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Getting In The Crate?


Guest rachel2025

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Guest rachel2025

We are foster-failing on a lovely little greyhound just off the track. She's been at our house about a week, and is doing great, but over the past couple of days, has become increasingly reluctant to enter her crate when we are leaving the house. (She's fine going in to pick up toys, eat her breakfast, and get treats any other time).

 

I'm giving her a delicious Kong, which was enough to entice her earlier in the week, but now she's freezing before she gets to the door and we're having to push her in. We have a nanny cam up, and she's fine within 10 minutes after we leave (eats her kong and lies down for a nap).

 

Any ideas on how to get her to go in? I was thinking I could try to find a higher value treat (now it's a kong filled with treats and baby food). I hate pushing her in there, although that seems to be what happens in the kennel when dogs don't want to go into her crates. Leaving her out is not yet an option (she scratches/digs at the door when one of us leaves the house). I'm seeing lots of advice on the internet about never forcing a dog into a crate, but we've got to go to work everyday and she's not ready to have free rein of the house yet.

 

Looking forward to your advice and opinions!

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High value treats and routine. When Kasey was reluctant I have still firmly convinced him to go in. But he always always had a reward for entering, i.e. treat tossed in that made him have to walk in to retrieve, and then when it was closed door another treat. Yes I bribe! Cut up hot dogs are great. He undertood he won't get his way after a while. Then of course when the time was right, we stopped crating and he was great. She's probably testing your patience since she's still new. Keep up with the kong too. Try adding kibble and PB and freeze to change it up. Or cheese etc. She's gotta look forward to getting in there. Extra pets and praise, etc.

Edited by XTRAWLD

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12.5 year old Angel "Kasey" Goodbye Kasey Gotcha July 2005-Aug 1, 2015

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Maybe she's trying to tell you she does not need to be crated!

 

Is there a safe room you can baby-gate her into? kitchen?

Muzzle her if you're worried about counter surfing.

 

Nancy...Mom to Sid (Peteles Tiger), Kibo (112 Carlota Galgos) and Joshi.  Missing Casey, Gomer, Mona, Penelope, BillieJean, Bandit, Nixon (Starz Sammie),  Ruby (Watch Me Dash) Nigel (Nigel), and especially little Mario, waiting at the Bridge.

 

 

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Guest Jordan33

When I first got Adrien, the first night she refused to go into the crate. I stopped trying to force her and just let her be. She was fine. She didn't do anything other than sleep all night! I took the crate down a few nights later when it was clear she'd never use it. Maybe the same is true for your foster?

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Could you place something big in front of the door to block her from trying to dig at it? Or maybe train with her through the day when you are home, locking her in the crate and letting her out after a couple minutes (with lots of yummy treats before and after) to try and desensitize the whole door closed = humans gone? I've never had to deal with this as my girl is loose all the time, just throwing out ideas!

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Until you're able to post some answers to my questions above, I'll provide one exercise to practice (if you're not already doing so). :)

 

She's likely watching your work day departure cues and beginning to associate her crate with being left alone. Helps to practice with her entering the crate and resting with crate door open, and later door closed for brief periods (e.g., 5 minutes after eating). After her potty break -- gradually increase crate closed door periods (up to an hour or so) while humans are home and nearby watching TV, reading/computer, later puttering around the house, etc. This helps her view her crate as her comfortable, safe and happy place while she's feeling relaxed and humans aren't leaving without her. After that's going well, begin desensitizing her to your work departure cues by picking up/putting down keys, putting shoes on etc, without leaving the house.

 

Although entering the crate freely is ideal, a temporary learning curve is common i.e., it's understandable if she needs extra guidance until she learns the routine. You're already doing great with the crate time only Kong treat. Plain meat baby food (no toxic onion/garlic etc. spices) is an ultimate treat! Smearing natural plain peanut butter inside the Kong is another favorite that takes a little longer to finish. Some people freeze Kongs to help them last longer but some dogs find it less appealing (lacks some of the food's scent).

 

Congratulations on your happy foster failure! :)

Edited by 3greytjoys
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No doubt she's testing you and if it's important to you that she be crated, then you've got good tips here. My girl Annie, who I adopted almost 5 years ago, hated her crate and by day #2, I didn't use it, but left it up with door open in case she changed her mind. She didn't. By the end of the week it was down cellar. I never used a baby gate either. She had complete run of the house. I admit, though, that Annie has never been "bad" in the sense she's never gone in the garbage, never cruised counters, never bothered the cat, never tore down curtains (I fostered a wild boy once who ripped down the dining room curtains), etc. Maybe your girl can be trusted?

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Guest AtticusMom

I think it is a useful skill for dogs to be okay with going into a crate. Having said that, I've had a couple of greys that outright rejected going into the crate. There was no convincing them. I agree with Feisty49's post.

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Guest Wally

Being from down under (australia ) I don't understand crating / crate.please what is a crate & what size. I leave Shirley the run of house and rear yard when I am out for a day as although she won't bother anyone jumping locked high gates and fence they would loose the butt section of their jeans as they tried to leave with anything. It is only time she would bite anyone.

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Guest Mossy

All this is great advice.

I've had my Philly for about a month now.

Interestingly, he got too attached to the crate in the first week as he was spooked by the blinds and didn't come out for 2 days.

Had to make him come out to eat and eliminate. Eventually locked him out of the crate and he was fine sleeping in his bed in the kitchen for about 2 weeks...

Until he peed in the kitchen 2 days in a row and 1 other time overnight.

Now he's back in the crate - crated while I'm at work and overnight (he doesn't do stairs yet and doesn't seem to mind). When I'm home, he's on his dog bed in the living room sleeping...stretching. lol.

 

Wondering when I can trust him again and allow him free while at work and overnight.

 

The adoption grp suggested that he probably peed in the house bc I left his water out, he got bored and drank too much...

 

He doesn't mind the crate and doesn't complain but I feel he might be happier outside it but again, I don't want him to pee in the house...

 

Sigh...

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Sorry for highjacking the thread but I never heard of dogs getting bored and drinking too much. And I never let my dogs without access to fresh water.

 

We had the pee issue when something happened that disrurbed Andy's routine when we were not at home during the day, e.g. someone ringing the door bell. He got stressed and had an accident. It got better in time.

It helps when your dog sleeps near you. You can hear him when he gets restless and you can react. When Paddy was new I let him out three or four times a night. With time it got better and now he is as sleepy as his older brothers.

Sorry for butchering the english language. I try to keep the mistakes to a minimum.

 

Nadine with Paddy (Zippy Mullane), Saoirse (Lizzie Be Nice), Abu (Cillowen Abu) and bridge angels Colin (Dessies Hero) and Andy (Riot Officer).

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Crates are overrated IMO. What seems to escape a lot of adoption groups is that being crated alone in a living room is totally different than being crated alongside of 70 friends in a crate big enough for me to comfortably curl up in. I never use crates except for medical reasons. Baby gates and muzzles have always done the trick. But what do I know?

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You can try using something like this if you're afraid she'll pee in the house.

 

http://www.petsmart.ca/dog/training-behavior/top-paw-washable-cover-ups-zid36-13683/cat-36-catid-100022?var_id=36-13683&_t=pfm%3Dcategory

Edited by robinw

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Xavi the galgo and Peter the cat. Missing Iker the galgo ?-Feb.9/19, Treasure (USS Treasure) April 12/01-May 6/13, Phoenix (Hallo Top Son) Dec.14/99-June 4/11 and Loca (Reko Swahili) Oct.9/95 - June 1/09, Allen the boss cat, died late November, 2021, age 19.

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