it will take you to your pictures. choose a picture to open. (You can actually hit browse again and upload up to 3 at a time.) Hit submitt and it will go in the gallery. Then be sure to click process to secure it. Then go to your gallery and click on the photo to make the big one appear, not the thumbnail. Then right click and hit properties. In the box highlight the url address and copy. Then go to the thread you want to post it on and right click and paste. Then highlight that and click on the little yellow icon on top that will wrap with image brackets. You're all set. I hope I didn't mess up and forget something. This is a newly aquired skill I just got onto so it's possible I left out something. Let us know.

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