I think I screwed up. My dog hates his crate. I stick him in there when I'm not home or when I just don't feel like dealing with him. And he whiiiiiines and barks. I don't give him any attention at all when he does it, even though I certainly feel like letting him know just how annoying he is!

Right now he's in the crate about three feet away from me whining and whining for the past hour he's been in there. He's been exercised, he's been out to pee, and still he pants and whines and fidgets. It's unbearable.

He is fed in his crate now; he wasn't before. He's not even in there that much, maybe a few hours during the day and then at night. When I put him in there and leave for work he whines and does a loud high-pitched bark, but he eventually shuts up.

I know I need to get him to like his crate, somehow. Not sure how to go about it.

 Quote: Ashley Hiebing

I stick him in there when I'm not home or when I just don't feel like dealing with him.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and assume that you didn't mean that quite the way it reads.

Heh, okay, I mean I can't watch him 24/7 and when I'm in my room checking email or whatever I'll put him in the crate (or he's tethered to me) so he's not off wreaking havoc upstairs.

Do you cover the crate? If I leave the door uncovered, the dog will whine a bit. But if I cover the door with a towel or blanket to make it more den-like, he doesn't make a peep, ever.

John,

I have tried covering the crate and while it does help a little he's still very noisy. I've also tried leaving the radio on as well. I mean, I'm thankful he's not all-out barking for hours on end (my neighbors are, too!), I just want his crate to be a good place to be, that's all. I think I'm going to look up some good Kong fillings and see if that can keep him occupied.

When crate training puppies I have this great room in my daylight basement. It's quiet and doesn't have normal traffic like a living room or other well occupied room would, if I'm in the unfortunate situation of working with more than one crying whining dog (this has only happened once while fostering) I also make use of the bathroom in the basement as I find it easier to get them to settle down in seperate rooms. In the beginning this is the only place the pup is allowed to sleep. When out of the crate they're either moving, training, eating or pooping. If I start to see them doze I move them back to their crate with little fanfare. Crates are for sleeping in my house.

Once I have achieved quiet I move the crate into a room with more activity like my bedroom. I need to be able to walk through the room, sleep, etc with a quiet pup and after that we move to the livingroom where they can observe bustling activity quietly. Perhaps there is too much going on in the room, hence all the whining/barking?

My other thought is are you exercising him enough before leaving? A tired dog is a sleepy dog, and I've yet to hear a dog bark loudly in their sleep.

Ashley, have you tried making positive associations w/ the crate when he doesn't 'have' to be in there?

Like putting something yummy in there (a handful of small treats that he can't pick up and carry outside the crate) and leaving the door open so that he can leave when he wants to. Do this several times a day, so that he will begin to associate his crate w/ something positive, without feeling trapped. Start closing the door after a few days of doing this, and letting him out right away as long as he is quiet. Then start to vary the length of time he's in there before you let him out.

Do a kong filled w/ good stuff every time you put him in there when he 'has' to be in there (or a pig's ear, if he tolerates those).

I started doing this w/ Chula when she was very young, and now, when she sees and hears the lid come off the cream cheese container, she runs in her crate and sits. (she is rather food motivated though! )

Also feeding in the crate.
Which you started doing.

Make it fun with food as said befor if they have toy drive use a toy instead of food.

Give him a kong and a toy to and a chew as said many times befor make his crate fun.

My new rescue is also crying when I put her in her crate. My dogs have down time, and all of them go to their crate, with treats, they all love it. Terra does not. She barks and whines and pulls the blanket inside her crate, so she can see out. Today I began training her to go into her crate when I say crate.
I throw a piece of food in her crate (with the door left open) and say crate, when she goes in I praise her. Next I will start closing the crate and sitting there, and when she is quiet I will give her a reward and let her out.
My other dogs took to thier crates immediately. Cody only cried once and Bindi was crate trained (1 year old) when we got her. So this is my first experience with someone who doesn't like her crate. But she is new to us and I am sure she will adjust.
Thanks for the tips, I may move her crate to a quieter spot.
God bless, isn't it a blast to train our dogs? or do they train us? Ha, kidding.

hi Sharon,
not sure if this was already suggested, but can you offer a peanut-butter filled bone to keep her distracted from the fact that she is IN the crate? i have left a radio on for mine, really low, so its not dead quiet. i have laso had some success with them seeing other dogs are in opther crates. and above all dont respond to the whining and etc, b/c that reinforces "if i whine they come here and let me out or soothe me..." this has been my experience. Also, tire her out before crate time. that has really helped mine adapt to "nap time".


jen

jen