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She cries every time she goes in her crate no matter how tired she is. I’ve tried making it a warm, safe, place where she can have her own space in the house. I’ve tried everything for her to like her crate but she cries for hours. Even the tricks that worked for my two german shepherds haven’t worked on this little one. Any advice? Also, I know she’s a puppy but all she wants to do is bite. I don’t know what to do to make her stop. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!
I got mine when she was 6 weeks..I’ve had a few before and also have another 1.5 year old along with her..my 1.5 year had no problem with crate training when she was a pul but the other puppy was a disaster..she would cry for hours upon hours when I put her in..I made a makeshift crate for bedtime right by the bed where I could soothe and calm her when she woke up in the middle of the night..she cried I took her outside to potty and right back in when she came inside…soothed and pet her till she fell asleep or laid down.. repeat…I promise with any pup you’ll lose alot of sleep while they’re building up being able to hold having to go potty and sleeping throughout the night(just like a baby)once she got a few weeks older i put the actual crate it in the living room while I was at home and that’s where I mostly was..put her favorite treat in it(carrots)and kinda lured her in the crate but left the door open..also put her bed inside and left the door open..hid treats inside while I was home and everytime she walked in I would say “bed time” and “good girl” with ALOT of lovings and high voice …worked until I closed the door then she would go nuts…started feeding her inside the crate while she was eating and shut the door along with hiding a few little treats under the bed..in the corner and kinda right outside/inside the wires or door where she could still get to them… To keep her occupied for a little while and at the same time very very quietly closing the door and walking away…leave her in for a little while until she raises hell and then take her outside. It takes a lonnnnng time to crate train some of them and some others or just clicks right off…. One day I decided to move the crate to bedroom I walked in the bedroom to get ready for bed and she walked right in the crate and layed down and went to sleep until it was time to wake up. Just be patient and remember to not take them out of the crate regardless of how much they’re crying until theyre quiet for atleast 3 minutes..if it’s excessive cry take them out to potty and right back in…make sure they get alot of loving and scratches while they’re in the crate bc they are very hard heading but still crave to please the owners. Sorry it’s so long haha
First off she is apuppy…she will exhibit all traits and behavioral characteristics of any pup. Keep up the crate training no matter what. Like with a baby….sleepless nights are inevitable, along with lots of chewing with everything. As for pups of all breeds and especially with pits…times ten…practice of PATIENCE is numero uno….Puts require firm discipline and lots of patience. Train proper and early and ur good.
As far as the biting goes, constant correction is a must. If you watch The Dog Whisperer at all, you see him “bite” dogs with his hands when they exhibit an unwanted behavior. This is exactly how the mother dog or other dogs in the pack would correct it. Consistnent discipline should curtail the biting, especially as the dogs ages out of puppyhood. With regards to the crate training, if the usual tricks haven’t worked you should ask your vet for any ideas or consult a professional dog trainer. It might be possible that the dog simply doesnt like the crate. You can try giving the dog a dog bed next to the crate so she gets used to being around it. Leave treats in the crate, toys, etc. but dont actually put the dog in, let her find her own way and she may begin to have a positive association with it. I am no expert, these are just some things that have worked for me. Good luck!
I realize by now you may have found another solution, but I’ll post this anyway. Making the crate comfortable and “their own space” is a good start but she needs to be rewarded for going in. Ours only has to see us walking towards the treats to run into his now. If we have to say, “go to bed” he’s like a cartoon character scrambling (hardwood floors) to get into his crate. He gets a treat and close the door. The first few nights he whined for a while, but after no reaction from the humans, he stopped. Now he only whines when he needs to go out, when the other dog has eaten his food or he wants to play. I’ve started leaving one of his Nylabones in the crate with him so he doesn’t get bored and chew up another bed. They are intelligent dogs but it takes time for them to get used to your routine and to learn what you expect.
Good Luck
These are issues for any puppy, npt just a pit. I recommend doing some youtube searches regarding crate training and you will find some methods for encouraging a pup to actually like their crate. There is a book and video on the subject too called crate games. As for the biting, puppies need to chew, so be sure to offer acceptable chews and toys. Bully sticks are great chews, Good luck 🙂
Do a search for crate games. There is an instructional video, but you will find some great stuff on youtube as well. Will take some time and work up front, but will be worth it in the end. As for biting, redirect with toys or chews that are appropriate like bully sticks.
my method might work on a case by case basis, but it worked with both my austrailian shepard mix (precious) when she was a puppy several years ago and now my currently 5 month old apbt/mastiff mix (millie). some people suggested the peanut butter on the finger type method and it didnt work. so i tried my method which was essential their biting caused me discomfort, i caused them discomfort. when my dogs bit me as puppies i would thumb them like a fish, not hard just enough to cause discomfort. i wouldnt recommend this with a full grown dog at all. but it works with puppies. after a couple days of thumbing them they would refuse to bite me because it caused them so much discomfort. because of this mille hasnt tried to bite me in any way since she was 3 months old. she will nibble but never hard and never for long, feels like grooming for fleas but a lot softer. and precious being 6 years old almost 7 will only lick and not even that often. but i consider the method effective in both cases.
Hello! I’m not to certain on what advice to share with you regarding the crate issue~however, it certainly sounds like your doing a lot of right things already! As for the biting~she will grow out of it. I have a 8 month old Blue Nose Pit bull (Sammie the Bull) and she use to bite everyone~and her favorite chew toy was my feet!! And those baby teeth are like razors! She doesn’t bite hardly at all anymore so thank you God for rescuing me from that! However, she is such a handful and the biting issue was just one of her bad habits…….She barks (how dare someone ring my doorbell…:), jumps on people (including my 84 yr. old Mom), chews up items around the house/yard…..She is my 6th Pit bull and by far she is the hardest to train. Good luck to you! If you have any tips on my situation please pass them my way!!
Thank you! 1Bully Babe (Karen)
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