I know you're not meant to force them in there, so how does it work? If I put something nice in there like his kong, he runs in, grabs it and runs back out...
Crate Question
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Crate Question
I've had a crate for Hatchi for about 6 weeks now, and he goes in and out of it quite happily during the day and sometimes goes and rests in there in the evening. The problem is eventually I want to be able to leave him in there when I go out for a couple of hours, but whenever I tempt him into the crate with treats (just practising, not actually going to leave at that point) he knows that I plan on shutting the door and refuses to get in there. The only time I have managed to shut the door is when he's gone in there voluntarily.
I know you're not meant to force them in there, so how does it work? If I put something nice in there like his kong, he runs in, grabs it and runs back out...
I know you're not meant to force them in there, so how does it work? If I put something nice in there like his kong, he runs in, grabs it and runs back out...
Re: Crate Question
Have you tried shutting the door but staying in the room? I did that with Rogue at first as she didn't like the door being shut. I left the door shut for longer periods, rewarding her when she was calm in it.
Eventually I was able to shut the door and leave the room but I would still make it obvious I was home, for example doing some chores etc and every so often I would give her a reward for being calm.
Now she doesn't seem to mind whether the door is open or closed.
Eventually I was able to shut the door and leave the room but I would still make it obvious I was home, for example doing some chores etc and every so often I would give her a reward for being calm.
Now she doesn't seem to mind whether the door is open or closed.
Re: Crate Question
I clicker train and so I shaped Spencer into going into his crate. First clicked him for even looking at it, then for touching it with his nose, then for a paw in and so on until he was going in and lying down in order to get his click and treat. Then once he was comfortable with that I'd swing the door to, open it immediately and click and treat, gradually building up to where I was shutting the door properly. From there it was just a matter of building up how long he was in there before I opened the door. It sounds horrendously time consuming but it only took about 10 days to get him to the point where I could put him in there with a stuffed kong for a couple of hours in the evening to teach him that it was possible to settle down while people were awake (something he'd never learned and no matter how tired he was he wouldn't relax until we went to bed).
Getting him used to being left while we went out was a bit more tricky as if he thought he was going for a walk and I then crated him and left without him he threw a hissy fit, barking and screeching his head off. So I had to combine it with my getting ready to go out routine and mix things up a bit so that sometimes I put my shoes and coat on, put him in his crate and then went nowhere. Other times I'd put my shoes and coat on, not crate him, step out the front door and close it then go straight back in (I think my neighbours thought I was mad lol). Others I'd get ready, crate him, go out the front door and close it then return immediately. And so on. Again, sounds horribly time consuming but only took a few weeks even with the added problem of his frustration when he realised he wasn't going for a walk.
Getting him used to being left while we went out was a bit more tricky as if he thought he was going for a walk and I then crated him and left without him he threw a hissy fit, barking and screeching his head off. So I had to combine it with my getting ready to go out routine and mix things up a bit so that sometimes I put my shoes and coat on, put him in his crate and then went nowhere. Other times I'd put my shoes and coat on, not crate him, step out the front door and close it then go straight back in (I think my neighbours thought I was mad lol). Others I'd get ready, crate him, go out the front door and close it then return immediately. And so on. Again, sounds horribly time consuming but only took a few weeks even with the added problem of his frustration when he realised he wasn't going for a walk.
Re: Crate Question
I have shut the door when I've been at home, when we have been eating in the kitchen at lunchtime and he's fine... no barking or whining. But I have been so busy with work the last few weeks I haven't been able to do it as much, the training side of things. I guess I need to start from scratch again and do the whole walking out, coming back etc... It is frustrating, and my partner just thinks I'm stupid trying to get him in there which makes it even worse. 
