# Crate/X-pen Anxiety



## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Ave you tried this? It's part of a 3 part series, and really helpful in teaching that the crate is a really awesome place to be. 






Patience is what I would suggest. Can you try crating him while you are in the same room, for example, working on making dinner or reading poodle forum? Make crating and expen a normal part of the day, not a signal that human is leaving. Do this a few times a day for 10 min, half an hour or so. Ignore. There's a difference between whiny crying and scared crying. Ignore whiny crying. 

Work up to just casually passing by the door without him worrying. Then just popping out for 1 s, casually, as if it is totally normal for humans to disappear out doors and reappear. Then 10s, then go to the bathroom and come back. The idea is to get back before it gets scary. I found with Annie, the tinier the increments, the faster she progressed.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Then just popping out for 1 s, casually, as if it is totally normal for humans to disappear out doors and reappear.


I think this is the part people tend to skip. It can seem so ridiculously slow at the start, but it’s amazing how quickly you can progress once you’ve got a puppy that’s consistently perfectly chill for 1 second.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Yes I've done lots of short term, in the room training with kongs and treats in the crate. He's (kind of) OK with it when I'm in the room. He still cries, but only whining, not a cry that he's afraid. I haven't tried the training game in the video. I'll add that in. Thanks.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> I think this is the part people tend to skip. It can seem so ridiculously slow at the start, but it’s amazing how quickly you can progress once you’ve got a puppy that’s consistently perfectly chill for 1 second.


I will be sure to work on this too.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Like FWOP said, Crate Games are the gold standard for crate training. Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol can help with staying calm while the human does his thing.

Remember, dog training is 100% gradual acclimatization to experience. Dogs are highly discerning, so you have to emphasize gradual changes. To completely butcher something FJM says, we're aliens (until we're family).


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Have you tried leaving him in the car yet to grab groceries?

It's a similar process. Hiding behind a car for ..30..60...120...360...600 seconds, and reappearing.

It is similar since your at that stage. _Oh dad leaves for a little bit, then he comes back_. Not sure if your there yet or ready to cross that.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I think most of us, and I'm guilty of this too, is moving too fast through the steps in our rush to the end goal.

That crate game video is great. This woman is training agility dogs, as does Susan Garrett - so she is working to build drive in her dogs as well as crate training. You don't need to work on the drive part.



Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Have you tried leaving him in the car yet to grab groceries?
> 
> It's a similar process. Hiding behind a car for ..30..60...120...360...600 seconds, and reappearing.
> 
> It is similar since your at that stage. _Oh dad leaves for a little bit, then he comes back_. Not sure if your there yet or ready to cross that.


I can't do this, someone may steal my friendly minipoos......plus it's too hot here to safely leave dogs in the car even with a window cracked, but this may be a choice for you. 

Leaving a dog in a car without some training and all those distractions outside the windows may cause other problems.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Have you tried leaving him in the car yet to grab groceries?
> 
> It's a similar process. Hiding behind a car for ..30..60...120...360...600 seconds, and reappearing.
> 
> It is similar since your at that stage. _Oh dad leaves for a little bit, then he comes back_. Not sure if your there yet or ready to cross that.


Coincidentally, I did today for the first time. I had to pick up a tuxedo for my BIL so I locked him in the car with it running and with AC still on. I have a black car with black leather seats, so AC is a must. Anyway, I left him for about 7 minutes and he didn't bark at all. He behaved pretty well. I gave him a bully stick when I left, but when I got back he was just looking out the windows waiting for me. He didn't chew the bully stick.
After we got home, I had to leave him at home and go out for a couple of hours. I brought a bunch of his toys and a sleeping blanket he likes into the kitchen. I served him his softened kibble in his slow feed bowl, and then I closed the kitchen door and left. I observed him on camera after 20 minutes had gone by and he was relaxed and laying down settled. I checked on him a few more times and he was settled each time. I was gone 2¼ hours and he was fine the whole time. If I try that in the crate or pen, he cries bloody murder as soon as I'm out of sight, and doesn't stop.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

I did start crate games today. I'll need to continue working on this for a while. I'll keep you posted on progress.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

He starts puppy Kindergarten (at 17 weeks) on June 21st. Not sure if I need to use a crate for this, but it would be nice if I could if I had to.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

I think the problem many people make is giving a young puppy too much freedom right from the start. For many years now I have crate trained my dogs. From the moment they come home they go in the crate with a towel or bed and toys. When I'm not taking them out to potty or just loving on them back in the crate they go. Usually there is whining and at night lots more. For the first week I am usually nearby until they fall asleep then I leave. If they whine and I'm convinced they need to potty, I pick them up take them to potty and immediately put them back in and walk away. I have always covered the crate with a blanket to help soothe n relax them and have used a portable radio for noise.  They spend a lot of their first weeks in the crate and basically come out for potty, to eat n to play then back they go.Admittedly this method isn't all fool proof other than they are crate trained usually within the first-second week and it takes longer when I begin to give them more freedom in the house to just settle down but for me personally its worth it.


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## a2girl (Oct 4, 2020)

94Magna_Tom said:


> Coincidentally, I did today for the first time. I had to pick up a tuxedo for my BIL so I locked him in the car with it running and with AC still on. I have a black car with black leather seats, so AC is a must. Anyway, I left him for about 7 minutes and he didn't bark at all. He behaved pretty well. I gave him a bully stick when I left, but when I got back he was just looking out the windows waiting for me. He didn't chew the bully stick.
> After we got home, I had to leave him at home and go out for a couple of hours. I brought a bunch of his toys and a sleeping blanket he likes into the kitchen. I served him his softened kibble in his slow feed bowl, and then I closed the kitchen door and left. I observed him on camera after 20 minutes had gone by and he was relaxed and laying down settled. I checked on him a few more times and he was settled each time. I was gone 2¼ hours and he was fine the whole time. If I try that in the crate or pen, he cries bloody murder as soon as I'm out of sight, and doesn't stop.


Tom, I am in the same boat with Hugo who is now 17 weeks old. He is fine if I leave the house but if he hears me in another part of the house, he cries. Everyday I go upstairs to shower and dress, and everyday he whines and cries but the degree of crying does seem to be diminishing. And by the way, my husband is usually present with him during these intervals and so I haven't had to crate him. Anyway, I have no solutions but I empathize and will be following for good ideas.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

a2girl said:


> Tom, I am in the same boat with Hugo who is now 17 weeks old. He is fine if I leave the house but if he hears me in another part of the house, he cries. Everyday I go upstairs to shower and dress, and everyday he whines and cries but the degree of crying does seem to be diminishing. And by the way, my husband is usually present with him during these intervals and so I haven't had to crate him. Anyway, I have no solutions but I empathize and will be following for good ideas.


Elroy doesn't cry anymore if I take a shower, if I go into the basement, if I go into another room, if I step outside momentarily and tell him I'll be right back. He's really well behaved and does really good with free range of the house. He hasn't ruined anything at all so far (well except for peeing on area rugs, and I don't consider them ruined). It's a small house so free range means kitchen (bathroom), dining room, living room. He doesn't go upstairs (or downstairs) unless I'm up (down) there. He generally wants to be in whatever room I'm in. He used to follow me immediately after I stood up to go into another room, only to follow me right back to where I was a moment later. I think he's figured this out because now he waits a couple of minutes to see if I'm coming right back before he'll go to the other room (like checking on something cooking, for example). The only crying/hyperactivity (jumping up, biting at crate, doing circles...all nonstop) is when I close the crate (or x-pen) door and leave the house.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I would think back on how you introduced him to those experiences. What did you do differently? Maybe you can fix any mistakes/recreate the magic.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

I would definitely see if you could reintroduce the crate and try crate games. Best of luck!


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Well I've been playing crate games with Elroy and he is more than happy to go into the crate for a treat. I've been using raw venison hamburger for this game. He's almost going into the crate now when I say "Crate". Sometimes he does but not yet reliably. What I've been doing is with the crate door wide open, have him sit outside the crate, then say "Crate", and entice him into the crate, then click & treat as soon as he goes in. Then have him come out again, sit, and rinse & repeat until serving of treats is gone. I've only done only (2) approximately 10 minute sessions (one/day), and already he's almost going into the crate on the "Crate" command. I've also restarted feeding him in his crate. He needs to sit, then go into his crate, THEN I'll give him his food. I do this with his normal kibble meals, and for his stuffed Kong kibble meals. Now he runs right into the crate to get his meals more quickly. Progress? Maybe.
This is where I need advice. I haven't closed the crate door for any of these crate games and I haven't left the crate vicinity so far. Question is what comes next? What are the next steps to working towards settling in the crate? 
There is no urgency in him being able to to use his crate. When I have to leave him, I can lock him up in the Kitchen. He tolerates me leaving the house fine in the kitchen with his blanket, toys, stuffed Kong, and some clothes with my scent on them. He eats the Kong kibble, then goes to sleep until I come home (I've been away 2½ hrs so far).
TIA!


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## Apricot mini momma (Dec 22, 2020)

94Magna_Tom said:


> This is where I need advice. I haven't closed the crate door for any of these crate games and I haven't left the crate vicinity so far. Question is what comes next? What are the next steps to working towards settling in the crate?
> There is no urgency in him being able to to use his crate. When I have to leave him, I can lock him up in the Kitchen. (


Thank you for asking the question! I’m in the same position with Beau at 7 months old. I didn’t understand craters at first, but now I get it and having a late start. Beau does ok in the laundry room and a baby gate when I’m gone, and after a few days of treating, he will go into the crate happily but I’ve never shut the door.
I know the members of this forum will have such good ideas 💡 

I still have a hard time not feeling like I’m punishing him.😔


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

94Magna_Tom said:


> I haven't closed the crate door for any of these crate games and I haven't left the crate vicinity so far.


I think this is where you close the door after he goes in for one short second, click, treat, build. Do this staying right there til you get a bit of duration. Next step would be to close door then go out of site for a second, rinse, repeat, build.

If you don't have a blanket to cover the crate, cover top and three sides for this, add one to make it easier to go out of sight but be right there.

If this isn't the right way to build this, I know someone will stop by to correct the suggestion .


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