crate training that actually worked

Baby cried for almost three hours the first night in the crate and I almost gave up and let her sleep on the bed. My mother-in-law said that's how it goes with a 2 month old shih tzu. Maybe. But I went back to the advice I read and tried again. What finally worked for us: Start with the crate door open and put a treat inside. Don't close it yet. We did this for like 4 days, just letting her walk in and out. She got bored of the treats after a while and started going in to nap on her own. Then close the door for 1 minute while I'm standing right there. Then 5 minutes. Then go to the kitchen. Never leave for long at the start. Baby panic when she can't see me, so the first time I just went to the bathroom and came back. Use a blanket that smells like her or like you. I put one of my old t-shirts in there. Not sure it helped but it didn't hurt. Don't take her out of the crate when she cries. This was the hardest. If you open the door while she cries, she learns crying works. I waited until she stopped for at least a few seconds, then opened it. Quiet, then open. That's the rule now. The crate should be big enough to stand up and turn around, not bigger. Ours is medium, with a towel on the floor so it's not cold for her with the aircon on. Now she goes in at night without fuss. Not every night but most. Some days she still wants to be out with the family and that's fine. Just be patient, it takes time.