Rescued Doodles, Discipline & Crate Training

[Tricia, Shiloh, Fenway & Tessie]

We rescued a 14 week old doodle last Thursday, our second....and crate training is not going as smoothly as it did with our first doodle (who came from a breeder). Last night was the 5th night....and FINALLY he was quiet for most of the night, I wonder if it has anything to do with being a rescue dog and having been confined in the shelter....so I feel a little bad with the crate training, but it works for us with our other doodle. He also doesn't seem to like to be left alone...even if surrounded by toys...not even for a couple of minutes. If we are playing and then I have to leave the room for a couple of minutes....he is finding some way to escape the gate or claw at the door that I closed...seems putting him in his crate is the only way to get anything else done, but then he just cries and cries. He is quite a handful, chews everything....is a gate escape artist, and even tried opening the storm door this morning while I was taking our other doodle outside. Any discipline tips specifically for rescues? I am so afraid of scaring him, no way to know what he has been through. Hopefully things are starting to get better....but if there are any ideas...I am open to them!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Hey Tricia!...I tried calling you a few times....Would love to chat with you privately. about this...You should definitely cross post this discussion to the DRRC....

[Tricia, Shiloh, Fenway & Tessie]

I accidently left my phone at home today, I'll try to call you this afternoon when I get home from work.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Great!......I left you a message 5 minutes ago...lol...

I myself and everyone here on DK will tell you ( LOL) that I am not a fan of the crate but it is a necessary thing to utilize this form of training with puppies especially with a rescue when it is ciritical to keep them separate from your other dog during the 3 day adjustment period. You might want to try having the crate in your bedroom with you at night so he is able to be aware of your presence nearby...Remember he was one of 3 siblings that were together in the shelter and he no longer has them for comfort.....The fact that he wants to be everywhere that you are I feel is a good sign...It shows that he is bonded to you now and like all puppies, and all doodles even the adults..lol it is just part of their nature to want to be within close proximity of their beloved humans....

As far as the chewing, Karen suggests and I agree, taking old wash cloths tying them into multiple knots, wetting them and freezing them provides an excellent and stimulating chew toy for an energetic puppy who can be prone to moments of boredom ....Just try and make sure that they haven't been washed with any strange laundry detergent or that they are thoroughly rinsed of any detergent residue and you may want to use wash cloths that haven't been dyed....

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

also Tricia I don't know what kind of baby gates you have but the vertical, tall gates are really the best....They actually attach to the door jam and a puppy has no way to climb them...They can be purchased at Target or K-mart ...I'll get you a list of stores...They go from $29-$80 dollars depending on the manufacturer.

[Doodle Kisses]

I'm not an expert...but since this puppy is still a young puppy I would think you can change his mind about crates with time. HE doesn't know he's a 'rescue' even if he DID experience a grave lack of freedom all kenneled up. So what I would do is LOTS of games and practice with the crate to make it fun. Lucy posted a review of a 'Crate Games' training program in our Review section. Check it out and maybe it will give you some ideas :)

As far as discipline...to me discipline is about bounderies and management to prevent formation of bad habits and controlling what the dog can get into. He's young so whether a 'rescue' or NOT punishment is really irrelevant.

I am a big fan of crates and if it were me I would continue to get creative with making the crate a fun place and not giving in to whining...WHILE taking lots of time for play and training. Hey if it doesn't work after a solid month of effort then at least you TRIED your best and you won't look back and say...'hmm what if I'd tried it this way?'

But don't expect toys to keep him from being lonely...toys are not his people or dog friends...he wants to be near his pack. which is good, but he does also need to learn to feel calm while alone. Keep working on it...explore new ways...but don't give up just yet and don't offer him pity.

[Susan, Zeke. Lily & Jasper]

Hi Tricia, Congratulations on your new baby! All the things you've mentioned in your post sound like typical puppy behavior and probably doesn't relate to his being a rescue at all. How is he different from your other doodle at that age? One of the things I did with my 12 week old puppy (not a rescue) was to leash him to me so he could be everwhere I was and I could keep an eye on him. I think I did this for about 2 months. It takes some time before they can be let to run free (way too many temptations). As to the crate, I did the putting the crate next to my bed at night and it worked great. Your little guy is still just settling in and will adjust in no time. Also what I observed with Lily (our rescue) was that she learned a lot from Zeke. She watched him like a hawk and mimicked many of his behaviors. I'm certain that's why potty training with her was a breeze. One other thing I ran into having two dogs was when Lily needed correcting, Zeke would respond too. It took some time and being sure that I used their names with a correction to get past this. Sometimes it still happens but it's no big deal if it does. Just enjoy your new little guy, shower him with lots of love and he'll become more secure in no time!

[Tricia, Shiloh, Fenway & Tessie]

Well night time is definitely better....he is sleeping in his crate. His crate is right next to Shiloh's crate and that seemed to be the key to everything. We had tried so hard to keep them apart....to give the puppy a chance to get used to our home and to give Shiloh time to heal from getting neutered...but it turned out that they are both better when they are together....just check out the new pics of them sleeping together. Fenway has Shiloh wrapped around his paw already for sure! Shiloh gives up anything to him, if Fenway comes by to take his bone, Shiloh lets him have it. We were worried about him resenting the new puppy, but he seems genuinely thrilled to share with him. I saw on the petfinder thing that one of Fenway's brothers is already up for adoption....if anyone lives in Texas and is looking for a wonderful doodle....check him out....we couldn't be happier!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

So glad to hear that it's all working out!....Love the photos.....

[Susan, Zeke. Lily & Jasper]

Great News! Also very cute pictures!