Ask Me Help Desk - An alternative to Crate training?

I have an 8 week old Native American Indian Dog (hes very much like a wolf)

Now I've dealt with puppies before but this little guy is proving to be the most difficult, which is fine, I'm not going to give up LOL.

Now my mom goes to work from 8-4 and I start going back to college on the 23rd, so that means he will be alone for a little while.

My mom thinks its safe to have him stay upstairs when he's at home (we keep a gate up on the stairs) however, in the past we used to keep our puppies downstairs at night (that was easy then because there was more than one puppy so they kept each other company)

I'm thinking that downstairs is safer because there is less for him to get into, actually there's nothing for him to get into. But upstairs there's a wood floor so if he has an accident there then it may stain, I'm not too sure, but downstairs is cement and these dogs like the cold.

Basically I think we are going to need to keep him downstairs and just keep a gate up, but I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to make this easier on him. Like what can I do to make him feel less lonely? Crate training is not an option because I've read that these pups don't do well in crates they see them as punishments or, scary.

If anyone has any suggestions that would be great.

He won't be alone long because my mom plans to visit during lunch time, and my friend and neighbor plans to stop in once in a while to keep him entertained. But I still would like to know of any ideas.

I predict he's going to have lots of fun tearing up the furniture when he's teething if left alone with any furniture. Crating can be a positive experience one that I would not cross off my list of possibilities though if done properly at an early age. At least you know he'll be safe and out of mischief since you say he's a handful. Leave the cage door open and let him go in and out at will. I used to feed my Jack Russell in her crate when she was 7 weeks. She loved it after a while. She would just go to sleep and wait for me to return. My Toy Fox Terrier did not like his crate as he was 1 1/2 years old and never was crated.

If possible can you leave him in a room with very little furniture, close the door and actually leave the house for a short period to see just what he'll do? Howl, bark, whine, etc. Does he like toys and actuallly play with them? Try leaving some toys with him so he's not bored being alone.

Each animal is different and some puppies will just cry and whimper or bark when alone not understanding the situation. Some will get bored and just sleep until mama gets back. What works for one puppy may not work for another. Be willing to try different things and see what his reaction is to the new situation. I have found that most wolves don't play with toys as a rule.

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinkiedooter

I predict he's going to have lots of fun tearing up the furniture when he's teething if left alone with any furniture. Crating can be a positive experience one that I would not cross off my list of possibilities though if done properly at an early age. At least you know he'll be safe and out of mischief since you say he's a handful. Leave the cage door open and let him go in and out at will. I used to feed my Jack Russell in her crate when she was 7 weeks. She loved it after a while. She would just go to sleep and wait for me to return. My Toy Fox Terrier did not like his crate as he was 1 1/2 years old and never was crated.

If possible can you leave him in a room with very little furniture, close the door and actually leave the house for a short period of time to see just what he'll do? Howl, bark, whine, etc. Does he like toys and actuallly play with them? Try leaving some toys with him so he's not bored being alone.

Each animal is different and some puppies will just cry and whimper or bark when alone not understanding the situation. Some will get bored and just sleep until mama gets back. What works for one puppy may not work for another. Be willing to try different things and see what his reaction is to the new situation. I have found that most wolves don't play with toys as a rule.

Actually the downstairs has no furniture, just my dads old worktable which is connected to the wall and is prittie high up. He seems to really like toys and when he sleeps and me and my mom go to our rooms, the worst he's done is wake up whine a little then go back to sleep. Then again he's only been here for four days.

I felt like the crate would be a positive to (especially since he may jump the gate when he gets older.) but breeders really really say not to. I think its traumatized them before. Maybe I should leave the house but stay close enough to listen?

Quote:

Originally Posted by danidac7

Crate training is not an option because ive read that these pups dont do well in crates they see them as punishments or, scary.

Closed crate training is not an option for this breed, but crate training will give the dog a safe place and his own space.

Where did you read about the problems with the breed and crates? What were the qualifications of whoever wrote it? Much of what you read about dogs is at odds with a large body of careful studies and well proven techniques. The web is a cesspool of the best of the 50's, personal experience with only a handful of dogs, and the lunatic fringe. A well cared for puppy nearly always adjusts well to a crate if introduced to it at 7-8 weeks. If a puppy has been caged in its own filth or was never left alone before it was 3 months old, no, it won't do well.

Read through the sticky starting at https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post251802 I can hardly imagine raising a puppy without using a crate. I think you should try it, rather than forgo such a common, well proven tool.

The "shut the puppy in a safe room" is a fallacy. Very few houses even have a
Safe room. How many of us have a room with a hard surfaced floor and nothing
Else? Most rooms have electrical cords to chew if nothing else. In addition
To destroying anything a bored puppy finds to chew, it may choke or have
Intestinal blockage from the pieces. I had a friend that left her dog in a
"safe" room. It ate a hole in the floor covering. The safe rooms fail to
Give the dog the comfort of the enclosed space their instinct requires. Nor
Do they restrict activity extending the time the dog can go without relieving
Itself.

Okay then I could give it a shot, but if no closed crate is what was meant, then what do I do if I have to leave him for a small amount of time?

I realize once he gets older and I take him to training classes he will be able to be around the house without the crate, I'm just trying to find the most simplest solution in the meantime.

Labman has stickies about crate training. Read what he already gave you. Your dog will always appreciate having a crate to escape to. That's his den.

I used to put a blanket over the top of my dog's crate and it became her instant den. To this day she likes to burrow under the covers on my bed and hide out for hours at a time. She even has her own room and plenty of old covers to make herself her own den in. If your puppy likes to sleep a lot (which most puppys do) it may be too early to see what he'll do when left alone. But for now, giving him his "own" space is the right idea along with his favorite toys for company.

In my sticky I specifically mention covering the crate, but caution about using something the dog could pull in and chew. Covering a crate with a blanket could be fatal to any dog that is much of a chewer. Suggesting such is a very bad idea. While you may get away with it with some dogs, for others it is dangerous.

Quote:

Originally Posted by labman

In my sticky I specifically mention covering the crate, but caution about using something the dog could pull in and chew. Covering a crate with a blanket could be fatal to any dog that is much of a chewer. Suggesting such is a very bad idea. While you may get away with it with some dogs, for others it is dangerous.

Hey Labman, I got a new crate it's a size large and there's a bed that goes in it, and water bottles that attach to the side. We started the puppy on it two-three days ago, and he still crys when we put him in but stops eventually. I left him in it for a half hour and came back and he was quiet until he saw that I was home. At night he crys a little longer, but that's the only time we close the door night or when no one is home. And when we let him out of it he still goes back into it to nap during the day when we keep it open.

All in all I think its starting to work out. Crate training does seem to be a real life saver and stress relief.
We even got a dvd that goes with the crate and a adjustable wall we can put inside it to give him more room as he grows.

Please let me know if there's anything I may be missing, and thank you for the advice.