My wife and I recently (~3 weeks ago) adopted a lab mix puppy. He is currently 3.5 months old.

Within the past week, he has become increasingly difficult to get into his crate. As first, we could throw in a couple treats and he would jump right in after them. We would praise him and shut the door. Now, he often won't follow the treats in. Within the past week, I've been having to grab him and literally push him in, with him struggling the whole time.

We had to move his crate into the attached garage, because he would bark and whine so much certain nights we weren't getting any sleep. When this first started, we began feeding him in the crate (with the door open) hoping that would help. No luck so far.

Could you please give me some tips on how to deal with the behavior? If I had to guess at the underlying problem, I think it is that he just wants to be around us and the idea of him going in there means that we are leaving him alone. I would appreciate some advice from the experienced folks.

Here is our schedule:
We wake up in the morning, take him out to potty, then go for a walk. He is out for about 2 hours, then he has to go back in when we leave for work. Either myself or another family member comes home on lunch to let him out to go potty, and sometimes we go for a short walk. He goes back in the crate, and then is let out as soon as we get home from work and doesn't go back in until bedtime.

Thank you.

So it's only at bedtime that the struggle happens?

Where was the crate when he was whining at night (before the garage)?

My guess is the same as yours--he wants to be near you.

I've always had good success with crating puppies in my bedroom. They may fuss the first night, but not after that. I think that being able to smell/see/hear you at night is both comforting and important for bonding.

It may not be possible or practical in all situations. A dog crate in the bedroom is neither convenient nor attractive, I admit. And puppies are a PITA. But it's only for a little while. Within a month or two, most pups are trustworthy enough to sleep through the night without a crate, on the bedroom floor, with the doors closed to prevent nighttime exploration.

...wanted to add (after edit time had expired) that when you aren't home you can crate the puppy wherever you want--in the garage, if that's the best spot. Even though a pup might be trustworthy at night in a closed bedroom at, say, 6 months, I don't trust them out of the crate when I'm away until 18 months.

Unfortunately, the struggle can happen any time, not just bedtime. At night we usually wait until he is falling asleep with us before we put him in the crate, but he still struggles.

Before the garage, the crate was in the kitchen/family room area. I'm liking the garage, just because we spend a lot of time outside and it makes it easy to just open the crate and he is out with us.

I wouldn't mind trying the crate in the bedroom, but I really can't afford to buy another one, and I don't want to leave him there when we aren't in the bedroom.

The only other things I can think of are:

>try to make the crate more appealing (better treats only given in the crate, special toy/stuffed kong only given in the crate).

>earplugs.

What are you thinking might happen with him crated in the bedroom when you aren't there?

I want to address your last paragraph, because it would probably be a great solution (except I too wonder why the bedroom is a problem during the day).

I have given away crates, and seen them at yard sales with $5 tags on them.

Type in Used Dog Crates at Google.

But even faster and maybe much easier, read the yard sale section of the paper on the weekend and make a circuit. Put up a card on your vet's bulletin board and a training club.

Crates go back and forth among our club members, and I have been in several garages where it was obvious that the owner would love a crate or two to go away.

I'm just looking at it through the puppies eyes - I would have hard time wanting to spend hours and hours in a crate alone in the garage too! I know you have to go to work, but maybe you could get one of those dog walkers to come by at least once a day, in addition to you coming home at lunch, to get him out and playing more. It sounds like he's in the crate much of the day, and then again all night - maybe it's just not enough time getting exercise and companionship. Dogs ARE pack animals and don't like being alone.

Just a thought!

I should add that the reason I bring that up, is because our dogs were the same way about the crate during the times that we didn't have enough time to make sure they were 'worn out'! When they had had training time, exercise and play, and were then tired, they were happy to go into the crate for sleep!

or Craigslist! Just for fun, I typed in "Dog Crate" in our local Craigslist and 70 of them are up for sale right now in my city, starting at $5.

Again, everybody's gotta do what works best for their household. If you decide that crating the pup in the garage is what you want to do, then you can make it work. Just put the pup in, close the crate and walk away without making a big deal. Ignore the protests and they will stop. The pup will eventually get used to it. Our suggestions are just ways to stop the crying sooner.

 Quote: Tracy Collins

Within a month or two, most pups are trustworthy enough to sleep through the night without a crate, on the bedroom floor, with the doors closed to prevent nighttime exploration.

Not my experience at all! I've raised dozens and dozens of puppies, and never had ONE that after a month or two I would let sleep loose in the bedroom. Raine was 10 months old before she was allowed to sleep in the bedroom out of the crate and that was on a tether next to the bed.

Rush is 19 months old, still crated at night.

I think telling the average puppy owner that they only need to use the crate at night for a month or two is really unrealistic.
I'm basing this on the emails I get every day.

Set yourself up for success, keep the puppy crated at night for a long time. Especially if you are a heavy sleeper!