Hello everyone. I've read everything there is on the site about crate training. All the discussion threads too. My vet gave me info, and I've read some info on other websites.

However, that doesn't change the fact that my 12wk old, male GSD HATES his crate. I'm sure every owner in my shoes has said the same thing: "My dog hates his crate more than any other dog has." But, seriously, I DO own that dog.

We've been at it for a week, and there has been no improvement to his whining, screaming, barking and bodyslamming. He actually broke a lower canine tooth, I suspect, from either thrashing himself about, or biting the metal door of the crate. To steal from Ed Frawley's article, he sounds like "A raped ape".

The crate is appropriately sized for him. We feed him in the crate. Give him treats in the crate. Have him fetch his toys in the crate, and he's generally willing to do so. Some nights are a 20 on a scale of 1-10 on his hatred for the crate. Other nights could be a 14.

That being said, I understand that it could take time. My fiancee and I are wearing earplugs to bed now...and that has made it slightly more tolerable. However, my concern is less for us humans, and what seems like serious mental trauma on my pup. We tried sleeping next to his crate on a futon, but he seemed to be even worse. We've also covered the crate, with no change, except that the crate gets very hot and humid inside. We excersise him, we think, enough. He seems tired enough to move away from our attention to nap on the floor, so he seems tired. Cream cheese kongs luer him in, and he has a edible nylabone while he's in there. The cream cheese disappears, but the nylabone remains untouched.

He's usually in the crate no more than 4 hours at a time. I work 8-5 and come home at lunch to let him out. Plus he goes in when we sleep (or try to sleep). We get up in the night to let him outside.

We NEVER open the crate when he's pitching a fit. He's only in the crate when we're at work, or in bed. The crate lives in our family room. He's not in the basement or garage.

All that being said, is there ANY hope? Are there ever dogs who just can't be crate trained? Is this some type of separation issue? I would assume not, considering we tried sleeping right next to him.

If anyone has anything we could try, advice or moral support, please feel free to chime in. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I may start a support group for owners crate training their dogs...

Christian

If you've only been at it for a week, I'd just keep on keeping on...and make sure you don't succumb to his whining and thrashing about.

Ken, I'm getting a new pup here in a while, I crated two pups w/o incident before. how long do think it would take for the pup to settle in if doesn't like it, assuming I don't crack?

I can't imagine him being in the crate any more than he is. He's out from 5am-7:30am, 11:30am-12:30pm, 5:30pm-9:30pm, and about 10 minutes around 1:00am to go outside. That's only 7.5 hours a day that he's out.

Should he be in the crate more when we're home until he accepts it? Of course, his time out of the crate will be fun for him, and we'll do our best to tire him out.

One other thing. When I do first put him in, he's pretty quiet while I'm there initially, but he get's what seems depressed. If I pet him through the door, or try to give a treat...he looks so depressed, and won't eat his treat.

Worried...

Christian

Hi, When I started my dog I put his bed inside and never closed the door for about 4 days. He would go in and out as he pleased and actually slept his first night in the crate with the door open and everynight thereafter. On the 5th and 6th days I closed the door on him for about 10-20 minutes at a time (with a snack) when cooking or cleaning something up. After that I started closing the door on him when he went in for bed (on his own), to the grocery store for an hour, and now he is fine for 4-6 hours and still goes in after we open the door.

I know it's hard when the family is gone at the same exact hour. I was lucky and got my pup just before the holidays so I had some free time to invest in crate training.

Leave the TV on for him.. Silence is deafening.

Best of luck.

Christian have you thought about just simply putting up a babygate to block him in certain areas? I have never ever used a crate.

Eva: How do you get the dog to sleep in the crate without the door closed? My pup wouldn't sleep in it with the door open.

Dee Dee: My pup will chew anything, and also pee on the floor if not watched. Actually my pup will whine and scream if he's confined with a babygate and we're on the other side.

I'm using crate training to housebreak, and keep the house from getting destroyed by his teeth. Just about everyone I've talked to has recommended crate training.

Hi Christian - I'm not a profesional trainer and know we did this in the wrong order, but he was housebroken and crate trained between 9-10 weeks.I started with an old bed pillow and layed on the floor next to him when we first brought him home. He quickly chose the pillow as his spot. We went with little sleep and a fair share of pee mistakes, so don't feel like it's just you or your dog.

Now we don't have any carpet either so that might have helped us out. Just one area rug, hardwood floors and some tiles in the kitcken and bath.

After about a week I went and got him a tough denim dog bed because we thought the pillow was getting ugly from his chewing.

Then a week later we finally got him his crate. I put his dog bed inside and put his puppy pillow in the back along with a few pieces of cooked liver. he ran in and got the liver sniffed around and came back out.

After about an hour or so he just went in a layed down. We leave the door open at night because the house is small and my husband sleeps very light and gets up to take his meds, etc. The pup will come and lay next to our bed for about 5 minutes when we first go to bed and then he gets up and goes to his bed/crate. It's cute an like clockwork.

My experience pointers. No water late at night.

My living room is next to my bedroom and I can see the crate from the door. I use a baby gate to close off the dining room and kitchen so he can't lurk around if he does get up and we don't notice.

Start out by not closeing the door. I put a bungee on the door so it stayed open ( no accidents) and the used a box to slowly make the passage just wide enough for him to fit through. This is so he wouldn't have the chance of feeling insecure about the door closing in on him.

So next I would drop in treats or play a retrieve game by throwing a ball inside and playing with him when he brought it back. So he learns his "Place" is not just tasty but fun too. I still do this everyday whether he needs it or not.

Many times a day while he's inside the crate I would drop a treat and also rattle my fingers along the crate so he gets used to the door latch sound and then a couple days later slowly started closing him in with treats for very short amounts of time. About 10 minutes, and I would go have a coke in the kitchen or eat a snack, ignoring his cries - they will cry. Then like you, when he stops, I let him out but I give him a treat while he's inside the crate, so he doesn't think he's just earned it. More like the crate is a tasty place to be.

When I put him in his crate for a long duration I go out the back door sometimes and out the front sometimes. I also put him in a couple minutes before we leave and let him out after we get setted. Sometimes there's just too much excitement if you let them out right when you get home.

Again this is just my experience and probably why it took so many words. I fully reserve the right to be wrong.

Good Luck!

Eva

I can't say if this will work for you, but it's what I did...fill a pop can with handful of pennies and tape it shut. Every time the puppy whines, shake the thing. They HATE the sound, and will be quiet for a second. Then the whining starts back up again and SHAKE, quiet, etc...
Don't give up- it took me 20 minutes before my
dog associated the whining with the awful noise.
Another thing I did- give him lots of toys. The ones you have are great for when they're unattended and I wouldn't leave anything else in the crate, but for when he's out he should have more variety-plush toys, laytex squeekies, balls,
rope toy, etc. It isn't expensive when you consider replacement value, lol. Hope this helps.

Hi Christian,

I too had a puppy that HATED his crate. He threw a big fit and made all kinds of noise etc. I fed him in the crate and gave him toys, treats etc. Nothing seemed to work. Pretty soon even though he was still a puppy he was getting BIG FAST. It got to the point he would not go in unless I physically put him in and that was becomming very hard. There even became a point here he got nasty with me and growled when trying to get him in. Mr. Frawley I "think" says that they need to "live" in their crate and learn to except it. I kept it outside durring the day and summer months with his bed inside and the door open and one day there I seen him willingly sleeping inside. I went outside and praised EXTREMELY heavily. I then got some really yummy treats something he never gets and taught him "inside" as a command and he got to come and go as he pleases and got a treat each time he wanted to go in. I no longer have a problem.

I dont know if this is considered a solution but a story to share. Believe it or not it will get better. And sometimes being around doesnt help. He now sleeps in the garage because they are just like kids and will try to persuede "us parents" every now and then. Kane (GSD) is now a year old and will go "to bed" happily for a bannana. Sometimes you just have to find out what is the most valuable to them. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> And a week DOES seem like a long time when your living in the moment but just give it some time. I couldnt deal with the noise and since it was summer at the time he was outside in his crate (for the neighbors to hear <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ) No I never got a complaint.lol But even now in the winter months he stays in the garage. (but we are also in California, Sacramento area so it not like it freezing) You just have to find what works best for you and stick to it. It will get better. Good Luck!