crate blip

We've been usng the crate for about 7 weeks now, and after the first ten days or so, Buddy seemed perfectly happy to go into it when i had to leave the house. I'd tell him kennel time, he'd go sit in the crate and he'd get a stuffed kong. This was fine for keepiong his attentino while i left, and i could usually come home to find him asleep or just chilling. He was also ok going in for a chill if he was getting over excited or i had to potter about the house. He always goes in with a kong or another chew type thing. He'd hsve a wee whine at me every so ofen, but was gettin ggood at setling when he realised i was gonna let him out, and was een getting good at snoozing, een witht the hoover on!

THe past 2 days tho, hes been reluctant to go into his crate, and when he does he likes his toy like twice, then starts to scream bloody murder!!! As far as i'm aware, i'm not doing anyhting different, and on the occasions i have had to put him in the crare for a time out so to speak, its never done in a negative way, he gets a treat to enjoy when hes in the crate, even if hes been a brat!!

Are we just having a blip? a bad week? anyone else had anything like this?

I'm thinking 2moror i may need to spend a bit of time with basic training again and then just hope that when i go out on monday that he calms down, because i can't have him being noisey all day, the poor neighbours!

x

It could just be a blip. Try going right back to basics - put him in his crate for a minute with you in the room, then a bit longer. Then put him in & go out of the room for a minute...you get the idea!

Never used a crate, so good luck! Not best help really Xx

Monty has been like this also the last few nights ! I took a few videos of his doing gymnastics in his cage while he was having a moment. Due to the bad crappy, wet and windy weather we'v had here the last few days, it's been a bit of a nightmare getting him out for some walks, and I think that is the reason he seems to go a bit 'epic' in his cage .. not enough exercise. I swear he jumped in the air and sommersaulted into his basket tonight !

Could indeed be a blip or teenage rebellion. I agree with going back to basics.

Perhaps he's been so good you've stopped building reward for the crate? Is he always left for a long(ish) while? Do you play in/out games and other stuff so that going to his crate doesn't necessarily mean being left alone or something?

You could order the Crate Games DVD with Susan Garrett - it's great for creating a drive for the dog to stay in its crate. I haven't done that, though, but looked at the videos about crate games on youtube and deduced the main points from there. Now I'm taking the recallers class so I get more information about crate games as it's a part of the course, and I really had understood it more or less correct from what I'd seen even if I didn't learn all the finer points that way.