# How do I teach my puppy to "like" her crate?



## bdavis86 (Jun 9, 2008)

I have a 10 week old pup and shes not fond of her crate. I really want to make it easier on her, but i'm not sure how. I usually lead her in with a toy or treat and praise the **** out of her when she's in there, but then she gets the treat and walks right out and eats it on the rug. I've even tried putting her in it a few times while i've been home, just 10-15 mins at a time to get her used to it, but she cries all the time. Ultimately I want her to like her crate and think of it as her "safe place" but I'm not sure how to get to that point. Any ideas?


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

I have always crate trained my dogs and have to crate almost every foster dog that comes through my house. I do feed in crates with the door closed and always use happy tone with a treat when putting them in the crate, close the door, and then leave. After that, it is just a matter of time for them to settle down. Some older dogs will never adjust to crating, but most dogs that are consistantly crated will like it evenually as they get older. You can't "make" the dog like her crate.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Feed her in there, freeze kongs stuffed with her favorite goodies and only give them to her in the crate, all special goodies are given to her in the crate, and close the door on her long enough to eat the treat, then let her out. Once she understands that the door closes but nothing else bad happens and she can eat/chew/enjoy goodies, she'll come to like it. NEVER use it as a punishment! If she cries, wait until she's quiet for a few moments, then let her out. She'll get the idea. Make sure the crate is in a place where she doesn't feel sequestered from the family- if she can hang out in the living room with everyone and see everyone in her crate, she may calm down. And crate her after vigorous exercise so she cries and then collapses in a heap of sleeping puppy.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

I'll just add a few things to what Diane suggested. 

You're trying to teach your pup that the crate is always a safe place. And a fun place to go...we use the word "Boardroom!" and at bedtime, and other times, puppies and adult dogs go into their crates with snacks, pets, and happy voices. We all run into the bedroom and they fly into their crates. The first one in gets their snack first. 

Since it sounds like your pup is an only child, she'll always win. So make it a game throughout the day. Just shout out Kennel, or Crate or Boardroom (or whatever word you use), and run into the room where the kennel is. Toss in a snack (make sure that it smells absolutely stinky and divine. Hot dogs or stinky cheese is good) and wait for her to run in and get it. When she does, lots of applause and hoorays. Crate training is a skill you train just like Sit and Down. Move the crate (or crates if you buy a plastic one) around the house, so she always has a crate for you to play the crate game with, and so that she can be in the crate and still be near you. 

You might wish to pre-load the crate with delicious-smelling snacks so that during the day, your pup will curiously wander over and check it out on her own. When you notice her doing this on his own, again, lots of applause and Hoorays. Pretty soon, you'll have a dog that loves her crate. 

Naps should always be taken in the crate. Wait til your pup has played, pottied and had a small bit of water to drink. Then it's naptime. Crates are less scary when pup can see you walking around the house and you come into the room often doing your usual household stuff (or you're just watching TV in the room). My GSD loved soothing music. Enya, and similar Celtic music, was (and still is) is favorite. I put that music on and he sacked out immediately. Still does. Find something that is so soothing and play it really softly, so that you can barely hear it. Fans running on low work well. 

A luxury crate is easier to accept than an uncomfortable one. (If your pup isn't a chewer) My puppies have never been chewers (as in, they don't destroy their bedding. My current pup likes to chew, but has never touched her bedding), so I take one of our bed pillows (the human gets a new one), which is just loaded with scent, cover it with a t-shirt, and that becomes the bedding in the crate. I put about 4-5 stuffed animals in there, one in each corner, and a small one that's perfectly chewable right where pup's head goes. I also put a *small* chew way off to the side if pup wakes up and wants something chewy to snack on. I learned the hard way that if I put too many harder toys in the crate, it made it lumpy to sleep in (and she complains about that). 

If it's warmish, I set up a fan, not so that it blows directly into the gate of the crate, but so that it blows into the side. (The fan blowing straight into the crate would make my GSD, when he was a little guy, and this current pup howl. They hate it!) Also, don't put a plastic crate up against the wall. You need lots of circulation. It gets warmer in there than you realize. 

Climate control. Soft music. Lots of chances during the day to get a positive association with the crate. And, make it feel like she's staying at the Ritz! She'll learn to love the crate in no time!


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## bdavis86 (Jun 9, 2008)

Fantastic, thanks for the advice, we'll work on this asap!


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