Well, maybe I'm making a little progress. I found that he likes cheese a little bit. He'll take that out of my hand but it's not high value enough that he'll chase it. I just toss it 6 or 8 inches and he will get to it but he won't chase. By the way, someone had mentioned trying a toy to lure him into the crate. That didn't work. He'll chase toys plenty but you throw it into the crate and he locks up.

It dawned on me today why he's already not liking the crate besides the lack of time to work on this right after we got him. We live in Virginia and the breeder is in Florida. He already had another person in Virginia that wanted a puppy so he drove to South Carolina and we met him there to get the puppy. (My dad lives near the breeder so I had him check out the parents and litter for me and help me choose the puppy). So he transported the puppies in a crate from Florida. I'm betting that's the first time he'd been in a crate, so he already didn't like it before I even got him. I'll have to get some bacon and try that. We don't eat a whole lot of bacon so we don't have any right now.

There is at least one if not more videos on Leerburg about crate training that might help. The high value treats is different as you hear for different dogs. I recently changed treats up and and am using the Natural Balance log type cut into tiny pieces. There are a few types so whatever works. I use the turkey because it doesnt seem to break up as easily in the treat bag. After you open it put it in the refridgerator to keep it fresh. When using it for training the pieces are no bigger than my pinkie finger nail size as I can use quite a few so dont want to pack on any extra weight.The possible no liking the crate from the trip can be worked on and you are doing a good job.

If you are doing marker training, this is a good video showing the process of building confidence in an area a dog is scared.

http://youtu.be/3-CCJxF-9U4

If you are having trouble with motivation for food, make sure he is hungry when you train.

When my pup was at his worst I fed his entire ration of food (except for one chicken thigh) as treats from my hand for correct performance during the day.
Also, if you are feeding kibble, consider a switch to raw. My dog's personality was much better (less wound up, less irritable) off kibble.

Kory have you tried bits of chicken Brest or steak yet?

Is the crate in the same location all the time or have you tried moving the crate outside or in a different room or back yard just for the training purposes to see if you have any progress.

He's actually become very used to the crate now. He even goes in it on his own, especially if he gets tired. The only treats I've found that work for training so far are bacon, and oddly enough, cheerios. I started giving either one of those when he went in the crate and that seems to have worked well. I haven't tried chicken breast or steak yet because we just haven't had any. Life is very busy with 2 young boys that are very involved with martial arts and now two dogs.

It's kind of funny. It seems that every time I post a question about a concern I have, the concern seems to disappear very quickly after that. Maybe I'm jumping the gun on things sometimes. I just want to get this right. I've raised dogs the wrong way so long, I really want to do it right this time.

Great work!
It's no coincidence... when we start getting ahead of ourselves, we and others can check us before little incidents become big issues. Just think how smart you'll be when you get the next dog!

Edited by Duane Hull (05/17/2012 11:50 AM)
Edit reason: sp

 Quote: Kory Fox

... I haven't tried chicken breast or steak yet because we just haven't had any. Life is very busy with 2 young boys that are very involved with martial arts and now two dogs.
....

I hear ya! Life with multiple dogs and children can be hectic. I have 3 of each. The kids (4,6&9) are involved in multiple activities including competitive cheerleading and club wrestling that take us out of town most Saturdays during their seasons. Right now is slow, so we are only averaging 12 hours of activities outside of school a week. The key is scheduling. I probably spend just as much time reworking my schedule to pencil in a good chunk of time to train after school hours as I actually spend training Usually it falls somewhere around midnight, but it's so important to make sure you get it in; even if it's 10 minutes here and there while kids are changing for activities or training in the hallway during bath time. Also, having a "staples" list for the grocery store on your computer for both humans and dogs and it will give you another 20 minutes a week (and a good supply of treats)! Please don't think I'm being nosey with your schedule, I just understand how crazy it can get with multiple dependents who need your time. I know you said you wanted to do it "right" and have no doubt that you can if you scour your schedule for a few minutes to hide with the pup Sounds like you are making crate and socialization progress already!