sleeping outside of crate

[Teresa]

Hurray!!

[SueMcGauley]

Ok new twist, or maybe this is common. 3 nights crate free, very limited area right next to my side of bed. Now she doesn't want to go in the crate ( which is a large one) during the day. Ultimately I win and she's in but she's never refused to go in before, today I tried every treat in the house and I actually had to give her a tiny push in....is this because she's out at night? BTW she doesn't go in the crate everyday.

[SueMcGauley]

Sorry I just realized I wasn't very clear. What I meant to say is that there are days when she is with one of us all day and I don't need to crate her.

[Teresa]

It can certainly be because she is not crated at night. if she goes full days without having to go in then it seems like a reasonable explanation. I would do a lot of treating for her going into the crate. You mentioned she was refusing high value treats. I know she has been having tummy issues, so that could be affecting her appetite. I would do short training sessions with very high value treats before meal time when she feeling better.

[jocomoreno]

Wait im lost. Are you using the kennel for her to sleep in, or as a place to keep her during the day, or both?

[SueMcGauley]

J - sorry, I had a small crate in my bedroom which I've now done away with and she is doing very well at night without it, I confine her to a small area next to my bed. I have a large crate in the living area that I use during the day when I need to leave her alone. It seems that she believes that now that she sleeps at night without a crate she should not be confined during the day. Au Contraire my Bella! I was able to get her in today but I admit to giving a little push

[jocomoreno]

Well...
Heres what I do to get a new dog to like the crate. Everything that is good happens in the crate for the first few days/weeks. When its food time, they eat in their crate. When its crate time, I stuff a kong full of some raw salmon dog food or give em a beef bone; its important they only get these treats while in their crate so they know that this "food of the gods" only appears when theyre in the crate. Now, the dogs that I crate train run into their crate by themselves when its feeding time and fall asleep in their crate right after their done for an hour or so.
Are you exercising her? It could be kind of tough, especially with pups, to get em to stay in a crate if theyre full of energy. Remember, restless spirit.
Also its important that if you are trying to crate train her not to let her out if shes whining or barking. Otherwise shell think that barking/whining gets her a free ride out of the crate.
Again, just my opinion as a member. Hopefully one of the mods will give us some info.

[SueMcGauley]

Hi and thanks, yes she is very well exercised both by walks and playtime. I started crate training her at 8wks and fed her in the crate as well as treats. I put her in the crate every day regardless of whether I was home and she slept in a crate every night. The first few weeks were brutal, howling etc. but we got through it. I stopped feeding her meals in the crate at 4 months but she does get a kong or marrow bone. She is so well behaved in the house that recently on days when I'm home I haven't been crating her. If i needed to I would tether her but truth be told she doesn't really leave whatever room I'm in. On the days that I crated her, she was fine. It is only since I have allowed her to sleep outside the crate at night that she doesn't want to be in it during the day. I can still lure her in with a kong but my husband tells me she howls for awhile when its finished, but then settles. She has never gone in her crate voluntarily to nap or anything else, in fact if she wants a bone from in there she will quickly grab it and run out as fast as possible lest someone shut the door on her!
On a good note, she is doing really really well sleeping out of the crate.