Tuesday Topics #24 - Two Dog Night
Tonight after puppy group, we bring Montego home for the next few days. Carrie has already advised heavy use of the baby gate. I definitely plan to utilize it, along with the x-pen which came in handy when we Poppy-sat last December.
My chief concern is night time. Unlike the photo above, after coming home from our trip to Arcata, we didn't continue to let Cabana sleep with us (not one or two Cabanas). She sleeps loose downstairs in our family room, on the ottoman. I am a super light sleeper, so the slightest sound wakes me up. If Cabana slept in our room, I would wake up with every scratch, tag jingle, and snore (Cabana snores very loudly--her snores wake me up even from downstairs with our bedroom door closed).
Montego's puppy raiser says that Montego does NOT like his crate, so he sleeps on tie down next to her bed at night. I guess I can deal with having him sleep in our room for a few nights, but I feel so guilty that he gets to sleep in our room while Cabana isn't allowed to. So do I let both dogs sleep in our room? Or should I TRY crating Montego at night (he needs to learn to be in his crate without fussing, after all), and put the crate next to Cabana's ottoman, so Cabana can give him a little company?
I know it will work out, one way or another. But I'll take any helpful tidbits, on sleeping arrangements AND other two-dog-management tips. My other concern is that I'll be consumed by guilt when I take Montego to the grocery store and leave poor Cabana at home. Talk about transferring your own feelings onto the dog, though--surely Cabana can handle being left home by herself for 20 minutes, right? I guess it just brings up all those awful childhood traumas of feeling left out at some point, like being the only kid not invited to Kim Kiley's birthday party, or never being chosen by the teacher to clean the chalkboard erasers, or being perpetually called "Flat Face" by all the kids in the neighborhood (that one really happened). It's just not true what they say about sticks and stones, and that names will never hurt you...but I digress. I gotta get over it--by tomorrow!
Good luck whatever you decide to do! Everyone I knows swears by crate training, but I couldn't handle it.
And see where it got me! :)
I think you should try the crate out.. like you said, he needs to learn right? Good luck with whatever you decide to do though, hope it works out nicely ;)
I got nothin on the two dog thing, but I have a concern about the lack of crate training for Montigo. If he becomes a guide dog, his person might want him to sleep in a crate. When I brought Jayden home, I put him on tie down for a few nights and I absolutely hated it. I worried about him getting tangled up, which he did at school, woke me up with a God awful screech. So I decided I wanted him to sleep in a crate. He hadn't slept in a crate at his primary raiser's home, but he did when he was swapped. And I'm so grateful for this. I feel much better at night knowing he's in his crate where the cats can't get him, where he won't get stuck in his tie down and where he can't get into trouble. When I put him to bed at night, he gets a few kibble. A girl at school taught me that for the kennel lesson. So now he looks forward to his bed time snack.
I just worry about this other raiser giving in to his lack of liking his kennel. I think it's important for a dog to be cool with both a tie down and a kennel, just in case his future person prefers one over the other.
Ok I have to tell you about a typo I found before posting this. Up at the top I had written "lack of crack training" instead of crate hahahaha!! Now, I would be very happy about a lack of crack training hahaha!
I say try the crate. He definitely needs to learn to at least endure the crate, even if he doesn't like it. Puppy sitting is good because the sitters don't do everything like the main raiser, so I'd try the crate and see how it goes! Having multiple dogs isn't that bad! I promise :-)
Ace sleeps in a crate next to my bed. When I would leave Chelsie in the crate in the morning, she would cry and fuss - but not Ace.
I am assuming his raiser has done everything in her power to make the crate a positive experience? Feed him in it? Reward him for going in it, but not making him stay in it? When Chel hurt herself and had to go back in her crate, I first got Chel in by treating her, then asking her to sit and releasing her. It still wasn't her favorite, but we managed. Little Ace does very well in his crate - just remember, the crate is as much a safety issue as anything. That got me over the hump - how bad I would feel if she got into something because I left it out.
Personally, I think we need to respect that the raiser of the puppy knows what she is doing when it comes to acclimating to the crate and that she is working on it with the leader (which, in this case, I am 100% certain of since I am the leader). By forcing the crate issue, we can actually make the problem MUCH worse.
Ro, you needed worry (or assume negatively) that the problem is not being dealt with. I can promise you that there are 100s of issues that each of these puppies deal with growing up. That is why they are with us - to deal with them! By the time the dog goes in for training, he will be fine with the crate - unless we do things with him now to make his fears more concrete (like forcing the issue and pushing a puppy further than he is currently capable of going)
Mimi, truthfully, if you are interested in raising another puppy at some point, these issues are things you will have to figure out. I know you worry about Cabana's "feelings" in this situation. But what about the pup? Won't he be jealous that Cabana gets to sleep on the ottomon? Or that her rules are more lax than his? Maybe he will be jealous that she gets to stay home and sleep while he has to go "work." Much like a parent may discipline and reward 2 kids differently, our dogs each get "perks" in their roles in the house. It's hard, but it's doable if we don't put our emotions onto the dogs.
I believe the puppy needs to be on tie down. There are reasons I won't post on a public forum beyond respecting the process of acclimating him to the crate without harming his process. I would wait and see what Cabana does. She may very well put herself to bed in her normal spot and think nothing of what happens with the puppy. Don't borrow trouble. It will all work itself out.
good luck, I feel your pain about exclusion issue. Because Truffie gets to go to work with me everyday I try to carve out time just for Waffle to get some one on one time. I do feel bad when she is at the door waiting to go with us to work, but it is good for her to learn how to be on her own- as it is I sometimes feel like we are co-dependant. Waffle still resource guards me - from Truffie, but I think she understands int he end whose 'top dog' - me!
as for the kennel, I'd put him in and tough it out. It is important for pups to understand that the kennel can be their 'safe' spot - but your sleep is important too and you are just the sitter. Do what works for your house.
good luck
Carrie
We'll support the crate with Cabana nearby. Mom used to sleep next to my crate early on for me to get used to it, and I eventually did. There might be some protest, but wearing both out during the day, and trying the crate close to where Cabana sleeps... We invision a follow-up post on this!!! :) Best wishes for a sound nights sleep.
Hugs and snaggle-tooth kisses,
Sierra Rose
sadly we still deal with this. The girls are fine sleeping on their beds, Big Carl not so much. We have to crate him since he is so small we cant tell when he hops in.
I'd just play it by ear, each dog is different and they each react differently in many situations. Was baby sitting my Area Coordinators Poodle pup, and at their home she had no problem in the crate..at my house...well lets just say it wasn't pretty. So I let her sleep on a bed in my room, with all the other three dogs on my bed. Every one did great.
See how it goes, I'm sure he'll let you know what will be best! ;))
HA Cassie's comment wins. Enjoy the fluffy puppy!
Agree with Natalie (even though I've been a miserable failure at training Sam to crate!). But guide doggies have to learn, yes? You'd be a saint to start this! Montego looks so much like Cabana in this pic and below, so much different! Are they the same pups?
Oh... and thank you soooo much for the info! Will try on next post!
Hugs xo
Sammie and Ma
Samantha, sorry for the confusion. Both dogs on the bed in this photo are Cabana, through the magic of Photoshop.
Kim Kiley was a silly loser.