Need Crate Help

[new2newengland]

Lake HATES her crate. She freaks out about being in it. If we are in the room she will cry and screech like crazy. She is so loud I am afraid the neighbors may hear here. And if we leave the room she goes nuts! It sounds like someone is throwing heavy things.This can go on for over an hour!! What can we do get her to like or at least tolerate her crate?

We are making it a happy place feeding her in it and giving her special crate only treats. We have also tried covering it (she pulled the blanket in and shredded it)

I am home 95% of the time and she is only crated at night and when I do leave the house. Please help!!

[bullygirl979]

Start small. Put the crate in the room with you and leave the door open. Take a really awesome bone/treat/toy and tie it in the crate so she can't remove it. Allow her to go in the crate on her own. DON'T shut the door on her. Praise her like crazy and give her treats. As time goes on, work on extending the periods of time that she is in there. She needs to feel like going in the crate is a good thing, not a punishment.

If you feel she needs low stimulation levels, you may need to use something hard to cover the crate with. My friend had to use peg boards to cover her dog's crate.

Here are a few articles that explains what I was talking about in more detail.

www.tailsofsuccessny.com/web_media/Crate%20Training.pdf

www.kintera.org/atf/cf/%7Bc8f44d39-dc2a-4ce7-b1f1-670b39d6bde2%7D/BHL_CRATETRAINING.PDF