Crate Changing

[Cazz]

Mishka started training with a soft crate...then Buffy came along, the crate lasted one night. Since then, they've been in the laundry.

I bought myself a stronger crate, it arrived this morning. I put the dog blanket in, covered the crate with a flannelette bedsheet, let the dogs in and watched. Neither of them'd go in! Buffy tried to sleep on top of the crate.

What's wrong here?

[BC]

It's just different and new and they're not sure about it. My friends dog loves teh soft crate but is wary of the wire crate.

Put their food or bone etc in there to get them in and you should be fine.

Once they realise this is there new safe place they should be fine :rolleyes:

[WinGus]

Like what BC said, they need to learn that it is a safe place.

Try putting treats in there and praise them when they go in to retrieve the treats. Feed them in there, add their toys and soon they will get used to it. It takes a while for puppies to get used to something new.

[Akitaowner]

yep my girl sleeps in a crate everynight and she now 15 months last w/e i bought a bigger one for her and she was a little weary at first even with her bed in it. (its also in a slightly different position in the house)

i tempted both mine inside with a biscuit whilst sitting inside! (i have big dogs so big crates!) after that they were fine with it and she now knows it as bed just like before.

its just reassociation of the old crate 'feelings' (safe, secure, bed) with the new crate...may take a couple of days go back to the begining of crate training tempting them inside and gradually closing the door etc