Hi all, I am the proud mama to a Fox Red baby girl named Chili as of this past Friday. We are having a great time and are very lucky because she is super playful and loves to eat! I am working with my boyfriend to crate train her, so we put her in there when she naps, but she seems to be quite restless napping in there but loves napping in a bed we bought in her play pen in the living room. I know you are not supposed to force her in, but put her down in front and let her walk in herself but she does NOT like going in so we are having a hard time. I am a first time dog mom so am wary of doing anything to make her afraid in the future... Any tips? I want to avoid giving her treats to go in there because then she will expect them going forward. thanks!!!
Hi, I didn't have a crate for Cassie for the first week when she was tiny, I put it up when it arrived and placed her bed that she already had inside it and she toddled right in and took to her crate straightaway and loved it, so I never had to crate train her formally at all. I wonder if it would help to put the bed your puppy likes in the crate? There is a way of training them to go in using treats, it's on the main site I think, hopefully someone who can point you in the right direction will be along soon
So long as she’s happy in there at night I wouldn’t worry where she naps Here is excellent advice - https://www.thelabradorsite.com/crate-training-your-labrador-puppy/ “Start by placing puppy in his crate frequently and each time you place him in there drop several little edible treats through the roof for him. Don’t shut the door on him during the day to start with if you can avoid it. Just let him come straight out again when he has finished his treats. This introduces the crate as a fun and enjoyable place to be. Sometimes, drop treats in there when he isn’t looking, so he gets a nice surprise when he goes in there to explore. Each time you pop the puppy into the crate say “in your crate” in a cheerful and upbeat way. He will soon come to associate this phrase with going into his crate for a treat.” .
Our puppy is 9 months old now and she sleeps very well in her crate at night, but she rarely sleeps in it during the daytime (unless I crate her to leave the house). When she was 8 weeks old she would fall asleep on my lap and I would transfer her to the crate whilst she was still 1/2 awake, then stroke her and talk to her a while with the crate door open, then sit real close until she nodded off. A bit like a baby! I didn’t have to do this for too long and she got the hang of it. I only closed the crate door at night, because when she was very young she had a small crate inside her playpen.
It is completely acceptable to drop treats into the crate to encourage your pup in the initial stages of training. You can also put your pups meals in the crate to build a strong association of good things happen with the crate. Stuffed kongs can also be given in the crate. You can even put the food bowl or kong in the crate and close the door to increase the pup's desire to get in the crate for a minute or so.
