Ok, I've searched and searched and can't find an answer so I am asking for some ideas because I have none!

My 10 month old Brittany has been struggling with house training and peeing in his crate, that problem has been getting better, but he is still digging at the crate and barking when he is in the crate. This is usually only when he has to go in when he isn't tired, after exercise or at night he is usually fine. From what I can tell is the best way to fix this is to mark the behavior as soon as he stops it.

BUT... he will not take any treats when he is in the crate. And I mean nothing, I've tried chew toys, kongs filled with peanut butter, raw beef, etc... he will just let it sit in front of him, until he gets out, then he will turn and eat it before he walks out. He has sat with a piece of beef in front of his nose for two hours and won't touch it, once i open the door to the crate to let him out, he will pick the treat up before he even walks out of the crate (but never until he is let out).

How can I teach him that good things happen when he is in the crate and it is a fine place to be, if he won't accept any good things?

Also, I feed him in the crate and he is fine with eating in it (however I leave the door open when he eats). He will walk in on his own to get a toy out or a treat that was left in it & he isn't horrible about going in, once i start him in the direction of it he will go in willingly (although begrudgingly).

Any advice will be appreciated! I think this is a separation issue, he does have mild issues with separation, like if i get up and go to the restroom, he will come and scratch at the door and lay outside of it until i come out. Also, he won't take treats on walks if he is nervous about anything, he is fairly timid with loud noises and if he is remotely stressed he usually will not take a treat.

Thanks for the help!
Rob

 Quote: rob capstraw

From what I can tell is the best way to fix this is to mark the behavior as soon as he stops it.

BUT... he will not take any treats when he is in the crate. And I mean nothing, I've tried chew toys, kongs filled with peanut butter, raw beef, etc... he will just let it sit in front of him, until he gets out, then he will turn and eat it before he walks out.

Hi Rob,
Do you have a verbal marker ("YES", "Good", etc) that you use in conjunction with treats when you're working on other commands? If your dog is a bit too stressed to take a food reward while in the crate, you can still be giving him a verbal mark/praise to let him know when he's doing what you want.

From the little I know about Brittany's, they are, as you note, pretty sensitive little guys who are prone to clinginess and anxiety (which can combine to form behavioral problems if not managed). Have you done searches here on separation anxiety? It's quite a broad topic, with a lot of levels of severity, but there have been many helpful forum discussions on dealing with it (desensitizing), from dogs who have mild whining in the crate, to dogs who cause themselves physical injury while trying to escape. Here's a quick search on "separation anxiety +crate":

http://leerburg.com/search/dosearch.php?terms=separation+anxiety+%2Bcrate

Brittany's are also extremely high energy, and it will probably always make your life easier to make sure your dog is using most of that energy for exercise, and not translating it into nervous activity - you mention he doesn't fuss in the crate after a good romp, or just before bedtime - is it possible for you to give him an extra mini-session of fetch, or tug, or running around in the yard before you have to crate him for any length of time during the day?

Sounds like you've got all the right ideas in place, sometimes our dogs just challenge the "norm" and that's when we have to get creative.

~Natalya

Thanks for your suggestions Natalya, I didn't even think about just using the verbal marker but it makes complete sense. I do use "yes" followed by a treat, but now that I think back about it, I stopped doing it when he was in the crate when I realized he wouldn't take the treat, so then I just haven't been telling him he is doing it correctly.

I will also look more into desensitizing, I guess if I can get him to stay comfortable in the room when i leave the room, it should make him more comfortable in being alone in general. But should I put him in a down/stay for this, or just try to do it without a command? Most of the time he just gets up and follows unless he is fast asleep. Maybe I should work on "go to your mat" and use that as a way to make him comfortable when i leave the room? Although he would chew up the mat if it was in his crate, it may work for helping desensitizing him.

Sorry for the rambling, was kind of thinking out loud!

Rob