I recently brought an 8 week old mini goldendoodle pup home and am having some issues with crate training. I place treats in his crate, toys and have a comfy bed for his crate and he still does not want to be in the crate. The only solution that I have found to console him is to cover his crate with a blanket. I am going to be busy in a few weeks and will have to leave him for 3-4hours at a time. Is there anything I can do to help him love his crate? He doesn't have trouble holding his bladder but I haven't left him at home more than 2hours in his crate except for overnight which he does very well.

This might sound like a silly question but how do you know he doesn't like the crate?
You aren't there to see him. Or does he shred his blankets and destroy toys when you go out?

My dogs hate being in a crate when I am home because they just think "well why aren't you letting me out?" but when I go out and there is no-one home they just go to sleep.

Have you thought about setting up a video camera to see what he is actually doing when you go out? (if he goes to sleep or cries all the time)
A lot of dogs will cry for a few minutes when you first leave, but then settle down once thy realise what is going on.

Being only 8 weeks old as well, this is probably his first experience with being in a crate, so time will make things easier as well, as will settling in to your home.

May I ask where you got him from?

It's great that you are starting to crate now, just make sure to use lots of positive reinforcement. When you are home, bring the crate to the living room or kitchen, leave the door open, when he goes over to investigate, treat and priase like crazy. What kind of crate is it? What you can try also is luring the dog in the crate with treats, he will think it's a wonderful box where treats fall out of the sky.

When you are feeding, place his bowl in the crate, but make sure to leave the door open, any time he gets a treat, put it in the crate. Never use the crate for punishment, this needs to be his happy place. How big is the dog and how big is the crate?

I know it's hard, but try not to ever force him in, it works better to lure him in with treats, remember treats can be his breakfast kibble. So you can take 5 - 10 minutes each morning and do the crate training. Throwing the kibble at the back of the crate, closing the door around a few times, but not locking it, just allowing him to enter and exit as he pleases to get his food.

I got the little guy from a recommended breeder from one of my friends who breeds yorkies. The woman kept the dogs in an enclosed area of her house which I now understand why he is having a fuss being in his crate. The crate is a wire frame and the only time he seems to settle down is when I completely cover the crate. After an hour or two I find him sleeping but I don't like the idea of keeping him in the dark for so long. He did better this afternoon and didn't fuss when I put him in after lunch but I just want to make sure I'm not going to fast for him

If he is fine with the blanket over his crate then just keep doing that.
Mine refuse to sleep at night without a blanket over the crate, it just makes them feel more secure, and 3-4 hours through the day certainly won't hurt.

Yes, the freedom of an enclosure as compared to a crate would make him feel uneasy for a while but it's better in the long run (for your furniture and shoes!) And eventually you will have him actually liking the crate.

At night when I put mine to bed I don't have to put them in their crates any more. I just pick up a biscuit off my bedside table and they go in themselves. Even my 7 month old pup does it now... it just takes a while.

Don't stress, it sounds like you are doing everything right ;)

Puppies and young dogs generally like the light of dens and they interpret it with safety. Dens are not brightly lit. Don't worry about the crate having LESS light. Worry about it having too much!

Where are you placing the crate when you go to bed at night? Where is the dog sleeping when you go to bed at night? You need to bind those two together. Don't place the crate in a high traffic, noisy area. The pup needs to associate the crate with 'safe', 'calm', 'mine'...

Does the pup whine if you put her in the crate at night when you go to bed? Is the door shut? Do you let the dog out if it whines? Are the treats you're offering appropriate to a puppy?

Thanks for the input, he has gotten a lot better at saying in his crate without whining after this first week and he even took a nap after we played in the crate without me having to lock it!!