Dog Advice Needed

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Not a cage, it's a den. Do canines such as wolves occupy dens in the wild?

[RunDownHouse]

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Not a cage, it's a den. Do canines such as wolves occupy dens in the wild?

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"Intellectually dishonest" has been getting thrown around a ton in the last few weeks, but this is pretty much textbook, right?

[adios]

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Not a cage, it's a den. Do canines such as wolves occupy dens in the wild?

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"Intellectually dishonest" has been getting thrown around a ton in the last few weeks, but this is pretty much textbook, right?

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No, why would you think that? I read some posts here about covering the crate, making it dark, etc. Sounds like making it like a den to me. There's a variety of different types of crates too as there are some that are basically closed on three sides. One of my dogs actually puts himself in his crate at night when he's tired and wants to go to sleep. Spending time in dens is a natural part of canine behavior. And no I don't keep them in the crates all day either.

[prohornblower]

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You have a dog and it sits in a cage all day? [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

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We were told by Man's Best Friend that you aren't supposed to leave puppies out while you are gone all day, as it fosters bad habits and makes them feel like it's their place instead of yours, as "pack leader" as Cesar Milan would say. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Hey, when we found her she was 2 pounds, had fleas crawling on her eyeballs, and was about to be thrown into a ditch by some kids. I like to think she's come a long way and that we treat her very well. She's now 33 pounds, goes to the dog park once a week, takes regular walks, gets all kinds of awesome bones and toys to chew on, visits the vet regularly for any sign of illness, and gets a full bath every Sunday night after she crawls in the mud at the dog park.

So if you are passing judgement on me for leaving her in a giant kennel for 8 hours a day, and letting her sleep on our bed at night, please look at the big picture. Her life is so much better because we've found her, and it was what we were instructed to do during her $800 week of professional dog training.

[4 High]

We keep her crate nice and padded with some nice blankets that she likes to sleep on. We also put in a chewy stick or two and some of her toys when she goes in, but i never see/hear her using them when she is in the crate. Like i said, we leave her out during the day while we are at work because she is perfectly fine during the day. Nothing is ever moved or out of place when she is left alone in the house. It's only when i am upstairs sleeping and she is downstairs alone. Perhaps she is trying to get my attention? I think i will try walking her at 6am and going back to sleep and if that doesn't work i guess we will try crating again. I would be fine with letting her sleep in the bed, but that freaks out the wife.

As for the walking, i thought about doing it Dog Whisperer style, but i heard its rather cruel by some people so i still have not tried it. Thoughts?

[prohornblower]

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I would be fine with letting her sleep in the bed, but that freaks out the wife.

As for the walking, i thought about doing it Dog Whisperer style, but i heard its rather cruel by some people so i still have not tried it. Thoughts?

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Can't you just let her lay on your bedroom floor and close the door so she doesn't get into your stuff downstairs? And why would sleeping on the bed freak out your wife? YOu said she's potty-trained, and if she doesn't have fleas, then there is no problem with her sleeping on top of hte comforter. It's not like she's under the cover, wiping her ass across your wife's pillowcase. lol.

At obedience school they gave us a "choker chain" for her. It's a loose chain that you just yank up on with the leash swiftly and in a normal voice say "no.". They said never yell at her. Just say "no" calmly, simultaneously while pulling up on the leash swiftly. It doesn't really hurt them, but it gets their attention, and through behaviorism, they begin to learn what a calm "no" means. And yeah, try to make her walk aside you. If she goes out in front, pull up and just say "no".