Crate training?

Question

After being advised to do this by my vet, I've purchased a crate for my norwegian elkhound pup, and we're having difficulty. He hates being inside at night (which is understandable) but it's not because he misses his litter - he didn't have a crate for a week before and he was fine, but even though he'll stay in one place at night anyway, he tries to get out of the crate. So, to sum up my badly phrased paragraph, does anyone have any tips/advice/experience they can share to help my pup like being in his crate? He doesn't mind sitting in it with the door open, but if I close it; after he's finished with his Kong toy and he realises the door is shut, he will bark like mad (even though I get him to go in there when he's tired anyway)

The crate has water, a blanket, toys, treats, and I've never placed him in there as punishment or anything of the sort. Also I've never forced him to go in, I always allow him to step in by luring him with treats (as I was instructed to do so).

Answer 1

make sure the kennel is by the bed ,,, make sure he have plantey of toys to play and that the kennel is the right size , get him the a ball with a hole in the middle and pot inside some peantbetter that would baby sit him for hours

Answer 2

I read your question several times and could not discover a reason why you are trying to crate train your dog other than the vet recommended it. Crate training isn't for all dogs or even most dogs. You should have a specific reason for wanting your dog crated trained. I'm not against crate training when it helps a person train their dog and eventually leads to not needing a crate. What I have discovered is that most people crate train a dog in lieu of obedience training. Here might be a typical response to why a dog is crated trained: my dog scratches up the door and digs holes in the carpet if I leave it out and leave the house. OK, that would be separation anxiety behavior and not difficult to correct, so why not correct it? I call it an avoidance technique, that is it is used to avoid a behavior that you do not know how to correct. So I'm curious if there is some specific goal you hope to attain by crate training.

Answer 3

Start him off by giving him his meals in there with the door open, until he is happy to go in because he associates it with something nice.

Move on to putting him in the crate for a couple of seconds, close the door, don't leave him but stay by the crate and praise and reward good behaviour, then immediately let him out. Keep repeating until he gets the message and gradually increase the time he is in the crate with the door shut.

Turn it into a game and teaching a sit stay or down stay whilst he is in there, he will soon get the message.

Answer 4

He obviously doesn't like the feeling of being trapped and not being able to get to you i would advise that you put him in for 5 minutes and leave him just ignore his crying etc when he settles and is quiet after 5 mins open it up and leave him praise him for being a good boy and give him treats and loads of fuss, do this on the hour every hour after a couple of hours try extending the time that you leave him in there by five or ten minutes each time you do it so eventually he realises that you are going to be really pleased with him and he will settle but be careful that you don't open the crate when he is barking and carrying on you must let him know that sort of behaviour isn't going to get him anywhere....

Answer 5

Do you have a kong? If not buy one. I started crate training my puppy this last week. The kong I had is invaluable. By putting some treats in it, I use peanut butter, I put it in the crate & she'll happily & quietly lie in the crate with the kong for hours.

Prior to the crate I had a simple puppy pen, she used to whine & cry & generally carry on - which included digging at my floor! After about a week, she stopped as neither me or my partner would react. She'll now sit quietly, especially when she wants to get out. I think it is important to work out if your puppy is carrying on due to be in the crate or because he need to do something. If it's the later, obviously take him out. To avoid confusion, make sure he has done something recently when you put him in.

Answer 6

I do not believe in crates and I never will. I think it creates more problems than it cures. WHY do you have to make your dog sleep in a crate? My dogs sleep wherever they want to. They don't hurt anything. They go to bed when we do and they get up when we do. One of them is usually sharing my pillow but that is fine with me. Your dogs are your furry kids or friends. I think it is awful to lock them up.

I have friends that put their dogs in crates when they go to work. If I had to do that, I wouldn't have dogs. When I am gone all they do is sleep. I know this because nothing is touched when I return. I just don't get it.

In reading over some of the other answers to your question, did you consider the thought that perhaps your dog thinks he is being punished by the crate? He doesn't know why he is being put in the crate.

Answer 7

in crate training he shouldn't have access to water tht should be given when he is out of the crate.
A treat to get him in is ok but not a lot. He is retaliating as he isn't use to it. a firm no when he is acting up and praise when he is good.
The idea of crate trianing is to be able to have them confined when you are not there to watchthem. Most dogs won't dirty in their cage.
If you give him food and water it's hard for young pups to hav contrl until they are 6-8 mnths.
You can have a bed or blanket and toys in the crate but that's it.
Don't worry a lot of pups go through this just be consitant and firm no and praise you should be fine.
good luck

Answer 8

He probably cries to get out of his crate because it works :-)

I would stick with a consistent bedtime routine (dinner, walk, playtime, then bedtime) and know that it might be a couple of nights of before he gives it up, seeing as how you choose a bright and stubborn breed. He will start to see that Mom means business and things will get better as time goes on. Dogs listen to calm, assertive pack leaders - so if you are worried/feeling guilty he is not going to listen to what you are asking of him.

By the way...If you freeze the Kong toy with the peanut butter in it it will last a lot longer.

Answer 9

1.Tell the pup "Crate time"! and place him in the crate with a small treat (a piece of cheese or half a biscuit). Let him stay in the crate for 5 minutes while you are in the room. Then release him and praise lavishly. Never release him when he is fussing. Wait until he is quit before you let him out.

2.Repeat several times a day.

3.The next day, place pup in crate as before, let him stay in there for 10 minutes. Do this several times.

4.Continue building time in 5 minute increments until pup stays in crate for 30 minutes with you in the room. Always take him to his relief area after prolonged periods in his crate.

5. now go back to step one and let pup stay in his crate for 5 minutes, this time while you are out of the room.

6. Once again, build crate time in 5 minute increments with you out of the room. When the pup will stay willingly in his crate (he may even fall asleep) for 30 minutes with you out of the room, he should be ready to stay in it for several hours at a time.

Answer 10

I trained my min pin by putting his food inside his crate. He eventually learned that that's where he eats (and it keeps him from playing with is food, he's just like a child). So now when we need to go anywhere, he hops right in. It took some getting used to, and we had to let him in multiple times a day because he wouldn't eat. He eventually caught on though.