HopOnTrot
Well-Known Member
5 year old terrorist used to sleep in a crate until about 18 months to two years ago, we are now a one dog family and we would like her to sleep in the crate again, we are also going away next month and she will need to sleep in the crate on holiday.
If we need her to settle at home, we call her to her bed and she has a lead clipped to the Aga so she settles there (never left unattended obviously).
Tried her in the car crate in our room and she just panted for 15 minutes and was super anxious. She refused to enter it to eat her food over the course of a couple of days.
I’ve now bought a fabric crate which is quiet and open, after 2 days I can call her into it and she will sit in it calmly, she will also go in there to eat. I leave random treats in it though the day so with two sides and the roof open she has a positive association with it.
What should my next step be? She doesn’t really have a settle/release command and I don’t want to undo the positive association with the new crate.
Any thoughts? She is a bright but badly trained dog but now we are a one dog family I’m pulling my finger out and putting some time into training.
If we need her to settle at home, we call her to her bed and she has a lead clipped to the Aga so she settles there (never left unattended obviously).
Tried her in the car crate in our room and she just panted for 15 minutes and was super anxious. She refused to enter it to eat her food over the course of a couple of days.
I’ve now bought a fabric crate which is quiet and open, after 2 days I can call her into it and she will sit in it calmly, she will also go in there to eat. I leave random treats in it though the day so with two sides and the roof open she has a positive association with it.
What should my next step be? She doesn’t really have a settle/release command and I don’t want to undo the positive association with the new crate.
Any thoughts? She is a bright but badly trained dog but now we are a one dog family I’m pulling my finger out and putting some time into training.