Will puppy start hating the crate if used as time-out??

[J N]

We have a 10 week Irish Goldendoodle who is starting to bite our skin and clothes more and more. He gets a strange growl right before that lets us know he's no longer interested in whatever toy he's chewing and is about to attack us instead. We've tried water-bottles, bitter apple on our hands, holding his mouth shut, immediately replacing our hands with a toy, yelping loudly, walking across the room and ignoring him, ALL to no avail. I think the idea of a time-out in the crate sounds good in theory, but I'm worried it'll make him resent/hate any time he spends in the crate. Is that something people have dealt with??  (p.s. I know he's still very young, but I want to instill good habits as soon as possible) 

[Colleen Hall]

DO NOT use a crate as punishment. A HUGE no no. A crate is meant for a peaceful place for your pet, it is their own little den and should not be used in a negative way. I would definitely find another area your pet can have their time outs. It will take time but the more you are consistent with rules the better. Oh and he's a puppy! There will be many eaten and chewed items along the way. Be patient and consistent. Don't forget positive reinforcement when he is behaving and listening.

[J N]

I didn't feel like using the crate was a good idea. I read a few threads in other groups that suggested it. We definitely know there will be many things eaten along the way. We're just hoping we won't be in that category for much longer. :) 

[Wasseem Sidhom]

To curb the nipping and bitting, we always had his leash on, and when he starting acting out...our method of timeout was to step on the leash as close to the collar as possible for a period of 2 minutes or so. This protected you and forced him to submit by lying down on the floor as he wasn't able to wriggle out of the 'hold'.

Good luck...but I agree, no crate punishment for your pup.

[J N]

Will that choke him too much though? I know he's going to struggle against it. 

[Wasseem Sidhom]

Cooper hasn't struggled for very long...mainly because in the litter, if they're rowdy, I'm told that the mother would pin them down to the floor with her jaw from on top of their neck.  I don't know if this is hearsay or not...but my experience is that the struggle was for 2 or 5 seconds and he quickly submitted.

But if i think about it...it's definitely not chocking, because when he tries to get up, it's putting pressure against the back of the neck and not on the neck.

But what do I know...my trainer taught me the move, and I'm sticking to it.  BTW, I only use this when he's rowdy with the family members.  If he's being destructive on anything else, I will lock him up on the deck.

[Toni Clayton]

We leashed to the door (some people will not agree with that), always staying in the room so he didn't choke himself. Or I would step through the gate and turn my back...essentially leaving him "alone", which he never liked. I wouldn't say to use the crate as time out, but sometimes it's time for them to take a rest, because like an overstimulated and tired 2yr old, they just can't calm down. George was never one to settle on his own as a young (before 6 months) puppy. So I stuck very close to a reasonable crate schedule (which helps with house training anyway), and it was always a help to us. I've also hear of people using a powder room (as long as the toilet seat is close, lol).

[J N]

We are debating using the bathroom as well (removing all bath mats he LOVES to chew on). I'm worried about him fighting even more against bath-time though if that room turns into a punishment place.

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

Like others have said, never a good idea to use the crate as punishment. If you have a baby gate and can confine him to the kitchen or a bathroom for a time out that is better. Basically during this time you need to ignore him completely. No eye contact, no talking, nothing. Then get him back out after a few minutes and resume play. If he starts again back to time out and ignore. He will get the idea. 

Stepping on the leash will not choke him. If you're going to use that technique it's best to not let him up until he submits to the restraint by laying still, not crying and he will demonstrate "giving up" with a loud sigh. He may scream and wiggle and bite like a maniac in the beginning.

Another method to this would be to hold him down with your hands, do not let him get up until he lays still and calm. Once he starts to relax, your hands should just be on him lightly, you don't need to put pressure. The main thing is to not let him up kicking and screaming. That will teach him that if he wiggles and cries long enough you will let him up. You need to get that "I give up" sigh. Then praise and let him up.  This is a great technique to get your puppy to relax after hyped up play times, before bed, etc. 

Have you enrolled in a puppy kindergarten class? 

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

BTW this gets better with age and training!! No he won't hate the crate just because it is used for time outs. You could isolate him in another room if you prefer, but many a trainer has explained to me that the crates are fine to use as time out. As long as you don't make it mean/yelling etc. - just calmly put him in (no eye contact, no talk) and give it 30 sec. By the way, if you aren't already, I'd recommend that you start leadership with him as well. Some examples are ignoring til calm after separations, controlling the food and toys, everything on your terms, etc. Jan Fennell has a great book but Doggy Dan has useful vids online to help that. It helps a LOT to get the behavior you want, and it is a really humane way of acting on a daily basis. Then the dog can relax, switch off, and enjoy being a pup as he relies on you to be in control as leader. I see it as a loving thing to do for him! Good luck!!

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Yes, you can use a crate for time-outs without causing “crate-hate.” Do you like your bedroom? Sure you do—even if you don’t want to be there on a Friday night. Your dog can like his crate too, even if he doesn’t want to be there while scheming to scam some chicken off the dining room table. Crates are okay for time-outs, because it isn’t the crate that is punishing… it is the loss of freedom in the middle of fun times that is punishing (see my Summer 2004 article for more on rewards and punishment). The same reasoning extends to children: they can be sent to their room as a consequence for misbehaviour without learning to fear or hate their room. Your dog will only become afraid of his crate if bad things happen while he is in there—so never scold him while he is inside. Time-outs don't need to be long; 30 seconds to 3 minutes is plenty. And don’t forget to give your Cool Hand Luke a clean slate once he’s done his time… no grudge-holding allowed! - See more at: http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/trainers-truth-about-crates/1...

[Tammy and Violet]

I used the crate as atime out for Violet and me  all the time when she was young...she had no issues...also ,slept in there until she was about 1 or so.....throw a toy in and dont speak ,shut the door and walk away.. good luck,..... it does get better !!

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Winnie was a TERRIBLE nipper/biter, so I know your frustration. For 2 months after we got her my arms were covered with bite marks and all my pants were torn. I couldn't wear skirts or nightgowns-too tempting for her! :-) What finally worked for us was crouching down and making her sit between my legs while holding on to her shoulders. Once she relaxed, she was praised and allowed to move. We also used her crate for timeouts when she got overly stimulated and kept pestering us. Like others have said, the key is to not use any emotion when you put him in it. Winnie loves her crate and often goes in there when she is tired. She knows it is a place to "chill out.". BTW, it often gets worse before it gets better, so hang in there! When Winnie was about 4 months old the nipping stopped nearly completely and we could finally have fun with her instead of constantly feeling like we were being attacked!