New Puppy Questions

[ShelbysMom]

I think I'm going to be full of questions because it's been a long time since I trained a puppy. Nearly 13 years.
Crystal, the new Dobie, is 16 wks old today and doesn't like her crate. She gets quite crazy in it. I have a piece of carpet lining it with a towel on top. Every day she chews a towel when she's crated. (she doesn't ingest it, just makes it look like swiss cheese).
The vet told me she needs to spend 3-4 hours a day in her crate to get her adjusted to being away from us.
Can anyone give me some tips on crate training? Am I supposed to ignore the barking/crying?? How do I handle accidents in the crate? When I get home and she's been crated, she is always lying down and calm. But it takes a long while for her to get that way.

[ShelbysMom]

Oh, and I am still working up to the 3-4 hours in the crate. I haven't left her for more than 1 hour at a time, a few times a day, until I know how she will react. When we are home, she has the run of the house.

[Marty]

I've never really done it with a pup either (Louie was older and adapted well), but I have a few suggestions. do you have a Kong...they are great for keeping busy, along with safe chew toys. We also feed him in the crate...the idea is to make the crate a pleasant retreat for the pup. On that note, I wouldn't scold for accidents....she is a puppy after all. She will soon learn not to soil her retreat...just make sure she isn't left there longer than her bladder will last...start with a short time and gradually increase it. Hope this helps a little.

[TheSkeptic]

I've never had problems like that, but here is a link to a site that may have the answers for you.

http://www.canismajor.com/dog