She hates her cage

It's been a little less than a week since I've had Penny. She's the most adorable little girl I've ever laid eyes on. She's not the first puppy I've raised but definately my first Corgi. I have not had problems before with my other dogs with them sleeping or staying in their crate. However Penny seems to hate being in there. I cant always have her get her way and was wondering if there was an easier way for her to get comfortable with the crate. Any recommendations? Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Sarah C. on December 21, 2011 at 2:59pm

Just put her in there with a soft blanket, make sure she's pooped and peed and leave her there, come whining, howling or screaming. Then just make sure she has quiet.

It seems like it'll last forever, but it never does. My littlest made the biggest fuss, crying every night for a week. Now he goes in there to sleep all on his own.

Trust that your dog will be able to adjust to the crate and that the crying and barking is part of that adjustment. Dogs are very adaptable and if you let them get through it, they'll surprise you.

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Markley on December 21, 2011 at 3:42pm

Seanna hated her cage when she was a puppy. She'd cry all night, and scream like I was killing her when I put her in there to leave. She hated it so much that she chewed out of her soft sided one one day when I was at work. Once we got her a plastic sided one, and she learned she was stuck in there, she adapted fine. You can put a kong toy with frozen peanut butter in it to give to her when you leave. Gives her something to focus on.

Keep the training up though. I can tell Seanna "kennel" and she'll go straight to her cage and not make a peep now. It saved me when she tore her ACL, and she actually loved going in there. We mainly just use it when we travel with her now, and it works great if we leave her to go out while we're visiting. She doesn't mind it all. None of my other dogs are kennel trained, and it's a pain sometimes. Like when you leave and they get chocolate off the counter. :-)

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Permalink Reply by Laura and Tommy Jefferson on December 21, 2011 at 6:21pm

Tommy hated the cage at night for his first week but now he runs right for it and can't wait to go to sleep at night when he gets tired! I felt so bad with all his crying but eventually he would cry himself out!

I second what Sarah said - make sure she has quiet! Initially Tommy would cry randomly throughout the night ... but, in hindsight, I think I was the one disturbing him. He sleeps in his own room now and sleeps all night without a peep! :)