Suddenly Refusing to Crate

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Jewel, PCD

8.6lbs of fury- in a bow!

Barked: Wed Dec 19, '12 7:17am PST


	So I've been fostering Chloe for about 3 and half weeks now. When I first got her she was pretty freaked out and I'd have to pick her up and put her in the crate. I would always give her a reward for being put in the crate, her meal, a chew or a treat. Eventually she would go in the crate on her own knowing that something good would come of it. Yay! Sucess right? Wrong. In the past 2 or 3 days she's refused to crate, I've been having to pick her up and put her in again. I've been allowing her to sleep in my room and have chews in the house but still having her eat her meals in the crate. She MUST crate while I go to work. If I feed everyone else and then ask her to crate and she refuses I put her food up and wait, after 20-30 minutes she'll crate for it but I don't have that kind of time in the morning. Ideas of what's going on? Should I go back to making her sleep and chew in the crate? The funniest part is that when I'm asking her to crate my other foster dog will come running from where ever he is in the house and just slam into his crate. He then sits inside it, door open like, "Look! Look at me Mom!! I'm a good boy!! Treat! Gimme a treat!"

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Shiver Me- Timbers- "Charlie"

My Little Dog, a- heartbeat at my- feet.<3

Barked: Wed Dec 19, '12 8:29am PST


	Could something have caused her to get worried about being in the crate? I recall when Charlie began having a seizure in his crate, he was instantly scared of being in it and anxious about it for WEEKS after. And this is a dog who was much like your male foster dog - who would slam in there and wait for his reward, or would even go in and sleep in there on his own. Have you tried any crate games with her? I'd recommend trying some of those, and going back to the sleeping/chewing/eating routine in the crate. Have you tried crating her a few minutes at a time when you're home too so she doesn't think it's JUST when you leave? For example, when you're about to do a household chore, crate her, reward her with a chew or something and when you're done that chore(5-10 minutes), come back and let her out. I found that with my foster dog, he didn't like his crate because he associated it with me leaving. So I had to start crating him alternately throughout the day/night to teach him otherwise.

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Jewel, PCD

8.6lbs of fury- in a bow!

Barked: Wed Dec 19, '12 8:56am PST


	I can't think of anything other than I've been giving her more freedom! I've never used it as "punishment", these two that I have now are Rez dogs and so sensitive. I just need her to crate when I'm at work now that she's proven she's a good girl, I used to crate while showering etc. I'll try hand feeding her supper tonight in her crate, she likes that.

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Tiller- (Skansen's- Ira in the M

I DO Exist...To- Drive You Batty

Barked: Wed Dec 19, '12 10:31am PST


	Likely, you thought you had success but did not. Particularly in that he was out of sorts when first there; some dogs take a while to settle. Some become themselves in a day, some in a month, etc. That would be my guess if you can't link it to any reasonable explanation as to what would cause this. Some dogs don't like being crated and perhaps being kept as such when you are at work....maybe that stresses him and he does not trust it/is not comfortable with it, food in the crate or no. You're just going to need to restart from square one. Don't think of what he was/did, but think of him as he is now as your reality, and work from there.

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ARCHMX Asher RL1X RL2X RL3X RL

we will dance in- the ring without- words

Barked: Thu Dec 20, '12 5:21am PST


	Jewel, have you ever watched Crate Games? First, anything by Susan Garret is helpful for an agility enthusiast. Second, I find some of the techniques helpful for all my dogs, especially fosters.

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Jewel, PCD

8.6lbs of fury- in a bow!

Barked: Thu Dec 20, '12 7:03am PST