Crate Training Progession
I am going on my 3rd night with my 8 week old Bernedoodle. I have been doing a pretty strict crate training routine but am having some woes and not sure if they are normal or not. Are these YouTube channels like McCann and Will Atherton realistic? They seem to lock this down first session lol.
Current Routine: out for bathroom break, training, play, back in crate. Bathroom breaks on the hour every hour, every 2 hours at night. At night he seems to want to go back no problem and settles very quick.
If the dog gets anxiety every time the door closes on him, how is he supposed to think of the crate as a positive space? I feed him in the crate, do tricks and treats in and out of the crate. He seems to be comfortable going in, during training sessions I can get him to go in on command (sort of). But every time I lead him in to lock up, the second the door locks and I stop giving him attention, it is painful barking, digging, shaking for 20 minutes straight. But then once he finally calms down he is out.
He never goes into the crate voluntarily unless it's feeding time or I am throwing treats in.
Things I have tried: Bigger crate with divider to give height comfortability. Personal blanket/shirt for my sent to calm him down. "hush" with gentle rattle of the crate. Blanket over the crate (this actually seems to calm him down the quickest and then consistent throughout the night) but I don't want to create dependencies.
All the things that seem like positives in the crate in my mind would be absolutely drowned out by the negative anxiety attacks he has at first. I feel like maybe I ruined the crate for him because the first night (after a 3 hour drive home) I put him in the crate by hand. He did fall asleep pretty quickly then though.