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Keymo is learning really well about the consequences of "bad" behaviour.
Last eve, he was getting a little "rowdy" in the house and he was, lets say, "annoying hubby by nipping at his hand trying to "coax" him to pet him.
Nipping hurts and it's Keymo's "last resort" - but he's learning that if he does it, he's punished the second he does it.

Hubby says "no nipping - go in your crate"
Keymo knows EXACTLY what that means, his head slinks low and he walks like he's going to the death chamber. But he goes right in his crate.
Hubby (or I, depending who's punishing him) says "sit - stay", and he does.
We don't even have to close the door anymore AND he won't come out until we "invite" him out !

Well - he was in "jail" last eve and our cat Frisby saw that. She came into the room, sat about 5' away from him and let out 3 short meows - I think she said "in trouble AGAIN ? "
Then she lay down about 4' away from the crate door, on the little carper where Keymo eats, or chews on a bone, which was EXACTLY what he was doing before he got punished.
Here's the humerous part - picture this:

Keymo is in his crate, sitting RIGHT at the open door.
His bone is outside the door, only 2' away.
Frisby is 2' on the other side of the bone and she's about to either nuzzle his bone or lay down.
Keymo looks like he's on pins and needles - he can't stand the torture that the cat is SO close to his bone, think she's going to eat it - but he's not allowed to DO anything about it !
You can hear a slight whimper from him.
It's all hubby & I can do to not crack up laughing. We're actually SHOCKED he's not coming out of his crate !
The cat crashes to the floor and lays there looking upside down at Keymo in his crate.
Keymo, I swear starts whimpering even softer in short little breaths !
We can't stand the floor show these 2 are putting on.
Keymo is being SO good and the cat is being such a little smartass !
We allowed Keymo to come out, not knowing what he'd do to the cat, but he'd had enough torture.
He only went to his bone and gave the cat a little nod like he said "thanks for leaving it alone"

Talk about respecting us for REALLY listening to us about staying in his crate !
Just a reminder to all of us who have been putting so much effort into training our dogs :
Expect the good behaviour from your dog, and be surprised when they do something bad instead !

Aww! Cute!

I think my cat loves to torment Abby, especially if she's in her crate. He'll get silly on the floor just to bug her.

I'm now able to get her to go to her crate without chasing her around to house to put her in. I will also start using the crate for time-outs. She's old enough and is good in the house now to be left out of it more...

Ummm....crates aren't supposed to be used for punishments, they're supposed to be your dog's "safe comfortable place" to go when he needs some time to himself, and a comfortable place to sleep or stay during the day.

But on another note, that cat story was hilarious!!

When Keymo is in a time-out in his crate - he sits. It's like he knows it's not time to relax and lay down - go figure!

He has no problem going in there to sleep at night - the other night we stayed up late and he actually "asked" by barking, to go to bed - too funny this dog of ours !

Since we've started to put him in his crate for time-outs, he's actually seemed more comfortable going in there! He's never been one to go in his crate to simply lie down, he'd rather be elsewhere in the house in a dark or quiet corner, but he always wants to be "where the action is"

Oh yeah - his crate is also used as a "safe place" - like the other day I broke a glass in the kitchen and told him "crate" and he went in.
We needed to keep him away from the glass (AND the paper towels I used - he LOVES those) so we could clean up.
He was cute - watching us from inside his crate

lol I know crates are used for safe place and aren't meant for punishment...I had a feeling someone would say something about it. I don't think it should be done when dogs are very young puppies and adjusting to the whole crate concept but I know Abby and she knows the difference. Especially, if I use a tone of voice that lets her know that she's being scolded or not. (I compare it to sending my kids to their room for a time-out) She prefers to be out as well where the action is and understands when it's time to go in and why... She never goes in there on her own.

Just like kids, dogs respond or not to different consequences...just a matter of knowing your dog and knowing what works and what doesn't.

My Yorkie on the other hand needs a safe place and I would never put her in there for a time out... She goes in hers often just to get away...

That's my take on it...

That's your choice and that's fine , but when the general public reads these forums I just wanted to point out that generally crates aren't used for punishment because you want them to like their crate, not dread it.

Very true! This is a personal choice.

Depends on the dog and how it reacts to being in a crate in the first place would be my opinion.
Some dogs don't like being in a crate for whatever reason - period.

Keymo has never just "gone" into his crate to lay down, but he knows it where he sleeps at night and he's comfortable in it.
I relate putting him in a time-out in his crate to a child being placed in a corner.
Keymo wouldn't understand the "corner" thing so the crate with the door open in the closest thing.

We used to keep a 2' "leash" on a post at the edge of our kitchen and "tie" up Keymo there for his time-outs, but
1)he used to pull so hard he's loosened how it is attached to the floor and
2) he didn't act like it was all that bad being there, out in the middle of the room where he could still see every thing.

He gets much more submissive being in his crate for a time out, but it definatley hasn't affected him being in there for bedtime ! He sleeps like a log!

Dino , my GSD he just knows when I am not happy with him for what ever reason.(chewing , chasing my old cat , barking at horses going by the house , or what ever the case maybe ) and he will go directly to his kennel! Self disipline is nice!!!! He has never been made to go in there when he misbehaves he just does cause that is his den!

And why does he chase the cats ? Well they will sit on his kennel and bug him bat at his tail rub up against his kennel! So i can\\\'t say I blame him!