Crate Training

Alright... so my dad and I decided to get a crate. And it should be a real Godsend, too - it's going to help a lot with some problems we've been having.

So - crate training, this is what I've come up with:

-First, get Rocky to enjoy/love the crate. Putting treats inside, putting toys inside, and praising him when he goes in. (any other suggestions on how to do this?)

-I won't punish Rocky inside the crate or by putting him inside because it's sort of his "den" and safehaven.

-Slowly get him accustomed to liking it. And I will also teach him to go to his crate and then reward him for doing so.

-Let him sleep for a few nights without the door closed and then gradually close it (as in, don't lock it at first, etc. )

Any other suggestions? Does it look OK?

I don't know, but if you named your dog after Rocky Balboa, you should be very proud.

take some really yummy treats and toys he really likes and shut them in the crate, with the door closed. show them to him and let him get just a little frustrated over not being able to get to them, then open the door, let him in and close it behind him. do this frequently and start out by letting him out again right away as soon as he's done with the treats, and gradually increase the time you wait until you let him out. stuffed kongs help to get started with the longer periods.

i'd also strongly recommend feeding all meals inside the crate for a while.

Thanks Mordy!

Crate's coming tomorrow. ANY info is appreciated at this point! Thanks.

Haha, I actually did.

When I got Otto a few weeks back I could just throw a treat in an he would walk in on his own, now he has smartened up and unfortunetly I have to help in in his crate. He whines for awhile, but I only leave him alone a couple hours max so he lives.

I get special chews and treats that the dog gets ONLY when they go in their crate. Dakota for example gets a stuffed kong or a bully stick when he goes to his crate. As soon as he sees the kong come out he goes skidding down the hall towards his crate. If I say "go get in your crate" he runs towards it, no resentment at all.
I was never very gradual with introducing the crate, I just locked him in with something interesting when he was a puppy and by the time he noticed that he was locked in, he was already comfortable in there. I just kept the original periods in the crate relatively short, and I always put him in there when he was tired. It's his bed now.

I was lucky when I got Mojo - he had been living in a kennel at a vet tech school 6 months prior to my bringing him home. So he was more used to his crate than I think he would have been otherwise... but i still when I first brought him home was set up a bed for him in it, and since it's slightly larger than he is... i keep his food and water bowls just inside the door still.

It is also ALWAYS the first thing I set up when I move. I don't care if I still have furniture and boxes to lug up the stairs, as soon as I get to my new place the crate is first inside the door and I will take the 10-15minutes to set it up with Mojo's bowls, blankie, and a toy. That way he knows where his spot is.

He goes to it when i'm upset, or my boyfriend and I are arguing, or just when he wants to chill away from us.

For your dog I would encourage him to eat and nap in there. You can probably lock him in for short periods of time - startning out with a few minutes and then slowly lengthen that time. If he likes stuffed kongs, make his crate the ONLY place he gets to consume one. So, he knows that if he has a kong he goes to his crate.

Good luck!