From: debbie@sierra.ICUS.COM (Debbie Keyes)
Subject: Re: Calling all puppy experts! Trouble in Golden City! (long)
Organization: ICUS Software Systems, Austin, TX
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 01:44:21 GMT

In article <1992Apr7.192439.7529@acsu.buffalo.edu> riacmt@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Carol Miller-Tutzauer) writes:
[ Stuff about training the puppy deleted.]

>Second, the reinforcement/conditioning benefits of feeding
>in the crate cannot be underemphasized.  By feeding the
>puppy in the crate, s/he comes to associate the crate with
>an instinctual, very positive feeling (namely satisfaction
>of the hunger urge/drive).  This is also the associated
>feeling the puppy had while its mother was nursing it.  If
>you want your puppy to be very happy and content in a crate
>(and quickly), there isn't a much more effective way to
>acheive this than feeding in the crate.  Of course, giving
>treats in the crate would accomplish a similar goal, but
>the immediacy of hunger is even better (and kibbles are
>always preferable to treats, from a nutritional standpoint,
>all else being equal).
> ...
>Seriously.... (and now I'm speaking as a developmental psychologist)
>the use of food and taking advantage as a drive so basic as
>hunger is VERY EFFECTIVE behaviorally.  (And now speaking as
>a pet owner), our puppy (pretty large now, though) serves as
>one very good example of a puppy adjusting to the crate 
>through the strategy of feeding in it.  Most of the books
>we had at home at the time had similar positive things to say
>about feeding in the crate.

While I'm not an expert either in psychology or dog breeding my
recent experience bears this out completely.  My older dog (about
4 years old) was badly abused as a puppy, was never crate trained
and has lots of behavior problems (we've been working on them since
he came to live with me last May -- and thanks to the info in r.p.d
he's becoming a wonderful house dog :-).

Recently I decided that I needed to crate train him (the last time
I went away for a weekend he broke out of the yard by busting out
the hinge on the gate, so *something* needed to be done).  I decided
to start feeding him exclusively in the crate.  He also gets his 
evening biscuit while in the crate.

At first I had to encourage him *alot* to go in (all positive),
but now he goes in rather quickly when I bring his food into the
bedroom (yes, his crate is in "my den" to help encourage him).  I
can now leave him for a few hours at a time and he's just fine about
it and we've only been working on it for about two weeks.

He's been getting more treats than usual because that's still what
gets him into the crate, but eventually those'll be cut down.

This is a dog that I never thought could be crate trained, but
feeding him in the crate seems to have worked wonders (even for
an older dog; who says you can't teach an older dog new tricks? ;-).

Thanks for listening/reading.  (I've been wanting to brag about him
for some time and this tread just seemed a perfect fit!!)

Debbie
-- 
+=========================== Debbie Keyes ==================================+
| debbie@icus.ICUS.COM         ...!{ames,cs.utexas.edu,pacbell}!icus!debbie |
|      "Mom" to Nickie (the psychotic mutt) and Lusi (sweetie pup).         |
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