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  1. #1
    House Broken petitesalmon's Avatar
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    Suddenly loves his crate!

    My 7 month old Ajax has had a crate since he came home with us at 8 weeks - but he hasn't liked it too much. He never made a fuss at bed time (barking etc), but didn't go in voluntarily and during the day he just wouldn't go in it preferring to sleep on the couch, or the floor. But recently, almost over night, he loves it. All of a sudden, he naps in it all the time by choice, and gets in it for bed time without any bribing. Has this happened to anyone else? Has anyone else's dogs behaviour just change out of the blue like this? I certainly didn't expect it!

  2. #2
    Senior Dog
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    Great to hear! Lilly hasn't found her crate to be "a comfort" zone like your Ajax, but she is going in it voluntarily. Hoping it "clicks" like Ajax did. Excellent! Would love to see her rest in her crate with the door open. All my other dogs have done it in the past. Amazing how "light bulb" moments work with Labs, isn't it?

    KAZ

  3. #3
    Senior Dog MikeLynn's Avatar
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    Yup, I've had the same experience. Most of the time it's very unexpected and sudden, you've been trying to teach them something for ages, slowly losing hope, feeling like a dummy (speaking of myself here, don't know how it works with you) and all of a sudden it simply clicks and it's right there
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  4. #4
    Senior Dog ckfalz's Avatar
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    Not here. Ava has had a crate since she came home and she goes in it willingly when it's time but she never goes in it as her own idea or just to nap.
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  5. #5
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    Luckily all our labs and Archie have not had a problem with crates. Of course, they are older.

    May be a mystery but enjoy it.

  6. #6
    House Broken petitesalmon's Avatar
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    It was totally weird!!! Hope it isn't just a phase - I'm loving it

    He has also started pulling the pillows out of his crate and dragging them all around the house - funny little man!

  7. #7
    Real Retriever EmmaJo11's Avatar
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    That's great. My 3 year old hates her crate still to this day even though we started putting her in at 8 weeks old.
    "The dog was created specially for children, he is the God of frolic"
    -Henry Ward Beecher
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  8. #8
    Senior Dog MightyThor's Avatar
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    Thor is just getting to the point where we don't have to bribe him to go in, I just say "go to bed". The other day I 'caught' him inside his crate chewing on a toy in the middle of the day, and as soon as he saw me he jumped right out. Almost like he didn't want me to know he actually liked being in there. I'm sure he'll get to the voluntary use - all my other dogs have ended up loving their 'den'.
    Mighty Thor, "So Much Dog", born 1/6/2014
    And baby Barley, born 3/9/2018

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