[RubyLove]

Crating was never something definitely permanent with Ruby. No matter what we have tried she has never liked it in there, preferring to be wherever we are, and preferring to sleep out in the open. So now that she is housebroken she is no longer in the crate, and she sleeps all night. So crating is not an answer that I want to my question! It has been an amazing tool in housetraining but in general is not something I want to reintroduce.

The only problem is when I have to go out. My husband is deployed and I work watching children a few times a week. So at the moment I am rarely out for more than a few hours a day. While I am out she is in the laundry room, so she has room to move and play, it also has a hard floor and nothing I wouldn't mind her chewing, and a blanket she likes to lie on.

So, I am spending time in there with her, playing, giving her treats and she is always left in there with a kong, which she loves. Trying to make it a nice place, where good things happen for her. But she still views it the same as she did her crate. I am also having her in there for increasing amounts of time while im in the house, so she gets used to going in and knows I am coming back.

Are there any other ways I can get her to enjoy being in there? Other than staying in there permanently myself

I have read the threads on making the crate a good place and applied those ideas to the room, but she refuses to go in by herself to stay. She will follow me in when i'm doing laundry etc and has no problem going in by herself to fetch her toys out. I don't want to always have to lead/carry/trick her into going in there when I have to go out!

Any help will be appreciated.

 

[TooneyDogs]

Recognize that she will never learn to love it in there. It makes no difference whether it's a crate, the bathroom or the laundry room....any space where she's sociallyisolated is not going to be fun or eagerly accepted.
But, you're doing the right things...a kong, treats, making it a fun place, practicing the in and out on command (same as your crate training Kennel Up or IN command).

 

[jesirose]

Recognize that she will never learn to love it in there. It makes no difference whether it's a crate, the bathroom or the laundry room....any space where she's socially isolated is not going to be fun or eagerly accepted.

I disagree with that. The crate can certainly be fun and accepted.

It takes time. Keep doing what you're doing.

 

[RubyLove]

I disagree with that. The crate can certainly be fun and accepted.

Yes it can be, it just wasn't right for her.

I just want her to go in on command, without carrying her in or tricking her. Maybe as she gets older she might get more independent which will make it easier, but until then I will just carry on and hope she comes around to the idea

 

[jesirose]

Repeat it over and over - just the act of going in. In, out, in out. Each time she goes in say the cue you want. Give her a treat in there, let her right back out.

 

[RubyLove]

Should we go in and close the door, then treat her? Or start with just going in and out with it open? Because I know she will leave with the treat if its open, no matter how yummy or small it is, not eat it and wait for more!

I am thinking start with it open, because my problem may be that I am just moving her too fast with this. Although we went very slowly with the crate and she never went in there on command...

 

[jesirose]

Start with the door open. Use a treat she has to stay for - like peanut butter on a spoon.

 

[coffeedog]

One thing that really worked for us was feeding our puppy his meals in his crate. I also give him treats and put them in the crate. At first he was hesitant to go in, even leaving his back legs out the door. Now he's the complete opposite, I find him going into his crate to play, chew a rawhide, or just sleep with the door open. If we are doing something and can't keep our eyes on him we say CRATE and he happily goes in and sits down, and we close the door. It took some work but he loves his crate

 

[emily445455]

I agree with Tooney. Dogs usualy don't like crates or areas of confinment away from you at first, but will learn to like being in there (or at least tolerate it). You dog would probably like the crate if you kept with it. The laundry room will be the same, it takes time.