Crate training

[SirChenjins]

Has anyone done crate training with a dog who hasn't been in a crate for a while? We started off with a crate when he was younger, but it kind of fell by the wayside for one reason or another. I want to reintroduce it because he's become a complete velcro dog who is quite (very) anxious and really needs to learn to settle down without being at my side constantly. We haven't left him alone yet either (he's just turned one) and that can't go on. Typical cockapoo really.

Any tips, other than doing the usual - treats and feeding in crate, somewhere quiet, short amount of time to start with a build up, familiar blanket etc?

Why don’t you treat the anxiety, rather than forcing him to be away from you ? Reintroducing the crate won’t help the anxiety.
Have you trie scullcap and valerian tablets ?

We’re working on the anxiety too - with things you suggest plus others on the advice of our behaviourist.
Do you have any suggestions for the crate training?

No, my only suggestion for a crate is to throw it in the bin.

Thanks anyway.

What about teaching the command settle? Google it and try. Your dog wants to be with you, it’s a cross between two working breeds who would have spent all day working with their owners.

Susan Garett's crate games is a good place to start.

It is very structured and dogs love their crates if trained this way. It may or may not help with separation anxiety though.

With a dog with some separation distress make sure that the crate is near to you and train the love of crate separately from being away from you.

It just takes time - unfortunately there's no magic solution.

Did he settle okay in the crate as a puppy?

@Ivedonethisthreetimesalready Thanks, I’ll take a look at Susan Garrett. Yes, separation anxiety is definitely being treated separately and crate will be in sight of me - I work from home and am on Teams calls quite a bit, and it’s really not appropriate to have a cockapoo leaping up on screen, cute though he is. I have no intentions of sticking him in there for hours on end.
We have a pen but he actually didn’t take to that as well as he did as the crate when he was a puppy - he went in to the crate quite happily when he was young and had quiet times in there for short periods of time. For one reason and another we stopped using it, wish I’d kept it going tbh.

Any reason?

it’s unnecessary

themuttyprofessor.co.uk/2017/07/20/crate-debate-crate-not-crate/

That’s an incredibly biased blog post written by someone who has already decided they hate crates, not exactly a balanced critique of crate training.

My dog is crate trained, it’s full of blankets and pillows and the door is permanently open. He takes himself off up there for a daytime nap if he fancies, or switches between my bed and his crate during the night if he gets too hot. He’ll also sometimes potter off up to the crate if I’m hoovering because he doesn’t like the noise and feels safe in his space.

The point is that he knows what it’s for and that it’s safe and comfortable in there, so if he ever needed hospitalisation, it wouldn’t come as a shock to him to suddenly be crated.

My dog still puts herself in her crate when she wants a sleep if done in the right way a crate is a great tool.
op it will take time so just keep doing what you’re doing.

crate training

Was looking up crate training myself only ten minutes ago. Found this article which I quite liked.

Also, remember reading that dogs are den animals - they like living in dens:so crates replicate this.