https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:22:03 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-501374 Sun, 13 Jan 2013 06:46:17 +0000 ladybee 501374@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Septemberlove: I too am a basset hound mom and know how stubborn they can be. I've had a pure basset and right now we have a mix. Crate training was so helpful. Everyone has given you tons of info on that. Our vet said "a bad dog is a bored dog" so we give Coop a kong filled with frozen peanut butter a few times a week and then he has a durachew in there as well. I think crate training is a life saver!</p> <p>Bassets are hard to toilet train. I have two suggestions and it kinda depends in how often he is going in the house. When we first brought our dog home I took him out on a leash once an hour and he really only went outside to go potty until he got the point that outside is where he goes. We also gave a million treats for it and made a huge scene about how great it was that he went. Second, once that was working I would take him out on his leash and once he went potty then I'd let him have free time to roam and play. Eventually we reduced the frequency of the trips. It seems like your pup thinks outside is to play and he hasn't made the connection. For us, our pup will go to the bathroom first when he goes outside unsupervised because its what we trained him to do. I still give treats a few times a day for going potty outside. I appreciate that I don't have a mess to clean up. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-501364 Sun, 13 Jan 2013 03:48:01 +0000 pinkcupcake 501364@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our Golden Retriever was pretty destructive as a puppy (we couldn't leave her alone for more than 5 minutes without her destroying everything) so we had to crate-train her. It was tough, but so worth it - she loves her crate now and if we give her a treat, will run into her crate to eat it. She prefers to sleep in there, too. I think they key was making sure that the crate was always associated w/a happy thing. We made sure to give her tons of treats and not use it as punishment (although there were a couple times when I would crate her out of exasperation). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-480503 Fri, 04 Jan 2013 11:34:02 +0000 Rescuemom10 480503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I crate train dogs often as a foster parent. I work during the day and crate majority of my dogs.<br /> To start off like someone else said, it should NEVER be a punishment. It should be a comfy "safe zone" for them. I actually see mine go in there on there own sometimes just because. I also never let other dogs go into a certain dogs crate. Thus creating it more their "special place".</p> <p>I hate crating at night too, but in the beginning I find it very important. Crate at night, create that ability of them to hold off on going potty until morning and understanding its "bed time". After around 2 mos I would try letting them out at night. Sometimes they are good after that, sometimes they need longer, and some dogs just dont do well out at night either. Some who do well and then start to go back to having accidents or getting into something at night have to go back to crating at night for a bit.<br /> Also when getting a crate. Dont get one too big. It should be just big enough for them to stand up, and turn around in a TIGHT circle. You give them more and thats when they will try to pee or poop in a "corner" or be more tempted to chew a bed up if you put one in etc...</p> <p>Good luck. Let me know if you have any other questions. This is 100% behavior of your dog. Which is good because you can always work on behavior and fix the issue at hand. Dont give up!!! ; ) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477432 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:00:58 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 477432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Oh, he wouldn't get out of the crate... he moved the whole thing around the house with him still inside of it (it was the metal kind that had open slats. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477366 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:39:17 +0000 erwoo 477366@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Another alternative is to hire dog walkers to walk him during the day time while you're at work to help release some of that energy. He's probably just bored. I know that we definitely don't pay as much attention to our dog (we have Maltese) now that we have two kids and she acts up for sure but not all the time. Just pee/poop in our bedroom to tell us her displeasure. We are trying, though, to play with her more. She loves to play. Good luck and I hope you can find a solution. Sorry I'm not much help! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477357 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:35:23 +0000 lomom 477357@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My trainer said to do my best to make it enjoyable, that the crate should never be a punishment. Her suggestion was a special treat he only got when he was in the kennel, like a kong or other special something that would last a bit. </p> <p>I think I'm going to put his fluffy dog bed (that he loooooves) in his kennel and stop by the store and pick up a kong or other kennel treat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477272 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:01:45 +0000 spaniellove 477272@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It helps a lot with the crate to make it a happy place for him, like previous posters have said! I don't crate my dog often now but when I need to it could be an emergency and I need her to cooperate and be quiet. She loves it so much that all I have to say is "crate time!" and she'll run in expecting a treat. Heck, she even runs and stuffs herself into a dog carrier! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477216 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:37:08 +0000 Happygal 477216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Crates are great, but not instant fixes. You usually have to train them to accept the crate. You can watch youtube videos on this, and I recommend "Crate Games."</p> <p>You may also want to consider an exercise pen (called ex-pens). You could also dog proof one room and use baby gates. </p> <p>What else has your trainer recommended?</p> <p>And yes to what other people have recommended with exercise. It's an old saying, but so true: "A tired dog is a good dog." My dog can stay occupied for awhile with something to chew--antler, bully stick, dog safe bone from the butcher.</p> <p>Keep us updated! Basset hounds can be stubborn, but they are fun dogs, too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477211 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:35:40 +0000 lomom 477211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>He isn't a very high energy dog, when we go on walks, he barely makes it around the block. But I'm definitely willing to try it and see if it helps! At the very least, it'll assuage my guilt over keeping him in the kennel so much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477181 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:21:49 +0000 Foodnerd81 477181@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@septemberlove: In the beginning, my dog was in the crate while we were out (8 hours a day or so) and at night-- we would say "Time for bed" when we went to bed and he would go to his crate, let him out when we got up. Honestly, I have a pretty lazy dog anyway so he mostly curls up and sleeps no matter where he is, but like Spaniellove said, he will need long walks to get rid of energy. I don't think it's too much time locked up as long as he gets the walks. The time in the crate is time he knows he needs to chill out, rather than anxiously roaming the house looking for something to do (ie, something to destroy, sounds like). Though, as hound he probably has different tendencies than my dog, I admit.</p> <p>ETA--also, once he is pretty well crate trained, you can slowly start leaving him for periods of time-- we started with leaving him out at night, while we were home, then when we went out for a short time but not all day, to then leaving the crate door open all day, but he would still sleep in there just because he liked it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477175 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:18:32 +0000 lomom 477175@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do they stay out at night or are they back in the kennel? It seems like so much time to be locked up. :( but at the same time, the alternative is that he finds a new home and that isnt the path I want to go down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477173 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:16:23 +0000 spaniellove 477173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We crate trained our dog when she was a puppy and it helped with certain things, although possible not some of what you're describing. Is he doing this mostly while you're gone? It sounds like he should be on a leash when he's out so you can control how long he's out, and the crate can be used to toilet train him. Does he get long walks or something else to burn off his energy? He'll definitely need it if he's crated, and might help with the destruction. There's also the strategy of replacing a shoe/paper with a toy and making it really desirable to play with that toy instead (especially if he seems to gravitate toward certain textures), and maybe giving small treats as rewards for fetching the toy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477171 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:14:45 +0000 Foodnerd81 477171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My dog came crate trained when we adopted him, so I don't have experience with actually getting him used to it, but I saw how well it worked and will absolutely crate train any future dogs I have in the beginning. We kept my dog in his crate during the day while we were out and at night for the first few months and slowly started giving him more freedom-- and he never even had any big behavioral problems, it just helped him to have a routine when our apt was all new to him. I would highly recommend it-- that way, you keep him from the bad behaviors and don't have to punish him and you can just focus on praising him when he is good. </p> <p>@BabyBoecksMom: I would also love to see a Great Dane shimmy out of a crate! That's hilarious. He was very determined! My brother's border collie mix could get herself out of every single crate he tried, no matter how he closed it up-- she would either undo the latch somehow, or would manage to shimmy out without unlatching it. Escape artist. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477135 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 07:23:24 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 477135@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We kennel trained and it was awesome for our dogs. They destroyed stuff while we were at work until we did that. It prevents accidents because dogs don't like to soil the place that they are sleeping and they can't chew anything except what's in the crate, so we gave them Kong's to keep them occupied. But, my great dane was able to chew up the super thick/hard plastic tray that came with the kennel and then could scoot himself around the house. Oh how I wish I had that on video. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-need-some-help-with-unruly-dog-anyone-kennel-train#post-477126 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 07:15:37 +0000 lomom 477126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a stubborn-as-heck nearly 2 basset hound and I'm ready to throw in the towel (as is DH). He will tell us when he wants to go out, goes out for quite awhile, then will come back in to poop/pee. He wakes us up all hours of the night, he barks incessantly (although now he has a bark collar), destroys any shoe or piece of paper within reach, he's a counter-surfer... I just don't know what to do. </p> <p>My trainer suggested kennel training... Putting him in while we are at work and before we go to bed. Anyone else do this?</p> <p>Any other advice? </p>