[opie]

Well, I thought that she was getting happy with her crate, but still not liking it. She is not afraid of her crate because of me writing this, she went in her crate fine. but as soon as I lock the door she starts to pant and drool. A frozen kong works for awhile but as soon as she finishes it, she starts getting upset and wants out.

I never let her out when she barks. She currently has a sheet over her crate, and that seems to help some, but she will bark/wine for 10 min or so then calm down but starts back up after hour or so. I know she does not need to go outside to relieve herself because I take her out before she goes into the crate.

She has started to claw at the plastic beside the door like she is trying to get out. Everyone I talk to just tells me to put her in it and ignore her and it will get better. But the more I do that the more fearful she is getting of her crate (fearful of me putting her in it, not fearful of her just going in it when it is open).

Should I back up and start getting her to like her crate again or should I just put her in it and just let her wine and bark hoping that she will get used to it?

Edit.. I have read several books, dozens of articles and forum post, but nothing seems to be working. Everyone I talk to says that I should just put her in the crate and she will get used to it, but every book and article I read says that she needs to feel safe in her crate and not forced in. Crate training is the only issue we have with her and it is driving me crazy. She is 7 months old now too.

 

[opie]

Some more thoughts...

At first I thought it might be seperation anxiaty, but today I brought her with me to lunch and I have done this in the past after a suggestion of someone in the forums. She just stays in my truck without issue. There is no drooling, no barking, no scratching, no signs that she is having problems with me being out of her sight.

I have put up a baby gate in our half bath and she has issues with that, she barks and wants to get out. It really seems to have something to do with confinement, but I dont' know what the difference would be in our half bath with a baby gate up and my truck. She barks and wines in the half bath and I am in sight of her, but nothing when she is in my truck out of my sight.

 

[Sally's Mom]

Actually, many dogs I know with separation anxiety are fine in vehicles when left alone.

 

[opie]

For some of you that use X-pen, did you have issues with crate training that made you move to a X-pen?

 

[iansgran]

You might back up and start again by putting her in it for one minute, walk away, come back let her out, later two minutes and so forth. Also, do all good things in the crate like all feedings, many treats etc. There is a great video by Susan Garett called Crate Games. I am not sure I spelled her name correctly,so if you can't find it let me know and I will get the correct citation. Also, try covering the crate with a blanket and turning on the radio or TV.

 

[opie]

Thank you all for the tips. I am going to try and use the kong as the treat to get her in the crate and then gradually remove it before she is done at different times. Hopefully then she will start to become more comfortable in her crate.

 

[Bogart]

Actualy Cooper got used to the crate (42" metal crate) alot faster then the X-pan. I used to X-pan for when I had to leave the dogs during the day. It stood in the Family room.
The crate was in the Bedroom. I'm just not able to move it around so that's why I used the x-pan.

 

[opie]

Well, I ended up getting this everlasting treat from Petsmart (frozen kongs only been lasting a few min) and now she is staying in her crate for a min or so after I take it away expecting to get it back. After she leaves the crate she jumps back on her couch (her spot). So how long do I wait to ask her to go back into the crate? Does it really matter?

I have been using a online stopwatch to kind of remind me how long to get the treat, so far she has been calm working on the treat for 3min. I work from home and all it takes is for me to turn around and the crate is there.

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to get her comfortable in her crate now that the weather is getting bad.


--Keith

 

[Florabora22]

How is Roxie when left alone? Is she destructive? It may be that you don't need her to be in a crate. Flora was more or less crate trained by the time she was 4.5 months, but by the time she turned 8 months old we stopped crating her because she never really liked her crate, and because she was very trustworthy outside of it. We kept her confined in a dog-proof room (our kitchen), and she was fine.

The only issue I foresee with abandoning crate training is she will have to sit in a crate at the vet's office and at the groomer's, and that could be a problem.

If you're intent on continuing the crate training all I can suggest beyond what I've already suggested in the past is to go slowly. Don't push her past her threshold, because when you do, you're reversing your progress.

Good luck! I know how frustrating it is. :/