I got my new lab pup just over a week ago and was hoping to use a crate to help with her house training and to give her a bit of 'space' from the other dogs.  Unfortunately she seems to hate it.  I realise a week probably isn't long enough to get her properly associated with it, but I'd appreciate some advice as to whether I'm going about it the right way.

At the moment I'm feeding her in the crate hoping that will help and just putting her in for short periods of time, but we don't seem to be making much progress.  She'll only settle in the crate if I'm sat next to it and she'll then (eventually) go to sleep.  Otherwise she screams blue murder which upsets the other dogs and makes me feel like a wicked mother!  Its hard to tell whether shes doing it to get attention or if she really is anxious when she's in there.  I've tried leaving her when she cries, but it only seems to make her worse, which makes me wonder whether it might be anxiety?

I'd appreciate any advice ... I don't want to 'ruin' a pup whose an absolute angel in every other way (so far!).

How long do you leave her in it for ? And where is the crate in the house ?

Thanks for the quick reply!
At the moment the crate's in the kitchen...its a large open room where the me other dogs spend most of our time.  I've also tried it in the utility room, thinking that she might prefer some peace and quiet, but she hated that even more. 
When she does eventually fall asleep in there she will sometimes stay in for up to 3 hours, but generally thats only at night.  Otherwise she'll only stay in there for 5-10 mins before the howling becomes unbearable, but I'm letting her out before it get to that stage, preferably after she's been quiet for a minute or so.  When she's awake and crying the longest I've left her has been just under an hour.  By that stage the other dogs were getting as stressed as her!
Hope all that makes sense!

When you put her in the crate, do you close the door i.e. lock her in?? Try leaving the crate door open, and encourage her to go in an out as she pleases, try using treats or toys to do this, then she should start to see the crate as her den, some where safe to go, not somewhere she's 'trapped' in. JMHO  :)

liberty :)

We put Gus's treats and toys in there when we first got our crate- he will go in when hes tired and wants a bit of peace ( usually late at night) - although he doesnt sleep in it over night and hates going in it at shows incase hes missing something :rolleyes:
As Liberty says, leave the door open with her own possessions in there and let her go in and out as she chooses. And at night if you want her to sleep there dont go and take her out when she cries as you are then rewarding her behaviour .

Hi

My pup took about 4 weeks before she would go into the crate without crying, we did as everyone else suggested put toys in ect but it was about 8 weeks before she would go in and get them herself. She is now 9 months old and it is only within the last month that when you ask her to go into her bed she will go without much pushing and shoving. She doesnt mind being in her crate and is always locked in on a night and if we are going out for longer than an hour but she doesnt use it as a bed as some dogs do. I wouldnt be without it but in my case it just took a little time. Good Luck.

Nikki

Is there something in there for her to snuggle up to?  Also I found one of mine was better with the top and sides covered with a blanket or similar.  Just leave the door uncovered.  It makes them feel more secure.

Sandra

My pup is just hitting the 8 month mark and in the last month she has decided that the crate isn't such a bad place to be.  She still doesn't go in there on her own, but when it is time for me to go to work she walks right in and waits for me to close the door.  The first time that happened I looked around the house for her cause usually she would run and hid.  I didn't even think to look in her kennel.  However, when I put Copper in his, she wagged her tail and I heard it.  I looked in her crate and there she was, looking like the angel she wants me to think she is.
I'm not sure what happened, but one day something made it click.
Drai

(I don't put her in it at night either, just when I am going to be gone for several hours at a time)

I probably went about training Houdini the wrong way, but he is three months old and sleeps the whole night in his crate.

I put treats in his crate during the day and encouraged him to go inside. He's be praised. Then at night, *this is where people would probably look down upon, sorry*, I would put him in and leave the room. I slept in another room on the other side of the house. Houdini cried almost all night for the first few weeks. But he cried himself to sleep, having made himself tired. I know, I know, it sounds mean, but at the time, I knew nothing else to do. Anyways, Houdini eventually just accepted that crying would not get him out of his crate and that he would be in there all night, no matter what until I let him out.

Now, as I said, at three months, my young pup goes in his crate willing and lies down before I even latch the door. So if all else fails and you can't think of anything else to do, just let the poor pup teach herself. She will be upset, but in the morning, she'll prance right out of her crate as if nothing bothered her at all. Eventually, it'll click and she'll learn that crying will do her no good at all. Good luck!

Stick with it and it will get easier.  Becks used to sleep next to my bed but after a few weeks I moved him downstairs and he loves his crate now.  He doest really go in it much during the day though he prefer to sleep by my feet but if Im hoovering he will go in there and at night as soon as I switch off the TV he happily gets straight in there. Keep at it, it will work.

Hi Troy is 10mths and still whines for upto 10mins each time he is crated

Thanks everyone for all your help...its been great.  I think we are making progress slowly.  Last night i covered the top and sides with a blanket and she settled much quicker than usual using her big fluffy duck as a pillow!
Thanks again,
Briar

Hi guys,

I've always found that having a routine really helps.  My pup Kester, slept in his crate, on his own from night one.  My other dog, sleeps in the lounge, where Kester can't see her.  His crate has a blanket on the top of it, which is pulled over the front at night.  During the day, if I go out, I always reward him with a treat for going into his crate, and his ragger is always put in for him to chew.  He loves going in his crate, because he always know that he'll get a treat, its never been an 'issue' with him, even now when he's beginning the 'Kevin' stage!.  The problem with letting a pup out if it howls is that you could be inadvertantly re-inforcing the behaviour. The dog know that the quicker and louder it starts to howl, the quicker you'll let it out. It could end up in the situation, that as soon as you call your dog to put it in its crate, it starts to howl before its even in it!  Be patient, some pups take a lot longer to get used to it than others.  In my own experience, when Kester went in his crate, as long as he couldn't see either Isla my other dog, or part of his human family, he settled very quickly.Sometimes, staying with them can make the process more painfull for you - the pup wants to be with you, and you want your eardrums whole again!:)

Take it slowly and good luck
Ali :)

Hi our pup is 16weeks old now and sleeps in his crate all night. To begin with we sleeped next to crate for a few nights and I when we thought he felt secure we left him and he goes in when he wants  some quiet time during the day now . We close the crate at night and during the day leave it open it works for us and is great when going out he can be left with toys , and I can come home to my furniture still in tacked.