New larger crate. Pup won't go in

[polkadotpjs]

I've bought pup a new bigger crate and out blanket in plus blanket over but he barks at it or looks at it warily. I put some cheese cubes in but he's too scared to go in and get them
My son however made a den in there earlier and loved it....
I'm not making a big deal of it as he's only crated at bedtime for about 8 hours and he's not left during the day at all. Hoping he'll come round to it. Any more tips ? I actually thought that son going in could go either way- tell him it's a nice place OR tell him it's DS2's place not his.

Sorry but you never crate a dog 8 hours no wonder he doesn't want to go in. I don't use crates never have I train my dogs instead so they sleep down stairs with no issue from being puppies.

Oh don't be stupid @Sitdowncupoftea , op is saying that dog is crated over night for 8 hours, not all day. That is completely normal.

Just give it time op... back to basic crate training.., trails of treats, meals in the crate, T-shirts with your smell on etc. We recently got a bigger crate for ours.. I went 2 sizes bigger and it's huge! To the point I was worried he'd toilet in there too. He now loves it, he can stretch right out and often just takes himself off to his crate to chill. He'll get used to it x

I knew as I wrote that , that it would be misread. He sleeps overnight in his crate with the door closed and is never crated in the day unless say I'm hoovering. Most days its me waking him up and he goes back to bed in his open crate after he's said hello and had a cuddle.
I'm changing his crate so he can have a bigger nicer bed at night time. I don't plan to crate him for any period of time. He likes his crate as a night time or nap space but has grown so it needs to be bigger

T shirt is a good call. I'll stick one of DH or teenage DS in there for good sniff!

Will the original little crate fit inside the big crate?

Could you put a cardboard box down at the end of the crate to make it smaller, then gradually increase the size?

Some breeds don't like large crates. Have you tried to section it off?

@Sitdowncupoftea

Sorry but you never crate a dog 8 hours no wonder he doesn't want to go in. I don't use crates never have I train my dogs instead so they sleep down stairs with no issue from being puppies.

@Sitdowncupoftea 8 hours overnight is nothing! Ours is in it's crate for that length overnight as he chews everything so it's safer for him.

There is actually another piece that I had leftover - perhaps that's to section it off! Will ask the lady I bought it from
He's eaten a meal sticking his head in there tonight so it's not all bad. Putting old crate inside is a good shout too. Will try it