Crate Games

[corvus]

Stop feeding the troll(s), folks. If they wanna start something they can start their own thread (which history dictates they won't) where I'm sure we will all fiercely ridicule them again, after which they will crash a few more threads, provide a few more days of entertainment, then slink off again. Then we wait 30 days for the cycle to repeat. Maybe it's a 28 day cycle. What moon phase are we in?

I was enjoying reading about Crate Games. Maybe we can get back to it.

[Kavik]

OK a question about Crate Games

I haven't done Crate Games with Kaos. Is it worth teaching him this at 4 1/2 yrs and already having an association with the crate, or would I be best off waiting for the next pup to try it out on instead?

[corvus]

Bizarrely and somewhat embarrassingly, I'm looking at this from the perspective of crate training my hare. It's not gonna be anywhere near the same, but I guess the same question arises. He's 6 years old and has learnt to be very wary of crates because inevitably whenever I get one out I've traumatised him by spending hours trying to catch him and put him in it.

Anyway, the way I see it, it's not that big a deal to change an association if you are systematic about it. The question is does it mean enough to you that you will put in the work to change the association? For me, I will, because I think it will benefit the safety and the quality of life for my animal quite significantly in the long-run. But I may change my mind about that if we get to a point where the amount of work it takes to get him to accept, say, his crate being moved while he's in it, is disproportionate and likely to be undone in a single poorly planned moment anyway.

For the dogs, I wouldn't bother with Kivi. If I ever need to crate him I'd just do it and he would lie down and go to sleep or something. Drive games are fun, but he's not wildly into lots of running around. But Erik would have fun with it and I think it would be good for him. I watched the video and was going to do it with him with his mat instead of a crate. I liked Leslie McDevitt's idea of having a really solid send to crate trained for emergencies at training and trials if a dog is loose and heading your way, but I also think it may turn out to be disastrous if the loose dog followed your dog to their open crate!

[Staff'n'Toller]

OK a question about Crate Games

I haven't done Crate Games with Kaos. Is it worth teaching him this at 4 1/2 yrs and already having an association with the crate, or would I be best off waiting for the next pup to try it out on instead?

Is Kaos the dog you compete with in agility? If so I would totally do it. It can't hurt anyway to use your adult dogs as a tester so you know the loopholes when a new puppy comes. :D

[Kavik]

Yeah Kaos is my competing dog

I'll watch the DVD again and then decide - it is a pretty involved program! I normally use a wire crate for him (easier to move to training and trials), though I guess he'd fit in Zoe's crate which is an airline plastic type, so I could use that I guess for the crate games training . . .

[Agility Dogs]

OK a question about Crate Games

I haven't done Crate Games with Kaos. Is it worth teaching him this at 4 1/2 yrs and already having an association with the crate, or would I be best off waiting for the next pup to try it out on instead?

Kavik, do it!!

I have two dogs pretty much like yours who are running well and have an association with their crates (positive). After seeing my young pup take to crate games like she has (at 7 months she is DRIVING into her crate from across a field of nutty (trusted) flyball dogs) I have gone back and started to do a lot more work with my other two.

If nothing else it helps me remind myself about rewarding frequently, but I see a lot more benefits in our relationship than just that - or maybe stemming from that. My boy is driving harder from his stays and the Xena.....well, she is just Xena (angel child), but she does drive harder to her crate instead of wandering in at her own pace.

[Agility Dogs]

Yeah Kaos is my competing dog

I'll watch the DVD again and then decide - it is a pretty involved program! I normally use a wire crate for him (easier to move to training and trials), though I guess he'd fit in Zoe's crate which is an airline plastic type, so I could use that I guess for the crate games training . . .

I use the same (or an identical) crate for both crating at a trial and crate training. The difference is that when we are training there is no mat on the floor - that cue tells them they are in there to work. Not to sleep.

[Perdy]

I use the same (or an identical) crate for both crating at a trial and crate training. The difference is that when we are training there is no mat on the floor - that cue tells them they are in there to work. Not to sleep. ;)

Ooo, nice tip! I like

We've been doing crate games for a couple of months and are loving it!! Sash was previously crate trained but never raced to her crate like she does now. It's so much fun, we often play a round at night when OH is watching some sport thing on TV We love the 'changed my mind' game - we play from one of the house to the other. It's hilarious!

And since playing the games, I've noticed Sash going to her crate by herself a lot more often to sleep or relax with the door left open.

Edited November 25, 2010 by Perdy

[westielover]

OK a question about Crate Games

I haven't done Crate Games with Kaos. Is it worth teaching him this at 4 1/2 yrs and already having an association with the crate, or would I be best off waiting for the next pup to try it out on instead?

Hey Kavik - I'm going to do crate games with both Flynn and Spencer. I am really interested to see the results with Spencer. I pulled the crate out from under the house and F10'd it and we're ready to start this weekend!

Yeah Kaos is my competing dog

I'll watch the DVD again and then decide - it is a pretty involved program! I normally use a wire crate for him (easier to move to training and trials), though I guess he'd fit in Zoe's crate which is an airline plastic type, so I could use that I guess for the crate games training . . .

You can do it with a wire crate - you don't need a plastic one.

[kelpiechick]

If you're at all concerned about prior learning with an older dog then I would begin with a different crate in a different location. I did this with my BC when I hit a bit of a stumbling block with an unwanted behaviour in the crate at around 6 months old. Changing the picture for her and starting all over worked very quickly and didn't take long to be able to transfer to any crate but it also seemed to give her more clarity in regard to what I wanted.

I know SG likes to use a hard crate and understand the reasons why, but once taught the beauty of being able to transfer to a more portable crate means you can do sessions outside a lot easier. (Convenient for tree hugging also ) I also put my crate in the car and went to different locations plus set up 2 crates at home, then added a tunnel in the middle - you are really only limited by your imagination once they get the idea.

Currently I am using 2 crates to teach a verbal left and right cue - which I will most likely never use on an agility course but it's a lot of fun and BC just loves it. My oldest kelpie has just turned 8 and although he is very comfortable in his crate I never actually did crate games with him, plan on having a go over summer, figure I have nothing to lose and if he has even half as much fun with it as BC then it is win-win far as I'm concerned.