Another Crate Training Question

[Cynthia, Elvis & Pink]

Pink (Australian Labradoodle) just turned 16 weeks.  I keep her crated at night in an iCrate in my bedroom and when I leave the house.  During the work week, she comes to work with me but I need to transition her to stay at home - in her crate - and have a dog-walker come in during the day.

I also keep a crate in the car - it's hard -sided and she willingly goes in and will stay there with no problems when I leave her in the car.

In the past few days, she's become unwilling to stay in her crate.  I do throw random treats in there and leave the door open so she can come and go when we're home.  At bedtime when she goes in, she'll whine/bark for about 5 minutes and then go to sleep.  However, the past few mornings when I put her in so I can walk the other dog for about 40 minutes, she's been crying longer and I think she barked the whole time we were gone today.  I'm 99% positive that it's not separation anxiety because she'll bark regardless if I'm in the room or not.  And she NEVER cries in the crate in the car - she just sleeps.  I don't know if this is just a phase and she's just being rebellious.

Moving the crate in the car into the house isn't really an option as she's just about outgrown it. Any suggestions for making the crate a better experience.  I give her kongs filled with her favorite treats whenever she's in the crate for an extended period.

[Emily & Wispa]

I was told that the crate should only be used for periods of time when you're in the house, and if you need to leave your puppy in the crate while you leave the house that you should instead have a puppy pen or an area of the house that's puppy proofed, but that contains the crate for sleeping should the puppy so choose.

We we first got Wispa I was under the impression that it would be fine to leave in the the crate when I left for short periods of time.  Unfortunately she barked and cried the whole time I went out.  I thought it was separation anxiety, but it wasn't, as we decided to let her wander the hallway and kitchen with all the other doors shut, and her massive crate pulled through the doorway of our bedroom to block the rest of the room, and ta-da!  Magically, she was fine to be left at home. 

Locking a puppy in the crate for extended periods when you leave won't build up that sense of security a den gives them, but will instead make them associate the crate with being alone, and most puppies don't like that idea.  If you slowly build up time in the crate while you're at home, you can then start mixing in short periods of time while you're away, but if you're gone for for than an hour or two, it's best to have a larger area in which to confine them, so they don't associate negative feelings with the crate.

[Jennifer]

My GD loathes the crate... always has. He carries on and on and on and on and on and on and on when he's in it.

Once we could trust him not to potty inside (I think he was around 16wks) we allowed him free roam of our room at night (we used a baby gate in the doorway so he couldn't get to the rest of the house). He did really well and aside from getting stuck under the bed one night we've never really had any problems. He's 8mo old now and for the last few weeks we've allowed him free roam of the house while we're gone. So far so good, he hasn't eaten the couch or TV or anything. I think he looks out the window the whole time waiting for our return.

Is it possible to try Pink out of the crate at night? It's understandable she'd still need to use it during the day. Maybe not needing it at night would give her enough of a break to hate it a little less during the day?

[Meghan & Buster]

I use the crate at night for Buster...he has never peeped once...I guess I am lucky with that.  During the day, while I am at work, I have him gated in the dining room so he isn't so confined .  Buster has had his moments/days to when he refuses to go into the crate...just hates it!  But that passes.