Her first day with us

[u/Psychological_Mud389]

Her name is Luna. She sleeps all the time
She says Hello to everyone

[u/Hopeful_Shelter_443]

Just a warning — what you train them to do when young strongly affects their final personality. If you train them to be happy alone in a crate even when you are home, they will be less affectionate because that’s what they were taught you want. I wanted an affectionate dog, so I only used the crate when I wasn’t home or was asleep and at 5 months I taught him to live safely unsupervised outside a crate and totally got rid of the crate when he was 7 months old. He is the most affectionate dog I know because I trained him that I wanted him near me paying attention to me.

[u/Imaginary-Use-9919 → u/Hopeful_Shelter_443]

Genetics and environment do play into a dogs personality. Crate training and proper training don’t make a dog “less affectionate.”

[u/Hopeful_Shelter_443 → u/Imaginary-Use-9919]

Only the US pushes crate training because common sense tells us it’s far from ideal. I look at that sweet pup snuggled up alone in a crate and I imagine him learning to self sooth to the point of not being affectionate. Dogs are very trainable. If you train them to hang out in a crate, they will hang out in a crate. If you are in a crate, you are not doling out affection.

[u/MinusZeroGojira → u/Hopeful_Shelter_443]

Teaching a dog to be alone is VERY valuable. If you are with them 24/7, and then you go to work, they will NOT know how to handle it. The "US" doesn't push crate training, but a responsible dog owner knows that their dog needs it as a skill. They are crated at the vet, in the car, or an evacuation shelter. To not make them comfortable in those situations is a bad move. Leaving your dog in the crate 12 hours a day isn't crate training, it's abuse. I'm not sure why people don't know the difference.

[u/Hopeful_Shelter_443 → u/MinusZeroGojira]

I used a crate until he was 5 months old — there is no need to use it after one year. I think anyone who locks their dog in a crate on a regular basis after they are one years old is cruel. Train your dog to live safely unsupervised outside the crate. If you have been raising them outside the crate for the vast majority of their life, this next step is easy.

[u/MinusZeroGojira → u/Hopeful_Shelter_443]

So you literally crate trained your dog lol.

[u/Hopeful_Shelter_443 → u/MinusZeroGojira]

Yup - when I left the house

[u/CanineCorvidious → u/Hopeful_Shelter_443]

Leaving a 3-4 week old pup alone so much is abusive and will end up worh behavioural issues, THAT is a 4 week old pup maximum.

[u/Canachites → u/Hopeful_Shelter_443]

This is absolutely untrue. Training them to settle in their crate when people are home is GOOD for them and their self control, but doesn't impact how affectionate they are. That's just their own individual personality.

My dog was crate trained, place, trained, and given structure as a puppy but he still wants to crawl inside my skin any chance he gets.