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I need some help with crate training an adult dog. I have a 5 year old chihuahua/dachshund mix. He has never had a crate until we bought one yesterday. The only reason we bought one is because he has started becoming destructive lately when left in the house alone, and my husband (who works from home full time) has to travel for work for three days this week and three days next week, and I don't want to come home to a mess. I am having a hard time training him to go into the crate. I am keeping it positive and as stress free as possible, but he seems very resistant. He wouldn't take any treats from me when I was using them to lead him into it by dropping a treat closer and closer to the crate so he could get used to it. Anytime I would even try to get him close to the crate, he would roll over and show his belly. I did finally get him inside with a lot of coaxing and nudging and he stayed for a bit even though the door was open, but I am concerned that he is going to be highly stressed out when he is left in there on the days that my husband is traveling and I am at work.
I feel like I am missing something but I guess it is because he is older. When I crate trained my pitbull, she was 6 months old, and she took to it immediately. I just led her to it by dropping treats closer and closer to the crate and praising her as she got closer and then started dropping some inside so she would have to go in and praised her when she went in to get them. She is almost a year and a half old now and she absolutely loves her crate. She goes in there all the time to rest even though we didn't send her. That is what I want for my older dog, along with the reassurance that I am not going to come home to a mess while my husband is traveling.
Is there something I can do to help him not be so resistant so he won't roll over and show his belly to me and not get up, and also not stress him out over the entire thing at the same time? I appreciate any advice given.
I feel like I am missing something but I guess it is because he is older. When I crate trained my pitbull, she was 6 months old, and she took to it immediately. I just led her to it by dropping treats closer and closer to the crate and praising her as she got closer and then started dropping some inside so she would have to go in and praised her when she went in to get them. She is almost a year and a half old now and she absolutely loves her crate. She goes in there all the time to rest even though we didn't send her. That is what I want for my older dog, along with the reassurance that I am not going to come home to a mess while my husband is traveling.
Is there something I can do to help him not be so resistant so he won't roll over and show his belly to me and not get up, and also not stress him out over the entire thing at the same time? I appreciate any advice given.