# Crate help needed!!!



## Adelle25 (Sep 4, 2011)

Hello 

Copper is nearly 7 months, he still doesn't really like his crate, i say bed and he will sit and look at me, i always have a treat in there and ones that i give him once he is in. Eventually he goes in but sometimes i have to lift him in!!. 

He has slept in my bed this last week as i have been on holiday. My neighbour said to me that on boxing day be barked for 1 and a half hours! i left at 5 and came back at 7! 

I walk him about 4-6 miles a day and do training too, his never in the crate longer than 3 hours, (i have lovely next door neighbours who let him out morning and afternoon and walk him) but he still barks!! 

The crate is a giant one and i fit in it!, i put food, toys and water in there for him, i think he feels he cant stand up but he can. 

I'm thinking of converting my office into his day room, pop his bed in there and then he can have the freedom to walk about. 

A typical week for copper

Monday and Tuesday he goes to Doggy day care from 7.30-6
Wednesday walk morning and night crate during the day 
Thursday my sister has him 
Friday morning crate I'm home by 1.30!
Then over the weekend i very rarely leave him!

What do you think? i think his a lucky do really as he is only crated 1 and a half days! 

Help ......


----------



## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

One important thing to do is be consistent. You mentioned he has been in your bed since you have been on holiday. This is a huge mistake as if you want him to sleep in a crate that is where he should always sleep. 

Some dogs don't take to the crate no matter how many treats you give them but being consistent will at least help.


----------



## CopperPenny (Jan 5, 2012)

Hi, I also have a Vizsla named Copper  I work from home so she doesn't go in her crate during the day, unless I go out. She LOVES her crate, it's her safe place. Every night when I go to bed, she goes in her crate & whenever I leave the house, she goes in the crate. I always give her a treat as soon as she goes in but I don't really need to but it's become part of the routine. She has a bed in there but nothing else. I think the main thing is to be consistent. The crate is a great thing for a dog (especially given that they are den animals). Sometimes when we travel, we take the crate with us so she has a familiar place to sleep. I have had dogs (not Vizslas) in the past who didn't take to the crate as well. But once your dog gets use to it, it is their place & a source of comfort. Good luck!


----------



## RustyBear (Jul 25, 2011)

This post isn't really help, but just wanted to let you know you're not alone 

We hae a 7 month old V (male) and he has never liked his crate. After 3 months of trying him in the crate and night, we finally caved in and put him bed with us at night... now all is peaceful. He is our little snugglebug and just wanted to be with mom and dad at night

We crate him 3 days a week while we are at work, he is let out over lunch to romp and play and run around and then we run him at night and work on training. He goes to doggy day care one day a week, which is THE best. He loves it and comes home and sleeps all the way through until the next day. The other days we are home with him or working from home and rarely ever crate him.

When he is crated though, lately he has been ripping up the blanket we put in there...so I know at some point while we are gone he is losing his mind. We never hear him barking when we pull in and the neighbors say they don't either, but it's obv happening. We put him in the crate for one hour on a Sunday night so we could have dinner at the neighbors..he was sleeping before he went in... we came home and he must've been bouncing around in it because the back latch (it's one of those wire ones) was busted out and made a couple of huge gouges in the wall. Yhank goodness the wall was there or he probably wouldve been free! We now crate him in the heavier duty plastic crates......which bums me out becuase he does go into the wire one when he's tired or needs a nap.

Again, sorry I don't really have any suggestions, just wanted to let you know you aren't the only one with a V who pretty much hates being crated. Hopefully some good tips or ideas come out of your post.....or magically these guys have a change of heart soon ;D


----------



## Emily1970 (Apr 21, 2011)

I feel everyone's pain. We did everything suggested and Riley absolutely HATES the cage. We have arranged our schedule so he actually only has to go in a cage 2 1/2 hours 3 x a week. If we want to go out, doggy day care has been our savior. No matter what we give him, act toward him, train him, he carries on so bad in his crate that the neighbors ask about it. So I'm no help, but trust me, we have tried everything. :-\


----------



## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Our Riley girl has learned to hate the crate when she *knows* we are leaving. She can go in there and be perfectly quiet, as long as we are in the house, but she can ALWAYS tell when we are going to leave her. I'm sure she knows the signs (me grabbing my purse, etc.) and we probably also use some key words that she's learned ("are you ready?" "let's go"). I'm just glad our neighbors on all three sides have loud dogs AND babies, so they are always apologizing to us for the noise coming from their houses.


----------



## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Ok. I will chime in since my V is named Copper also. I think you are not being consistaint with him. He needs to do the same thing every night, and he needs to do what YOU tell him to. Once a command is given there are no options except to obey the command. If you let them waiver (ie. sleep where they want) just one time; you are back at square 1! Start over, do the right thing and stick to it.


----------

