Crate Training-HELP!

[kenzibray]

I've had dogs growing up but we never crate trained. They were usually inside/outside dogs. The one purely inside dog we had wasn't crate trained either. Now that I'm out on my own, my fiance and I have recently gotten a puppy and we're trying to crate train. And so far its not going so good. The first night was pretty good. but its gone down hill from there. Everything I've read has said to ignore the crying and gradually introduce the dog to the crate. She's fine to go in her crate and play or nap while we're there and the door is open. But at night or when we leave during the day- she just cries and whines non stop. We try to ignore it the best we can at night, but its difficult to get any sleep. Eventually once she's potty trained we intend to take the crate away at night, because she's great at sleeping in her own bed already. But with the crate we can hear if she wakes up and needs to go out, rather than her sneaking off to some corner and doing her business in the middle of the night.

My fiance's mom used a Kong with peanut butter to help accustom her dog to the crate experience. But I have to check to make sure ours can have PB. She's a dalmatian and they need a special diet.

I'm just afraid that we're going to end up having some sort of traumatized dog by letting her cry like this and she's going to become anxious about it.

Does it get better? Or is she always going to cry like this?

 

[chessmont]

How many days has it been? I know you will receive a lot of good, and different info from posters, but I have typically just toughed it out and the dog eventually acclimated.

I had a couple go on for 2 months, but both became crate trained, and not unhappily. But those are just my experiences.

Out of about 29 dogs I only had this problem of extra long acclimation with 2. Eventually as adults they only were crated occasionally, as you are planning. I wish I had an answer for you, some magic pixie dust lol, good luck with the venture.

I remember the one boy (may he RIP now) I crated in a walk-in closet on the other end of a 4000 sq ft house so I could "try" and sleep. Didn't work LOL.

 

[dorcast]

I do think it will get better. Make the crate a fun place - give her treats in it, put some toys in, you can feed her in it.

If she can't have peanut butter, see if there is something else you can use in the Kong.
Ideally, something that might freeze, as it will take her a little longer to work on it - apple sauce or yogurt could work. Hopefully she gets busy eating something she loves, and is distracted by the time it takes. Only use that treat in the crate, so she looks forward to going in to the crate, and having that reward.