Hi all,
I have a lab pup, 9 1/2 weeks. He is doing really well and, using the crate is already sleeping through the night (approx 7 hrs) and is completely clean in the crate.

He's fine once in, will bark for maybe 5-10 mins during the day if he's in it (for the odd hour as we want him used to it) but won't even cry at all at night, just settles down.

However I cannot get him to go into it himself. At the moment, putting him in it is okay, but I don't want to be trying to force a full grown lab into in a few months.

How do I get him to accept the fact that he needs to go in when I tell him. He know what I want him to do but has better ideas himself.

Have tried a Kong (not really interested) and feeding him in it. He has bed/blanket toys. It's in a seperate room (an extra toilet off of the utility room) but we don't shut the door.

Thanks.

My dogs are fine in crates at shows, travelling or when staying at a hotel yet I never shut them in one at home.  A crate will be part of their puppy quarters when they are very young and the puppy I keep will sleep in one for the first few months, but gradually it will have the door left open even at night.

If he is accepting the crate at night then that is enough for him to be used to it.  He may be far more inclined to use it in the day if he is free to go in and out of it himself.

It may be useful to leave the door of the crate open and when the pup is not looking or even in another room, drop some really tasty and smelly treats at the back of the cage. Don't tell him to go into the cage, but if they are smelly enough, he will go in to find them. Just ignore him and don't be tempted to shut the door. Do this a number of times over a day or two, and when he is starting to go in there to see if he can find anything, then drop a treat through the top of the caged near the back rather than the treat already being in there..  Again, do this a number of times and eventually, as you drop the treat through the top of the cage, say the command you want to use to get the pup in there. When he is comfortable with this, you could then close the door before giving him the treat, but only for a few seconds.  After a while start closing the door and waiting a few seconds, then minutes before dropping the treat in there.I think if you take it slowly he will get used to it fairly quickly.

Hope this helps.

He's still only very young and as long as you make it a pleasant experience now, he'll still enjoy going in it when he is older.................my 1st lab cried when I dismantled the crate ..................they soon learn your routine and will probably end up going in of their own accord as soon as they see the signs that you're going out/to bed etc :)

I've found throwing a treat to the back of the crate works well ;)

My lab loves his crate so much that often at night he'll be missing and you guessed it, he's took himself to bed as he's fed up waiting for us. Mind you he does like his sleep much more than my other dog (Cocker).

our Tio used to struggle when getting put in his crate when he was tiny,now he loves it. as he doesn't fit in the puppy crate anymore my parents had to get a new supersized one cause he kept trying to get in! its his special quiet place, loves it.

Thanks all for your replies. I'll try and persevere...