Sleeping in a crate

I used to work nights, or we'd stay at BF's parent's for the weekend, or go on vacation, and I never bothered to bring it. I usually just grabbed the bedding out of it, and he'd plop right down wherever we were. He's not destructive, he doesn't NEED the crate, I think he just prefers it. If you aren't using it for confinement, you could keep your eyes peeled for a canvas crate on Craigslist or something...they are a ton easier to travel with.

Let him sleep in the crate with the door open, eh, or just take the door off. If the bed will fold to fit in the crate, that could make it more comfortable. Alternatively, get a smaller blanket and lay it on the floor of the crate. After a few days or weeks he'll associate that blanket with the safety of the crate. His scent will be thoroughly rubbed in. Then, you can try moving the blanket to his doggie bed and gradually transfer the good feelings of the crate over to that bed.

One of my dogs, our first, doesn't like to sleep out in the open. When we transitioned her from the crate she took to sleeping under the bed. She just needs that feeling of security, I guess. Yours may be the same way.

While she still used the crate, I kept it in the living room, just your ordinary folding metal crate. I put a sheet of board on top and covered the whole contraption top and sides with a big tablecloth, so for all purposes it became an end table. If I'd had the time I could have built and stained a proper tabletop and sides to fit right over the crate, but a nice tablecloth worked just fine. If you have the space you could do something similar. The crate becomes just another piece of furniture for you and a safe spot for the dog.

Eh. I'd just keep the crate. My dogs really love their crates> And since they aren't completely reliable in the house when I'm gone (potty accidents/marking/barking/destructive) I put them in their house, also at bedtime.

I have wire crates and this weekend I'm making crate covers for both of them to match my decor. Google "crate covers" and you'll see how beautiful crates can become instead of icky wire crates.

Put his cozy bed in it and he'll be fine. :)

Get him a *bigger* crate and set in the same spot with the same bowl and the same blanket/bedding.  Just leave the door open

Then -- get a collapseable fabric crate.  (They aren't expensive and are SO light!!) -- Set it up "next" to his crate, and put his bedding in it and "try it out" some time.  Just let it be part of
"life" for a couple of days -- give treats in it and something really AWESOME and then make it go away.   Haul it out before you go away and let him "camp" in it a night with his own bedding.  Make it FUN. 

Put it away -- and then when you DO go away it will be "familiar" but good memories.  That's what we've done and it works like a charm.

Luke usually stays in bed with me, but sometimes he sleeps in his crate. Sometimes because he chooses to, other times because he keeps getting out of bed, chewing on the bed, or otherwise being annoying. I prefer him to be able to sleep in a crate, and if I go away, he's going to sleep in a crate. I bought him, a second crate that I usually keep in the for when I drive with him somewhere. It folds down flat, so if I take him somewhere, that's what he'll sleep in.

Me personally- I just let my dog sleep wherever he feels like since hes not destructive and does well wherever. Although, even though I crate-trained him he never cared about sleeping in his crate. His ultimate spot to sleep would be on a blanket thrown on the floor. If I was in your situation I would let him sleep wherever he liked to as long as its okay to sleep there. Although I understand it being annoying to haul a big crate around.

Unless you want to remove the crate from the room he sleeps in and/or your house, I'd just continue to let him use the crate. Maybe try making it cozier, but really, there is no harm or foul in a dog continuing to enjoy the comforts of his crate. My dog used to perfer 100% his crate to everything else, and it wasn't until I started allowing him up onto my bed with me that he stopped sleeping in it.

Move the crate to a different location and leave it open,then he won't see it as his bed. Then put a dog bed that smells like you down next to the crate. Maybe on of your old sweaters? And, once he is comfortable sleeping on that then move the dog bed to wherever you would like him to be sleeping on it.

NO crate here, ever. At least not for Bailey. We got one of those hard plastic crates when we first adopted him, for him to stay in when we werent home. Well, that didnt work out well becuase when we got home, he was at the door to greet us. He had BENT the bottom bars up, and bit onto the carpet to pull himself out.  Then we got the HUGE crate (the type thats just bars and no plastic) for $250. We were gone for less than an hour, and when we got back the crate was on its side and he had chewed half way through the plastic. We learned the hard way that he just doesnt like crates... but if left in the house outside of a crate, he just sleeps and doesnt destroy anything