Stuff 'n things

[wordinista]

Dear Everyone On My F-List:

I have been a very bad Bunneh.  I've been reading LJ (though not as obsessively these days), but I've hardly been replying to anyone.  I just want to let y'all know that it's mostly related to being sick, but also trying to keep an eye on Darwin AND keep on top of my normal daily responsibilities.  (This week I'm going to try and teach him that he does not have to have his nose directly up my butt 24/7, and the world will NOT end if I leave the room without him.)

I just realized that I haven't been commenting much, if at all, and it's been totally unintentional.  I've also been doing precisely jack for writing. 

I'm ALSO seriously reconsidering crate training Darwin overnight.  I need to get some sleep, and more than two hours at a time.  (Gotta say, I have newfound respect for new parents.)  He's not sleeping through the night, and he SHOULD be -- but I'm letting him out every 2 or 3 hours.  (He's slowly getting better -- one night he slept five hours straight.)  The first night we tried keeping him in his crate, he started howling and wouldn't stop.  I just hope I haven't created a bad habit in him.  *sigh*  I'm just so tired.  It's already one in the afternoon, and I don't know where the day has gone -- not because I've been super busy and productive, but because after takinghim out, feeding him, and playing with him (which ran from 6:30-8:00), we both collapsed for a nap that lasted THREE HOURS.  I hate napping.  Despise it.  It sucks up my day.

Any dog-owners on my f-list who can give some housebreaking advice here?  (Having him sleep on the bed and then rushing him outside whenever he woke up was Tora-kun's tactic, and it seems to be working not well at all -- aside from the fact that there've been no potty accidents in bed, knock wood.  Everyone I know has been recommending keeping the dog in its crate overnight until its fully housebroken, and I got such static from Tora-kun on that, it almost wasn't worth doing.  And then there was the endless howling, which sealed the deal.)

I just want a full night's sleep -- six to eight hours, consecutively.

Comments

[tx-tsuki.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain. Wes' dog is in heat and my dog (a boy) is a whiny, howling bitch right now. Not to mention he suddenly knows how to hike his leg and is an constant state of excitement.

I crate my dogs. We started doing the first night we brought them home. Luckily, we had a room on the other side of the house so if one howled, we could put them in time out so to say. You're gonna have to ignore the howling.

We had no problems with one dog. She came from a small litter and was the last to go. The other dog came from a large litter and nearly drove me nuckin' futs with his howling and scratching at the crate. Both dogs know their box. They know when they are in trouble to get into their box and at night when we lock up the front door, they both go to their respective boxes. When Wes gets up in the morning, he lets both dogs out of their crates to go outside. It only took a week to get them into this routine. You might want to give it a try again.

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm going to give it another try. We crated him last night and all was quiet until about 2 am, which was when the howling started. So I moved his crate to the other side of the dining room, which is further away from our bedroom than it WAS. It helped, but only a little. Our iPod headphones helped more, actually...

[therhoda.livejournal.com]

he he, I wish Lil was a puppy sometimes they are just easier to tell things to and they might listen. I know it doesn't help you with Darwin.

Okay the first thing to do is harden your heart before you try to crate him. It is actually worse if you are trying to do it and give in than if you never try. So first You have the crate right? In it you have a snuggley (blanket, towel, once i had a dog that commandeered a kitchen rug), a toy or two, a small way to get water and lastly a piddle pad right? (yeah I know how much does one dog need) I find knowing the dog has everything it needs in its crate helps me not let it back out again. I am a push over for cute sad puppy faces.

Don't expect the first night to be perfect. Also prep teh boy first telling him it will be loud and he is not to chicken out. On this point I would if he is the type go for the manly he needs to toughen up approach. If you think that might work, you know your boys best.

Also if he is a howler like he was the first night, you may need sets of ear plugs for you both. the thing to remember is he really isn't being skinned by purple aliens even if he thinks he is.

I hope that helps.

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

I think the thing I had to get into my head was that, YES, I had to harden my heart and not think myself "cruel" for putting him in his crate all night. He's almost 3 mos old and should be sleeping through the night by now. He's not. That said, the "let's keep him in bed and take him out whenever he has to pee" school of thought was Tora-kun's idea. We've done it for two weeks now, and it's been the worst 2 week's sleep of my life. I can't help but be a little annoyed with him, since it was his idea, but I was the one getting up to take him out every two or three hours.

*sigh*

Well, we crated him last night, and there was howling. Lots of it. I'm hoping it won't take too long before he gets used to the idea.

[aoi-tsuki1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there's really nothin' to do about the howling but put a you-and-Tora-kun-scenty blanket in with him and ignore it. It feels like you're being the biggest monster in the history of doggykind - our dog was an expert at guilt-tripping us her whole life X'D - but he'll settle down soon enough, and everyone'll be happier.

And no worries about not LJing. You're sick AND have a new puppy. Anyone who faults you is a poohead.

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

Yep. He was in his crate all night last night, and I DO feel like the biggest monster in the history of dogkind, but hopefully that'll pass. He, in fact, did not settle down at all last night, and howled from about 2 am until... well, ostensibly until I got up at 6:30. I wouldn't know, as I had my iPod plugged into my ears.

[hecallaghan.livejournal.com]

Heartbreaking as it is, you're going to have to try and live with the howling for a few nights. Which will be worse than it was, because he's learned that if he howls, you'll let him out.

I understand Tora-Kun's objections cos locking the little guy up like that seems pretty cold on the face of it, but the thing about dogs is that they're not people and can't be reasoned with. They're pack predators and they understand toughlove. You wouldn't let your human baby sleep in the bed with you, no matter how much it cried, because you'd understand that it would be happier and you'd be happier with it in its own space, and the same if true of teh Cuteness.

You will have a few sleepless nights, but before long it will be second nature to go into his box and he'd prefer not to sleep anywhere else, because it's *his*. And anyway, you want him to sleep in the box and you're in charge. Dogs are happier when someone is in charge and they have boundaries, a lot like kids in many ways.

If this sounds harsh, then you could always consider how my Dad trained all of our dogs, which was by Force of Personality. We had a terrible time with Morag, my first own real dog. Her housebreaking went on for about two months, because we could never catch her in time and my Mum wasn't hugely intimidating when we did. At night she wasn't boxed but went into the yard, where she was pretty safe and could go wherever she wanted, so holding it in till morning wasn't an issue. We were in California at the time, so she was hardly going to catch cold, plus there were no alligators or snakes.

Then one day at dinner she did it in front of my Dad on the kitchen floor, and it was like watching a tornado burst into the room. Into the puddle went her nose (which is considered cruel nowadays but was standard practice back then), as her poor bottom ascended into the air as he picked her up and heaved her out the door, claws all a-scuttle on the lino. It wasn't particularly violent, but it looked like it was, probably because my Dad was so angry.

And that did the trick. Never again.

Force of personality does amazing things for dogs, which are hierarchical by nature. Apparently the alpha female wolf in a pack stops the other females from going into heat by means of glaring at them. Sometimes, when I'm bored, I consider that little factoid and it always makes me smile. You'll find that Darwin becomes a lot happier when he's housebroken because he's got someone higher up the totem pole than him. I know it goes against many of my (and doubtless your) cherished human ideals about liberty and individualism and all that, but dogs love that totalitarian shit. They're like anti-cats.

God, I love dogs. They rock. They are the Samwise Gamgees of the Animal Kingdom.

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

Well, here's the thing. I've been trying to crate-train him during the DAY, since George was so opposed to putting him in his crate overnight. So he knows he won't be let out if he howls. The hard part is to keep him from viewing the crate as a punishment. During the day, what I tried to do was praise him and reward him whenever he did settle down in his crate and play with his toys. I'm going to keep doing that during the day and crating him at night, I think. He needs to learn.

The housebreaking really isn't going as badly as it COULD be. In two weeks, I can count the number of accidents he's had on one hand.

*thinks, counts*

Okay, maybe two hands -- but just BARELY.

He's actually doing REALLY well, all things considered. And the accidents he HAS had has been a result of my not noticing that he was sniffing around intently. We are, however, coming to a point where he does go to the door and either sniff at it or paw at it. So, there's progress there. The problem was getting him to sleep through the night without potty-breaks -- hence the crate redux.

What it all boils down to is that I want Darwin to be a good dog -- the kind that people don't mind having around. The kind you can take places. And he's got the raw potential to be the best dog in the world, I swear. He just needs to learn.

Samwise Gamgees of the Animal Kingdom -- my god, I love that.

[dazed-faerie.livejournal.com]

When we got our dogs as puppies, we put them in a cage in the laundry room with one of those nifty potty-pads, a pillow, toys, and a rawhide. Mom put an alarmclock behind the cage for Bandit, since we got him so young, to simulate a heartbeat, but it didn't do much.

You really just have to let him cry all night because what he really wants is attention. ^^; I hated it, but it only lasted a month or so, I think. *scratches head* Maybe two...

Anywho, after you're sure he's potty-trained, you can let him sleep with you. That's what we did with Missy, anyway.

Good luck!

:::dazed:::

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the howling is pretty rough, but... well, there's not much to be done about it, is there? Just gotta ignore it. And you're right -- all he wants is attention. A lot of the articles I've been reading all say that one of the best punishments you can give your puppy is ignoring him.

And the end goal is to let him sleep with us after he's potty trained. There's just something wonderful and snuggly about having a dog in your bed. :)

[dazed-faerie.livejournal.com]

There's just something wonderful and snuggly about having a dog in your bed. :)

Yes, until they stretch and dig their claws into your leg 'till you move and they steal your warm spot. -_-;

They're lucky they're cute, they really are. :P

:::dazed:::

[emrlddragon.livejournal.com]

Dog's howl because they want to be be with you, the same reason wolves howl. I've found if you put the crate by your bed, they generally stay quiet, and if not all you have to do is hang your hand down so they can see/smell you and that makes them happy. At least this has always worked for me.

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

The only problem with keeping the crate by the bed is that (a) the way the room is organized, there's not enough room by my side of the bed for the crate and (b) it's a "lifestages" crate (big enough for when he'll be full-grown, but with a divider in it so he only has enough room to turn around and lay down), so it's not very portable. So it's got to stay in the living room/dining room area. I also like keeping it there because it gives him a straight shot to the front door in the morning (a straight shot covered by nothing but tile floor, which is even better), so it doesn't matter if he DOES have an accident in the morning on the mad dash outside.

[tatertott.livejournal.com]

wendy howled and whined and cried the first night (and a few afterwards) when we crate trained her. What I ended up doing was sleeping on the floor, right in front of her crate, with my fingers through the door to get her to sleep. It will be hard, there's no doubt about that, but eventually the dog doesn't view the crate as a punishment, but *his* space. If wendy's ever sick, unhappy, or whatever, she goes right into her den and sleeps. Other key thing: get a crate just large enough for them to stand up and turn around in - this will curb the habit of them messing in their den because dogs do not go where they sleep. Only trick is to make sure they go out when they need to.

With house training - omg Boston terriers are the *worst*. You have to get a routine set in place: same times everyday, same leash, same door, same yard. Eventually it will kick in that "oh, gosh, I have to pee! I will go stand by the back door so they will know I have to go out." But the key is repetition. The only times we have problems with Wendy now is when we go someplace new or move to a new residence (which hasn't been a while...). But again, Bostons are the worst breed I've ever had to housetrain.

As for making sure they know that in the house is a big no-no, we always made sure Wendy was put in front of the spot where she did her mess and with a deep, you-have-to-be-mad-and-fuming tone say "What did you do?!" Wendy knows my tone of voice (thank you drill sergeant dad), but Chris is a wimp when it comes to yelling. After that, clean up the mess, take pooch outside and then praise them till your blue when they do their business outside. They'll get the sense that indoors=bad; outside=good.

Other than that, playing *a lot* with the pooch will wear them out and make them sleep quicker and longer, like kids. :)

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

Y'know, last night (around 2 am), he started up with the crying and howling, and I very nearly went out to the living room and slept on the floor. I didn't, but I considered it.

I've got to say that Darwin DOES know that outside IS for potty, and he really hasn't been THAT hard to potty-train. The only problem was that he wasn't sleeping through the night. I'm not sure if he just didn't realize that bed = sleeptime, or what. But we're just now getting to the point where he goes and stands by/sniffs/paws at the front door to tell us he has to go out. Which, you know, two weeks after bringing him home isn't that bad, in my book. :)

It's just this crate-training that's gonna be a beeyotch. (I've been trying to keep him in there periodically during the day. A little while in the crate, rewards when he settles down, and then playtime when he's let out. Hopefully that'll help too!)

[alice-iw.livejournal.com]

I've little to say that everybody else hasn't said already. Crate 'im. One question, though: do you mind him sleeping with you, or not?

I'm always perfectly happy to have a dog in bed (of course, I'm also not married). So, I just crated my dogs in my bedroom. Yes, I do realise how much racket that entails, but it also gives the desired results. You crate the dog for however long it takes him to learn to sleep through the night. After a new nights, he gives up howling. At the end of it, he's perfectly happy to crawl into bed with you and still leave you alone (crate for a night again if correction is necessary), and equally happy to sleep on the floor/anywhere else that gives him his own space and you yours.

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

Oh, neither of us mind him sleeping with us. The part we minded was when he'd be up every two hours and wanting to play. THAT was rough.

I'd love to keep the crate in the bedroom, but can't for a few reasons -- the primary one being that, even though it doesn't matter if I get a lousy night's sleep (I can nap during the day), George DOES mind. He's got to get an early start, and needs his sleep. (The other reason is that the bedroom is carpeted, and is harder to clean up if he happens to have an accident on the mad morning dash from crate to front door.)

Once he's crate trained, however, he's totally sleeping in the bed. :)

[darkfrog24.livejournal.com]

Well I don't know what I did to get on your ...oh! Your friends list.

This is why I like cats. They come litter trained. And you can leave them alone in the house for three days with just a big bowl of food and water (not mixed together).

I say crate 'im and listen to his cutie hroos. Once they get bigger, the howling isn't so sonorous any more and you have to make do.

And feel better soon. (Hands Niamh some V-day chocolate, which she bought half-price on Feb 15.)

[w0rdinista.livejournal.com]

*gleefully accepts chocolate!*

Yeah, the kitties weren't anywhere near this difficult to housebreak. They're lovely low-maintenance darlings, I gotta say. And we never feel too guilty about going anywhere (except that when we come back, we get the wide eyed kitty-glare of OMG WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!) because they're so easy to take care of.

[moonphased.livejournal.com]

Whew! Best of luck with the pup there!!

I definitely agree with the "you just gotta put up with the howling/whining for a while" until he's finally able to sleep through the night. Our pup Aki was kept in a small pen in the kitchen area while she was being housebroken. And she was DEFINITELY a howler/screamer.

She still has a set of lungs... when we went back to visit, 6am on the dot, she'd wake everyone up. "WALK TIME!" XD Of course, that's what her schedule is like now (mom gets up that early to take her for a walk), so damn US for intruding on her schedule...!!

Anyhow, she's two years old now, and things worked out, but yes, I definitely have to agree that the only thing you really can do is get earplugs and just put up with he nighttime crying until he settles down for the night.