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While we are on the topic of crating, I have a few questions as I am new to this stuff. I have a 11-week old Shiba puppy who has mostly been a perfect little gentleman. We have a crate with blanket in the bedroom, and an ex-pen with a cover in the living room (cover is mostly to restrict movement, as he's pushed it into a v-shape and laddered his way out before). He is crated at night (1am-6am) and doesn't even whine as long as we are in the room. He doesn't exactly go in there on his own, but will if I toss a loosely packed Kong in the back corner. Once the door closes, he doesn't seem to eat anything but again doesn't whine about it. Sometimes when he is crated and we are leaving to run errands, he will whine for 1-3 minutes before shutting up and settling down (this is confirmed via puppy webcam). The ex-pen is a similar story. He will actually go into this on this own since we feed him in there and it is the home of his water bowl, but once he realizes the door is latched will whine for just a couple minutes before settling down. In either case, once he stops whining he doesn't really seem to mind much but just sleeps a lot (doesn't seem interested in playing with his toys or snacking once he realizes he is locked in). Is this something he will grow out of with time and consistency? I've been trying to toss treats and sit next to him in both cases to create positive associations, and the whining is short duration. We are careful never to give in and let him out when he is whining. He's never had an accident in either and we also make sure to take him out right before we leave for a few hours. It really isn't a big deal, but it just worries me that he doesn't seem to want to do anything but sleep once the doors are shut.
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Apr 10, 2012 14:39
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| # ¿ May 3, 2024 23:20 |
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ButWhatIf posted:I'd like to throw out a piece of information. I've noticed a lot of people suggesting that a middle-of-the-night potty break is absolutely imperative, and that's not entirely true. While it can be helpful, it's not really 100% necessary. Dogs and humans both secrete antidiuretic hormone or vasopressin, which helps retain water in the body. More of this hormone is secreted at night, which is why we are capable of "holding it" while we sleep (unless we have an imbalance, which causes nocturia). This is also true of dogs. ADH secretion increases during a normal sleep cycle, so unless you suspect your puppy of potentially developing diabetes, or you plan on letting him sleep for more than 6 or 7 hours consecutively, you shouldn't need a midnight tinkle. Great point and exactly my experience. I would caution that if the puppy isn't sleeping or wakes up and starts whining that you'll probably want to play it safe and believe him. Once he is sleeping reliably, you can phase the tinkle breaks out.
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Apr 12, 2012 02:35
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