My gorgeous pup Jessie is 10 weeks old. I've been trying to crate train her since we got her at 7½ weeks but am getting nowhere! - I'm still only at 5 mins with the door shut. I think it's mainly because no matter what I put in her Kong (sardines, hot roast chicken with gravy!) she takes the easy part, gives up and then starts howling (getting louder each day not quieter!!). According to the website, I could be at 1 hour with the door shut by 10 weeks old, but I can't get beyond 5 mins!!! Does anyone have any advice?
Hi , I`m sorry I cant help as I haven't ever used a crate, but wanted to acknowledge your post , I`m sure someone experienced in crate usage will be able to help you soon .
It's not necessary to crate train using a kong. So, just go back to the beginning and don't use a kong. But you've got to open the door before she starts howling, or wait it out until she stops. Opening the door before she starts is probably the best thing. You are probably taking it too quickly, that's usually the problem. So, assuming you've done the treat fairy, feeding the dog in the crate, going in the crate on cue, and getting her ok with the door being closed and leaving her for 1 second, 5 seconds and so on. If you skipped any of those, or they didn't quite work, go back and do them again. So do something like in crate, door closed, wait 30 seconds, reward, open door. Repeat x 10. Then at the next session, 30 minutes later or whatever, sit down on a chair just a little way away from the crate. Repeat x 10. Then move out of her sight. Then go back and do 40 seconds. Then 50. Then 1 minute. Then 1 minute 30....you get the idea. Do a few shorter ones too, so it isn't always the same length in the crate, and isn't always getting harder so as you up the time generally make sure to include a few random short times.
Thanks Julie - I'm going to give your suggestion a try. Would it be OK to still keep using a Kong as well? - perhaps when the time increases to minutes rather than seconds? And if she howls before the allotted time is up, do I keep repeating that time and only move on when she can do the whole duration quietly? Thanks.
Julie's advice is the right way to do it..........I gave up at 12 weeks because Harley didn't like the crate if I was at home. She would howl and whine even if I closed the door!! She would happily go in for an hour or two when I was at work - I had a webcam so I could watch her and she always ate her Kong then fell asleep until I got home. I should of persisted but she was a really good pup and never destroyed anything so we weren't bothered about the crate.
I left my crate door open so that my puppy could go in there every time he slept during the day, it was like a den for him. Eventually, when he was asleep I would shut the door. When he woke and wimpered, I waited for the second he was quiet and then let him out. It is a gradual progression, but it will work eventually
Could you perhaps try a puppy pen around your crate? This is what we did when he was small with the crate left open and he liked having the extra space to bounce his Kong and get the good bits out? Just a thought. We don't tend to crate in the day as he just eats his Kong and sleeps but am sure this may go wrong at some point and he will eat the kitchen so if you can crack it probably best! Sam and Mole (19 weeks)
I don't see why you shouldn't use a kong - they have got to be able to do the time without a kong at some point though (having said that, I always give my dog a kong when I leave). If she howls, you've made the time too long, so reduce it when you try again. It's best to move forward slowly enough so she doesn't howl. Wait for a break in the howling before you open the crate door. Even a few seconds of silence and you can called out 'good' or 'yes' or use a clicker, and return to her and give her a treat. It's best to avoid the howling thing if you can though!
Yes, as Julie has said, wait for a break in the howling or let her out after a couple of minutes (before the howling starts). Have you tried putting a cover over the crate to make it more like a den? A towel or blanket would just make it a bit cosier. You could also try putting a radio on when you leave the room. Mine have always had Kongs to go into their crates, either just smeared with a little bit of peanut butter just inside the larger hole, or with some carrots or (usually frozen) banana. They know Kongs means crate time, so they head for their crates as soon as they see me getting them ready!
Thanks for the pen idea - I'll give that a go too! Jess happily chooses to nap in her crate during the day (it's covered) and she sleeps brilliantly in it next to my other 2 labs overnight - it's closing the door on her during the day she's protesting (very loudly!) about! I've been filling her Kong with all sorts of weird and wonderful (warm) stuff that I know she enjoys because she regularly licks it clean away from her crate - but shut in the crate it's a few mins of licking the easy stuff out, then the protest howling starts! There are pauses so I've always managed to open the door during a quiet spell, but I've got stuck at 5 mins! Will try Julie's crate training suggestion and will also try putting her crate inside a pen!
