Puppy hates crate/car help!!!

[sandlor]

I am puppy sitting a 10 week old himalayian sheep dog for my niece. I am attempting to crate train him. He is fine in the crate as long as the door is open, but the moment the door shuts it is a different story, he goes crazy! He is the same in the car-whines and barks so much he throws up. I have been trying to go slow with both, hoping he will settle down, but he just seems to get more and more worked up. Looking for advice on what I am doing wrong. Thanks

[Soter]

I am quite sure that you wouldn't be doing anything wrong. Don't worry!

Maybe you could try only feeding him in there, and while feeding, slowly shut the door, and then open it a few minutes after he has finished his meal. My friend has a pomeranian, and she did that, it worked. She saw how to do that on a programme it was Ceasar Milan, The Dog Whisperer.

Also, give him loads of attention inside the crate, but not as much outside.

Something you definatly shouldn't do is try tough love, which is basically to shut the door, walk away and hope he calms down, it wont work. That is unless he is doing it for attention seeking reasons, but from your post it doesn't sound like it.

Hope that helped Good luck

Soter

[JennieV]

i agree with Soter, also, try treats...like close the door and give a treat.. open door... close door, give treat...wait...open door...
He will learn to associate the closed door with yummies.

Same with the car...Maybe just go sit in the car for a while, without starting it..give treats....start the car, but dont move... treats... you get the drift!

GooDLuck!!!!

[4LeggedCircus]

My Pit mix was like that when I first got her. I did the same thing as mentioned above, fed her in the crate and slowly shut the door as well as a few other little things that seemed to help.

Initially I wouldn't shut her in the crate when it was time to go to work or bed at night - I put the crate in my laundry room and would confine her to the room using a baby gate so she could still see out of it and didn't scratch my door. I would leave a Kong stuffed full of her favorites in the crate, but buried in her blanket in the back so she actually had to go into the crate to get it. I also left one of my shirts in the crate, one that I had worn an entire day so it smelled like me. I made sure that the crate was the most comfortable place in the room - removed all rugs or anything else she might want to sleep on - that way the crate was more attractive to her. Eventually I noticed that she was sleeping in the crate without being forced. At that point I slowly built up the amount of time I shut her in the crate, an hour while at the store, 2 hours while out for dinner - you get the point.

I think associating the crate with food (it's the only place I would feed her and often I'd leave treats in the back of the crate while I was home so she would find them) and making it as comfortable as possible really helped her adjustment. Plus I never shut her in the room/crate for punishment or if she was keyed up - I always tried to take her for a long walk and wear her out first. Sleepy pups are less likely to stay up the entire night howling. It took almost 2 months before she was 100% ok with being left in there overnight, but I'm positive doing it slowly made all the difference.