[DKC]

I am having trouble getting my 4mo old puppy to go in her crate on her own.

I had a plastic type kennel that she hated, so I got a cage type and that made her barking/whining go down from 3+ hours a night to about 10-20 minutes. I give her food and water in the cage and she will go in to eat. She will also go in to get toys out to play with. However, that's the only time, so when I want to put her up so I can do something or go out or go to bed, I have to either spend 20 minutes tricking her, or to pick her up and PUT her in - which I have read you really shouldn't do.

Everything I read talks about using treats and I have found treats she likes. However, when it comes to going in the crate, she looks at me as if to say, "yeah, those are tasty, but no way will I go in that thing." Even when I do get her in, I try to give her a treat as a reward and she won't take it. She lets it fall in the floor and often won't even eat it at all.

I don't know what to do.

 

[skelaki]

You may just have to put her in, shut the door and leave. Practice using the crate at times when you are not going any place. Put her in and do things around the house for enough time that she's quiet. Then go, praise her first, and release her. Continue playing games using the crate as part of the game, and have a few crate only toys such as stuffed & frozen kongs to give her.

And remember that your attitude towards the crate will transmit itself to the dog so make sure that you are upbeat and positive about it. But insist that she go in the crate whether she likes it or not. It's for her safety as well as your sanity.

 

[japhyr]

I'm not sure if this works for everyone, but sometimes we would toss a treat in the crate and say "Crate!" as Willie went in to get it, and then go right on with the day without ever closing the crate. It seemed to get him away from the notion that, "If I go in the crate, I'm stuck in there for a while." He seemed surprised to be allowed to exit the crate right away, and seemed much more eager to go in there anytime after that.

 

[emily445455]

Dogs vary, some will love their crate right off the bat, and others will hate it for a long period of time. Penny at 6 months will sleep in her crate all the time, it took probably a year for Belle to lay in their for 10 minutes on her own. With both of them, there have been times where I have to physically put them in there, but it definilty gets better with time Now they both go in there without a problem, usually. I always give some sort of reward for going in, usually a chew or peanut butter in their kongs.

 

[DKC]

Thanks for the advice! I worked with her a bit today, getting her in there and being ok with staying in there. I waited until just before her dinnertime, so she was good and hungry and the treats were a lot harder for her to turn down. I guess I"ll just keep doing that for a while and hope it starts working!

 

[Suzi]

Haven't tried this on Remus, but what if you tie a toy to the inside of the crate, so she can only play with it in there?

 

[FlamingoFan]

That's one we're working on too. We each keep a little supply of Stella's food in our pockets as rewards. We toss a kibble in the crate and say, "Crate Stella!" she'll run in and sit there...."Good Crate!" She's gotten to the point that she will just run in there on her own and lay down. She keeps toys in there.

When I see her go in on her own and sit or lay down I say, "Good Crate" and give her a kibble.

Hang in there!!