Another crate question...

Everything you need to know about bringing a puppy into your life starts here. How to find that Schnauzer puppy, what to look for in a breeder, early care, training and feeding are all covered. We even cover Schnauzer crocodile teeth.
Forum rules
Please do not discuss breeders or raise issues concerning breeders on the forum. This has created problems in the past and many breeders are not members and unable to defend any claim you may make.
Post Reply
User avatar
GoEmGo
Member
Posts: 145
Joined: 28 Jan 2019, 15:50
First Name: Emma
Dog #1: Montgomery (Monty)
is a: White Mini Dog
Born: 22 Dec 2018
Contact:

Another crate question...

Post by GoEmGo »

Hi all,

We have had marvellous Monty for a week now. He is now 9 weeks old and an absolute joy.

He has taken to his crate at night and sleeps from 10:30ish through until 6:15ish with no wee breaks. We do wait and place him in the crate when he's sleepy as he won't go in of his own accord.

However, we have a real issue with the crate in the day time. I'm sure this question has been asked a million times but he howls and whines a lot when we place him in there. Today, I filled a Kong with some treats which kept him occupied for ten minutes inside the crate and then he'd had enough and was grappling to get out.

I work from home so will be here most of the time. However I would still like Monty to be content in the crate if I need to do some chores, go to the shops for ten mins or simply use the bathroom!

I've tried waiting until he is sleepy after exercise and this doesn't work. I've tried coaxing him in with a treat. And I've tried a treat filled kong toy. Know joy. think the issue is that he won't go in by himself. Like I say, night time is not an issue at all.

I set up a pet cam yesterday and monitored it while I went out for ten minutes to talk to a neighbour after I placed him in the crate when he was sleepy. He seemed distressed whining and pawing to get out. I know we have only had him for a week but would like to try and build up day crate time. When he sleeps during the day, he simply flakes out on the carpet with his head on his favourite teddy. (this has also gone in the crate but to no avail!)

If you have any handy strategies I could try, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you.

Image
Oscar 12345
Member
Posts: 1592
Joined: 02 May 2017, 11:28
First Name: Julie
Dog #1: Oscar RIP Sweety
is a: P/S Mini Dog
Born: 21 Dec 2002
Dog #2: Otto
is a: B/S Mini Dog
Born: 04 Jul 2017

Re: Another crate question...

Post by Oscar 12345 »

Monty is doing really well with the night time sleeping.

To be honest when Otto was a pup I never shut him in his pen when I was in the house in the day time, he hated that. I always left the door open and his bed was in there so he could take himself off if he wanted but he never ever did in the day time. He used to sleep right outside the door of the pen - the threshold was very important... :) He got used to being in his pen when we went out starting with a very short amount of time at first and absolutely no fuss when we came back. Build up your time and it helps to choose the same time every day at first. Pick your time like just after exercising/eating/going out to relieve himself for example so he is more tired. He will get used to it.

We removed the pen when he was 12 months old and until then he was very content staying a few hours in it if we had to go out. Schnauzers do suffer from FOMO - fear of missing out, particularly when a puppy. Because he is being put in his pen when you are there and when you are not he might think you are in the house when you are not. There are other ways to keep Monty outside of the bathroom etc. Otto is over 18 months now and has never tried to go up the stairs. He will sit and wait outside the cloakroom etc. etc. Hopefully someone has managed to crate during the daytime and can advise how they did it. Glad you are getting on so well though Em.
Man cannot survive with wine alone...
we also need a schnauzer.
User avatar
zeta1454
Moderator
Posts: 5136
Joined: 19 May 2011, 16:58
First Name: Leigh
Dog #1: Magic
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 20 Apr 2010
Dog #2: Trilby
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 15 Mar 2012
Dog #3: Pip
Born: 21 Feb 2014
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Location: North Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: Another crate question...

Post by zeta1454 »

As mentioned by Julie, you do need to be getting a routine established so that he gets used to the idea of being left and that he has regular rest times throughout the day.
Young puppies should be having regular rests throughout the day with approximately two hours rest to one hours activity. If Monty has an hour of mental and physical activity, he should be ready for a nap. Routine is so important with puppies as it is how they learn what happens when and this helps them feel comfortable and less anxious. Often when people first get a puppy, they have some regular events at specific times such as bedtime, getting up time and meal times but in between activity is random and unstructured. If you can set up a timetable of the whole day for Monty as to play sessions, training sessions, socialisation, rest times, meals, being in the crate, being left when you go out etc. even if in the future you are not going to be doing all these things every day at the same time, it helps in the early days to give the puppy a structure to his waking / sleeping time and he is less likely to fret. The more mental stimulation Monty has through training and socialisation at this age, the more he is likely to be happy to snooze when he can and should make the crate / playpen rest easier to manage.
If these strategies do not work and Monty is still reluctant to sleep in the crate during the day, but is happy to sleep outside of it, I would invest in a playpen which is less confined but where he can rest with his teddy and still be safe from harm or mischief :-)
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

Magic - Silversocks Sharade at Darksprite
Trilby - Darksprite Rosa Bud


https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/C ... 916994967/
User avatar
GoEmGo
Member
Posts: 145
Joined: 28 Jan 2019, 15:50
First Name: Emma
Dog #1: Montgomery (Monty)
is a: White Mini Dog
Born: 22 Dec 2018
Contact:

Re: Another crate question...

Post by GoEmGo »

Thank you so much for that!

I think Monty is a lot like Otto. He also takes up residence just outside the door of his crate to sleep. I will definitely consider the structure to Monty's days esp. regarding his "free" time.

I will also consider the use of a pen area just outside the crate. I could see Monty being a little more content with that sort of set up if it could stop the crate door being closed.

I will definitely update you on Monty's progress!
User avatar
GoEmGo
Member
Posts: 145
Joined: 28 Jan 2019, 15:50
First Name: Emma
Dog #1: Montgomery (Monty)
is a: White Mini Dog
Born: 22 Dec 2018
Contact:

Re: Another crate question...

Post by GoEmGo »

Well I must have been tempting fate because I woke up at 3am this morning to a wet crate and a distressed pup. I was pretty gutted to be honest and probably did the wrong thing picking up Monty, paying him loads of attention and holding him for a little while until he calmed down on my lap. Then twenty minutes later, he pooped. A much more volumous amount than the past week we've had him. It was in three parts if that makes sense - a firm regular happy poo, then another circle of the puppy pad. Another slightly less firm poo. Another circle of tthe puppy pad. And then a softer lighter browner poo. Not diarrhea at all but not firm. I'd say Mr Whippy ice cream ish. This passed quicker. I think it was the volume that disturbed me.

After sleeping more on his other day bed type thing, he woke up at 7 and had Brekkie as normal, followed by a normal firm poo around 45 mins later. After lunch, which he ate up again, the poo was firm then became softer and there was more of it again. It doesn't seem to affect Monty in the least. He's still eating, sleeping, bounding about, nipping and playing as usual. It's very odd.

Maybe it's stress. I did change his food gradually (but he's been OK with this up until now) and we did visit my niece and nephew who aren't the quietest of little human beings yesterday which involved some car travel. I don't know...

Tonight I fed Monty some Nature's Harvest puppy wet food. Not too much, just a 6th of a tray to see if its a little gentler on his tummy. He's sleeping a little bit now after another manic play. Fingers crossed his poos return to normal!
Oscar 12345
Member
Posts: 1592
Joined: 02 May 2017, 11:28
First Name: Julie
Dog #1: Oscar RIP Sweety
is a: P/S Mini Dog
Born: 21 Dec 2002
Dog #2: Otto
is a: B/S Mini Dog
Born: 04 Jul 2017

Re: Another crate question...

Post by Oscar 12345 »

My money would be on the change in food. Just a suggestion, if you find a new food changes pooing habits or consistency adversely then it is probably best to go back to what worked ok and then start again from there, either transitioning even more slowly or deciding to try another one. If you introduce another food and this doesn't fix it you are then stuck with trying to understand whether it is the new food or something else, if the problem persists on his original food then you know that it is probably not food related. Also, make sure you are transitioning over several days, I like to do it over 7 days with a pup. Hope Monty goes back to normal a.s.ap.
Man cannot survive with wine alone...
we also need a schnauzer.
Post Reply