Re: [PyrNet-L] Crating an older dog

["Mitzi Potter" <Pyrs@Prodigy.net>]

On Tue, 1 Dec 1998 15:11:56 -0500 (EST), Ann Wetherilt wrote:

>I have another question, however, regarding crate-training a puppy. If you
>are going to use it as a house-training device, you want the puppy to
>sleep in the crate the first night you have him/her home...and when taking
>naps during the day. I'm not anticipating a puppy any time soon, but what
>do people do with a new one who has not been crated before?

I've been really lucky with most my dogs. I put the crate next to my side of the bed 
and at the very 1st whine (if there is one) I bang my hand on top of the crate and say 
"quiet!" in my meanest voice. I'm pretty strict with the things that are important to me 
(there's just not that many things that are important to ME). Different things are 
important to different people. With most my Pyr pups I've never even had to bang the 
crate. With my Chow mix though.....(who's me in another life <G>) NOTHING worked. 
My hand got sore, she just cried louder and I buried my head under the pillow. Why do 
you think I consider my Pyrs perfect in every way?? LOL!! And I'm not so strict about 
not putting them in bed with me. They seem to adjust fine to the crate after they're 
used to things a little more. If my little Chow mix would've stayed put on the bed I'd 
have gladly put her there just to get some sleep. Desperate people do desperate 
things lol!! She's like my little soulmate though-I love that dog in such a different way. 
She was so tiny and so sick when I got her, she was dumped in someone's parking lot 
and was only about 4 wks old, the pups could barely toddle around. She had sarcoptic 
mange and was missing huge chunks of hair, had big scabs all over her body and only 
weighed 3 lbs. I got her 2 days after we put my precious Shep mix down for cancer, 
same markings as a pup, same personality, everything. I was so relieved that 
SOMEthing eased the pain of losing my Shep mix that I wouldn't have cared how much 
noise she made, she was my baby.
Well, well. Pretty long winded for a Tuesday, huh??? LOL!!
~Mitzi  Potter   
~Pyrs@prodigy.net   Okla City   OK
~http://members.aol.com/fivepyrs/dogsz.htm