# Crate Barking



## LilBitBit (Jan 15, 2012)

I'm sorry to hear you're having so much trouble!

For us, we found the only way to get crating to work was via copious use of treats/lures. It took a couple days, but here's what we did:

First, start feeding in the crate (I'm sure there are people here that disagree, but this is what I did). Don't force your pup in, just place the food in the crate, and praise like crazy when the dog goes inside.

Second, leave the crate out at all times with the door open so the dog can wander around, sniff it, check it out, all that stuff. Every time you catch your puppy in the crate, praise wildly and give a treat.

Once you've started that you can start shutting the door; just for a couple minutes, say, while you're shifting around laundry or cleaning, something where you're in your pup's sight line. If he starts crying (and this is the hard part) you have to wait to let him out until he's being good (I stuck with making my puppy sit before letting him out, and let me tell you it is FUN to continually say "Buddy, sit" to a screaming, wild puppy) or else he'll learn if he screams he gets what he wants. People on this forum introduced me to NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) and it works wonders for my dogs.

When I leave for work I always feed in the crate first so my dog has food to distract him. He cries because he can see me getting ready to leave, but if he's eating he won't be crying. Alternatively, I leave his absolute favorite chew treat for him. Basically (I've stood outside to listen) he carries on the most if he sees me getting my keys and getting ready to leave; if he doesn't see me go, he cries a little but he's good. I leave putting him in the crate for the last couple of minutes before I leave, so that he doesn't see me getting ready and leaving him. 

The other thing (and this was really tough for me time-wise) was I came home at lunchtime for the first week or so to let my dog out, so he wasn't spending eight hours at a time in a cage at first. I'd suggest starting the crating with the door shut on a weekend if possible so that you can put him in and let him out at different times and gradually work him up to that amount of time.

Night I've heard other people say they gradually moved from sleeping right next to the cage to sleeping like on a couch or cot next to the cage to sleeping with the cage next to their bed.


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## ChoppersMOM (Nov 23, 2011)

Thank you for the info. I forgot to mention its been a little more difficult than normal as I work night shift. So when I come home I try to spend and hour or two with him before putting him back in his crate. Im sure it isn't ideal but there really isnt much difference when people crate over night and then crate to go to work during the day... Only big difference is he seems to bark more when its daylight than I assume he does over night and that is when I am trying to sleep unfortunately!


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## Stef_Walsh (Sep 3, 2011)

The only two things that I did were the following:

1. I would never force him into his crate. I would usually entice him to go in with something (toy, treat, etc) and reward him when he was in there. I also made the crate a place he would want to be by putting his favourite toys in there.

2. I would put him in his crate at different points during the day while I was home, sometime I would stay where he could see me and sometimes I would walk where he couldn't see me. If he cried, he didn't come out. When he was quiet I would open the door and let him back out. Luckily with Ace, he was never an excessive crier in the crate. If he did cry, he gave up pretty quickly, but from what I've read on the forum, if you're puppy is an excessive crier (as in it will just not stop) let him out as soon as they become quiet, even if they're only being quiet for a second. They learn to associate being calm with freedom!

Good luck!


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## ChoppersMOM (Nov 23, 2011)

Thank you, I believe that will be my very next attempt! Pending he didn't do the doo-doo dance in there when I get home haha!


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## BeausMama (Jan 14, 2012)

Beau just recently got crate trained so that he doesn't whine the whole time and he's four months old. He usually only goes in with a bone/when he needs a cool down time, since it's down stairs he doesn't sleep in it. 

I had this strange idea a few weeks ago and decided to get inside the kennel myself (we bought a big one already) with the bones, bed, toys, everything - and lock Beau out of it. I stayed in there and played with him through the bars for maybe 15 minutes until he was practically begging to come inside with me. I let him in, crawled out myself after a few minutes, then closed the door. He happily munched on a bone for about 30 minutes. I've done this a few times and he opens the door by himself to go inside now! I never thought I'd see the day! Good luck with your crate training!


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

BeausMama that's hilarious! What a great idea. You ought to have video of your fun in the crate with the dog locked out! Love it!!


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