# Help - my new dog hates his crate!



## Lily528 (Oct 3, 2012)

I just brought home Archie, an 8 month old havanese. I am trying to crate train him but he cries and barks every time he is put in his crate. He had been used to being crated at night at the breeders and using a wee pad and doggie door during the day. I am taking him out regularly for walks and potty. I just gave him a kong filled with peanut butter and kibble in his crate but he has no interest. He just wants to be with me and won't stop barking. I am trying to ignore the barking but it is so hard - any ideas?


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Why are you crating him?


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## Lily528 (Oct 3, 2012)

The breeder suggested I crate him - he isn't fully housetrained. Actually, he barks whenever he can't see me, even when he is in an ex pen.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

This breed is a PEOPLE breed. He wants to be WITH YOU. How long have you had him?

Coming home to a new home at 8 months could be a challenge as your hav is entering adolesence ... be patient and loving with him!!

Could you leash him to you instead of crating him? Or even have him in an x-pen when you can't watch him? When I first brought my hav home at 14 weeks, because I wasn't working I was able to WATCH her like a hawk. our house is tiny, so we just close the bedroom doors and I watched her. ALL.the.TIME. and I was able to train her to ring a bell when she needed to go out... if your dog was crated and alone frequently at the breeders, the crate could be a very scary, lonely place to your hav and he just wants to be with you right now.

Do you mind me asking why your breeder still had him at 8 months old??


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

I don't have experience in crate training a pup who is older. My two were much younger. Hopefully someone who has experience bringing home an older pup can help with that. With my two, we started very slowly - just getting them in the crate and letting them walk out at first - and I think treats were involved and praise. Then I would shut the door for about 30 seconds, and just gradually increased the time - while I stayed near them. Then I would start stepping out of the room briefly, increasing that time. Then stepping around a corner until they could no longer see me. Then I would go upstairs (the crate was in the kitchen) for brief periods, gradually increasing the time I was gone, always returning to let them out with praise and a treat. You might have to start at the beginning like that? From the very beginning, I would wait to praise and treat when he wasn't barking as you don't want to reward the barking. Oh, and this all took place over a period of time - it wasn't done in a day or even a week. My two look at their crates as places of refuge. It is their 'safe' place - Ha - safe from Mom (for a minute) who has plans for a bath! Or just a place to rest. Also, sometimes when I am cooking, for their safety. There are any number of instances where I have been so glad that mine are crate trained, so that I know I can put them in their crates and they will be safe and they won't stress about being in there. Finn always goes to his crate to get out of the way when I am preparing their food dishes. I never taught him that - he just goes there and waits. I hope people with experience with bringing home older pups will offer suggestions.

And....Welcome to the forum!


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## TnTWalter (May 9, 2007)

Winston never took to a crate and we started when he was a baby. I would gate him in an expen when I left and as he got older the space got bigger. Now he's got run of the house.


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

I have a puppy so I have been on this site a lot looking for advice. As in this thread there is a ton of good advice. I read a thread cant remember who wrote it, but the poster said something that stuck with me, about the crate being like "a bedroom decked out with luxury bedding and a flat screen," a refuge from the world. This is the set up I want for my dog and I keep that image in mind. 

I dont know if this will work, but I would keep at giving him treats and all good times in the crate. Do not shout at him or use spray bottles etc. Just ignore him when he cries - leave the room, wear earplugs whatever. Dont acknowledge it. It may take awhile. My dog isnt into the kong too much either but he loves chicken so i always give him some in the crate. he has his meals there too (with the door open). Sometimes I throw treats in and say "bed" in a really fun voice. 

In my local area there is a "crate games" class at the dog training club. Check to see if there is one in your area. Also read posts from DaveGabby - he has a ton of good info! 

I think there are a lot of pluses to having a crate trained dog. I want my dog to be able to go the groomer and not freak out. You may want to travel with your dog and put him under the airplane seat. Also there are times that the dog is best in a crate for his own safety. When I am home my puppy is usually out and I have worked on the bell ringing with him. They are pretty smart with housebreaking so if you really watch them as Tille's Mom said you can train them. But at night and when I am gone he is crated. He still cries sometimes (but not at night) but he is getting better with being crated for small segments when I am home doing something and cant watch him. Also keep in mind that a dog isnt totally reliable with housebreaking for awhile. I think with my other dog (not a hav) it was a year before he was perfect. Good luck and remember, just ignore it. And have fun with him, make sure he has exercise (they need more than you think), then he will want to take a break and get away from it all. 

Also, I didnt get an ex pen. The more I thought about it I didnt really see the point.


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## Lily528 (Oct 3, 2012)

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I do have to work on getting him to enjoy the crate - right now he starts crying every time I leave the room, and continues until I come back. He has only been here a few days, so I guess I should "indulge" him and go to him when he is crying? The only time he is quiet is when I hold him or walk him....


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

I completely ignore my dog when he cries. Eventually he does quiet down and when he does, I open the door and let him out with no fanfare. 

How is his training in other areas? I have found with my puppy that he LOVES training. Whenever he does something I dont like, I remove him from the scene and ask him to do something that I know he can do, so I can reward him. I didnt train my other dog this way, I didnt know how successful it could be. I dont know if its a havanese thing, but my puppy loves it. Especially if chicken is involved. I am finding that it is also true that they are very responsive to praise. 

The other thing is exercise. I cannot believe how active my pup is! He wants to walk, he wants to play, he wants to chase around my other dog.


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## Lily528 (Oct 3, 2012)

So, some forum members have suggested that I keep him with me, others that I let him cry and bark in his crate. I am confused! Of course, at bedtime he will have to work it out in his crate but what about during the day? My house is large enough that I can't keep him in sight at all times. So far, I have used the expen for when I am home and the crate for when I have to leave. Thoughts?


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I'd ignore the crying, but don't leave him in there for long periods of time (except for night time). You could tether him to you, perhaps that would be best for day time. Make sure you take him out to do his business regularly


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## Lily528 (Oct 3, 2012)

Just an update on Archie: he no longer cries in his crate. I set up his crate with the door open, enclosed in the ex pen. Now he goes into his crate whenever he wants and has access to water and wee pads in the ex pen. I also had him eat in his crate with the door open and put treats in at bedtime. So I guess its all trial and error. He is a real love!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

That's good how long does he stay in their during the day?


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## Lily528 (Oct 3, 2012)

He is in no more than 4 hours. On the one day I work a full day, he has a dog sitter who walks him, plays with him, etc. The only puzzling thing is that when I was gone, he somehow got out of the pen. It is 24 in. high and he is little, only 7.6 lbs. Could he have climbed up on the crate (its plastic) and then leap over the pen? I may need a new plan...


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Oh yes, that is a possibility. They are wily little stinkers. We gate Finn in the kitchen when we are busy and can't watch him. I had his plastic travel crate in there - and he climbed or jumped on it and then onto the kitchen counters and I caught him walking on the counter tops. He doesn't seem to be able to climb or jump onto the taller wire crate, although he leaps on couches and chairs.


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## puppy-love (Nov 9, 2012)

So happy things are going better for both of you. He absolutely could climb the crate to get out of the expen. I have the same arrangement you do (crate with open door in expen) and was warned by the breeder that as Julie was bigger I'd have to take the crate out to prevent a climbing escape!

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