Lab pups don’t naturally love crates, which is why pet parents need to crate-train their puppies. But what happens if you train your lab puppy, and it still hates the crate? What could’ve caused your puppy to hate the crate?
Your Lab puppy hates the crate because it has separation anxiety. Lab pups adore company and may experience distress when left alone. Your Lab puppy likely associates their crates with loneliness, hence hate being in the crate. Lack of training can also make the dog hate crates.
Keep reading as I’ll discuss further why your Lab puppy hates being in the crate. I’ll also discuss how you can encourage your puppy to like its crate.
Things To Know Before Using Crates for Lab Puppies
Crates are useful for Lab puppies, but using them takes practice. Without proper training, your Lab puppy won’t like the crate.
You can try various methods to encourage your pup to stay in the crate. But if your pup lacks training, your pup will eventually become easily restless in the crate, especially when left for extended periods.
Below are all the potential reasons your Lab puppy hates the crate.
1. Your Puppy Lacks Proper Training
Your young Labrador hatred for crates could stem from a lack of training. Crate-training is a vital exercise and can take up to six months, depending on the puppy’s temperament. If you source your Lab pup from a breeder/foster home, you may need to ask the extent of their crate training.
Untrained and poorly trained puppies view crates as a foreign cage impeding their freedom. Such a puppy will hate crates, no matter what you do. You’ll need to train a Lab puppy properly for it to enjoy the crate.
Crate training should touch on essentials like:
- Establishing the correct crate mindset
- Time training in the crate
- Loving the crate
If you lack crate-training skills, acquiring a trained puppy from a reputable Labrador breeder would be best.
2. Your Lab Puppy Dislikes the Changes You Made to the Crate
Lab pups might dislike their crates due to specific changes in the crate. Crate alteration, be it small, might be problematic to young, sensitive Labradors. Here are the changes your puppy might not appreciate:
- Changes in crate size: Although Lab puppies are tiny, they need spacious crates where they can roam around. Such puppies will find it hard to stay in small crates. Avoid making unnecessary size changes to the puppy’s crate.
- A new crate location: It might seem trivial, but Lab puppies are conscious of the nearby environment. Your young Labrador might hate its crate simply because you changed its location. The new crate location could be intimidating or exposed to the elements. It’s best to decide on a permanent space for the puppy’s crate.
- Change in crate smell: Like mature dogs, Labrador puppies have an excellent sense of smell. A young Lab might hate its crate because the crate smells differently.
3. Your Lab Puppy Has Anxiety
Anxiety could be another reason your Labrador puppy hates its crate. Labs are social animals and love the company of humans or other Labradors.
Therefore, it isn’t unusual for your young Lab to experience distress when left alone. The puppy’s distress levels are magnified if it’s left locked in a crate.
With time, your puppy will associate its crate with social isolation. And because your puppy dislikes being alone, it may resort to barking or whining each time you put it in a crate.
Separation anxiety is common in young Labs that haven’t adapted well to their new surroundings. Such pups might feel confident when closer to their pet parents and completely distressed when left alone in their crates.
Crates near noise sources or scary objects might also create anxiety in your puppy.
4. You Put Your Lab Puppy in the Crate Whenever You’re Not at Home
You’re raising a crate-hating puppy whenever you lock up your pup at predetermined periods.
An example is locking your dog in a crate overnight or when you’re leaving the house for work. Labrador puppies, being intelligent, will soon associate crates with lonely time.
Your puppy understands that it won’t get social interactions whenever it stays in the crate. As such, your Lab puppy may become hesitant to be crated at certain times.
5. Your Lab Puppy Has a Negative Perception About Crates
Sometimes, negative perception may be the reason your pup hates crates.
If you use your crate as a form of punishment, then your young Lab might deem it a torture chamber. Such a puppy will have harmful recollections when it sees a crate.
Lab puppies might also associate crates with isolation time. Such negative thoughts will make them hate crates.
Popping treats and food is an excellent way of creating positive crate perception. You can also add toys to the crate to create a positive environment.
Once Labrador puppies build positive perceptions, they’ll use crates voluntarily.
6. Staying in the Crate Is Boring
Labrador puppies have endless bounds of energy. As such, they need an outlet to release this energy. That’s why these pups are incredibly playful. However, locking them in crates reduces their playtime and leads to boredom.
Boredom is a significant problem in crates that lack playing material. Puppies locked in such crates will lack something to bite and exciting things to do. They could sleep, but even sleeping will get monotonous.
Bored puppies might be very reluctant to use crates. They’ll hate crates even if they’ve undergone crate training. If you lock such puppies up, they might whine, turn to destructive behavior, or look for exit points.
Boredom also leads to a lack of mental stimulation, which can be detrimental for your dog.
According to an article in The Times, frequent boredom can shrink your dog’s brain. Since pups are in the development phase, boredom could significantly affect their lives.
7. You Keep Your Lab Puppy in the Crate for Too Long
Extended lock-up periods could be the reason your Labrador puppy hates crates. As the Humane Society explains, pups shouldn’t be crated for more than three hours a day.
Pups like humans hate it when they’re confined to a tiny space all day long. Their lives don’t revolve around crates. Puppies need the freedom to explore their surroundings and enjoy life.
Long cage-up periods could be termed torture and may reduce your pup’s life quality.
It isn’t uncommon for caged puppies to be bored or develop mental illnesses. These pups may become anxious, nervous, or hyper. They’ll feel neglected and lose any respect towards the pet parent.
No crate training can make a Labrador puppy withstand many hours in the crate. Besides mental breakdown, your pup will mess in the same environment it’s locked up in.
8. The Crate Is Uncomfortable
Another reason your Labrador pup hates its crate is that it’s uncomfortable. There’s no motivation for a puppy to enter a crate if it’s empty and lacks interesting things.
Uncomfortable puppy crates have the following traits:
- Located in a noisy area
- Lack comfortable bedding
- Have ragged edges that might bruise puppies
- Exposed to the elements (wintry or sultry conditions)
- Smelly and dirty environment
- Shared by other pets
- Not spacious
Crates with such traits are not only uncomfortable but can be unsafe for your puppy. Ragged crates might injure your pup, while dirty crates could spark illnesses. A crate exposed to winter or summer conditions can kill your Lab pup.
Your Lab pup might hate its crate because other pets use the same crate. Whenever other pets like cats enter the crate, they leave behind odors. Your puppy might not appreciate such scents.
A tranquil crate doesn’t have to be a fancy space, but a place where your pup enjoys spending their time. A Lab puppy will treasure a crate with the following characteristics:
- Spacious, with enough room for roaming around
- Cozy bedding and resting place
- Well sheltered from the elements
- Located in a silent room/corner
- Plenty of toys
Final Thoughts
There must be a reason your Lab puppy hates its crate. Perhaps the crate is not comfortable. Also, your puppy will hate the crate if it associates crate time with lonely time. That said, ensure you don’t put your puppy in the crate only when you’re away from home.
Whatever the reason for your puppy hating the crate, you must train your puppy to stay in the crate. Consider using treats during training. If your puppy isn’t trained to stay in the crate, it’ll have a hard time adapting to the crate, thus whining and becoming restless in the crate.