How do I get the crate closed???

Freckles will not let me close her crate door at all. She will climb in and sleep in it but if I even attempt to close the door she is wide awake and almost instantly distressed. She had a crate at the foster home so its not a new concept but I don't get the problem.

It's causing real problems as there is no way of securing her at night or if I want to go out in the day, even for 5 mins. I have been sleeping on the sofa for the last week, which neither I or hubby are happy about but with 2 kids (and a real soft spot) I cant let her cry. I'm also worried that if I do I will damage her attitude even more towards the crate and never get there.

Help me please before I go totally stir-crazy.

Ok silly question but why does she have to be closed in?

mainly because as yet I'm not sure I trust her, I can barely leave the room before she's up to something she shouldn't be so I shudder to think what she might get into

Hi Helen how old is Freckles ?

Some information on crate training from one of our members...
http://www.dogsey.com/dog-articles.php?t=15552
I will post more later..

She's a nearly 7 month old girly from an Irish pound, one of the lucky ones that made it over We're not quite sure what she is....will post pics when I can find my camera and you guys can wade into the debate as to what she's made of!!!!!!

I'm struggling alot with her full stop at the moment in various ways but she has only been with me for about 10 days so we're still getting to know each other, I need as much training as her since she's my first dog

I would imagine this poor dog has been shut in a crate or cage for far too long. I wouldn`t even be trying to shut her in.
People managed to rear pups and young dogs long before crates were invented. You put the dog in a cleared space like the kitchen, or use safety gates. Since you have children I imagine you have already put hazards out of reach.

I only want to shut her in at night and when I'm out, I'm not trying to cage her all the time. It's for her safety and the safety of my other pets. She has total free range the rest of the time, including access to the garden whenever she wants.
ETA... My children are 7 and 14 so so that is irrellevent

If her foster home was able to crate her happily then I would eb speaking to them.

She wont go in at all tonight....not even with the door open she's been in and out of it all day quite happily. She's toileted, walked, fed, watered etc she's tired but wont chill. She's going mental at me and I'm not even doing anything. Just feel like sobbing

Well I give up. Its half midnight and after an hour of being unpleasantly loud and hyper she has finally crashed out....unfortunately she still didnt go in her crate and is spawled out on the floor so another sofa night for me I guess. Cant face anymore fighting tonight