# Getting sick in crate? Anxiety?



## DreamingGold (Mar 16, 2011)

Big boo! 27 views and not a one suggestion? Anyone? Please? 

I hate thinking I'm causing him stress in his crate, but at this age I don't trust him and have to put him in several times a day when we go places. For the record, I'm a stay-at-home mom so he's out and with us most of the day...it's just when we go out or it's time for bed that he goes in.


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## baumgartml16 (Jun 19, 2011)

Koda used to get stressed when we put her in, she didn't puke but barked and cried bad. We made sure her favorite toy was in there with her and started giving her just a little peanut butter in her kong for the time that we left. She now will go in there without it cuz she has adjusted but she needed to associate the crate with something pleasent and that was the kong. Every now and then we give it to her as a treat but she really doesnt need it anymore. Cooper will adjust if he starts to associate it with someone positive. Even if you have to do this for quite a while, do it. My dog sitter said she still does it for her dogs that are over a year old every time.

They are never going to "love" going in there...obviously goldens always want to be with their humans...its their nature to want company...but it is for their own good to be in the crate so keep at it.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

" For the record, I'm a stay-at-home mom so he's out and with us most of the day...it's just when we go out or it's time for bed that he goes in."

Take the time to play a lot of games of in and out of the crate. Make the crate a fun place to be. Have the pup go in the crate when you are at home for very short periods of time giving the pup really high value items for those short periods of times. Such as suggested above a kong filled with something really yummy or a raw bone. You want your pup to associate the crate with good feelings. If the pup is only going in for bedtime and when you leave the house it isn't being associated with fun times. 

Susan Garrett has a video called crate games that may be of some help.


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## ozzy'smom (Jun 18, 2011)

Our last Golden hated her crate. We started putting her in with a Kong with some peanut butter and that helped a bit.


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## DreamingGold (Mar 16, 2011)

Thank you all SO much! I'll definitely try some positive games and Kong treats and keep fingers crossed that it helps!


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## aerolor (May 27, 2011)

My pup accepted going in her crate, but never really liked it except at night to sleep in. As soon as she was reliably house-trained, day and night, I took the plunge and put it away. She is now 6 months old and, thankfully, has managed fine without it and she now sleeps happily downstairs in one room from 10.00pm-7.30am. I think we have been very lucky because she is always ready for her bed from about 8.30pm onwards.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

I second the suggestion of putting your pup in the crate even when you're at home. You want your puppy to be comfortable alone, so it's good to get him used to it at a young age. My dog hated her crate and just barely tolerated it, but boy, the day we stopped making her get in it was the last day she went in it. Just make the crate a positive place - when you put your pup in the crate maybe put in a stuffed kong or a delicious bone. I used to put in raw marrow bones with Flora, which was a huge treat.

Good luck!


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