How to send a pup to his crate

[Rufus2015]

Hi All

First time post here. We have an 11 week old Ridgeback pup. We have had him since he was 9 weeks old. He has learned to sleep all night I n his crate. I slept with him the first few nights and although we had a bit of crying the first night he was alone he settled down. He also sleeps in his crate during the day and I can leave him there with no problem for a couple of hours. The issue I have is all is that this is all based around his natural sleeping rythmn. He never voluntarily goes. I have to wait for him to fall asleep (usually while being cuddled which we both love) and then I pick him up and put him in his crate. How do I get him to voluntarily go to his crate on command as pretty soon I won't be able to carry him.

 

[Chatterdog]

Have you tried training at another time of day? For example at another time of day, make it a game or part of a training session. Reward if he enters the crate with food or praise, then invite him out and move on a sit or lay down.

This way he doesn't think oh no it's bed time they are going to leave me! It will become a good place to go.

 

[Doggiedays]

We have just had a weimaraner x from rescue and every night he goes into his cage we give him a biscuit and now he goes in without any problems.

 

[hannahrobiha]

I have tried throwing a biscuit in and saying 'in' with our pup, and she generally tends to follow it in. I also do this with toys if she is in the mood to run after them when I throw them. I have also been holding the treat in there and saying in, then waiting for her to get in and sit down before rewarding her. Its slow progress but she slowly seems to be getting it

 

[tomjelfs]

Try the "Treat Fairy" technique, sounds really namby pamby but it works. The idea is you put treats in there when he's just up and about generally, don't let him know you are doing it, eventually he'll start finding them and he will get to a point where he goes to check just in case the Treat Fairy has been. This helps them get used to going into the crate of their own will, our pup hated his crate when he was young and we used this technique, soon he would go to bed when we asked him to.

 

[lurcherman]

Voice, hand control and you being the boss , never had a problem, never used a crate but use it in telling dog to get in his corner

 

[gypsysmum]

I agree with the Treat Fairy idea. Once pup is regularly going in you then add the word "in" to the action just before he gets the treat. No good just keep saying in until he is going in regularly of his own accord to get the treat. He does not speak English and will only learn the word when it is paired to the action just before a reward.

 

[Shewbert]

He's still a baby yet, as you admitted yourself "(usually while being cuddled which we both love)"

The dogs not silly, he won't want his cage if he feels secure, warm and cosy in your arms,

Try going to bed with him just left on the floor, more than likely he will head for his bed without being told.

I have stuck a camera in a room where the dogs are when I'm out, most of the time they just sleep or chew theyre toys.

Do you have a specific reason to have a crate?, my dogs sleep happily all night with their beds on the floor.

I've never owned a cage, never needed one.

The answers above will all help, but given time your dog will just go in his cage\bed without much fuss.

Shewy