Is this schedule suitable for my 5 month old?

[neuroclusterbrain]

I’d really like some advice/ a second opinion on if this is a good schedule for my pup. Sometimes I feel like he isn’t getting enough time outside of the crate. Whenever it’s crate time there’s at least 10 minutes of crying, and he’s starting to show defiance towards going in there. It makes me feel like i’m doing something wrong, but I work from home and I need to get things done. He cannot be confined in a pen without my 100% attention, he has practically 0 independence. He would just scream cry until I come and play with him. I know they’re a high energy breed, but i’m having a hard time gauging just how much energy needs to be burned. He could go forever, so when does it go from puppy that needs exercise to overly tired puppy that is just trying to go and go and go. I wish I didn’t have to crate him but until he’s older and trained further it just isn’t possible.

8am - 10am - Potty / Inside Play time / Breakfast ( 2 hours )

10 am- 12:30pm - Crate time (2.5 hours)

12:30 - 1:30 pm - Potty / Lunch / Outside Playtime/ Walk ( 1 hour )

1:30 - 3:30 pm - Crate Time (2.5 hours)

3:30 pm - 6:30 - Potty/ Outside Playtime/ Walk/ Supper ( 3 hours )

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm - Crate time ( 2 hours)

8:30 pm - 9:30 - Potty/ Dinner/ Inside Playtime (1 hour )

9:30 pm - 10:30 - Pen confinement / Long lasting chew / Wind down time for bed. ( 1 hour )

10:30 pm - Last potty break

10:45 pm - 8 am - Bed time in the crate. Late night potty break if he needs to go. (9 hours)

8 hours of play/ exercise/ training
7 hours crate throughout the day

 

[love111]

@neuroclusterbrain One thing I would change is feed him in the crate. The goal is to show him that the crate is more of a home/safe space than a confined space. Another thing we did with GSD is whenever we saw him chilling like when chewing on his toy or treats, we'd relocate him to the crate. Again to show that the crate is space for him to chill.

Another thing we made sure to do right away is when we'd leave him in the crate, we'd try to leave the house for 20+ minutes. This helped with separation anxiety and taught him that the crate is a safe place regardless if we were close or not. Covering his crate with a blanket might help as well.

Honestly, it takes a time. Our GSD was similar in that the second he was locked up, he start crying bloody murder and it honestly felt hopeless but we stuck to our guns and one day he just stopped. Loved his crate ever since.

 

[neuroclusterbrain]

@love111 That gives me hope, thank you! It was once way worse than this, but the fact it’s persisting was making me second guess myself. I will definitely try feeding him in there and since i have him doing wind down time outside of the crate, i’ll try having him chill in there before and see if that makes a difference.

 

[echeneis]

@neuroclusterbrain

Sometimes I feel like he isn’t getting enough time outside of the crate. Whenever it’s crate time there’s at least 10 minutes of crying, and he’s starting to show defiance towards going in there. It makes me feel like i’m doing something wrong

The amount of people who "crate train" their dog is mind boggling. I have never, ever had to crate train any of my 2 gsd, 3 huskies, or my lab. They just need to know theyll be safe in the crate, not locked in one for hours at a time.

Your dog needs to be used to behaving themselves indoors, thats all. I swear to god so many people crate train their dog and wonder why they have a massive ball of anxiety and bad behaviors of a pet. Lock yourself in a small cage for 7 hours a day and see if you dont go crazy yourself.

Btw I rehabilitate dogs, so many of them are crate trained. Please, please stop doing this.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@echeneis This is a bad take

 

[mary77]

@neuroclusterbrain Hi! I work from home as well. Is it possible to start trying to train him to be out of the crate during the day? Mine likes to get up and move around while I’m working and I’d say I have the same play times/breaks as you. I will say he has a lot of physical exercise in the morning and then naps throughout the work day. Mine will sometimes whine next to me to play but if I’m busy I just ignore and he’ll go lay down

 

[neuroclusterbrain]

@mary77 This is what we are gonna start working on. He doesn't have much independence and will either turn to destruction or cry and stare at me from the other side of the gate for what seems like eternity. He is really really bad with the biting right now and he is relentless, so I can't let him through the gate. He also doesn't seem to comprehend that he can go lay down in his crate if he wants to, if he's out he wants to play no matter how tired he really is. I'm thinking it's something that'll subside as he gets older, but I'm definitely going to work on it.