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CottonKitty627

Newbie

10/07/2007 12:35 PM
Pixie just turned 7 weeks old and she Hates car rides....she whines the whole time and refuses to be in the crate in the back seat... is this somthing they get used to over time? ..and how long can i leave her home in her crate alone?i hate leaving her but i cant bring her everywhere (i would if i could)

I love my Pixie.

RattieGurl0102

Terrier Terror

10/07/2007 4:02 PM
Hmmmmm..... I got Daisy at 7 weeks. For the car rides, I let my two dogs sit on the seat next to me, but in order for her to get used to it..... I suggest taking her for short rides around the block, and if she gets upset, just comfort her...... We make it sound like going " bye-bye" is a treat..... Use a word that is exciting, like "bye-bye" or " Going out for a while" That way she gets excitied about going, not upset. Does this help?? For the crate training, It is hard for me to explain, because I was on summer break when I got Daisy so I was home all day, but if you go out to shop, then take her out one last time, and put her in, using comforting words like " Mommy will be back soon" or " You go night-night now." To show her that being in the crate is o.k...... She should feel like being in the crate is a time to relax, or is a safe place to be when she is scared if you aren't home. Not like a punishment. Also make sure she has had time to romp and play before you put her in..... ( If possible) I am no expert but I have experienced this first hand in crate training, ( Daisy is now 6 months old and she is finally getting to the point that she won't throw a fit when she goes in the crate...) Anyway, I also recommend that you still reinforce the crate training til' she is one year old, then you can start to trust her OUT of the crate while you are NOT HOME !!!! That is what our 9 yr. old Lahsa-Poo Licorice does now, she just waits at the door and woofs until we let her out......... Also, I'd try to teach her the command of " Wanna' go out and go pee-pee?" or " Anyone want to go outside?" We taught our dogs that and they know that this is the time to go outside. When they learn that command I just stand by the door and yell it and the dogs come running. I hope all of this helps, and if you have any questions please message me! Good Luck!

~ Shelbi and Miss Daisy ~

rrideout1169

Newbie

10/07/2007 4:34 PM
my rattie had adversions to being on a leash, and like suggested with the car rides, make them short and frequent, positive reinforcement. we think our dog was abused prior to him being turned into the pound and think he was either beat with a leash or left tied to one and he HATEd them, it was a huge issue. Now after all the positive vibes, treats, and him doing it over and over to see it was okay, all I have to say is "walk" and he goes just NUTS! he loves them now. as for the crate, we only kennel our dogs when we are gone, and say "kennel" and they go right in. but we didn't want to have them think it was a punishment so when we punish them they are never sent to the kennel so we don't confuse them. not to have them think us leaving them in there they are bad, they love their toys and blankets and there, its their safe place. good luck. hope my 2 cents worth helped some what

rattytatty

Newbie

10/07/2007 5:03 PM
I would not trust ANY dog out of a crate until two years of age, which is the general rule of thumb among trainers. I can cite you instance after instance where dogs under the age of two (and some OVER the age of two) have destroyed things when left alone uncrated. Good suggestions about short car rides around the block... followed by a treat... make it a fun adventure. True that crates should never be used for punishment. The rule of thumb concerning how long to leave them crated.... 1 hour for each month of age generally speaking, but for large breeds, this can be longer.

Lucy's Colleen

Bratty Ratty

10/07/2007 6:01 PM
I was told that when beginning crate training you should never open the crate to let the dog out while they are whining. This makes them boss and they associate crying with getting out of the crate so you will have a dog who does nothing but whine while you are gone. You have to wait until they have stopped whining and have calmed down. This was hard in the mornings trying to find a time to get out of bed because I would have to wait until she stopped.

Colleen Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7797281@N05/

CaseyOtis

Terrier Terror

10/07/2007 9:54 PM
Ah to be a young rattie mommy again I had to go through both of these problems you are facing. I got Casey when he was 9 weeks old. On the way home, i made sure Casey sat on my lap. I know this is not necessarily safe, but i lived right down the road and i think i drove a total of 15 miles per hour all the way there. Anyways, this made him feel secure that mommy was going to keep him safe when in the car, that mommy was right there. Also i let him get in and out of the car by himself. I know their little legs at this age can cause a problem for them to get in, but i would wait until he at least tried to get in by himself before i would pick him up to get in. One trick that worked good was like Colleen said, make it a fun exsperience, make it exciting. Or every time she gets in and does good over short periods of time, give her a treat. I had to leave Casey by himself way more than i should of. I worked in a hospital OR and was on call a lot. Make sure you put an old sweatshirt of your or something that smells like you in her crate. This helps her feel safer. I worked right across the street form my work, so i was able to run home quickly at lunch and let him out to pee. I would also give him a treat when he volunteraly went in his crate. DO NOT FORCE her in the crate. It is ment to be a safe place for her. Leave it in a populated area of the house, let her go in it on her own when you are home. You can close the door to the crate when she has been in there, and leave the room for a second, then after a second come back. This way she knows mommy is WILL return eventually. Go for longer periods of time when she is more comfortable. This seemed to work for Casey. Now he loves his crate, and most of the time we don't need to use it. He will sleep on my blanket in our room the entire time we are gone to the store, even if our roommates are home, he knows where is areas are. I'm not a pro, but this seemed to work for me and Casey dog. He knows his places, and he knows the rules. Hpoe this was helpfull. Good Luck

You have two hands, you might as well have two ratties....right? -Summer (Mommy of my two ratties Casey and Lilly)

rattytatty

Newbie

10/08/2007 7:26 AM
CaseyOtis -- good advice!

afmac55

Rat Royalty

10/09/2007 1:50 PM
I don't know if this will help but when we take Maggie in the car we take her bed. We have leather seats so she slips around a little. I put down an old sheet or towel and put her bed on top of it. It's an old bed she's had since she was a puppy...she barely fits in it but she loves it. It makes her feel like it's her own special seat. Also, the more you take her the better off she'll be. Maggie hated the car, it made her nervous and she would whine. But we would take her everywhere. She loves to get in the car now. She knows she going with mommy and daddy and doesn't have to stay home with the stinky ol' cat!!

Christy~Maggie's Mom "Some days you're the dog, some days you're the hydrant." - Unknown

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