# likes their crate?



## hillary&lola (Apr 4, 2006)

just got lola a crate last night.....last night and today we are just going to leave the door open and let her check it out, eat in their, etc. tomorrow morn i am going to shut her in their for a few min. while i'm home, and tomorrow evening she will be left in it home alone for about an hour. does this sound like a good plan to make her comfy with it? does your dog like its crate and not bark when you put it in there when you leave? how did you introduce it? we are having SERIOUS issues with leaving her home alone in new appt. she poohs and pees all over the place if we let her have the entire appt but she cryed like crazy when we gated her in the kitchen so heres our last idea...


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

I did crate Nemo is the beginning, and he was fine. I never really left him for more than 4 or 5 hours, this was in the beginning when we didn't trust him alone. At about 10 months he was fine in the house, but he loves his crate, he sleeps in it a night (with the door open), it's like he's little "Get-away". Nemo did bark in the beginning, but over time he got used to it, I would leave for an hour or so, just to see how he did(My son was home) and over time he just got used to it. Now I rarely close the door...Good-Luck

Andrea~ 

Also we wanted that (His crate) to be his bed, my husband draws the line with Nemo sleeping in the bed, so that was also a plus, that he learned that was his place to sleep at night!


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## msmagnolia (Sep 8, 2004)

Our dogs all love their crates. But, we started them in crates from day 1. Since you are sort of going in reverse it might take a little extra time. As much as possible when you are home, leave the door open and put a treat or something in there to encourage her to go in of her own free will. Give her a chew or a toy - anything that will encourage her to go in and hang out. Jolie, our Bichon, was left in the crate when we went out. I didn't work so she was never left in the crate longer than about 4hours. 

The maltese sleep in their crates, but we have the x-pen from the Ferret store (which I've put up links to in other threads) and that has worked just fine for them. Sadie and Sassy used the xpens until they were about 10 months old. I left their crates in there with them and we had a pen for each of them. I can't leave the crate in for Hope because she stands on top of it and tries to jump out.







I had no choice but to replace the crate with a bed. I leave her in the pen with a bed and a pee pad. We are using it for her training. After she pees she gets to come out with the rest of us for a couple of hours. We have the pen set up where she can see us and she is pretty content in there. It's been a life saver during her recovery from the spay.


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## abbey (Apr 4, 2005)

Like Susan, I have used the crate with Abbey since day 1. She has 2 seperate crates - one for staying in during the day and another one for night time. She will not stay in her day crate at night & will not stay in her night time crate during the day!







And her crates can never be moved! I think it is just something that they get used to, so make sure where you have it is where you want it to stay!







I still make going to her crate fun for Abbey. For example, during the day I will say "Crate" & Abbey will go to her crate & know that she is getting a special treat (one she doesn't get for anything else). When I am home the crate door is always open & Abbey will go in on her own when she wants away from the kids - I have told my kids from day 1 that if Abbey is in her crate then she is off limits! (it is her safe haven). On busy days, like when we have get togethers, Abbey will retreat to her crate so she can avoid all the commotion. Good Luck! It will just take some time but I'm sure she will adjust!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I agree that I would be very slow at introducing her to the crate, especially since you are using it for separation anxiety. Take a few days for her to go in and out, eat in it, and be in it with you around for varying times (20 seconds, 5 minutes, 2 seconds, 3 minutes, etc.). Maybe a stuffed kong for each prolonged crate time as well to help keep it positive. The idea is to get her comfortable in the crate as a safe place for her to help reduce her anxiety with you leaving. 

My dogs are just fine with their crates. Soda tries to jump in the van to get in his car kennel. I have to be careful putting him in the higher kennel at work because he tries to jump into that one as well.


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## UWMsGirl (Jun 26, 2006)

When we first got Meli we left the crate out in the middle of the room and let her sniff it, she went inside it and then back out again. She did that for about 20 minutes and everytime she went into it we would praise like crazy and give her treats. Start out with leaving her in there for 5 mins. with you in the room and then with you out of the room and then up the time to 10, etc... We got really lucky with Meli, she has done SO good with her crate, she only whinded 10 mins. the first night she had to go in there to sleep and hasn't whined since, she loves her crate.

During the day we leave her in the exercise pen with her bed, pads, toys and food/water bowl. At night into her crate she goes, but she knows that crate=sleep time. We are actually amazed at how well she has done with it, she sleeps all night.







Just be consistent, good luck.


~~JoAnn~~


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## Cary (Jun 11, 2006)

> I can't leave the crate in for Hope because she stands on top of it and tries to jump out.
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Never thought about that.......


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## gattirenata (Jul 28, 2006)

I tried to crate train mac. I followed all the instructions on a training magazine, etc. 
I let the crate here, opened.... he sniffed.. then threw a treat inside, closed for a bit.... then incresed the time, all that... 

he was crying and whinning... the whole time. 
At night time he would whine for a while but then the lights were off and he would go to sleep. 
But during the day.... oh my... 

one day I was supposed to leave him there a little longer and he cried, and cried (i just left him for like, 45 minutes) that same day he had blood on his poop. I ran to the vet and they said it was stress colitis. I felt so guilty.... and never put him on the crate again. 
I mean... I kept putting him on the crate to go to sleep just until I was 100% sure he wasn't going to poop on my bed!!! Now the crate stays there, opened... he goes whenever he wants to... but usually he just uses it to hide some toys.


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

> I can't leave the crate in for Hope because she stands on top of it and tries to jump out.
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Nikki did that once. I had this floor cushion the girls used as a bed. Well it was about 4 inchs think
it was just enough of a boost to let nikki jump on top of the crate. Luckily the one and only time she did it was while i was home.







That was the last time the cushion was in the pen with her. LOL Now all they have is the crate, blanket and toys with them in the pen.


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## whamilton78 (Aug 13, 2006)

Killer has been using his crate (it's really a cage for a medium sized dog) since the first day we left him alone...which was about 3 weeks ago, roughly. He has grown to really like his room, as we call it. When we get home we open the door and leave the door open. Now, all we have to say is, "We gotta go, go to your room please" and we praise praise praise and thank him for being a good boy. 








BUT Today, as a matter of fact, my husband came home at lunch to let Killer out and play with him on his lunch break (we take turns everyday so killer's only alone for 4-5 hours at a time) and Killer had pooped in his bed and was laying on it. He has never had an accident in there and we are not sure what might have caused it. I am wondering if he is now understanding that once that door is latched we're gone...and maybe he is retaliating? Does anyone think we should ever have in his room with the door shut while we're home?

Just some background...he's only 13 weeks old...so I know we're still figuring out his "ways"...but he's been so GOOD at pad-training...zero teetee accidents and only 1 or 2 poop accidents, which I think were my fault (I was picking up the pads too quickly).

All thoughts are welcome!

As far as the original question...it sounds like you're getting off to a good start...I HIGHLY recommend playing with him in front of or around his crate and making it his own special area.


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## Maltese Adora-Belle (Jan 23, 2005)

I put Belle in her crate at night from day one right next to my bed where she could see me. I have never had a problem. I no longer lock her in there but she often chooses to go in and sleep there all night vs sleeping with me in bed. She doesn't mind her crate at all. I have no real advice for starting later in their lives other than making it a place they feel good about. I would think treats would help in the begining with this. I hope the conversion goes well for you. Their crates are a life saver at certain times when you need to lock them up and know they will still be content. Good luck.


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## phesty (May 30, 2006)

Josie loves her crate. She doesn't really hang out in there when we're home, but she never balks at going in her kennel when we're leaving. I made a fabric cover for the crate that helps make it "denlike" because it's one of the wire ones. Josie also sleeps in her crate at night. Two or three times, she has whined at night and I just pick up the crate, with her in it, and take her down to the basement. I don't say a word to her. That has always solved her whining at night. 

When we first started out, when she was a baby. I made sure that I never, ever let her out when she was whining. She always had to quiet down before she was let out. That's the only real advice I have, other than making sure to give her treats when she goes in willingly. Josie now runs to her crate when she hears me shaking the Veggie Puffs container. 

Josie says: I love my house, it's nice and cozy and has polka dotted curtains.

Steph and Josie


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