Only One Day to Crate Train Tank the Dog!

One of our new dogs, Tank, is HUGE. He’s part Black Lab and part Great Dane. We were hoping he’d make a good hunting dog but, alas, that is not going to be the case. After a month of having our adorable “big baby,” we have determined that Tank is…special.

He is NOT good at:

Sitting, staying or any other regular dog command

Letting go of the ball (I’m surprised we all still have our fingers)

Eating or drinking without making a huge mess

He IS good at:

Eating sticks

Farting

Napping

Snoring

Being house-trained

Bumping into us when we’re walking

Lying his head on our feet when we are sitting or standing still

Hiding under the kitchen table when he’s done something wrong (even before we know what he’s done)

Giving a terribly pitiful, downcast look when he’s in trouble that makes you say, “Oh, it’s okay! We’re not mad! Don’t cry, Tank!!”

Tank’s little sister, Moon, is about half his size. She is very smart. Moon’s only continuous problem is one she can’t control. She pees on the floor when she gets excited. Thank goodness we don’t have any carpet! Moon has gone romping in the woods with Brian and she is obedient, and learns new commands very quickly. So, she’s going to be the hunting dog.

Last week, I mentioned what happened when we tried to put both dogs in crates. All Hell broke loose. Well, we have fixed the problem and it only took one good idea from Brian, and one day.

When we got the dogs, it was clear they were not trained. Tank who is, again, huge, liked to jump on people when greeting them. Of course, he’s big enough to knock an adult down (and do great damage to a child). So, we bought collars that vibrate. I was very skeptical at first but they really work!!

Yesterday, Brian set up his GoPro on a tripod in the living room. We then put both dogs in their crates, said goodbye, and pretended to leave. We walked out the front door, and locked it. Mason and I really did leave, heading to our guitar lesson. Brian circled back around the house, and quietly entered the back of the house. He then sat down with the remote control for the collars, and watched the GoPro feed on his laptop.

Tank wasted no time trying to bite through the metal on the crate, and then attempted to pull up the base of it. Brian pushed a button to make his collar vibrate and he stopped the behaviors. He then tried to start again but Brian beeped him and he laid down and went to sleep. He was so good for so long that Brian was able to run to the grocery store. Tank never misbehaved after that.

Tank is in the “large” crate on the left. Moon is in the “extra large” crate on the right. They traded crates the first day we got them. As long as they are both comfortable, that’s fine with us. Tank also prefers the small doggie bed in our room while Moon likes the larger one.

Last night, we had to leave for youth group and choir practice. And, Tank behaved for that, too. Moon was an angel the entire time…until we got home. We opened her crate and she was so happy to see us that she peed – everywhere. Ug.

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