# crate training



## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

of all things that i have been working on with tyson, crate training has not been in the picture







. we have one that he stays in when we're gone but he absolutely hates to be in there(locked in) 

anyways i can teach him to actually want to tolerate being in there??


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

can you make it fun? a treat filled kong, a favourite chew toy? i feed teagan in her crate and i'm sure that helps make the crate a pleasurable place for her. also, you could try varying when he goes in, that might also help.


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## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

i have done all of the above and wont even take treats, toys, food etc etc..AT ALL!! he cries and yelps like crazy. is it the fact that i let him out because i cant stand to hear him go nuts that is makeing him not like this crate idea?? or is it that maybe he associates being locked in the crate with us leaveing??


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

well, i'm not an expert, though i do use a crate for teagan. 

the toys and treats are good for distractions and positive associations. does he have a really high-value treat or toy that you could try?

otherwise - hopefully more experienced ppl will chime in, but - if you give in and let him out, yes, he very well could've learnt that making a fuss will get him out, so he does it for that reason. is he hurting himself when he goes nuts? if not, i'd just ignore it and see if there's a change.

i'm sure he does associate the crate w/being left, if that's the only time he's in it. they're pretty smart. if you crate him for different things, it might stop representing that so strongly in his head. 

is he destructive when out unsupervised? i'm just wondering if you ONLY crate him when you leave, how is he overnight? at other times? 
edit: i just looked at his age, am thinking housetraining might have something to do w/the crating? 

one other thing - do you have a blanket or sheet over the crate? that makes it more den-like for them.


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## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

when tyson was smaller we had a small 2'x2.5' crate that i set next to the bed. he went in there at night to sleep, but i left the door open. now his crate is too big to be in our bedroom so its out in the living room, we still let him sleep in the bedroom. we have a blanket/bed that he lays on that is in the same spot the crate was. 

and for being destructive-hmm..he's a pup. he's pretty good for the most part but when he's hyper and wants to play he will pick up just about everything he is not supposed to have just to get our attention..grrr!! lol the little rascal isnt stupid, he knows how to get my attention

as far as house training..he may have an accident 1-2 times a week at the most and most of the time is our fault because we dont pay attention to the whineing (i need to get him a bell)

last night i thought i would test him with my trust...i left the bedroom door open just to see if it would be ok (it gets cold in there when the door is shut) well he stayed in the room until he musta heard something and trotted outa the room growling. he never came back in the room but i did not hear any mischeif. i waited about 15 minutes before i went to get him back in the room. i went out and he was laying in the living room playing "gaurd dog" lol GOOD BOY!!


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: lcht2 he cries and yelps like crazy. is it the fact that i let him out because i cant stand to hear him go nuts that is makeing him not like this crate idea??


In a word, YES. You are teaching him to "cry and yelp like crazy" but letting him out when he does that. If you only let them out when they are quiet, they learn to be quiet. I NEVER let a pup out of the crate when they are throwing a fit. I only let them out when they are quiet, even if they have only been quiet for 5 seconds.


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## StGeorgeK9 (Jan 5, 2008)

Try playing around the crate.....dont try to put him in, if he looks at it mark it and give him a treat. throw some treats in there, but just let him go in and get them and come back out, Ava was not wild about it at first, but I spent a lot of time making sure we played by the crate. 
When he looks at the kennel, say the word you want to associate with the kennel, and again mark and give a treat.......repeat this process but do not rush him. If he gets closer have a play party, if he goes in.......JACKPOT, but dont close the door yet during these sessions, a clicker sometimes really helps in this kind of training, it makes it easier to mark the desired behavior.

When playing never force him in the kennel, keep it fun, toss a favorite toy in there for him to retrieve, and again, let him come out. 

I think your problem right now is he has no good associations with the kennel, you make him go in there and then you leave....no fun at all. If you can make it a game to go in the crate, pretty soon it will be fun. 

I have a foster right now that has never been a house dog, he is very big and not housetrained! so, crate training! He didnt really like it, but I found the tastiest treats that he gets ONLY when going in the crate, he never gets that particular treat any other time. I keep my voice upbeat and we play a chase game (all 100+ lbs of him) through the house that ends at the crate, he goes in, gets a treat, and the game starts over again. Yeah! good dog!! lets play again..... repeat... 

Ava actually races for her kennel when I tell her it time to get in it. I say bedtime and it is a dead run for the crate and she literaly throws herself inside her crate wiggling and happy waiting for me to close the door, she gets treats only every couple weeks at this point, but it has become her haven.

It takes time, but remember to keep your frustration out of it, this is what also gets conveyed to the pup. For the crying I put a wind up alarm clock wrapped in a towel for company. And the kennel is in my room for Ava and our foster's is in my daughters room.


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## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

now that i think about it..the only time i respond to his crying is when he is in the crate...he just sounds so distressed..its almost like he's sounding like he's gonna die. just like today i was doing some house cleaning. i put him in the crate so he wouldnt try to lick up the water and pine-sol i used to mop the floor with..he cried like crazy but i shushed him and he went quiet...then he really freaked out when i started the vaccuum sweeper (he's not too sure about the sweeper, we're still working on that with him) i didnt want to make the sweeper situation any more scarier for him then it already is so i let him out so he could feel more comfortable..seriously tho im not a softy with him..i am calm and collected, confident, and self controlled with him...it just didnt seem right to hear those yelps


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## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: BetsyTry playing around the crate.....dont try to put him in, if he looks at it mark it and give him a treat. throw some treats in there, but just let him go in and get them and come back out, Ava was not wild about it at first, but I spent a lot of time making sure we played by the crate.
> When he looks at the kennel, say the word you want to associate with the kennel, and again mark and give a treat.......repeat this process but do not rush him. If he gets closer have a play party, if he goes in.......JACKPOT, but dont close the door yet during these sessions, a clicker sometimes really helps in this kind of training, it makes it easier to mark the desired behavior.
> 
> When playing never force him in the kennel, keep it fun, toss a favorite toy in there for him to retrieve, and again, let him come out.
> ...


its not that he dreads being in the crate. he will nap in there sometimes and stash his toys in there







lol its just when that door shuts all **** breaks loose. see even when he was a wee little pup when we got him he would sleep in the crate and would stay in there but would go nuts if that door was shut, but i will take the advice and include the crate when i work with him on commands. i will try the chase game into the crate..he likes to chase so maybe it'll make the crate deal a little light hearted for him


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## StGeorgeK9 (Jan 5, 2008)

Oh, for treats, try something abosolutely awesome.....liverworst, hotdogs, chicken, STEAK!!! Find out what he will do anything for, there are always some things they love better than anything else.


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## StGeorgeK9 (Jan 5, 2008)

Perhaps that is the next stage you can add to the game......close the door slighly, open again and off you go for another game....and work up to closing the door all the way, and then adding time before chase game starts again.


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## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: BetsyOh, for treats, try something abosolutely awesome.....liverworst, hotdogs, chicken, STEAK!!! Find out what he will do anything for, there are always some things they love better than anything else.


he absolutely goes nuts for pup-peroni!! i forgot i had a bag of that..im workin on the chicken chips right now..he seems to like those too..hey thanks again


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