I know there may be other threads on here about it but I have tryed every little trick to get our 8 weekold puppy in there. He is not very food driven so even puppy a bone or kong filled with liver treats doesn't even tempt him. If I do get him in there with those he whines and paws at the door til we let him out. The only real reason I would like to get him in is for the night so we can get some rest as he is very restless. Anymore suggestions?

Have you tried feeding him his breakfast and dinner in his crate?

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Delilah- 3 Year Old Bernese Mountain Dog X Golden Retriever Mix *Rescue

Shiloh- 4 Year Old German Shepherd Mix *Rescue

No I haven't tried that yet. I'll do that tonight. I have put his kibble in a Kong in there but he just brings it out.

You could try putting him in for very small increments of time and increasing them gradually. So lure him in with something he loves (like the Kong), and then shut the door and leave him for, say, 5 minutes. Then come back, and just let him out (without making a big fuss). Then a few hours later, try it with 10 minutes, and then 15 etc.

You can also put a t-shirt or something that smells like you in the crate to comfort him.

With Barney, he got a "crate treat" every time he went into the crate at first, and we still feed him dinner and breakfast in the crate. I also hide treats in the crate so he can discover them when we're not around. It's to the point now where when I get out his bowl, he RUNS into his crate and sits down, and he'll put himself to bed at night.

I will keep trying as long as it takes but we have tried with the treats etc. but I'll try the small amounts of time and see if that will work. Thank you.

No problem. Keep in mind, some whining and fussing is totally normal while he's adjusting to being in the crate, especially the first time overnight. Just buy some good earplugs and don't cave in - he'll accept the crate quickly once he gets past that initial adjustment period.

Where is his crate located in your house? That might be another way you could make things easier for him (and you!). I know quite a few people who kept their crates in their bedroom, so their puppy could still see and smell them when he slept. We keep Barney's in the eat-in kitchen, right next to our living room where we spend a lot of time. That way, they don't think of the crate as time away from their people.

I found a couple of bookmarks I used to set up Barney's initial housebreaking/crate training schedule:

Puppy Perfect - Housebreaking Schedule
Potty Training Your Puppy Schedule - Puppy Housebreaking Made Easy

We did the feeding breakfast and supper in there, we wouldn't close the door in the beginning, just tried to get Molly used to it. Sometimes I would go and sit in it and call her in and try to get her to relax in there- I usually tried this after a walk when she was tired. Molly never really liked the crate until she got to be a year- she still goes in now and rests as it's 'her spot' not to be bugged when she's in there. Good Luck!

Yeah, I would feed at first with the door open. These videos may be useful to you.....

‪Shaping your dog to love his crate - Clicker Training Tutorial‬‏ - YouTube

‪dog training- how to purse train / crate train a dog‬‏ - YouTube

‪Crate Training- Part 1- Clicker dog Training‬‏ - YouTube

Some dogs just don't like being enclosed in a crate. My German Shepherd is like that. You can always consider getting a little play pen for her. She may feel less claustrophobic.

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Delilah- 3 Year Old Bernese Mountain Dog X Golden Retriever Mix *Rescue

Shiloh- 4 Year Old German Shepherd Mix *Rescue

I don't really know if the crate is even needed. He is already housetrained. He holds it all night and goes outside. Isn't this the main reason for crate training?