[lmuns349]

So, do some dogs just have to be crated(their whole lives) when unsupervised?

Duke is now 18 months old... And we always crate him when we leave the house and at night. Eventually we want to be able to leave him out, so I've started letting him out in the morning (after a potty break) and going upstairs. So he can be on his own downstairs. He's PERFECT when one of us are with him. He will just follow us from room to room and flop down. When he's alone, he whines and paces, and will tear up the dog bed in the living room. I've replaced the dog bed several times, but he still does it. He did it 5 minutes ago. So I went into my "no, bad Duke" voice, lectured him briefly, put him in his crate, and went back upstairs.

I think he does it because be knows I will come downstairs, or from wherever I am, so he does it even for the negative attention. I suppose I could remove the bed when he is on his own, but I'm worried then that he will find something else to destroy... Like the couch...

Any advice??


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[kiya]

When I stopped using the crate for Lakota she was probably around 6-9 months old. She still would get into things so I kept her confined to the "puppy proofed kitchen".
When we re-did the kitchen my husband didn't want the gate attached to the wall so that was the end of her confinement. She was probably around 2 and has had freedom since. I still make sure I don't leave shoes of any kind laying around.

 

[MaggieRoseLee]

I only use the crate at night and when I'm not around to supervise.

So when I am home, the dogs are out and WITH me where ever I go in the house. I want them with me to learn their house manners.

If I have to isolate them from me, I leave them safe in the crates. If I let them out of the crates then generally they are loose and with me so I can watch and teach and have them learn to be house dogs.

How are the dog classes going? Able to hike for miles each week with your dog? All that helps calm in the house too.

---> http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...191183-top-training-expectations-puppies.html

 

[doggiedad]

let him out of the crate and stay downstairs with him so you
can house train him. when go upstairs stay there a couple of
minutes and return downstairs minutes. you can't go upstairs
and leave him downstairs if he's not house trained.

 

[lmuns349]

He's fine alone when I'm showering and can't watch him, he just lays down on the other side of the bathroom door and waits patiently. He is alway crated when we go to work and at night, I just would like for him to not have to use the crate for the rest of his life, or is that an unreasonable expectation?

He's "house trained", it's more so that he becomes destructive when he can't be with us. If dogs could feel things like revenge, I would swear he is doing it to get back at me for not taking him with me wherever I go but I know that they don't see things that way. He can't go upstairs with me because the cat has to have some type of safe space, since Duke *will not* leave him alone. I'm pretty sure Duke's body would go through a manual shut down process before he left the cat alone voluntarily. (We are working on this).

His behavior has come so far in the last 6 months, he really is quite well behaved, he just doesn't want to be left alone... The whining, the pacing, I'm pretty sure it's separation anxiety.

DoggieDad-- I will try that, thanks. If he is whining and pacing, do I not come back downstairs until he stops? It would reward the behavior if i come back when he's acting like that right? The destructions usually happens when he is tired of whining and pacing... Maybe I could set up my webcam and try to come downstairs right before he starts tearing the bed up?

MaggieRoseLee-- I take him on daily walks, and then I usually get him out for hikes once a week or once every 2 weeks... Haven't been able to start classes yet because money is tight and my work ours are random, but as soon as I get a full time job, I'd love to start. Do you know any places in our area that are close by and worth going to? (I live in Mt. Pocono now). Thanks


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[lmuns349]

Kiya-- I could probably try that in our kitchen... Thanks for the idea


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[lmuns349]

Kiya-- I can try that in our kitchen I think, thanks for the idea!


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