My doggy buddy!

Question
Hi,
I recently rescued a male shih tzu aged 3-6 years old. He is a good dog, rather lazy, but all in all a good dog.. The first night i had him, he was probably confused and didnt eat much. I put him in the crate all night down stairs and he spent all night howling and crying.. It actually sounded like he was screaming. lol. When morning came and i got up, he pottied in his crate. The next night i put the crate up in my room, and each time he cried i took him out. next morning when i let him out, he did not potty in his crate. I take him out but when i go with him, he stays near me, he wont go potty, i have to stay out there forever lol he had maybe two accidents in the house. He just lays every where, how can i make him more active? Third night, he pottied in his crate but did not cry so i didnt wake up to take him out. im wasnt sure if he was house trained or not. so i wantedf to see if he would cry when he needed to go out. he doesnt cry.. so he pottied in his crate, and then pottied in it again while i was at work. my husband put him in the crate around 1130, and got home around 310. in jus tthat time frame, he destroyed his crate, my husband put his food in there (i didnt wnat him too, i knew it was a bad idea haha) and it was every where. and he peed in it. so, how can i train him at night? how can he learn that his crate is a place of comfort? i put him in it while were around. he whimpered a little bit, but not is just laying there. please help. my doggy has been through enough confusion. tell me the proper way to train him and to not be afraid to be in the crate..

Thank you so much,

lyndsey

Answer
Hi Lyndsey.  How long has he been in your house now?  You can expect a 2-3 week adjustment period while he adapts to your routine and his new digs.

Here are some suggestions for you:

Be sure that he's healthy.  Has he been to the vet for a full checkup?

Feed on a schedule, twice a day, putting down the food for 10 minutes and picking up what he doesn't eat after that.  Don't free feed (leave food down all day).  If you control input, you'll have a better idea of when he'll have output.  Do not put food or water in the crate.  

It sounds like you're doing the right thing with the crate in your bedroom. He will want to be close to you at night.  When you take him out to potty, give him 3 minutes to do his business.  If he goes, give him a small food treat.  If he doesn't go, put him in his crate for 30 minutes and try again.  Keep track of his elimination schedule by keeping a log of when he goes.  If you have an idea of the frequency, you'll have some idea of when to take him out.  

Teach him to love the crate by feeding meals in there and by dropping treats in there when he's not looking so he can discover them on his own.  Make the crate a wonderful place where good things magically appear.  Don't put any pressure on him to enter the crate.  It's got to be his idea to go in to get the food and/or the treats.  

For some more ideas on how to work with the crate, watch this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8HNO79bZMY  It's a demonstration of Susan Garrett's Crate Games which is awesome for teaching dogs to love their crates.

Ignore whining and barking in the crate.  Don't crate for more than 4-5 hours at a time.  Be consistent with housetraining and feeding.  Give him a great chew toy, like a bully stick, that he only gets when he has to go in the crate.

Training will help him build confidence.  Try and find a class or a trainer who uses positive methods, like clicker training, to help him learn some basic cues and build a bond with you.

Please let me know if you have any questions or need clarification.  I'm guessing that he's still stressed from his relocation and once you all settle into a routine, things will improve with the suggestions I've noted.  Good luck!