German Shepherds Forum banner

Swiss Shepherd Puppy

2K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  JFza 
#1 ·
Hi Guys

My name is Jéan and I am the proud new owner of a 14 week old swiss shepherd girl named Misty.

She is already potty trained, super clever and just an amazing dog!

I have one concern though, sleeping arrangement. I didn't get to crate train from 8 weeks like most of you. Currently she sleeps in the garage on her big doggie mattress, she cries a bit then settles down. Some mornings I let her sleep in front of my bed, I tried to let her sleep in my room but she was very restless in there at night. The plan is to get her a kennel to sleep outside as she currently stays outside toll about 2 pm. When we are home.she has free reign of the house. However at night I cannot trust her yet as she will cause trouble, not potty wise but biting wise.

Can anyone give me some advice on how to house train her from this age, I really don't mind her sleeping in front of my bed if I know she won't be mischievous.

I realise this topic can get very heated so please, provide constructive feedback, I just want the best for my girl!
 
See less See more
#2 · (Edited)
Well... can't you get a crate for inside? Not that hard to train a smart 14 week old puppy to get in her crate at bedtime. You can crate train at any age really. And that is the secure way to do what you are asking with a young puppy. You can find used crates all over the place if you need to. When they are older and well trained...say 2 years... you probably won't need the crate and you will trust her. But why not set her up for success with a crate?
 
#3 ·
Hello and welcome! If you can fit a crate in your bedroom that would be the best. Very easy to crate train. In the crate, a little food reward and then out. Later in the crate a little longer a little food reward and so on. Make the crate a welcome place for her. If you put bedding down in the crate at her age she'll probably shred it so no bedding is best... Post some pics!
 
#4 · (Edited)
We used 3 crates as she grew .all used .and now have a massive 48 inch crate in the bedroom for the dog to sleep in the night.

We might move it out but our dogs will always sleep in he crate overnight. Even during an incident I let my last dog out with me .

I trust Gigi even at 6 month to spend 2 weeks in a camper with 2 kids on a road trip with no crate when she suddenly was too big for the travel crate and we could not get a new one .but crate training is for there safety too.also in case of emergency we can kennel her without freaking her out.

We once kenneled a dog that is not used to it when 3 and needless to say the dog developed aggression and stranger aggression in 4 days. took 2 yrs to recover close to 100 .Lesson learned .

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 
#5 ·
I would get her a crate for inside. She is not too old to be crate trained. Expect her to make a fuss about it for a couple of days, that is normal. I've crate trained a lot of dogs that were much older than her. One was a golden retriever rescue who was seven years old and had never been in a house in her life but had to undergo heart worm treatment. It can be done and will make life much easier for you and will also help you to build a bond with her.
 
#6 ·
Hi all, first things first, some pics!

The mattress she is on in the last pic is currently her bed. My concern with a crate is I cannot keep it outside for her as it offers no protection(correct me if I am wrong), she definitely needs a kennel for when she is outside during the day. We are looking at one of the bigger kennels/dog houses with a veranda for added shade.

Now back to night time, would you suggest a crate for training as well as to let her sleep inside, and then have a kennel as her outside personal area? I have other family members who do not think it will be possible to completely train a large breed dog to sleep inside and not cause some trouble. Also when referring to crates do you mean the plastic type or the completely metal wired ones?
 

Attachments

#7 ·
Hi all, some pics of Misty!

The kennel is a necessity in my opinion, she will be outside during the day so she needs it as a place to rest and relax and for shelter. As for sleeping well some family members would prefer her to sleep outside, but does this make her an "outside dog" considering if someone is around she is inside with us?

I am considering getting a crate as well purely for sleeping arrangements as a pup and to properly house train her, if she is capable of sleeping inside without causing any trouble (family members concerned about furniture etc) then I dont think it will be a problem.

Thanks for the advice!
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top