Sep 20, 2011: Crate!

From the first night Thurmon was good about going in his crate at bedtime, and stayed in quietly until we let him out in the morning, but he didn't go in it otherwise, and he certainly wouldn't stay put if the door wasn't shut. A few times we had to put him in during the day for a couple of hours when neither of us could be home, and he seemed to take this fairly well, with limited barkings of protest.

After a couple of weeks he was getting harder to lure in - you'd reach in with your hand as far as possible to tempt him with the treat, but he wouldn't go in all the way - he'd keep his back legs out the door so you couldn't close it. Finally I hit on a solution - dropping kibbles in through the grating at the back - he'd follow all the way in, and not feel crowded or threatened at the door, because nobody's arm was snaking in there with him.

We've also wondered if he wasn't keen on napping in it during the day because of the summer heat - he really likes to stretch out and lie with his legs all akimbo in the air (presumably to stay cool). Now that it's getting cooler I've noticed that he's napping more in curled-up, compact positions better suited to the crate.

So I've been making the crate a place of magical kibbley goodness - if Thurmon goes in on his own, kibbles shower down. Then if he sits down to sniff at the grating for more treats, kibbles shower down. And if he goes down all on his own and relaxes, kibbles shower down.

And at long last he's napping in it. Yesterday he went in, and after some kibbles he settled down and had an hour-long nap, with the door open. And today he's in there again. Crate training is underway!

Below: I love the geometric perfection of Thurmon's tail, so tightly curled now that it's verging on a spiral.