My adopted 7-month-old dog fights going into his crate. Help!

Acclimate him gradually to the crate. Walk him in and out of it several times daily. Offer praise and rewards when he complies. If you have a crate with two doors, allow him to walk through while on a leash. Increase the amount of time as Oliver progresses. If he resists do not force him, just end the session and try again after he settles down. A pheromone product such as the Adaptil collar or DAP diffuser may decrease any anxiety during this training period.

This is definitely a difficult situation, because you have a dog (with the mindset of a puppy) that has a normal amount of energy for his age and seems to view the crate as a negative place to be. The crate should be a place that the pup likes to go to, so there is a great deal of training that will be required to get him to associate the crate with good thoughts (like treats). Also, the crate should not be overused. If a dog is spending more than 8 hours a day in a crate, then there's a good chance that they will eventually go stir-crazy. The other thing that needs to be addressed is Ollie's energy. The best way to release this pent-up energy is regular exercise. In his case, it may be best to have exercise where he is running - like when playing fetch at a dog park. I recommend starting two hours of this (AM and PM) to start with. He may need more. Working seven days a week and raising young kids must make free-time for training and exercise very difficult. If you are able to hire help (i.e. a dog walker, or trainer), then this may be your best option. If it is not possible for the dog to get adequate exercise and training, then the only other option I can think of is a consult with a veterinarian, or a veterinary behaviorist. Sometimes medication is needed for certain circumstances in order to facilitate training. I hope that helpful for you. Good luck and I hope all goes well with Ollie.

I'm sorry to hear Birdy is having this issue. You are doing everything right! We want to make the crate a positive space. You can also start feeding him his meals in the crate (with the door open). When putting a treat in, use a half ghbvaliebtreat he doesn't get for anything else, such as a small amount of cheese, chicken or deli meat to really emphasize how good the crate is. Keep up the good work!

Great question! I will give you the method I typically recommend for house training a dog. Crating training is a great way to do it, but it's also important to put Bambi on a schedule. Start by keeping him on a regular feeding schedule, and taking away his food between meals. Take him out to potty first thing every morning, and once every two to three hours at first. Once he gets better at holding his bladder, you can stretch it out but he can never go longer than eight hours without a bathroom break.. Always make sure he goes out after meals, first thing when he wakes up from a nap, last thing before bedtime at night, and right before you leave the house. Take him to the same spot each time to go potty. His scent there will encourage him to go. Stay with him outside each time he goes to potty, at least until he is fully house trained. When he goes outside, praise him and give him a treat. In terms of the crate, it needs to be big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lie down, but it should not be big enough for him to go potty in. You will have to slowly train him to get used to a crate. Start putting him in it when you are home and sitting nearby so he doesn't think you are abandoning him, and slowly increase the time he is in it. He can have toys in the crate, and puzzle toys with treats in it that he has to figure out how to get the treats out. You can put a tablespoon of peanut butter in a Kong toy and freeze it in the freezer overnight, then give it to him in the crate. That will keep him occupied for a while. I hope this helps!

Thanks for asking about crate training your puppy. I'm a professional dog trainer. It sounds like you are doing some of the general recommendations for crate training, like feeding in the crate and giving treats in the crate. I'm going to share with you all of my tips for crate training. But the two most important things are to ALWAYS give high value treats for going into the crate and never let him out if he's crying or barking. For you I recommend doing this: Step 1: Throw a handful of yummy treats in the crate and say "Crate" or whatever phrase you want to use and let him go in to eat them. While he's eating them, close the door and stand there. When he's finished eating the treats and not crying, open the door and let him out. Do this 5 times. This teaches him that he gets lots of treats in the crate. The crate is good! Step 2: Throw the treats in the crate, say the word "Crate", let him go in and eat, close the door and walk out of site for a few seconds or a minute (very short time). Come back when he's not crying. Open the crate and let him out. Do this 5 times. This teaches him that you put him in his crate, leave and come back and let him out when he's not crying. Step 3: Throw treats in the crate, say the word "Crate", let him go in and eat, close the door and walk away for 5 minutes. Come back when he's not crying. Open the crate and let him out. Do this 5 times. This teaches him that you stay away longer but you still come back and let him out when he's quiet. Step 4: Do same thing for 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour and then at night. Step 5: Now that he knows the crate is good, keep reinforcing it by always giving treats to go in. Give him a stuffed Kong or special toys that he only gets in the crate. Keep feeding him in it and don't let him out when he's crying. More tips: Guidelines: 1. A puppy should be able to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably in the crate. 2. Do not leave any extra space inside the crate where the puppy might be able to eliminate. If the crate is large, place another barrier inside that will leave just enough room for the puppy, as stated in step one. 3. Place a towel or padding in the bottom of the crate for puppy to lie on. Remove if you feel the puppy will chew or ingest it. 4. Select an area in your home to set up the crate. This should be in a room where the puppy is engaged with family activities and able to view the family. This may be the family living room or master bedroom. 5. Setup the crate and let the puppy see it in his environment and explore. Keep the door open and hide yummy treats inside, he will learn that good things happen in his crate. 6. Hold a yummy treat in your hand and lure the puppy into the crate. As the puppy enters the crate, say “Crate” or whatever word will be used as the crating cue, and praise and treat. 7. Continue to leave the door open and keep hiding treats under the crate bedding. This will encourage the puppy to explore the crate. 8. Repeat several times until she is comfortable going into the crate. Additional Information: • NEVER force the puppy into the crate. • If a puppy should begin whining or barking in his crate, check your housetraing schedule to ensure the puppy does not need to potty. If the puppy just eliminated, wait until she is quiet before you let her out of the crate. Wait patiently for a split second of silence, and then open the crate door. If you let a puppy out of the crate when he is whining or barking, this will become an “I want out of the crate” cue. • The crate should become a calm and positive environment. • For crate training to be successful, the puppy must view the crate as a refuge and associate it with positive experiences. • Add special yummy treats or toys that the puppy only receives when he is in the crate. Food-stuffed toys like Kong’s work well and make the crate a happier place for the puppy. • When a puppy is left alone in his crate, play soft music in the background.

Hi there. I would recommend giving Brady a special treat whenever you put him in his crate, such as a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter. This will help to keep him busy so he doesn't bark, and will also teach him to associate good things with being in his crate. You should only leave him in the crate for short periods right now, and let him out before he finishes his treat so that he doesn't have a chance to get anxious or upset. As he gets more comfortable with the crate, you can gradually increase the amount of time he spends there. You could certainly try a Thundershirt if you want to - it seems to be helpful for some anxious dogs. Other things that might be helpful would include an Adaptil pheromone collar, or a natural calming supplement such as Zylkene or Composure.

Snoopy is absolutely adorable!! I would keep Snoopy in the crate when you cannot keep 100% watch on him. When he comes out of the crate I would then walk him (on a leash even if the backyard is enclosed). After he goes to the bathroom he can go off leash to play. If he goes then I would play with him and once you have to turn your back he goes back in the crate. If he does not go to the bathroom when you take him out of the crate I would put him back in for 20 minutes and try again. If you catch him going to the bathroom tell him no and take him and put him where you want him to go and praise him for going. If you just see the accident then clean it up and do not say anything to him. A crate should be big enough for him to stand up, sit down and turn around. The crate is a very safe option and dogs end up loving their crates, it's their safe house. Since we do not know what type of life Snoopy had previously this process can take some time and patience. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!