# crate training



## Newreddog (Sep 13, 2012)

I am looking for some advice on crate training. i have an 8 week old male V and am working on crate training him. i am going to need to put him in his crate for a few hours at a time when i go to work and i would like to have him sleep in there. so far at night he cries for a bit but eventually goes to sleep. during the day is another story he cries constantly. do i make him wait it out or is that going to make him dislike his crate more? how should i go about getting him acquainted and liking his crate?


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## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

I failed at crate training my boy! I got him at five months (now eight) and he seemed to hate it... He would bark and cry...my family couldn't really stand to wait it out unfortunately so now he sleeps in the living room alone. 

I wish I would have stuck with it cuz now I worry about leaving him home alone. I fear I will never feel okay leaving him. So my advice would be... DON'T GIVE UP!

I am hoping maybe one day it either works out for me...or he all of a sudden loves his crate...ugh

Don't give up!  Good Luck!


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Start out slow - puppy gets treats just for walking in the crate. Then put the puppy in for 5-10 minutes. Add a few minutes on every day & pretty soon he'll be in there for hours with no issues. The key is to keep it positive. NEVER use the crate as a punishment. It worked for us! Riley is 12 months & will go in the crate when we say "crate" with no fuss or crying.


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## WillowyndRanch (Apr 3, 2012)

Threefsh has the right answer.
A couple things I might add is that we often feed in the crate as well. It helps a lot, especially if you travel with the dog as they are accustomed to it, and it's the same routine at home eating in the crate as on the road. 

I'll also crate a dog, drive a very short distance (5 minutes or so) and then go have fun - whether just a run in the field, a game of fetch etc., they learn the crate is a conveyance to a good time. 

Ken


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## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

I did all those things that they are suggesting, except crate while traveling.. And he still seemed to feel like he was being kept too far from us or something. So, even if you try all options and it still seems to not be working, DON'T give up on it. Lol

I read that they just learn to love it eventually...so hope it works out for you. 

P.S. He knew "go in your bed" and would love searching for treats in there, and being shut in alone with a new rawhide, but after 5 min he was ready to get out!!!


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## jjohnson (Nov 9, 2011)

Ours in 15 months old and he has learned that he gets a treat whenever he comes out of his crate, so he goes in there no problem, and does like it. You just have to make the crate seem like a good place to be! Except I think we created a monster because now he'll just go sit in his crate all by himself whenever he wants a treat


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## SkyyMax (Apr 5, 2012)

Feeding inside the crate worked for us. 
Max is no longer crated (due to a luck of space), but he always tries to sneak into Skyy's kennel and does NOT want to get out! 
I suspect he loves going camping only because he get to sleep in a crate 

Threefsh gave an excellent advice - start slow, 5-10 minutes to begin with, and soon your pup will have no problem being crated!

Good luck!


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## AKGInspiration (Aug 23, 2012)

it's all about trying lots of things.. keep it a neutral if not a positive thing for your pup. Practice short periods of time, when he is especially tired maybe? Have treats in there for them to discover through the day as they happen by. 
Both of mine are just fine in their crates, can't really put a finger on what I did or didn't do. But as he grows he will pitch fits, don't give in. Sometimes a correction for the fit is in order, sometimes ignoring is your best option. Whenever you work with the crate try not to let them out when they are fussing, wait till that moment when he has stopped then reward him by letting him out. That way he doesn't learn to fuss to get out, or you will get nowhere.


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## pippa31 (Aug 2, 2011)

Pips was incredibly resistant to her crate when we brought her home. We did a ton of crate work to make her more comfortable. Here are some things that worked for us:

- Giving her a Kong with frozen peanut butter every time she had to go in the crate (and this is the ONLY time she gets this treat)

-Putting her in for a couple of minutes at a time and building up to longer periods

-Once she had built up to longer periods, putting her on a schedule - dogs love their routines (as I learned)

-we used a great dvd called Crate Games, in which we played a lot of games with her while she was in her crate which made her associate crate time with positive, positive, positive

-we also brought her best dog friend, Gino, over and put both of them in the crate. She loved having Gino's scent in her crate...

It takes a lot of patience and perseverance. I am really glad we did the work and in retrospect, I know with our next dog I will do a better job. Hang in there. It makes a world of difference. We know Pippa is safe when we are out of the house and she now feels like she has a "safe" space when something is going on in the house (or anywhere we travel)that she is unsure of.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

put him in the crate, close the gate. Open only when needed and transport the baby outside to his washroom area every time. 
I remember we were dancing around every time he whined... pretty soon we caught on and if he did not need to go potty, we simply ignored his whining. Soon he learned whining will not get him out... and he learned to enjoy the crate.


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## Bellababy (Mar 31, 2010)

Keep going with it though, the crying lasted about 2 weeks in here with Bella, but it felt like a lifetime. She ended up loving it in the end, and missed it when we took it down. I have a feeling when I get it out for our new pup in a few weeks time, she's going to be in there herself. 
Another tip is to make it very cosy, and I draped a large blanket over the top, back and sides, leaving only the front uncovered. That seemed to help alot I remember, made it like a den.
Good luck


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