Hello all! I have a 17 weeks old Shih-tzu/Bichon mix. I have read all of Ed's advice (although I have not bought the video...) and have read previous posts on the subject. I am still having crate issues and understand what to do for the puppy to not bark while he's in there. However, this simply does not seem to be working!

I have had him since he was 10 weeks old and have crated him since he arrived, taking him out during the night once. He is now completely fine at night, going right into the crate because he knows its time for bed and sleeps (mostly) without trouble.

During the day when I leave though, he is in his kennel from approx. 8-12pm and no more during the day because someone is home with him. However, one days when I have been able to stay home he still goes in at the same time and barks almost the entire time.

I am really wondering if at this point he should like his crate more or if this is simply normal behavior because he is so young and wants to be with us instead of by himself? I'm feeding in the crate, giving appropriate chew toys (nylabone and PB stuffed kong, ect.); crate is appropriate size; cover the sides but not the front, etc. Any feedback on when/if he will ever like his crate would be wonderful! Thank you so much!

Can you move the crate into the same yoom that you are in when you are home? His crate is small enough...

Do you let him out (or give him any attention) when he is barking?

P.S. He will get to like it if you are condidtant. At the very least, he will tolerate it with a much better attitude. But you will always be way more fun to hang out with!

I live in a VERY small apartment, so his crate is in my bedroom at night and while I am gone. I do move it out into the same room with me during the day in hopes that he will use it! However, he has never voluntarily gone into his crate during the day to lay down or take a nap. He might go in there to finish getting the PB out of his kong, but then its right back out.

No attention at all, EVER when he is barking. Waited today for 1.5 hours, he stopped barking, I waited for 3 minutes before I went in and let him out. We went right outside with no attention, no talking besides his cues and then back inside, where I continued to ignore for another five minutes. I'm just wondering if he is ever going to like being in there and thinking of it as his space instead of just sitting under my feet all day!

We started with the Crate with our pup from Day 1 at NIGHTTIME. And there have been no nightime issues with crating.

We did some intermittent Day Time Crating and he didn't like it. He wanted to be with us. What I did ... intially ('cause I had more than one crate and could do so easily) was take the Door OFF of the Kitchen Crate. Not only did he not like the crate during the day, he would bark and attack the DOOR. So I removed the door. Any chew toys would be in the crate.

It was probably a solid month before I put the door back on the kitchen crate, but when I did put it back on. I started feeding him his meals in there.

I also started leaving him at home for short periods of time IN THE CRATE (1-2 hours).

When I started working on my store, well I have a crate here too ... and in the beginning he would just lay and sleep wherever, in 1 of 3 places. Either on the bottom shelf of a bookshelf in a closet, near the door, or in his crate. I got a kick out of that, that he actually started going into the crate and laying down on his own.

I think it will happen, if you are patient, eventhough it seems like you will never get there.

On the night of 4th of July, my pup's crate was his SAFE PLACE.

Since you can crate at night with no issues, I would work up to daytime crating in small increments and I would actually suggest that perhaps you leave the crate in the other room, instead of with you. Just my thought... if one way isn't working, then try another.

Good Luck!