Crate Training

[HuskyLucy]

Hi we got archie at 10 weeks age about a week ago now and the previous owner got him from a breeder then realized they couldn't handle a husky as they had him in a crate for 8 hours a day whilst at work. 

 

Since getting archie compared to our other husky Lucy he seems to scoff tons of food down the second we put it down and overeating as if he is scared he wont get any hes also doing the same with water.

 

We have to crate archie at night the same we do with Lucy and i get up every 3 hours to let him out for a wee at the moment. However the first few nights he screamed for hours before he quietened down and he is still screaming for a good 30 minutes before calming down as of tonight.  

 

when im in all day im constantly giving him positive reinforcement of using the crate by giving treats in the crate and letting him go in and out on his own however he will not voluntarily go in there for comfort without a treat and he will jump straight out with treats. 

 

I think the previous owner may have neglected him badly and he is now scared to be in the crate alone at night. so far i have never given in to him crying and even when i feel he is crying for a wee i wait  a couple of minutes until he is quiet before letting him out. 

 

I'm just wondering if any of you can give me any advise to make him like the crate any better than ive been doing and see if i can fix this issue with him

[robke]

try a t shirt or other thing with your smell on..it might reassure him a wee bit..

and i have heard of people covering the crate with a blanket making it a den...

[Sarah]

aww poor pup.  When we got 2 of our's as pups they were hard work to crate train - the crying was heartbreaking

 

By the time we got to our 3rd....he was 18 months old and we were his 6th home (Poor guy)  he wasn't crate trained at all and he was 10 times worse to train than the pups we got as he was strong enough to destroy the crate - all 3 of them

 

Having learnt the hard way we found the best way was not to go to them when they cried, this just made them think crying got them their own way.  With our 3rd, Koda, my hubby took a couple of days off work and literally spent a good couple of hours putting him in his crate shutting the door then opening it and letting him out for a treat and giving him praise.......he then extended the time from the crate being shut, to him letting him out and getting a treat so he learnt to associate being quiet as being let out and getting a reward.

 

Took time, but consistency was the best thing we learnt - as Rob said having something with your scent on may help and covering them up into a den for them

[HuskyLucy]

I think it is definitely because the previous owners left him ages in his crate so he has associated it with a punishment I've been looking online and seen that there are anxiety tablets for dogs. Do any of you think this is unethical or is it a good way to help your dog relax for the first few days in a crate and slowly ween him off it so he can relax in there as at the moment he goes wild the second we put him in there and hates it he only goes in willingly for a treat and will run straight out with it

[Chula]

I think I'd just give it a little more time. If he's crying less than he was before, then he's getting used to it. Unless he's actually harming himself in the crate, I'd just stick it out another week before trying anything beyond some of the simple suggestions of having something that smells like you or covering it up. You could also try moving the crate closer to where you sleep, but unless you plan on leaving it there, that might be hard to break later. We always had a day crate in the dining room, and a night crate in the bedroom for sleep time.