# Suddenly hates his crate?



## Mando's Mommy (Dec 8, 2020)

Mando has loved sleeping in his crate overnight since coming home with us. That is, until this week. He only uses his crate to sleep in at night. We don’t use it otherwise. I checked to make sure the inside was clean and it was but I washed his crate mat just to be extra sure. 

In the past, when it was bedtime, I would put the crate in his pen with the door open and he’d walk right in. I’d try to get him to potty first which he sometimes did. I’d then close the door after him when he was already asleep or hearing settling down to sleep.

Starting this week, he refuses to go in his crate even if he was clearly tired and half-asleep. So I’d throw a couple of treats in there and lock the door behind him. He would bark non-stop, sometimes with a potty cry mixed in. I wasn’t sure if he needed to potty so I’d open the crate to let him potty without saying a word. There were a couple of occasions where he did potty but he usually didn’t. I’d then repeat the treat/close door process. And the barking would commence. The last two nights, I gave in and just let him sleep in his pen.

I checked with his breeder and she doesn’t think he’s outgrown his crate. I’m not sure what to do going forward. Should I just let him sleep in his pen or keep trying to get him back on track sleeping in his crate? I thought it was critical to have him used to his crate in case we needed it later on for things like medical procedures?

We have this crate:



https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/petmate-2-door-top-load-kennel-x-small-2305393


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Mando's Mommy said:


> Mando has loved sleeping in his crate overnight since coming home with us. That is, until this week. He only uses his crate to sleep in at night. We don’t use it otherwise. I checked to make sure the inside was clean and it was but I washed his crate mat just to be extra sure.
> 
> In the past, when it was bedtime, I would put the crate in his pen with the door open and he’d walk right in. I’d try to get him to potty first which he sometimes did. I’d then close the door after him when he was already asleep or hearing settling down to sleep.
> 
> ...


I had similar plastic enclosed crate and Patti preferred sleeping in the ex-pen outside the crate when she got a wee bit older. Initially, she cuddled up inside. I thought, the plastic crate was probably too hot and bought a wire crate and placed a cover over it at night.

In the beginning, I moved the plastic crate into our bedroom at night because the area where we had the ex-pen was busy throughout the night into the early morning hours because we have teenage kids who sleep during the day and are up all night.

Initially, Patti only woke up a couple of times at night in the plastic crate and I would take her back to the indoor-potty tray in her ex-pen for her to potty - Do Her Job. (She is trained to use an indoor-potty) This worked for a short time but soon she was pawing and asking to get out of the plastic crate.

I switched to a wire crate for night sleeping in our bedroom and got rid of the plastic crate in the ex-pen. Patti preferred sleeping on a baby blanket or on the tile floor in the ex-pen and didn't want anything to do with the plastic crate.

For a nap during the day, I tried removing Patti from the ex-pen into the wire crate in the bedroom but that didn't work for me. So, she napped in the ex-pen during the day on the floor or baby blanket. I bought a doggie bed but she still preferred the cool tile floor.

The wire crate was kept in our bedroom and was large enough that it had a divider. I could have placed a potty tray or potty pad on the other side for her to use during the night but worried about her getting use to pottying in the crate. Therefore, I divided the crate so she had a smaller bed with no access to the other side.

After switch from the plastic crate to the wire crate initially she slept longer and better in the wire crate. Eventually Patti learned every time she cried I would take her out of the and she then cried more frequently throughout the night for me to come and get her.

I considered letting her cry it out, but worried she might need to potty and I didn't want her to potty in the crate. Due to shear exhaustion - one night I put leash on her at 5-6 months and put Patti in our bed to try and get some sleep myself. From then on Patti slept like a Rock! throughout the night from around 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. in the morning without needing to potty.

At night Patti was confined to the bed. I eventually took the harness off and she didn't try to get off the bed until she was older and was 100% trustworthy to use the indoor potty.

*If you want your dog to sleep in a crate I would try a different crate and see if that works because I don't like the plastic crates. They're too enclosed and hot - IMO. I'm still not sure putting a potty pad on side is a good idea or not - Maybe someone can answer that concern. *

If Patti's wire crate had been in a quiet room outside our bedroom things might have been different and she might be using the crate as her permanent bed. However, I've never had a dog that slept in a crate. I only had her in the crate for confinement while housebreaking her. I doubt I would have continued using the crate as a permanent bed.

Patti is now 3-years old and sleeps in our bedroom but prefers sleeping in our closet, hidden under hanging clothes. Around 3 - 4 a.m. she'll hop up on the end of the bed until she needs to go out around 5:30 a.m.

Maybe this helps?


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

My dogs slept in plastic crates when they were puppies but when they got older they did not like them and I switched to wire crates which they absolutely love. I also have a nice cushy mattress and blanket in them to make them super cozy. I would think the plastic crates are stuffy and do not allow enough air flow. Mia is hot blooded.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

My dogs always preferred plastic crates, so I’m not POSITIVE that the crate is the problem, though it’s worth a try. 
I would STRONGLY urge you to buy Susan Garrett’s “Crate Games” DVD (might also be available streaming these days) and do just the first 3 lessons. Your dog will learn to truly VALUE his crate. This is the method that I’ve used to teach all my puppies to crate, and they all, HAPPILY go into and STAY in their crates. 

There is tons of other valuable information in the DVD, but I believe the first 3 lessons will solve your problem. Leaving him loose in the ex-pen might make you sleep better for now, but IMO, all dogs should be comfortable with and comforted BY being in their kennel. It will serve them SO well, through their entire lives to have this skill!


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

How old is Mando now? 5 months? He is very much a puppy. He is trying to assert his personality which includes training you, his owner. This kind of behavior is very common, to be expected, and a good sign he is developing normally.

Regarding any kind of training (including crate training) don't give in no matter how much he barks and whines. You have done everything in your power to assure he has no physical problem. At this time it is now a battle of wills, his against yours.

Here is what worked for us with regards to crate training. It may or may not work for you or anyone else, but it is worth giving it a try since nothing else you are doing seems to be working.
When it is time YOU want him to go to bed in his crate:

physically pick him up and put him in his crate if he will not go in voluntarily on his own
once inside give him ONE treat and lock the gate
cover the crate with a light blanket on all four sides (birdcage style) so it is completely dark inside
leave that room so there is no disturbance in there
let him bark to his hearts content if necessary,
this probably won't work instantly and it could take a week or two to instill the desired behavior
*** Although all owners don't do this, RICKY's wire crate is in our bedroom (with a blanket over it) which is where WE like the crate best. RICKY has not been trained to use a litter box indoors. He will ONLY potty and poop outdoors, day or night, which is not a problem because we live in a mild climate area. I want to be able to hear him in the middle of the night if he truly does need my assistance which is extremely rare - maybe once a year, usually involves potty or poop. He also has keen hearing and he will bark if something seems amiss to him in or around the house (usually is a wild animal outside - skunk, bobcat, racoon, etc.). The downside is that he will occasionally wake me with very muffled barking which means he is dreaming. That's okay, I just say "RICKY" to wake him up and we both roll over and go back to sleep. During the day he has the run of the entire house and sleeps wherever he wants to (which is generally the room I'm in). That will be in his daybed, on the floor, or on a couch.

You will need to experiment to see what works for you and raising a puppy is a lot of work. Others will give you suggestions and you should try those too.

Good fortune with training.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Just wanted to add that for probably the first two years of their life they got a treat every time they went into their crate.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> Just wanted to add that for probably the first two years of their life they got a treat every time they went into their crate.



Mine STILL all get "good night" cookies, even though they don't always get cookies "just" for going in their crates. Between car crate, lessons, trials, shows, traveling, etc., it is REALLY important to me that my dogs LOVE their crates and feel very comfortable there!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

It was also very important to me that my dogs love their crates. We played lots of crate games and still do occasionally which involves treats of course. Mia loves her crate so much that when I am cleaning it out and putting fresh bedding in there, she stands by eagerly ready to rush into her clean crate.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

At our house I have found no need for a crate after housebreaking. Our daughter's dog Goldendoodle sleeps on a Big Doggie pillow in our daughter's TV room area.

I believe Panda sleeps in Karen's bed when she's not having puppies. 🐶 🐶 🐶 🐶 🐶 So much for crates. LOL!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

I fear I would have a riot on my hands if I got rid of the crates. They love their crates and that is where they hang out most of the day. Confining a dog in a crate can come in handy for many reasons such as:


when dog is injured and must be confined
husband drops a glass on the floor that shatters and you need to keep dogs away while cleaning up
someone comes to front door and you want to keep dog from escaping
natural flea control
work being done on house and workers going in and out
want dog used to crate for traveling or going to vet
can be useful for feeding dogs to avoid food fights

I think it is critical for a dog to love being in their crate. They are not just for potty training IMO.

A friend of mine fosters puppies that will eventually be trained to be support dogs. Her last dog was rejected from the program because it became anxious when crated. This is a shame. She had spent a year training this dog but assume failed at getting her to not be anxious when crated. She wound up adopting the dog as a pet.


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## Mando's Mommy (Dec 8, 2020)

Thank you for all your suggestions. I’m going to try letting Mando “bark it out” for the next few days. He’s 16 weeks old and sleeps in his crate within a pen at the foot our bed. I as not prepared for this sudden change by him. I did have a sinking feeling that I was the one being trained. 😂 He gets a cookie or two when going into his crate at night. I think he’s figured out that going into the crate and barking gets my attention and multiple treats. Just like how he used to pee and poop all at once in the morning then wait for a treat, he now pees then waits for a treat and then poops for another treat. He’s my little mischief maker (see how he flipped my son’s chair over and then proceeded to claim it for himself). He’s lucky he’s so darn cute! 🤣


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

mudpuppymama said:


> I fear I would have a riot on my hands if I got rid of the crates. They love their crates and that is where they hang out most of the day. Confining a dog in a crate can come in handy for many reasons such as:
> 
> 
> when dog is injured and must be confined
> ...


I completely agree. Even though Perry has never loved his crate, and we do use it for nightly sleeping and when we're out of the house, I would keep him crate trained no matter what. The injury issue has been a big one for us needing the crate. Between Perry's CCL tears then surgery and now biopsy recovery, he spends a lot of time in his crate. It's important that he doesn't hate it (even if he doesn't love it).


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Melissa Brill said:


> I completely agree. Even though Perry has never loved his crate, and we do use it for nightly sleeping and when we're out of the house, I would keep him crate trained no matter what. The injury issue has been a big one for us needing the crate. Between Perry's CCL tears then surgery and now biopsy recovery, he spends a lot of time in his crate. It's important that he doesn't hate it (even if he doesn't love it).


Mia hurt her back several years ago and needed crate rest for several weeks. I was SOOOOO very glad she loves her crate!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> It was also very important to me that my dogs love their crates. We played lots of crate games and still do occasionally which involves treats of course. Mia loves her crate so much that when I am cleaning it out and putting fresh bedding in there, she stands by eagerly ready to rush into her clean crate.


Yes! Mine do that too!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Mikki said:


> At our I have found no need for a crate after housebreaking. Our daughter's dog Goldendoodle sleeps on a Big Doggie pillow in our daughter's TV room area.
> 
> I believe Panda sleeps in Karen's bed when she's not having puppies. 🐶 🐶 🐶 🐶 🐶 So much for crates. LOL!


Yes, she sleeps with us at night... even with the puppies, she is going back and forth. But she is crated at lots of other times. And the other dogs sleep in crates. Panda also sleeps in her crate when we are on vacation in the travel trailer. The queen bed in the trailer isn’t big enough for dogs added to the mix... and, probably more important, she can’t get on and off by herself. And there is no way I am going to be lifting a dog back onto the bed all night long! LOL!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> I fear I would have a riot on my hands if I got rid of the crates. They love their crates and that is where they hang out most of the day. Confining a dog in a crate can come in handy for many reasons such as:
> 
> 
> when dog is injured and must be confined
> ...


Can’t agree with this enough!


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## Mando's Mommy (Dec 8, 2020)

I hope I don’t jinx myself with this update but Mando had a good night last night.

I tweaked his bedtime routine slightly by putting his crate in his pen earlier than usual (an hour before bedtime vs. 15 minutes) and removing his blanket (only his crate mat and beloved monkey from the breeder remained). I encouraged him to pee. He got a potty treat. About 10-15 minutes later, I put his crate in the pen with a couple more cookies in his crate. When I decided it was time for bed an hour later (vs. usually letting him decide) and he was lying outside his crate, I threw another cookie in the crate. He went in his crate, ate the cookie and settled down without a peep.

I really hope we replicate it tonight!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Good news! That’s funny about getting treats! Smart boy. 

Once you resolve whatever hesitance is causing him to avoid it right now (my guess is he just wants to be out where the action is considering his age) you can keep using the crate how you are but you don’t have to. As long as he has periodic exposure to it, he’ll still be crate trained adequately for when you need it. I was once told that when dogs have issues with crates it’s rarely about the crate and almost always situational, so for instance if he’s not napping in it during the day it doesn’t mean he will have problems in a crate in the car. Mine does not sleep in a crate at home but is fine in a crate at daycare during quiet time and for meals and at the pet sitter’s overnight. Not discouraging crating at all, I know that’s important to you and it’s important to resolve any issues around crates for the future, but just wanted to mention it because sometimes your needs might change as a family. Don’t stop crating at night as a response to his treat seeking behavior, but also don’t worry that if you decide to forgo a crate at night or for naps it will do him harm. 

Have fun with the crate games!


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> Good news! That’s funny about getting treats! Smart boy.
> 
> Once you resolve whatever hesitance is causing him to avoid it right now (my guess is he just wants to be out where the action is considering his age) you can keep using the crate how you are but you don’t have to. As long as he has periodic exposure to it, he’ll still be crate trained adequately for when you need it. I was once told that when dogs have issues with crates it’s rarely about the crate and almost always situational, so for instance if he’s not napping in it during the day it doesn’t mean he will have problems in a crate in the car. Mine does not sleep in a crate at home but is fine in a crate at daycare during quiet time and for meals and at the pet sitter’s overnight. Not discouraging crating at all, I know that’s important to you and it’s important to resolve any issues around crates for the future, but just wanted to mention it because sometimes your needs might change as a family. Don’t stop crating at night as a response to his treat seeking behavior, but also don’t worry that if you decide to forgo a crate at night or for naps it will do him harm.
> 
> Have fun with the crate games!


Agree! Patti is in a crate at the groomers very often right now, once a week and has gone to a groomer since she was 10 weeks old. If she were ill or for some reason and I needed to crate her, I'm confident that would not be a big issue. If you want your dog to forever sleep in a crate he'll get use to it and love it. Just like Patti loves going to her private place in or closet to sleep. 

Patti wanted my attention and to be with us when she started her whining or making a tiny woolf woolf to get out of the crate. It was easier for me to put her in our bed and it's worked out great ... for us.


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## GoWithTheFlo (Oct 11, 2018)

Mando's Mommy said:


> Thank you for all your suggestions. I’m going to try letting Mando “bark it out” for the next few days. He’s 16 weeks old and sleeps in his crate within a pen at the foot our bed. I as not prepared for this sudden change by him. I did have a sinking feeling that I was the one being trained. 😂 He gets a cookie or two when going into his crate at night. I think he’s figured out that going into the crate and barking gets my attention and multiple treats. Just like how he used to pee and poop all at once in the morning then wait for a treat, he now pees then waits for a treat and then poops for another treat. He’s my little mischief maker (see how he flipped my son’s chair over and then proceeded to claim it for himself). He’s lucky he’s so darn cute! 🤣
> 
> View attachment 174493


This just made me lol🤣🤣 Loving how he holds onto a poo for another treat😆😂😂. Clever boy!

Also Flo loves my daughter’s chair. One of their favourite games together is Flo sitting in the chair while daughter pushes her around the room on it😁. No idea what either of them get out of it but it is a big hit with them both! 

You are right Mando is _very _cute and could get away with anything in this house😘.

We don’t use an expen or crate Flo overnight (expen because I never even knew they existed until I discovered this site when she was already 11 months old), crate because I am a softie and enjoy having her snuggle with us at night. So I can’t offer any advice on that, but good news that Mando had a better night last night, hopefully the change up will help him resettle for his nighttime routine🤞🏻 As everyone has said crates are invaluable, even if only for the occasional use, for this reason I keep Flo’s crate always open downstairs so that she knows it is hers and her safe place should we ever need it. She uses it to dig in (it has a lovely think mattress she can scratch about in) and to hide whenever she is quicker than me when the brushes come out🙄😆 oh well at least she recognises it as hers!😘


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