Re: ECHO-biting & Crates GH

[Gina Heitz <brier@oregonsbest.com>]

> Couple questions for
> all you veterans out there:
>  
> 1. Biting.  During play time invariably
> Echo will fixate on the hands and nip nip nip.  As I understand the
> thing to do is tell her no and give her something she is allowed to
> chew.  That's fine, except she really prefers the hands, if you know
> what I mean.  Also, I'm worried about ALWAYS saying No.  Seems
> like there are a lot of No's when the biting gets started.  Is there
> something else we should be doing at this early stage to deter the
> nipping?

What I find to be really effective with this kind of behavior is to let
the puppy bite it's self.  Simply when Echo does this curl her top
lip under her teeth and give a gentle squeeze when she pulls back and
might whine say Oh what happened to you?  get eye contact and love
her up, assure her praise her but make her understand she did this to
herself.  This usually only take a couple of sessions to correct the
behavior. 

>  
> 2. <snip>   My real question
> is, if she is not asleep, should I go ahead and leave her in the crate
> for a while during the day, so that when I have to leave her longer she
> will be used to it?

Yes, it's very important that she not associate the crate with you
leaving only, that she understand that the crate is her's and that this
is her place to be quiet while your around as well as when you are
gone.  A big mistake a lot of people make is to only use the crate
at bed time and when they have to leave.  This can create separation
anxiety.  This is also why I strongly suggest and repeatedly suggest
sleeping your puppy in a crate and sleep them next to your bed.  Not
everyone agrees with this but I have found over the years that my dogs
sleep better as puppies if they are next to us.  Oh btw your puppy
is one of mine and I know the temperament.  Some will scream and
resist this is normal.  Many of "my" dogs prefer to sleep
in a crate though.  Kaycee does, we don't close the door on her at
age 11 but we do provide her with a crate to curl up in as she has always
preferred to nap in the dark of her crate.  Gidget on the other hand
does not on her own seek out crates nor does she like to go under things
as a general rule to sleep, prefers the bed.  This is ok but if
Gidget has to be crated she is fine with it, doesn't hate it  but
still has to be asked to crate up. 

I feel very strongly that every dog should have a crate no matter the age
even older dogs should have a crate to call their own. If for no other
reason than if they ever have to spend the night at vet clinic where they
will most likely be alone and in a crate over night in a dark unfamiliar
place. A crate offers comfort if a dog is use to having one.  

Search archives for recipes on what to stuff in a Kong toy to keep a
puppy/dog busy in a crate or give bones for a training aide.  Crate
training is probably one of the most humane things you will ever do for
your dog.  It's a loving thing, it's peace giving  not only for
you but for the dog, set aside your emotions and realize a crate is a
suto den and dogs ARE den animals... Any type of behavior training is not
always a breeze for the dog or the human and crate training seams to rub
some people wrong but that is because of social stigma's associated to
"caging" let that go, it's a folk tale...  I don't
understand how it's any different to crate a dog than to train it to lay
down.  Down is probably the hardest position to teach a lot of
dogs.  I have had to force many dogs to lay down on command, have
had to get quite physical and have had them resist and struggle and we
have both gone away frustrated.  Same with crates minus the physical
force if you do it right.  Some don't like it as much as some, but
just as it's very important to have an obedient dog it's important to
provide the quiet of a crate as part of that
"training".   Funny note on this:  Yesterday, I
put Sam and Ditto out on the lawn for a bit in the x-pen with toys oh and
yes a crate, they played and romped but when they were ready to nap, they
went into the crate to do this.  Also when it got colder in the
afternoon, I brought them into the shop with me.  I made them a bed
area under my second groom table and put the potty box in the x-pen with
them.  The chose to sleep in the potty box over sleeping on the
blanket under the table. They didn't have their crate but they did have
their familiar potty box. :-) 

Do you get it now? 

Gina :-)