Well, first I put Chester's food just near his crate. He has always been PETRIFIED of that cage, and won't go near it. I want to be able to use it when I am away for long periods of time.
Usually he stands inside it, shivering, frozen in a catatonic state until I return.
So on the advice of a dog trainer, I started feeding him by the crate.
When he was able to sneak up to his meal near the crate, grab a bite, and run off to eat, then I put the bowls just inside, and got him used to eating there. Now he eats with neck stretched out, as far as it will go, not daring to put a foot inside, but getting what he can reach with his longest tongue.
We are getting somewhere, I say, as I debate how to take the next step.
"It will be out of reach today. He is going in!"
I decide to take the wobble tray out, which may scare him from taking those baby steps near the bowl. I sit away from the crate, but keep saying, "Good boy, goody, goody, goody, treat, treat!", his words for something REALLY yummy. His lips are smacking, his tongue is flying, but he is crawling back and forth. He jumps to the futon, he runs off. It takes a lot of attempts until he finally puts one paw over the door cage and back out, without anything untoward happening.
He comes to me, "Good Dog!"
After at least forty-five minutes of talking him into the meal, Chester has eaten. It is a triumph over a fear he has had for the 6 years I have had him, for all the ways I have tried to get him used to a crate. I am on the path to crate training!
I have some things that just drive me crazy, and I know you have some, too. The crate drives Chester nuts...and I am trying to show him it is not that bad, really. I will put a soft pillow inside and show him it is just another soft part of home.
Some of us go bananas when a driver cuts in front, going ten miles an hour, or ends up turning left, holding up traffic for two minutes...
For me it's the cute Schnauzer that runs free, coming to my yard to do his business and drive Chester up the wall.
Or the Ballet mom who insists the costume or the class is beneath her talented prima donna.
I am overweight. I think there are a lot of people who are annoyed by just my being that...and it drives them crazy to see me..eat, and be. But it also drives me crazy. So, to talk to me about it, it is hurtful. We both know it is an issue, and using a negative voice will not help. Maybe it helps you to vent your frustrations, but, guess what, it DRIVES me to eat.... whereas, it might drive another type of person to drink.
Solving our problems is on another road entirely. It takes a lot of careful thought, research, and understanding.
To thoroughly work with Chester took me years, as I realized he had some abuse or terror in the crate, since the regular crate training would not work. Whatever I tried failed. FINALLY I am on the right track, but it did not come with force, yelling, or negative thought. It came with encouragement and understanding the way Chester thought about the crate. And that hunger would create the motivation for him to solve his own problem. It was no longer MY need, but his, to get into the crate. So training will continue, until this is an issue of the past.
Top 10 things that drive me crazy:
10. Commercials Commercials Commercials- too many, and what they are about.
9. Stores without people that help you find things!!!!!
8. News overfilled with crime and doom stories.
7. Being overweight, but having pain everywhere, so I find it hard to exercise or move most days.
6. Watery eyes, which the doctors say is "dry eyes" and they can do nothing with!
5. Cincinnati weather- spring then winter, all in one day.
4. Getting up, leaving a room, only to forget why.
3.Ex-husbands that call more often than when you were married.
2. Dogs that come to your house to do their business.
1. "Oh, that's okay", when people refuse to repeat something they've said, and you ask them to because you did not understand.
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