From Kingston's new owners:
So, we've had him now for just over 5 weeks and he is doing very well!! We've been going to obedience school at Paws Way and this week is our last week. Our instructor is Ursula- Dogs Gone Good- and she says she knows you.. she seems to be pretty good but I do think that those classes are designed more for low-energy, non-shelter dogs.
He has gotten very good with the tricks (sit, stay, leave-it and down are perfect!) and his recall is getting much better. He still gets very excited in social settings so I'm not sure that more obedience is the best option for him (he tends to bark throughout the entire class, haha) and we have him in a crate during the day- I didn't think there were any problems but my neighbour informed me last night that he has been crying during the day while we're gone... Do you have any tips for how I could go about keeping him quiet and comfortable during crate time? (Ursula mentioned that you keep things quite 'zen-like' in the shelter).
Other than that, we're so happy with him and he is such a great dog! He is great walking and running with me and the excitement of seeing other dogs has dwindled significantly! Turns out, he is quite cuddly as well- he needs to lay across my lap if I'm on the couch and then if Joel, my boyfriend, is on the couch he needs to lay across both of our laps, haha. Such a cute puppy. I attached a photo for you. I've been telling people to check out the shelters first and give the dogs a chance because wonderful dogs, like Kingston, can easily be missed!
He's really gorgeous!
What a lovely dog Kingston is. I'm so happy that he has found someone to love him. I'm sorry to hear that he cries in his crate when you are not there. Perhaps he is lonely. Does he have to be in a crate the whole time? I'm not pointing fingers I'm just asking. Good luck to the both of you!
such a handsome and lucky dog to have found a home with someone who is taking the time to teach him what he needs to know. If he has sit, stay, leave-it and down worked out perfectly after only five weeks he must be smart as well as handsome!
After 5 years my dog still says Huh? when asked to stay,
I'm glad that Kingston was adopted to a loving home!! Is he crated for a whole work day? If so, is a midday dogwalker or perhaps doggie daycare an option? Stuffed Kong toys are good time-passers too, you can find "recipes" online.
I hate the idea of an all-day crate too, but we have to do the same thing with our adopted dog. Fortunately, we only work 6 hrs a day, 3 days a week. Our other dog runs the house but we are afraid to leave Casey loose yet. He can jump about 5 feet into the air on all fours and loves to get into things. We fear he will hurt himself if left to his own devices yet. The day is coming, just not yet. We do put several extreme chewer Kongs filled with treats in the crate with him to keep him occupied. Someone recently suggested to put treats and peanut butter in the Kong and freeze before giving it to him. Lasts longer and during warmer weather, it's great. BTW, our crate is HUGE. He goes in on his own sometimes, just to rest.
Good luck to you. Make sure your dog gets lots of exercise and play time when you are home and before you leave if possible.
THe crying in the crate is probably a result of separation anxiety. You need to train him slowly to be okay with the crate, for a very short amount of time several times over a few days, and then building up to half an hour, an hour, and more and more. He will learn that being in the crate is okay because you WILL come home. Make sure the crate is where he wants to be, i.e. is comfortable and pleasant. Keep it open while you're home and periodically hide some treats in there for him to find, toys, etc. so he associates the crate with good things. I have an excellent person - shockingly affordable - that I can recommend. She solved my dog's extreme separation anxiety and created the perfect training plan for him to be crate trained. Not sure how to get in touch with you about it, though. You could leave an email address on here and I can get in touch with you.