Great suggestion about putting tinfoil on the couches LP.
I do want to add that there is absolutey no need to give up on crate training this older dog simply because he needs to be re-trained to accept his crate.
Dogs need to be shown consistancy, which is essentially the issue here. With patience, this can be done - but it needs to be done properly. As LP brought up a good point, this dog could possibly hurt himself, so this process needs to be done correctly; BUT if it is your wish to have him in his crate, then continue being dedicated to doing so. In the long run its better for a dog to accept a crate.
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I don't see that exercising him more is going to help, especially if he is being crated(which he hasn't been in 4 years)..
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The whole point to excercise this dog more is BECAUSE he is suddenly being crated. More mental stimulation and excercise will absolutley help. If we put a dog in a crate when they are used to having free roam, and do so when they have not been physically or mentally exhausted, being in the crate will be a MUCH more traumatic and frustrating experience for the dog.
If we're able to tire them out - even just satisfy that need to burn off energy - before putting them in their crate for the first few hours, most likely they'll feel much more relaxed, tired, and being in the crate will turn into a relaxing experience which should be the goal.