Hi,
Polo is 7 months old. Yes, I've praised him, and I give him treats to go up the steps which he won't eat, and then when we get to the crate I give him treats and tell him what a good boy he is. I think in his other home the crate was a bad thing, and even going outside he's skittish about coming back in and again he gets treats and praise and petting. It's only been about a month since we've had him, probably not enough time to undo the damage someone else has done. Otherwise he's a great dog, I was just really surprised when he growled at me, hopefully he won't try that again.
Smitty