WhoooHoooo! major milestone today!

[jcook]

So, when I got Stella I tried crate training her and it was AWFUL, then it became impossible after a bad experience in a crate at the vets. Lucky for her she doesn't destroy the house when left alone.

anyways, about 2 months ago I became determined to crate train her. We have had the crate in our kitchen for 2 months and have tried endlessly to get her to go in it. Meanwhile our bulldog loves being in it when I haven't even tried to crate train him, talk about frustrating. We even have a private trainer who was baffled at how hard it is to crate train Stella.

Well, all my hard work and money and starting to pay off. Today Stella went inside the crate for the first time!!! Up until today she wouldn't even place a single paw in the crate. And now she is walking in and out like its nothing!

I was really starting to think this was a losing battle! so proud of my girl

I felt the moment was worth taking a picture of ha. and the other one is from today and I just think it is adorable, little love birds ha

 

[Smart_Family]

That's awesome!

 

[jcook]

I cant believe how comfortable she is with it already!!!

 

[Amanda F.]

That's awesome! Any idea as to what finally got her in?

 

[Cody]

so happy for you!!!

 

[jcook]

That's awesome! Any idea as to what finally got her in?

no clue lol. We tried covering the crate, making it really open looking, taking out the bottom pan, throwing food in there, I would crawl in the crate, and many different things ha. I think it was just desensitization. Last night when I tried she was so so close to putting a paw in, but I could tell she was getting nervous so I just stopped the training session before she got more uncomfortable. Today I just crawled in there and offered her some cheese, and after about 2 minutes of thinking about it, she just walked right in! now she is not afraid if it at all! crazy girl.

 

[DMikeM]

Great stuff. Always great when we make forward progress with our dogs.

 

[jersey girl]

Thats great news!! Way to hang in there and not give up.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Yay!!

Go slowly closing her in there. Move to quickly with that step and you might panic her again.

 

[Hector]

Awesome and I totally know that feeling! Same thing happened with Buddy, a rescue belgian shepherd. I don't think he even knew what a crate was and he would run/avoid it. After 2 days of feeding him in the crate, he went in there himself and waited to be fed. I used a hanging food bowl for dog crates from drfostersmith website. That was the only thing that truly helped him with his fear of crates.

 

[amandahorn]

Awesome! I agree with ruthcatrin go slow with closing her in the create...... Our EM was scared of the create at first when he was a puppy and one of the kiddos walked by after he had started going in it and bumped the door and it shut..... and needless to say it took me forever to get him back in the dang thing!

 

[jcook]

thanks guys! Crate training was truly our biggest challenge with Stella. She keeps going in there to nap!

I was just gonna ask your opinions on when and how I should go about closing the door and how I will know she is ready for that step.

I am not going to feed her in there just yet because she is very sensitive to sounds and commotion when she is eating.

I figured I will just let her go in there as she pleases and reward her when she does for a week or two and see how that goes. Right now I am keeping both doors open so she doesn't feel trapped. But considering how much progress she made in just a few hours I am pretty confident she will be 100% crate trained one day.

I am just so happy because it was one of the reasons I am nervous to let my family watch her when I go out of town or just have a really long day at work. I don't trust her to have free roam of other peoples houses. Plus it will be benefit for when she has her heat considering we have an intact male. Plus it will be nice for her to have safe place to go with her toys where Sampson cant steal them ha.

There was a point in Stella's life where she was partially crate trained but after a bad crate experience at the vets she REFUSED to go in her crate, she would be starving and still not go in to get her food (I had always fed her in her crate as a pup).

 

[Kelly]

is she proud of herself in there now? I know Tess gets proud when she breaks downa fear...so cool to see.

 

[ruby55]

We crate train puppies at work. I know there's probably a difference between 6-8 week old labs & your girl but the idea may work for your girl. First day, we put the pup in the crate, close the door for about 10 seconds(hopefully the pup doesn't have time to react), open the door, reward. Next few days use the same time frame. After a few days, increase the time to 20 seconds. Keep increasing times with door closed. If there's a back slip, start at the prior time frame for a few days.

 

[ruthcatrin]

We crate train puppies at work. I know there's probably a difference between 6-8 week old labs & your girl but the idea may work for your girl. First day, we put the pup in the crate, close the door for about 10 seconds(hopefully the pup doesn't have time to react), open the door, reward. Next few days use the same time frame. After a few days, increase the time to 20 seconds. Keep increasing times with door closed. If there's a back slip, start at the prior time frame for a few days.

I was going to suggest something along this lines. But maybe even slower at first to see how she does.

Give her a few days at least of just being allowed to relax in there. Then swing the door halfway shut (but so there's still a gap) and see how she does. If she doesn't even blink at that the next day push it closed and immedietly open it. And so on. If at any point she shows signs of being unhappy with the door being closed back down a step, and just go with that for a few days.

 

[NeSaxena]

Good girl Stella! She's so smart! She's getting you ready for your big move as well!

 

[Kujo]

Awesome job mommy and Stella!!!!

 

[jcook]

I tried putting her food bowl in there to see how she would react and she has zero issues with eating in there!

Here is my next question. Our bulldog goes in there often, but that is her crate, should I stop letting him go in there? My bf is considering getting him one but he isn't soo thrilled on it because he has a weird thing about it being a "cage". I want to leave the doors open for Stella so as a result Sampson can walk in as he pleases, should I do something about it or just let him? I don't let him in while she is eating though.

 

[trixie28]

Well done Mommy and Stella you must be very proud if yourselves

 

[ruthcatrin]

I tried putting her food bowl in there to see how she would react and she has zero issues with eating in there!

Here is my next question. Our bulldog goes in there often, but that is her crate, should I stop letting him go in there? My bf is considering getting him one but he isn't soo thrilled on it because he has a weird thing about it being a "cage". I want to leave the doors open for Stella so as a result Sampson can walk in as he pleases, should I do something about it or just let him? I don't let him in while she is eating though.

Its going to depend. Some dogs are fussy about it and some aren't, but his comfort with it might have been part of why she got comfortable with it. But for example, within my own household: Arty going into Apollo's crate results in a fussy Apollo, but Apollo going into Arty's crate (which is REALLY funny to watch, one of these days he's going to get stuck in there though....) doesn't get any reaction from Arty. Plus making a fuss about him going in might deter her.