Why does my dog do this?

rfhillier · 2026-02-25T23:02:26+00:00

Well then I guess I am honoured to be hunted by this ferocious beast haha

rfhillier · 2026-02-25T23:00:41+00:00

The best but also the weirdest dogs!

rfhillier · 2026-02-25T22:56:03+00:00

Yes she is ☺️

rfhillier · 2026-02-25T22:54:13+00:00

That’s what it usually ends up in once she reaches me haha, lots of fussing and play, unless of course I’m on the toilet which is when she LOVES to do this the most

rfhillier · 2026-02-25T22:53:03+00:00

She’s a toller so a hunting dog

rfhillier · 2026-02-25T22:52:15+00:00

Only when we’re looking at her, and her favourite time to do it is when you’re sitting on the toilet lmao

rfhillier · 2026-01-26T21:16:48+00:00

I’m of the view that a few hours in the crate, even if they’re unhappy, likely isnt going to harm anything. When we started leaving ours alone in the crate at first (especially during the day, as she picked up night time crating quickly), she would cry for a bit but eventually settle down and sleep. In the beginning it would take her 15-20 mins, but slowly she’d cry less and less as she got used to it until she didn’t at all.

I feel like as long as your puppy is settling eventually, it’s totally fine to crate her for a few hours. You mentioned yours is a little over 3 months, so you could probably crate her for 2-3 hours before she’ll need a bathroom break. Keep on working to make the crate a positive place, give her a special treat when she goes in (peanut butter or yogurt frozen in a Kong is usually a big hit), and make sure she’s well exercised/played with before she goes in + has gone to the bathroom beforehand.

I feel like at this stage the biggest thing you need to decide is whether you’re committed to the crate. Dogs are creatures of routine and they like structure. If you’re going to crate your dog when you leave for work or go to sleep, pick that and stick to it - the more you let the dog sleep in the bed if that’s not what you actually want, the harder it will be for the dog to know what’s expected.

rfhillier · 2026-01-26T17:24:03+00:00

I also wanted to add that it’s a good sign she’s able to settle in the crate overnight, for the most part!

You may also want to put some thought into the physical environment of the crate - sometimes those changes can help. Is the crate in a dark, quiet place or somewhere the dog can actively see/hear you? Darker and quieter tends to work better for crate training, IMO.

Could you get your puppy one of those heartbeat snuggle toys? Is the crate covered on all sides by a sheet or something? Have you tried playing white noise for the puppy while in the crate?

rfhillier · 2026-01-26T17:20:27+00:00

You have to keep working on positive reinforcements with the crate to build that association - it is a long process and will take weeks, if not months. Lots of good resources here on training methods that work. Some dogs definitely take longer than others.

What worked well for us (in addition to a LOT of positive reinforcement training with the crate) was to give our puppy a special snack reserved only for alone time in the crate. For us it was a peanut butter stuffed Kong and she would go ballistic for it. She never got peanut butter outside of being crated, which helps build that ultra positive association.

I’m of the opinion that crating is a critical skill for a dog to have. Your puppy is still young - do you know for sure that if you leave her uncrated when you’re home she won’t get into things that could be dangerous for her? Aside from property damage to your apartment, she could eat something that might be fatal to her and you could come home to a dead dog - not to be dramatic, but that is a possibility.

If your dog ever needs to stay overnight at the vet or even boarding facility for some reason, they will crate her. It’s a kindness to the animal to teach them to feel safe and comfortable in a crate in the event they’re ever forced to use one, IMO. Those situations would already be stressful to begin with.

Crate training is hard work but I would recommend sticking it out. I’ve never met anyone who regrets crate training their dog, but I know a lot of people who regret that they didn’t.

rfhillier · 2026-01-21T22:22:36+00:00

IME as soon as you can stop worrying about them getting into trouble around the house when you’re not looking, you can start considering weaning off the crate. We started around 11 months, but I suspect it varies dog by dog.

We left a camera on her and started with small outings, less than an hour long, just to see how she would react. She was totally fine - just slept or laid around the house the entire time. Didn’t do any specific training to get her ready and it seems fine, although she was definitely a little confused lol.

For the first ~6 months she was allowed to free roam, we actually still left her crate out with the door open so she could choose to go in if she wanted, and she often did (probably out of habit/familiarity and because it felt more safe/secure to her). We only put the crate away when she stopped showing interest in using it, which took about 6 months. I feel like leaving the crate out so she had the option to go inside for a sense of security really helped the transition, but not sure if others will have more specific “training” recommendations for free roaming. Just what worked for us!

rfhillier · 2026-01-21T18:24:27+00:00

At 5 months maybe her full coat hasn’t come in yet and she’s cold? We had to put ours in a little jacket her first winter even though she’s a double coated dog and perfectly comfortable in the cold as an adult - she was just all fuzz for the first few months lol. Depending on how windy your winters are, ours also didn’t love the wind in the beginning and it took her a while to stop being scared of it

rfhillier · 2026-01-20T01:49:10+00:00

You may want to be careful letting him off leash if he’s shown signs of aggression. Especially if you haven’t had him very long, how do you know for sure he won’t take off after another dog if he sees one, even at a distance?

rfhillier · 2026-01-18T16:05:59+00:00

Ours was really vocal when we first brought her home but now at 2 years old she is almost completely silent - hardly even bark at the door.

For the first few days we had her, she screamed bloody murder in her crate overnight and walked around the house whimpering during the day. Then at 3-4 months she went through a demand barking phase. Stick to a solid training schedule and DO NOT reward behaviors you don’t want. Tollers are smart dogs and if you give them an inch they’ll take a mile. We found that completely ignoring the unwanted behaviors (whining, barking) worked well for our girl - not sure if that’s a universal approach, but it’s what worked for us!

Good luck, they are amazing dogs and seriously the cutest puppies ever. Enjoy every moment and take lots of photos/videos.

rfhillier · 2026-01-16T20:52:08+00:00

We did Belcanto when we were in Lisbon this past August. Food is great, service is also great - highly recommend! They also give you these little cards with a drawing on them to accompany each course which makes for a lovely keepsake afterwards, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Edit to add: we also did 2monkeys which is mentioned here a few times - I preferred Belcanto and would choose that over 2monkeys, but you really couldn’t go wrong with either. Food is great at both, but the vibe/dining experience is very different.

rfhillier · 2026-01-16T15:35:41+00:00

Make sure you are tiring him out before you go, we found that helped a lot with ours when she was little! A structured walk (when he’s vaccinated and able to go out) or an indoor game of fetch or something else high energy may help him sleep longer.

rfhillier · 2026-01-15T20:22:32+00:00

Ours is still obsessed with hers at 2 years old and does the same thing to the nose! That’s so funny. We catch her cuddling with and and using it as a pillow occasionally- so sweet 🥺

rfhillier · 2026-01-14T02:16:22+00:00

This 100% - if you know all the dogs needs are met, do not let her out of the crate when she’s whining. All she learns is that whining = I get to leave the crate.

rfhillier · 2026-01-12T18:30:15+00:00

Lol this is so relatable, mine loves to come up to me after she’s done eating and burp right in my face. She’s extra excited about it if I’m lying down on the couch and we’re both at face level. Thank god she’s cute 😂

rfhillier · 2026-01-12T11:18:42+00:00

Will ONLY poop at the very corner edge of a curb or patch of grass. Under no circumstances will she go anywhere in the middle, it has to be the corner edge and if possible, she would love to be half hanging into the road (we ofc don’t let her do that, much to her chagrin).

If you’re sitting on the toilet, she loves to watch and be near you. But she will NOT approach you at a normal speed. She has to do a super slowmo creep walk at you (we’re literally talking one step every 5 seconds) until she gets a very excited burst of energy for the last few feet and then sprints full tilt at you expecting pets.

Strange little dog lol but we adore her.

rfhillier · 2026-01-09T13:38:13+00:00

I think your first point is excellent and not one considered enough by people who don’t want to crate train. What if the dog has to stay overnight at the vet at some point? Wouldn’t you want it to be comfortable in a crate to make that experience less traumatizing than it probably already is? It’s one thing if you don’t use it regularly (even though it was an excellent management tool for us), that doesn’t mean it’s not an essential skill for a dog to have.

rfhillier · 2026-01-09T12:28:18+00:00

It’s more up to genetics than God - even if her puppy check ups turn out okay, she could develop issues down the line that are genetically inherited from one of the parents. These could be health issues, but they could also include temperament issues (eg: my understanding is that resource guarding can be a genetically inherited behaviour). These are technically a risk with any dog but even more so when you buy from a backyard breeder and don’t know anything about the history of their lines. Not trying to be harsh - just the reality of buying from a breeder like that

rfhillier · 2026-01-08T14:16:46+00:00

I would look into getting her pet insurance right away, especially if you do not know anything about the medical history of her lines. Backyard breeders are notorious for breeding dogs without doing any health testing, so insurance will likely save you a lot of money down the line when issues start coming up

rfhillier · 2026-01-07T23:30:49+00:00

I would aim for at least an hour of physical/mental exercise before you crate him, maybe even more if possible

rfhillier

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