Made a crate training mistake

I was misinformed on crate training and I was told to just put my puppy in there, found out 3 days later by reading that you are suppose to introduce her to the crate.

She hates the crate and cries when in there. Is there anything I can do now to fix this problem?





Hi
I wouldn't beat yourself up too much about this, most puppies don't enjoy being in their crate to begin with, even if they're introduced to it gently. They may be okay for a few minutes, or while chewing on their treat or whatever, but once you leave them there they are probably going to complain!

This is natural as your puppy really just wants to be with you, but it's important that she learns that she needs to spend time in her crate whether you're around or not.

If you know that she doesn't need a potty break, and she has a couple of good, sturdy chew toys with her, just ignore her crying. NEVER take her out of her crate while she's complaining, it will just reinforce the behavior. If her crate time is over, or you want to take her for a potty break, at least wait until she's quiet, even if only for a minute or two, and go to her only then.

This whining, crying and complaining may last for several days, or a week or more, it depends on how stubborn your puppy is. You just need to be patient and consistent.

I think you might find my Crate Training page helpful. If you use the Google SearchBox on the main Puppy Questions page and search for the words 'crate' or 'crate training' etc., you will be able to find the answers to lots of crate training questions that other visitors have asked.

Best of luck!