So Ellie (19 months old) can no longer be trusted by herself and we must resort back to the crate. She willingly goes into it and we can leave the room with the door shut. Since the weekend, we've worked up to 30 minutes alone time in the crate. In the meantime, we've been sending her to daycare. Every time she comes home from daycare (today included), it's straight to the couch and she passes out until morning.

I decided to use this tiredness today as a way to accustom her to more alone time so I setup the webcam and went to the gym. I gave her a Kong with a few treats & peanut butter in it but only to distract my departure. She hung out for 31 minutes and was fighting to sleep. Then at minute 32, decided, "Hey, I want out." So for 5 minutes until I finally got home, she was biting at the latches (bottom one is pad locked though) and pawing at the bottom. I came in, paid no attention to her, no crying from her. A few minutes later, let her out on my command and she just walked out.

She headed right to her water bowl but she just drank a whole bowl before I left. Currently, she is back on the couch snoozing away. I'm at a loss on how to correct this. Just thinking of potential issues, do you guys provide a water bottle attached to the cage?

How would you describe the energy in the house or her and your mindset right before you get her in the crate with the distraction Kong?

Thanks Seattle for responding. Well today she was asleep before I put her in the crate but it's always a calm, happy command of "go to your crate". I've read up on how to not be nervous of the situation because she will pick up on it. I'm just concerned because daycare is obviously the most tiresome activity she could do and still fought sleeping to try and escape. We are going to add a water bottle to the crate and see if that changes anything.

Okay, that's good to remember for sure.  

I think the number 1 way for anyone to combat separation anxiety in a crate is to minimize the difference between you being gone and you being there.

So if it is super exciting and energetic when you're there and then it's quiet and stable once you're gone, then that contrast is too much.   This is especially critical in the hour or so preceding crate time.   Also. crate her when you're there, too.  Build up in 5 minute intervals, and then let her out.  No big deal.  It's just a crate, it means relax and be calm, that's it.    That usually helps a ton.

This will help with her over all mindset at home, as well.  Huge dividends pay off from that.

Thanks for the tips. We put her in the crate for an hour while we were home and no issues. Today, we left her alone for more than an hour and came back to a destroyed plastic bottom. We put her water bowl in there but that didn't make a difference. Do I replace the plastic bottom or try something different? I don't want to put her in there without a bottom since I would expect her to chew the carpet or scratch the floors.