i had a large crate for suki and my plan was to use it for house traning, she did see it as her bed because at night she freeley went in it but once we had gone to bed she cried and cried, she also did her toilet in there and trod in it which meant i had to bath her nearly everyday which i didnt mind but it isnt good for her, for this reason i took it down she does have accidents but at least she isnt stressed.
ATD

I wonder if you could help me with this? My Scottie X loves his crate and has totally ignored all other beds I have tried for him. He's nearly 2 and only has the door closed overnight (if I leave it open, he tries to pull it shut with his teeth!). he was 'crate trained' from a puppy.

A friend of mine has a 3 year old daschund who had a back op last year. she has asked if I think its too late for her to introduce a crate to her sausage dog (to stop him climbing up or down stairs at night and causing himself damage)

I have no idea! Do you know whether a 3 yr old dog would enjoy the security of a crate, or is it much too late to try?

Many older dogs enjoy using a crate, even if they've never experienced one. I know of many rescue dogs that have relished a crate, because it's their own little refuge.

It's never too late to teach a dog that a crate is a nice place to be, that belongs to them, that is their safe haven.

My parson russell used one for the first time at 14 years old and he loved it, so I guess they are never to old to learn new ways.

I think it's very much how you introduce it to them...if you introduce it as a 'you WILL sleep/rest here' they won't like it, but if you stick their fav stuff in there, make it cosy, feed them in it, perhaps cover it with an old duvet cover or something so it's more den like, then the chances are, as Malady and Trouble have said, they will take to it. I would introduce actually shutting the door, very slowly and carefully though and only do it once they are obviously happy to use the crate.

Our boy is happy in his crate at night or if we go out, but he doesn't like to be in it when we are in. He doesn't like sleeping in it when we take him on holiday so he sleeps with us then. Also if we move his crate from his usual place in the living room to another place or room he doesn't like it. It always has to be in the same place - I'm not sure why this is?

He can turn the gas on on the cooker and takes plugs out of the sockets so he has to be in for his own sake. He is still young though.

Thankyou for all the advice, I will pass it on. Hopefully , if introduced carefully, it will work out a treat. (ha! her little sausage loves burrowing and hiding under stuff, so I like the idea of making a den over the crate with a duvet!)

sounds like he'll probably take to it then...she can put comfy beds etc in as well, toys and the like...only give him a stuffed kong in there that sort of thing...all positive and happy! Let us know how she gets on!

Mine had a doggy duvet folded in half and he used to lay between the layers, half the time I thought he wasn't in there when he was