Crate training break through!

Until today our crate use for Lusi has been almost exclusively restricted to having Lusi in the crate with the crate door open. Only when we went to our agility classes was I actually closing the crate door out of necessity for the class. I have been introducing closing the crate door on Lusi for a few minutes at a time over the past two weeks or so. Just popping her in and letting her out a minute or so later.

Lusi settled in her crate.
Lusi now calls it home!

This morning we seem to have had our first big break through on this! I had a flat tire on the truck and we needed to be outside when the CAA mobile towtruck arrived. I smeared Lusi's bone with some peanut butter and popped it in her crate and then closed the crate door on Lusi! Same with our little Remy, the chihuahua. This still left Cola out and Loki, the two older chihuahuas, but it made the arrival of mechanics, chiming doorbells and so on manageable. 
I was not needed outside and my husband stayed out on the driveway supervising the installation of the new truck tire, while I remained working on the computer. No sound of whining!..well maybe a little but that was from Remy not Lusi and gradually that died out too and the entire house was peaceful! I quietly tiptoed round the corner to see Lusi all snuggled up sleeping in her crate. I got a picture, slightly rousing her as the flash went off; but off she went back to sleep again. At last I think Lusi has made her crate her home!