Category Archives: Crate Training
Say What?!?
Our Boy, Duke
~Who Did That?!?
**This turd turned 1 yesterday! We love him so much, but there is this!
He also loves chewing on ginormous logs, rocks, the siding of our house, our deck and our walls. Oh and every. single. dog bed. 🤷🤦 In the life of a Weim! ❤️**As I knew it would be, it’s been difficult to train him with us and the kids not being consistent with commands, expectations etc. But, he has really changed (better) the last couple months.
At The End of the Day
~This How It Looks
Breeder Comment
We love these folks–they are dedicated Weimlovers. Nevertheless, we would prefer everyone to avoid this kind of behavioral issue. I am so very glad they shared it though. And, they were kind enough to allow me to make a post that might help someone else avoid having this kind of situation.
I can only guess what lead to this–but the best way to avoid having this type of situation is to follow through with constant supervision at the early stages. If you are not watching them, all kinds of bad things can and do happen. Duke is not the first, nor will he be the last Weim to much on the sheetrock. The exterior siding, flower pots, carpeting, dog beds, wood posts, and just about anything they can get their lips on is a target.
The trick to avoiding it is not to let the behavior start. The crate-training is essential. It only takes a moment for the Weimaraner to get into trouble. My mantra is freedom is earned. Just remember that habits (good and bad) are quickly ingrained, and then nearly impossible to change in the concrete-thinking Weimaraner.
Also, you have to consider the separation anxiety factor. People often spend 24 X 7 with their Weimaraner puppy and think they are doing a fabulous thing. Then, they leave for an hour to run to the grocery and come home to something like this or worse. It is the same for the yard–you cannot just leave a Weimaraner home in the yard–that is unless they have become adapted to that situation. So, that brings me to the point, even once they have earned a measure of freedom, it is essential that they also learn to be somewhat flexible. It is a lot better when they learn how to adapt to schedule changes–or being left behind when necessary.
Finally, can I mentioned that Dusty, back in the day, ate a $2,000 rock. Another time it was an $ 800 rock. One required major surgery, the other not. Rocks are hard on the teeth, and if ingested, they pose a life-threatening issue. Yes, the Weimaraner is not for the weak of heart. Even people who have the best intentions can get into trouble.
Luna
Joined her family
~ a few days ago
Thank you guys for the followup emails as we get going with the new pup.
This is all great. I got her chip registered this AM and she’s on the DN puppy food you recommend — the online Chewy.com shipping option looks nice for future reference. So thank you.
We also have a Vet appt next week and we’re so thankful for the clearly outlined vaccination protocol you recommend. We’ll work with the vet to get this completed without the unnecessary workups.She’s been a blast so far and kennel training has been a breeze. What a joy to have around!Thank again and we’ll be in touch. -Michael and Michelle
Breeder Comment
Berkley
Off to A Good Start
We love our Berkley. You chose well!!
Here’s an update on CRATE TRAINING:
She was totally content in her crate for the 4-hour ride home from Oregon. We stopped once and she went potty. Her first night home, she was not happy at all to be away from her litter mates and her mama. We put her crate in our room so she could see us, but she still howled and whined much of the night. Yesterday we put her in her crate several times, for 20-45 minutes each time, during the day while we ate our meals and ran an errand. She was a little vocal about it each time but got better as the day progressed. We hosted a lunch event and a dinner event, and she did splendid meeting and greeting all the shoe-less guests (parvo precautionary rule). She was the absolute center of attention for a good chunk of the day. When it was time for bed last night we put her in her crate and she went right to sleep. Not one howl or yelp! She stirred at 2 am and gave me a little whimper. I took her outside and she went potty right away. She went back to sleep in her crate until almost 6 am, which is my wake-up time anyway! We were so thrilled and gave her lots of praise for doing such a good job.
An update on POTTY TRAINING:
We used the bell method with our first Weim, and it worked like a champ. So we knew this was the way to go the second time around. Every time we take her outside to go potty (after she eats, wakes up, just before bed or crate time, or every 30 minutes or so), we take her little paws and ring that bell and say “outside”. Yesterday she rang the bell all on her own. We took her out and she went potty right away. Then again today, she rang the bell on her own, and the same thing happened!!! She is catching on so fast. We haven’t had to clean up after any accidents. I am shocked.
An update on TRAINING AND LIFE IN GENERAL:
She is retrieving like a champ to our hand….stuffed toys, mostly. She isn’t into the balls yet for some reason. She is coming on command and just starting to get “sit”. I started working with her on heeling as well, but that’s a little trickier. She is starting to get it, but barely. Berkley went with us to take big sister to school for her first day of school today. And then she snuggled on the couch with us and listened in as I read a Sofia the First story to our youngest. She’s one fun pup. I attached a few pictures.
Thanks so much, Amanda
Breeder Comment
It was very sweet of you to update us on Berkley. We appreciate the follow through you are doing too! It is paying off. Yes, we try to set the pups up for success, but it takes more than a little knack to step quickly toward success.
The potty training is excellent. I love that you used the bell system. Around here that would not work, but in a traditional family setting it can get you off to a good start fast. Be sure to get a fecal exam. Giardia and coccidia are common one-celled parasites that can quickly multiply and reek havoc on the pup’s intestine. Treatment isn’t a big deal if you catch it early. Pups prefer puddle water, and they also lick their feet all the time. These are great ways to ingest something that can take off like a wildfire.
For those that have never collected a sample–you invert a baggie (Mark your name on this baggie first to ensure it is labeled). Grab a portion of a suspicious looking sample and invert and seal the baggie. Label a second baggie with your name, the pup’s name as well as the date and time the sample was collected. Keep this sample cool (not frozen). Freshness is important; therefore, get the collected sample to the Vet office ASAP. Collect it just before you leave when possible.
This one thing can save you a lot of trouble. Stress diarrhea is a thing. We might fear the worst, and it could be stress. Canned or steamed pumpkin is great for correcting a loose stool. It is not a bad idea to give your pup a couple of tablespoons twice a day and even some berry yogurt–the kind with live cultures. These are very good for their digestion, and the yogurt helps ward off yeast infections too.
Much-Loved
Koda
Oh we love him so very, very much!!!! He’s super loving, smart and just ornery enough to make you laugh often!!! Wouldn’t trade him for the world.
Koda still doesn’t like being in a crate while we are gone! A carabiner solved the getting out issue but I have no idea how he got the zipper on his bed open to tear up the foam. I guess we take out everything except his stuffy while we are gone now. His crating seems to be going backwards. Koda doesn’t realize how stubborn his dad is though. Ha-ha! 🙂
I just wish he would do better when we were gone. I’m sure part of it is due to how much time he spends with me during the day. Working from home isn’t always a good thing. We are talking about taking him to the doggy day care one day a week some friends of ours take their dogs to. I think that would be good for him. Don’t worry, he’s not going anywhere!!! 🙂
Breeder’s Comment
I don’t suppose Koda can blame this on the neighbor’s dog.
Snacking
What’s For Dessert?
It begins from the day you bring them home. Chewing and mouthing everything the pup challenges you to keep them away from your household and personal items. After all, they all contain your scent and what do they love more than you? Nothing!
Many people are frantic to find something that occupies their young Weimaraner and at the same times satisfies their need to chew. Flavored Chews are popular. While we never use rawhide, a lot of folks swear by it. You might ask why would use the all Natural USA Pig Ears for a young Weimaraner but refuse to incorporate the rawhide. Both are made of the outer hide so to speak; however, the pig ears are digestible. They are primarily fat. In our experience, the Weimaraner often has a tender gut. Bits of rawhide can cause irritation leading to diarrhea or even a bloody stool. Worse yet, these can lead to an intestinal blockage.
- THE BARk —The Dangers of Rawhide Dog Chew Toys
- Web Md — http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/rawhide-good-or-bad-for-your-dog#1
- Natural Pawz — https://naturalpawz.com/blog/the-most-dangerous-pet-chew-ever-rawhide
- Dog Food Advisor Recall Notification <== Important Recall Notice!
If you opt to use the rawhide for your voracious chewer, there are things you ought to do.
Monitor them when they are chewing to make sure they are not tearing big chunks off and ingesting them.
- Make sure you get the product of USA–this doesn’t guarantee they are chemical free. If fact, there is no such thing when it comes to rawhide.
- If you have children and your dog is guarding their food and bones, only allow them to have them in their crate. You need to work on getting them to allow you to pick up their food, etc., however, never take a chance with your children.
- Be alert! If they are vomiting or lethargic put the rawhide aside and keep a vigilant watch. Go to your Veterinary office if this doesn’t pass quickly.
- Rawhides are not the only concern — socks, trash finds, shoes, stuffed toys, and the list goes on and on.
Weimar Parents Know
Extracting a bit of fabric from their bum is not our idea of a good time. Nonetheless, you cannot have the Weimaraner dragging that disgusting bit around the house. (Ewe) Shoes are expensive–they like designer leather, but a good tennis shoe works as well. These carry your scent which is a huge plus if they miss you, but they also can carry the Parvovirus and other bacteria, etc. that can be ingested. The trashcan is choice shopping. A paper that smells so chicken–yum. My personal favorite was a discarded artificial Christmas Tree limb. Fortunately for Turbo Mama was in tune with him and caught the issue in time. It required surgical removal. Other extractions included bits of a rope bone, rocks and part of a Kong toy. Even those heavy duty rubber toys eventually crack–toss them when they start to wear. As you see, we are not limiting the concern to the rawhide items; however, they are something we don’t recommend with a clear conscience. Yesterday, we saw a post where golf balls were removed. The list is endless.
Please note that although Waylon escaped his crate and got into things, nothing was destroyed. What a good boy!
Waylon
Off To A Good Start
It’s hard not to brag how good he’s doing! Sleeping pretty much through the night ( sometimes needs out once). He’s a chewer but sticks to his toys. He loves attention but isn’t whining at all when he goes in the crate ( I’ve been doing random times for an hour or so when I’m home so he isn’t anxious when he does have to be left). He plays a few hours and sleeps a few hours. He goes into his crate and sleeps on his own. And also goes into the living room to sleep on his bed. Needy but not anxious to be apart.
Breeder Comment
Stormy “So, you want a kiss?”
Waylon’s lineage is pretty amazing. It includes maternal Grandma Deli, Grandpa Zee as well as the infamous Stormy and Dusty on the paternal side. Dusty is the only living grandparent, but all the aforementioned Weims had more than decent longevity. Hollee was a late in life offspring for Miss Deli–a single pup litter (after many attempts in the hope of getting her. Almost every OwyheeStar pup is related to one or more of these foundational Weimaraners.
We sincerely hope Waylon lives long and continues to thrive. Again, we sincerely thank you, for this update. We know others appreciate reading it too!
Juniper
AKA June Bug
I just wanted to drop a quick note to update you on our little June Bug, she is doing great!
She is doing extremely well in her training, she is smart and biddable. As you know, we completed one Puppy Obedience class, and now I am bringing her with me to teach the group Obedience classes that I conduct- I use her for demonstrations, as I tell my students that I am in the same boat they are, with a five-month old puppy just learning the ropes! Everyone thinks she is adorable and as we wrap up the hour, I take questions and such as Juniper lies at my feet, then she begins to roll and kick and act silly and everyone cracks up! She is enjoying meeting all the other dogs in class, she is quite submissive and really enjoys the smaller dogs and the calmer puppies the most. I plan to enroll her in another Home Obedience class in about a month so she gets more training as well.
We are going to enter more UKC dog shows that are in October, she will be in the 6-9 month puppy class so I am grateful that the judges understand puppy behavior- it will be a challenge to get her to stand still and gait without getting distracted, but we will do our best and most importantly, we will have fun!
She is fully housetrained, we did not have even one single accident. Amazing.
Once we got her over her initial drama about being in her kennel crate, she now loves it. She has her blankie and her squeaky toy and I give her a chewie treat, it is her safe haven and she will run into it on her own and take a nap, even with the door still open.
She is quite the huntress like Willow, they stalk and catch little prey on my property here, such as voles, mice, moles and an occasional bird. They love to run the pastures while I work around my place, which is what we will do today as I have chores to do.
She is perfectly healthy, strong and bright and beautiful, I get compliments on her (and Willow of course) continually.
Willow and Juniper have very different personalities, which is fun- I enjoy watching them interact with each other and build their “sister” relationship. Juniper is much more of a challenge to raise, I am glad she is with me because I think a novice dog owner would have had a difficult time with her. Willow was a breeze to raise, Juniper takes more work but she is precious and we love her. I can tell that she will be a fabulous adult dog when she matures, she needs to be guided in the right direction and we will be successful.
Thanks again for my two wonderful girls, talk to you soon, Jan~
From Central Oregon
Where do I begin?
~We are Living In Idaho!
We’ve moved to Middleton, and we have been here for over a month. I am finally settling in.This pup (Cooper) is full of energy, I’ve stopped trying to compare anything to Ada (my former Weimar). He’s his own beast.
The adjustment
He took to the crate with no problems. and I can now leave him out during the day (doggy door to go out) while I’m at work and there’s nothing out of place minus the random stick or rock he brings in. I’m pretty amazed honestly.
I’ve been working 15/20 min a day (well try to) with a bird wing. and he is taking to it and the training pretty well. I tell myself he’s still just a pup and try not to expect too much at the moment. My dad got a pup that’s just a few weeks older, and it’s been fun watching them develop.
Thank you for this crazy weim. And I’ll try to give you some future updates without as much time passing.
Breeder Comment
We are happy to hear that Cooper has made a good adjustment despite all the change that occurred. This move may work to his favor in the future. The more adaptable Weimaraner is the better-balanced adult. Thank you for the time and effort to send us the update.
Apollo
Photos at Six-Weeks
~Prior to Leaving OwyheeStar
Apollo is adjusting well. In fact, I would venture to say he has settled into our home and is now taking to trying to become the boss like any weim would. He is a very good puppy. He has a very active day each day and lots of good rest at night. He is very “birdie” around the quail and I am looking forward to working him in the field this fall. He is really taking to working the birds albeit slowly as he is a puppy. He gets sidetracked with fun sticks and other such things. He appears to be doing very well and I have had him to the vet and the vet says he is doing well.
We are already on our third collar he is growing so fast.
Thank you again for helping me to get a new puppy. I truly mean that thank you.
~Tony
Piper
Hello Cliff and Shela,
I have been reading about the pups settling into their new homes and it is wonderful to hear that so many people love their Weims as much as I do. Piper is doing great here and is a very happy girl. She is in training classes which has made a world of difference in her behavior and my ability to communicate with her. I highly recommend it to anyone getting a pup. Puppies are a lot of work and Weim puppies are even more work than other breeds (most hunting dogs are).
While I love to hear how happy people are with their pups, I want to emphasize that the Weimaraner is not easy. I know that you warn potential Weim owners on your page that the Weim is not for everyone which is great- people need to know the reality of having a Weim. They are extremely smart, high energy, and require a LOT of patience. I was expecting this, but for anyone that has not experienced having a Weim SMART means difficult. The Weim will test you at every opportunity that they get, they lose interest very quickly, they are distracted easily (dog, person, leaf, fly, STICK! etc.), they find new fun ways to get around whatever is in their way of getting what they want or getting out of what they don’t want to do.
Weims absolutely definitely are prone to separation anxiety which seems like, “Awe, my dog loves me so much that she wants to be by my side all the time.” Nope. This means that if you ever want a moment to yourself or you don’t want your house to be destroyed while you are gone, then you better crate train. Even if you crate train they will still throw a fit when you leave, but stay strong it does get easier, so stick with it. Remember how smart I said the Weim is? Yeah, they will find crafty ways to get out of going in their crate too (sad face, hiding, you can’t catch me, I don’t care that there are treats in there etc.) and it is a different game every day.
Have I mentioned the high level of energy? Not just hyper energy, but stamina. This is a trait that I love about the Weim because it makes them excellent running partners. The Weim is go, go go, and when you think to yourself, “she must be tired, I really wore her out today” you would be wrong. After a 20 minute power nap, the Weim is ready to go again. You must be an active person to handle a Weim! Everything is a game to them and their favorite things are playing (especially with other dogs), running, exploring, chasing cats, digging, sticks, and their human. The best part is that even with all of this energy, they love to cuddle when it is time to relax.
Thank you Cliff and Shela for setting Piper up for success by initiating her crate training from the beginning. I love her so very much! We have a great time together and there is no other breed that I would prefer even when she’s difficult. She is perfect :0)
Breeder Comment
Yes, Piper’s tail is undocked. This failure to crop the tail short was a deliberate choice by Piper’s mother. If you have never seen the undocked tail–here you go.
Owyheestar Weimaraner's News 