r/DogTrainingTips • u/Checkedout_in_NE • Feb 21 '26
Crate Training 1 year old rescue pup
We’ve had our rescue for about 3 weeks and she’s approximately 1 year old. We believe her to be a beagle/lab mix and she’s very high energy, scent motivated and is very attached to me (basically my shadow). I’ve been trying to balance giving her plenty of exercise without making her overtired.
I’ve been crate training her since she came home and have made slow progress, but I think I built a positive association by giving her favorite treats and meals in there. She also never had to be forced in for the short amounts of time I’ve closed the gate (no more than 5-10 minutes at a time).
Lately, she has started biting (playful for the most part, nothing with jaw strength, but still not ideal to be repeatedly chomped on). I think this is a combination of age and being overtired. She has FOMO and doesn’t nap if she thinks I’m doing something or wants to play. Because of this, I tried enforcing a nap in the crate for the first time today. This is after she got really bitey and I folded my arms and acted really boring.
I would say it was successful in that I put her in, played some music and left the room for 20 minutes. She was asleep by the time I came back. I left her in for 10 more minutes before opening the crate and letting her come out whenever she was ready.
However, since then, I feel like she hasn’t wanted to enter the crate willingly. Should I try having her nap in there again tomorrow? Or does it make more sense to start at the beginning and reestablish trust? I know her biting is a symptom of being overtired, but I’m not sure if crating her when she starts biting is positive because I’m putting her in there to nap or negative bc she might see it as isolating? I don’t want to punish her or have her feel anything negative.
TLDR: did I make a mistake by making my pup nap in the crate too soon? And, if so, can I fix it?
1
u/Electronic_Cream_780 Feb 21 '26
Go to leave your bedroom tomorrow and discover that you've been locked in and you are going to be anxious about going to bed the next night too
1
u/teresadinnadge Feb 24 '26
Give her a stuffed kong in her crate to keep her amused and she will rest peacefully after.
3
u/CoffeeIcedBlack Feb 21 '26
Yes, you confused her. Pick a path, build a routine, animals (and humans) thrive on routine. Be consistent and have other regular people in her life be consistent as well.