re crate training is not fun

[loverocksalot]

Trying to re crate train Rocky. He use to love his crate. But I want to do nosework and for my lecture I might need to crate him.
Got him all excited about going in he ran in there knowing good stuff was coming gave him a pb filled kong. He quietly licked at it while I was in shower. Now he is pathetically crying sounds like a puppy he is literally pulling at my heart strings with this cry to a howl. If you heard it you would be saying awe let him out. But I am trying to do just like I did when my kids were babies. Ignore the whine and they fall asleep. He has been in there about 20min that's all. Wish I had never stopped crate time right now. Im waiting for him to quiet so I can let him out. At least it is not a really loud cry. Its kind of a self lulling cry. He does this in the summer if it gets too hot and I am out at pool I send him in and he lays by the door crying this baby like self lullaby.
If you are doing crate time with your young dogs don't take it completely away some day you might be sorry.

[Dave]

I took Lola's crate away after Jackson passed, and put a small rug in that spot. She spent all her chewing time on that rug where her crate used to be. Then she started sleeping there, all curled up, without a bed.

I put it back within a week.

[loverocksalot]

The crate has been in storage for like 4 years. First it was in basement and he could access it if he wanted. Then 2 years ago I put it up in garage attic. Now it is in a spare room I have as an office. I got rid of it cause I hated having that thing in my kitchen or living room. THere is now furniture in every spot I have had the crate. I should have kept it down in the basement. Its finished and heated and a good hiding place. At one time he just went in his crate by 7pm and that is where he stayed for the night.

[maryellen]

i always keep rufus's crate up and around, with the door open , he is always in there and loves it, he is just a creature of habit when it comes to his crate.

[catstina]

The door to Saxon's crate is open all day. He runs in there to hide when something loud happens or when he gets tired.

[loverocksalot]

My fault it just was too ugly. Hope he learns to love it again. He quieted down and I let him out and took the kong away from him. Will save it for crate time. do you think he can learn to love it in 9 days. Does rufus whine in there? when you close the door I mean. Like if you were out at an event?

[maryellen]

rufus doesnt whine when he is in there at events (when i do the cgc i bring his vari kennel and he is crated until i need him). i have always kept his crate open for him, he sees it as a safe haven luckil

[loverocksalot]

Rocky at one time saw it as a safe haven until I put it away for over a year. He has a vari kennel, I did catch him in there a couple of weeks ago. OH well I will keep trying over the days and maybe he will stay in with out the whine but Im not counting on it.

[maryellen]

just keep praising him every time he goes in there and lays down in there... and load up the treats to when he goes in there, like toss a treat in the crate if he is in there being good.. walk by and toss treat in crate....

[catstina]

The only time Saxon whines in the crate is when we put him in at night and stay up talking in bed. Good luck with the training!

[loverocksalot]

Yeah Rocky goes in his crate in the hopes of getting a bully stick. I often give him one when I put him in. I will try just saying yay go in crate in that silly voice and when he runs in I will give him a treat just for that instead of closing the door. I cant believe I have to start this all over from beginning.

[happypuppy]

I crate trained Ruby at 4 or 5 years old... cuz I was too green and it sounded to mean when we first got her (LOL!!!!) All I did was get her semi-used to it tho since we don't have to employ it very often at all. I do leave the crate out an open and she alternates sleeping there and on her big bed. BUT I don't close it/practice it much and the last time I went to a friend's house to train, she TOTALLY EMBARRASSED me with her crying to be part of any action that was presently not involving her... and I stuffed her face with bully sticks and a kong, etc. UGH! I promised to practice more for the next time but haven't done it. Prob is I can stick her in her crate with nothing going on here at home and she's fine - it's when things are happening/other people are around that she gets stressed/whiny. We don't have much of a way to proof that tho since no one ever comes over. I'm going to have to recreate more action for us to practice realistically.....

Hang in there and just start with shorter increments and work back up. I used to randomly drop kibble/treats in there for her to come across later, too.

[loverocksalot]

It went well today. He stayed in chewing an antler I put some peanut butter on. Lasted about 10 min then when house got quiet and he thought I left. HE started whining. I got part of it on video as I set up the cam so I did not have to check on him. I think battery died before the whine though. I waited for him to get quiet and then I rewarded him with letting him out. Later on I decided I would give him a bully stick. He got very excited I said you have to go to crate. He ran there and chewed the stick for quite awhile. Then he decided to come out and bring it to his living room bad. I told him to drop it. He did. Then said you have to go to crate and he jumped on couch. Nope I said to crate. Jumped off couch and ran to crate where he finished off the stick. BTW even when he was crate trained he could not stay in there if company came over he would cry his head off. Which is why I don't think he will stay in the crate for a lecture or nosework class waiting his turn. Probably because my husband cant ignore whining so I was never able to just ignore him. My husband would blow it and let him out. Unwanted behavior reward!