I don't wanna derail this thread, but the only thing I can add ... TSA I feel could be obselete if they just mandatorily lock the cockpit cabin's on planes when the plane has left ground. Give them a little bathroom an microwave to cook meals while flying or whatever the hell they need to leave for. Not to be cold here, but I'd rather ONLY everyone in the plane die, rather than everyone on the plane, plus those in buildings.

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[hijack]

[neener]

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ok...everyone talks about how crate training is the thing now. (had never heard of it before a year ago).

Now explain how you get the dog to stay in the crate without the waiting and gnashing of teeth and scratching excessively at crate door until his feet are bloody.
Breeder said he was crate trained to hold it all night. Wouldn't get in the hard crate at all. Managed to get him back in the air carrier last night, where he was quiet until 4 am. Attributed this to the stress of flying and being in a bag under a seat for 3 hours.

Breeder said should spend most of time in crate during day while training....haha!

Today, have tried hard crate again....dog goes whacko trying to dig out of crate. Back to the air carrier.

Anyone done the crate training thing? Any recommendations re: kind of crate, process, etc.? (We currently have three possibilities. Small and medium size plastic "pet taxi" types, plus the just purchased (and smaller than either of the hard ones) Sherpa airline carrier? Still hoping I don't have to buy another one.

Signed,
Currently controlled by a 9 pound dog

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Crate training? Buy a Jansport for Quickie, it's a good match.

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In addition to crate training (I am the wrong person to speak on that issue.) you may want to consider a thundershirt .

It works for our dog. Our vet mentioned it.

In addition to calming them during loud noises like thunder or fireworks it helps some dogs with separation anxiety. The air carrier may make the dog relaxed like the shirt. 🤷

My son has a crate trained dog. He has had mixed results with the beastie in the crate and he has had her for almost 2 years. (got her at 3 months.)

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You don't need to get into the cockpit to blow up a plane. Almost all of the thwarted plots have involved explosives. Also, if you're a pilot and if someone has taken over the passenger area and threaten to kill one person for every minute that you leave the cockpit door shut in true hollywood fashion, what are you going to do.

We crate trained our dog. She'll sometimes sleep in there. It's actually not that hard. Just takes awhile.

You have to make the crate a place that's not a punishment, but a "safe zone" for the dog.

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I think the problem is that you can't force it. And since his first "crate"-type experiences with me were (a) being jammed into an airline carrier for three hours just a couple hours after he left his home and saw me, and (b) a few hours after arriving here in Chicagoland, I "asked him" to go crate for the evening. So what I'll have to do is some remedial re-convincing him that "crate is cool!" when I get back to iowa. The few days of transition essentially probably set the process of training back part way.

Which is another reason I bought the dog now, after all. The summer is all about training. I have no rush to train him in a week or a month. I've got all summer to pace it.

And deal with the inevitable "first timer" mistakes. [grin1]

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You can always bribe dogs with food, especially with your delicious cooking.

Leave a small bowl of juicy, chopped up steak in the crate. But then walk away.

You want to change the association. Thuji right now thinks "I hate that ****** thing!" Won't hate it so much when there's delicious food in there.

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good point. my son use to feed his dog in the crate every meal.

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