# go to your crate



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Toss a cookie in the crate without closing the door. Repeat often. Eventually start adding the command "Crate". Then start closing the door behind her.


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## RummysMum (Jan 9, 2009)

Awesome news btw on her sleeping the night through in her crate


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

Try making the crate a fun place for her. Put a couple of her favorite toys in the crate and also start feeding in the crate. You can also try putting some of her kibble or frozen peanut butter in a Kong to keep her busy in the crate.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Cookies! Or, if you know how to clicker train, you can use that.

Either way, you build positive associations by using food. The first stages should be done with the door open. Basically, you make it a trick for her to go in the crate on her own and get a cookie. Then she comes right out. Once she has the hang of that, you can practice closing the door, giving a cookie, and opening it right back up again.

If she's never forced, she'll probably be pretty happy to go in there and get a special treat every time. Once she has the hang of it, make the cookies more sporadic, so sometimes she goes in and gets a "good girl" but no cookie. Pretty soon, it'll be a command you can make.

All the training sessions need to be short and lighthearted, and she can't be forced in if she doesn't want to go while you're working. If she does resist, put a special treat all the way at the back and tell her she's a good girl for going to get it, even if she doesn't really stay in all that long. She shouldn't be actually confined in the crate during these training sessions until she's got the command to go in down pat.

Pretty soon, you should have a dog who runs into the crate, turns around, and looks at you expectantly. Then, when you're actually putting her in there for the night or for an hour or two, you can give a cookie after you close the door to maintain her positive association.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

The advice you got is great. Of course... some dogs may just not get it. I don't know how many times I've said to Flora, "Go to your crate!" and tossed a treat in, and she still doesn't get it.  I ALWAYS have to put a treat in there before she even makes an attempt to go in.

Great news w/her sleeping in there through the night!


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

I wasn't so nice. If I said "go to bed" and Lucky didn't go, I would lead him in there. Once or twice he faught me (when he was a cantankorous teen pup).

I did always throw a treat in after he was in and praised him profusely.

"Go to bed" was Lucky's more trustworthy command. I think this is the case because the command was constantly used through out the day when I couldn't keep two eyes on him. He was let out. Put back. Let out....so he heard and followed this command 5 or 6 times a day.


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## Molly&Me (Feb 2, 2009)

Molly never goes into her crate on her own. But if we grab a cookie and even take one step away from the cookie tin (rather than just standing and giving it to her) she immediately runs to her crate. Actually she practically breaks a leg trying to get into the crate.


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## divinedecadencex (Jan 15, 2009)

I actually cant get her intrested in the kong, she has basicially no intrest in it. the "back of the crate" is a devider at the moment,and she can actually get to the back without going all the way in if she reachs, which is what she does.

What i was doing was making her go in and sit, because she can sit,and i give her a treat, and then made her sit untill i wanted her to come out, and asked her to come out. She will do that, but i have to pick her up, and put her in there....she has no intrest in going in on her own. I wish she liked the kong...all my other dogs did, it has the peanut butter filling.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

divinedecadencex said:


> I actually cant get her intrested in the kong, she has basicially no intrest in it. the "back of the crate" is a devider at the moment,and she can actually get to the back without going all the way in if she reachs, which is what she does.


Has she had any trouble with peeing in the crate? If not, you can probably move the divider further back or dispense with it entirely. You only really need it if the dog has figured out she can pee in one end and sleep in the other.

Either way, the fact that she's willing to go in halfway is a start. Toss the cookie to the back and say "go in your crate" (or whatever command you want), and it'll start to build the skill. Then you can work on getting her to go a little further at a time.

I wouldn't pick her up and put her in at all if you're trying this positive shaping method I'm describing. You want to be rewarding her for going halfway in on her own, moving that extra inch in on her own, etc.


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## divinedecadencex (Jan 15, 2009)

she pooped in her crate once, cause i put her in there after she had eaten, because i forgot, dont really blame her for that one. But other then that, maybe i could move it back a litle. Its a little daunting, cause its so big, i dont know if she should have the entire thing just yet.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

As tippy said, the divider is only so your dog won't think, "Hey, I can pee on this end and sleep on this end!" If your puppy isn't doing that, then the divider isn't needed. I don't use a divider on my 14 week old puppy because she has never peed in her crate. 

But if you're still uncomfortable with removing it, try moving it back a bit as tippy suggested and see how that goes.


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## divinedecadencex (Jan 15, 2009)

yea, because i dont know that she wont start peeing in the crate if she has to much room.

She is 8 weeks today.


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