# Apollo hates his crate...



## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I know that it takes time and they eventually settle down and get comfortable. This is not happening with Apollo. He really just hates the crate. He cries, bites at it and bounces around in it. He goes to the bathroom in it and I swear it's on purpose. He is doing great with potty training out of the crate. He asks to go out, rings the bells too. He really hasn't been in the crate for the last week. He does fine at night to. But he is still young and leaving him out without supervision when I go back to work is not an option. He tries to eat stuff he finds every now and then, the house is pretty puppy proof. There is a divider up in the crate so he has enough room to turn around. He won't chew any bones or even a filled kong in there. I tried putting up an expen and he jumped right over. It wasn't moved, so jumping it was the only way out and it's as high as my hip I tested him today, he just went out and relieved himself completely, I put him in the crate and took a shower, he pooped. His potty schedule is pretty routine, he poops twice a day like clockwork. I'm not looking forward to cleaning up a mess starting Monday, I'm even more worried about screwing up his potty training which is going great without the crate. He hasn't had an accident in the house for a while now and I don't want Any ideas? :help:


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Crate Games


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I will add that he does eat in his crate, has no problem going in or out of it. He sits and waits for his food. He also sits and waits when I open it to let him out. He just doesn't want to stay in there. I do not mind the barking and crying, I just don't want him using the bathroom in there, which I believe he has figured out gets him out.


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## crickets (Dec 19, 2014)

Not trying to hijack your thread, but I really sympathize with you! I got Grimm on the 20th and have been off for the holidays. I go back to work Monday. While he's not too bad in his crate, he doesn't "go" in there. He's 11 weeks and sleeps about 6 hours overnight, wakes me up to take him out.

While I'm glad I had these 2 weeks to bond with him and get him kinda on a schedule, I worry that his potty training is going to be set back. He is going to be crated while I'm at work I think. I do have an expen (48") that I can set up in the spare room but I'm not sure if that would be worse.

LOL, this isn't my first puppy (I'm 50) but I just don't know what is the best thing to do. My older dog was so different than any pup I had. Never soiled his crate, never and accident in the house. Would hold it til I got home (over 8 hours) from the time he came home with me at 6 weeks. 

I guess we will find out how it goes come Monday! Got my fingers crossed for both of us!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

crickets said:


> Not trying to hijack your thread, but I really sympathize with you! I got Grimm on the 20th and have been off for the holidays. I go back to work Monday. While he's not too bad in his crate, he doesn't "go" in there. He's 11 weeks and sleeps about 6 hours overnight, wakes me up to take him out.
> 
> While I'm glad I had these 2 weeks to bond with him and get him kinda on a schedule, I worry that his potty training is going to be set back. He is going to be crated while I'm at work I think. I do have an expen (48") that I can set up in the spare room but I'm not sure if that would be worse.
> 
> ...


I tested it again yesterday...he peed after about five minutes. I should have just named him Rebel. He tries really hard to be like the big dogs. I just ordered a ball that holds his food and he has to work for it, this _MIGHT_ keep him occupied for 10 minutes....


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## CountryGirl01 (Dec 10, 2014)

I am not very experienced at all in this area but what has worked for me and my puppy is crate games and giving him an edible chew every time he goes in there. Also before I put him in his crate I try to wear him out in some sort of physical activity, that alone probably made all the difference there. He was still antsy when he got in his crate but once I started to wear him out physically prior he was A LOT more content with being in the crate.


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## kelliewilson (Jan 1, 2015)

I have to go back to work after 2 weeks off also monday. I was hoping to get the inside outside pen done before I went back. my daughters here when Im at work but i think he is left in the crate to much but that cant be helped if im not home.
I havent let bandit learn to lift his leg and pee. well Im slowing that down as much as possible. I keep him away from trees when he pees lol. that way he wont start peeing out of the crate. maybe you could wrap soemthing around the crate so if he pees out of it it will come back in the crate and he wont pee there anymore??


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## WhiteWillysJK (Dec 26, 2014)

Well what worked for me was just leaving her in there. She was house broken really fast but would go in the kennel. We got Sasha during the summer so the kids helped with letting her out while we were at work. Once school started she had to spend 8 hours during the day in the kennel. After about 3 or 4 days of realizing she wasn't getting to get out when she pooped she stopped. Took less than a week to break it.

She is 9 months now and has no problems with the kennel what so ever. Stays in all night, we let her out when we go to work at 5am for 15 minutes or so to drink and go potty. Then she is back in till we get home at 3pm. I leave her big ram horn in there for some sort of activity release for her.


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## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

Well Finnick is now 5 months old and has never had a dry crate.

I started with a large kennel like this:
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0076DLUHQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1420303997&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=51XI8qGE3iL&ref=plSrch[/ame]

For the first few weeks I thought we were doing good. He didn't seem to be going while I was gone. But then I realized the flooring I had put down was hiding the urine. He was peeing and then running laps in the kennel, making that part of the floor all one shade, so I didn't realize it was wet...then he started pooping in there while I was gone and running through it. 

So I thought I'd try a crate with less space. The peeing continued but the pooping seemed to be waning...

It was suggested I set up an xpen with a clear potty area. That he can't hold it for the entire time I'm at work. Which I totally understand. Finnick though thinks the potty are (newspaper to be exact) is a place to pee and play in. He loves shredding the newspaper and moving it all about his cage...

In the large xpen he has no desire to hold poop or pee. In the crate he pees regularly. I've some how created a dirty puppy. And at 5 months I fear this is a learned behavior I may never be able to break him of. Now I do realize he is young. And he doesn't have the bladder strength to hold it the entire time I'm at work. It's the habits I fear he's forming.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

CountryGirl01 said:


> I am not very experienced at all in this area but what has worked for me and my puppy is crate games and giving him an edible chew every time he goes in there. Also before I put him in his crate I try to wear him out in some sort of physical activity, that alone probably made all the difference there. He was still antsy when he got in his crate but once I started to wear him out physically prior he was A LOT more content with being in the crate.


Apollo will not chew any toys while in there, not even a filled kong. He has no problem laying in the corner by himself chewing a toy, as long as he isn't in the crate. He goes in absolutely fine to eat, but that is short lived. The problem with the physical activity us that he eats in the morning and I limit any physical activity for at least an hour because of bloat. He plays and when he's tired he goes to his spot by the sofa and just sleeps. He is not super destructive at all, he likes the ends of the carpets but a simple no and he stops.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Apollo jumped the expen, it's as high as my hip. There is a divider in the crate, so there is no room except to lay down. He doesn't lift his leg but he ends up smelling like pee because he is laying in it he would shred any paper I put in there and that would include potty pads. I won't even attempt a bed...


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## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

I think he and Finn are long lost brothers. Finn will eat a bully stick in his crate but only these softer ones I have...anything that requires work = boring! Stuffed kongs= what am I supposed to do with this??

He has managed to escape a 48" xpen 3 times...


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## Jayfeather (Dec 28, 2014)

My dog learned to like the crate really fast. The breeder told us that they always gave the pups a milkbone before bed, so we continued this, except we did it every time he was going to be in his crate for an extended period of time. Pretty soon all we had to do was get out the box of cookies and he'd fly to his crate!


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

How many hours was Finnick left alone when he was tiny? How long is he alone now?

I took Hans out every hour and a half until he was at least four months old if not five.

He never, ever peed in his area. Not in the pen, nor crate.

You can't compare a well bred dog to an abandoned puppy. Your puppy was born in loving hands and raised and treated like gold-- your breeder worked diligently on potty training. This needs to be continued by the new owner, and that means taking the pup out every hour or so.




lauren43 said:


> Well Finnick is now 5 months old and has never had a dry crate.
> 
> I started with a large kennel like this:
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0076...SX200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=51XI8qGE3iL&ref=plSrch
> ...


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## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

Sunflowers said:


> How many hours was Finnick left alone when he was tiny? How long is he alone now?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I worked full time. He was alone 8+ hrs a day. And still is. He's learned to potty in his crate/kennel.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

lauren43 said:


> I worked full time. He was alone 8+ hrs a day. And still is. He's learned to potty in his crate/kennel.


Oh, dear.
Poor guy.
What happened is that his instinct not to soil where he lies has been overridden.

If you continue to work like that and leave alone that long, this will not be remedied. 

Is there any way you can work with the breeder to send him back there so she can re-train him?


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

One thing llombardo, you might be fighting here. You have a lot of dogs. Free reign for the others increases a feeling of isolation for him. Its not a den in his eyes, he's locked away from the other dogs.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Steve Strom said:


> One thing llombardo, you might be fighting here. You have a lot of dogs. Free reign for the others increases a feeling of isolation for him. Its not a den in his eyes, he's locked away from the other dogs.


That is 100% my thought. He tries really hard to be a big boy.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Sunflowers said:


> How many hours was Finnick left alone when he was tiny? How long is he alone now?
> 
> I took Hans out every hour and a half until he was at least four months old if not five.
> 
> ...


I'm very thankful I had some time off. Even when I go back to work, they don't have to hold it for more then 5 hours. That is still a stretch for a pup,


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## CountryGirl01 (Dec 10, 2014)

llombardo said:


> Apollo will not chew any toys while in there, not even a filled kong. He has no problem laying in the corner by himself chewing a toy, as long as he isn't in the crate. He goes in absolutely fine to eat, but that is short lived. The problem with the physical activity us that he eats in the morning and I limit any physical activity for at least an hour because of bloat. He plays and when he's tired he goes to his spot by the sofa and just sleeps. He is not super destructive at all, he likes the ends of the carpets but a simple no and he stops.


Well there's a big difference there, I don't feed my pup full meals before I crate him to leave for the day.
Everyone has there own opinion on how to do this, and I'm sure people won't necessarily approve of my methods. But I only do what seems less stressful on my pup.

I will feed him a few bites of kibble while making him do a few commands before I play with him then put him in the crate with one of these:









I have tried giving him lot's of other chewable things but this is the only thing that keeps him satisfied in the crate for a very long time. One lasts 18 hours worth of chewing for my puppy (the medium sized nylabones). I know it's not the "healthiest" thing to give him, but it's not going to have any adverse effects on him either, and it's not nearly as hard as a bone so no damage to his teeth.

My pup is only locked up when I leave the house, when I come back home he is allowed to roam free in the house with a few trips outside till I leave again the following day. And when he is locked up he is ALONE in the room. The other dogs (my two chihuahuas) are never in the same room he is locked in, I think it would be pure torture for him to watch them enjoy their freedom without having any of his own.

My pup never whines in his crate, never scratches nor barks. I can stand in front of him for hours, come in and out of the room and he won't make a sound. I also use a "pet carrier" (I call it a crate anyway) since he is still a puppy, it's like a dark cave. He sleeps in there at night on his own since it's the only soft surface he's allowed on.

That is how I handle the crate with my pup, he did whine and scratch at first but I completely ignored him whenever he did and he hasn't done that again for 5 weeks now.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

CountryGirl01 said:


> Well there's a big difference there, I don't feed my pup full meals before I crate him to leave for the day.
> Everyone has there own opinion on how to do this, and I'm sure people won't necessarily approve of my methods. But I only do what seems less stressful on my pup.
> 
> I will feed him a few bites of kibble while making him do a few commands before I play with him then put him in the crate with one of these:
> ...


Apollo is in a room away from the others but he might still be able to see them, I may have to shut the door. I did try covering the crate, that didn't work. So if you don't feed him before you leave for the day how often does he eat a day? There is no way with my schedule that I could avoid feeding in the AM. Now I did order a food dispensing toy and that might keep him busy--he loves food.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

lauren43 said:


> I worked full time. He was alone 8+ hrs a day. And still is. He's learned to potty in his crate/kennel.


You know why he's doing it, now you have to take steps to remedy this. This is not a "he's not getting it" situation. This is a "I can't hold it and nobody is coming to let me out so I have no choice but to go here..now".

To stop this, you need to go back to a smaller crate and have people coming regularly to let this puppy out, until he learns to hold it again. Learns to keep his crate clean again.

Until your pup can trust you to let him out to relieve himself, he will continue.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Update...
Apollo still doesn't like his crate, but he is getting better. I got him a ball that dispenses his food and he has to work for it, it keeps him busy. He does really good in the laundry room with the gate but I have to make sure he is 100% potty trained because of the carpet. He is learning how to play with the other dogs well. Brennan is right up his alley and Misty is teaching him like she did with all the others. He starts school next week and he is going to love it. We went for a hike in the snow today. Got in some recall training and some distractions(other dogs). He got to meet a couple people and acted like a little gentleman, sitting while they pet him, then coming to me for his treat now he sleeps...







And now he sleeps...


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

he is soooo stinken cute,  My mini aussie, absolutely went beserko in her crate when I first got her back in May..I was a little surprised since she was crated from iowa to ct , but maybe that was the reason she was so bad in the crate..

Anyhow, I would leave the radio on, throw treats, something appropriate for her to chew on , in the crate when I would leave. When I'd come back it was like she was in a full blown panic  

Honestly, this was the first time I ever had a puppy so weirded out in the crate  Tried a different crate, no go, so I bought a 42" wire crate, and just kept doing what I was doing, One day about a month into it, thinking god, is it always going to be this way..I had to go to work, gathered up some goodies for the girls, and she RACED into the crate!! YIPPPEEE, she's been fine ever since..It was also kinda strange that all of a sudden, one day, she just decided, ok, no big deal to be crated ..


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

JakodaCD OA said:


> he is soooo stinken cute,  My mini aussie, absolutely went beserko in her crate when I first got her back in May..I was a little surprised since she was crated from iowa to ct , but maybe that was the reason she was so bad in the crate..
> 
> Anyhow, I would leave the radio on, throw treats, something appropriate for her to chew on , in the crate when I would leave. When I'd come back it was like she was in a full blown panic
> 
> Honestly, this was the first time I ever had a puppy so weirded out in the crate  Tried a different crate, no go, so I bought a 42" wire crate, and just kept doing what I was doing, One day about a month into it, thinking god, is it always going to be this way..I had to go to work, gathered up some goodies for the girls, and she RACED into the crate!! YIPPPEEE, she's been fine ever since..It was also kinda strange that all of a sudden, one day, she just decided, ok, no big deal to be crated ..


Oh he goes in there to eat, but wants out as soon as he is done. He goes into the plastic crate looking for food too. Today was the first time he was quiet after he ate, because of that ball with more food. He is a really good puppy. He LOVES the cats and cries at the bottom of the stairs to go by them. He is not a biter and he settles nicely. He does like trying to eat the rubber mulch and sticks he carries the water bowl to me when he is thirsty. If he wasn't teething I would probably leave him out. He isn't going to be in the crate long. He is out of it most of the time now anyway. He has never been in the crate at night, he does fine all night long. I've never had a puppy behave well enough to have run of several rooms without issue, especially this age.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

he sounds like a sweetie! I usually flunk out on the crate training/crating as well, at nite, forgettaboutit, they always end up in bed with me

Masi was in a crate till she was about 5mths old at nite, only because I didn't want her bugging Dodge who was a senior then,,all my gsd's I've really never had to crate after that age , the aussies, wellllll, Jag was always crated because icouldn't trust him not to start something when I wasn't around. 

Kizzy, well she's still in a crate when I'm not here only, while she isn't personal property destructive, my god, that girl finds the oddest things to gnaw on , and bugs the cats and bugs masi LOL...sooo crate for her for awhile.

It sounds like you definitely lucked out with this boy, and he with you !!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

And a knuckle bone gives me some peace and quiet...


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## coloradogsd1 (Mar 17, 2013)

His Kennel is to tall.


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