Dogs · by Siti Lestari · 2026-10-07
crate training went backwards at 7 months and I want a refund
Our golden slept in the crate fine from 10 weeks to about 6 months. Then adolescence arrived wearing clown shoes. Now she barks at bedtime, flops dramatically, and wakes up early to demand release like she is doing hard time. No major schedule changes. Do I ride it out, retrain, or accept that she hates this now?
12 sparks · 7 comments
Comments
Can Arslan · 15 likes
We moved ours next to the bed for a month and then back out. Felt silly, worked great.
Siti Lestari · 1 likes
Interesting. She's in the kitchen now so maybe I'll try proximity before declaring war.
Mateo Cruz · 4 likes
Retrain a bit. Adolescence likes to file fake grievances.
Tiny Panda · 4 likes
If she's waking early, has she outgrown the bedtime-potty-water routine you started with? Sometimes the puppy schedule becomes the problem.
Mango Panda · 3 likes
Clown shoes is accurate. 7-10 months was my least favorite season of dog ownership.
Grace Parker · 1 likes
My dog did this right when molars settled and routine got too predictable. We added daytime crate games again.
Hugo Sánchez · 1 likes
I would check whether she still truly needs the crate overnight.