CRATE TRAINING

 

One of the most important things I can express to you about crate training is that it should be a happy experience for your dog; the crate is NOT a place of punishment or prolonged confinement.

  • Make sure that your dog has enough room to move around and stand, but your dog should NOT have enough room to use part of the crate to go to the bathroom
  • Put the crate in an area of the house that is well socialized, somewhere that you spend a good part of your day or where family activities are done
  • DO NOT PUT YOUR CRATE WHERE THE DOG WILL BE ISOLATED, KEEP IT AWAY FROM HEAT AND DRAFTS
  • Place bedding in the crate, hide treats in the crate for them to find (feel free to feed your dog or give him a chew toy in the crate)
  • Play games around the crate, throw a ball around the crate and into the crate and have your dog go into the crate to retrieve it
  • At this point you should start giving your dog a command to go into the crate, say the word “crate” (using a “happy” voice) and throw in the ball…have your dog go into the crate and close the door for five seconds, gradually increase the length of time
  • Now leave the room and then come back so your dog can start to understand that the crate is a positive place to be
  • DO NOT BANG THE CRATE OR DO ANYTHING TO UPSET YOUR DOG IN THE CRATE, DO NOT LET CHILDREN TEASE THE DOG WHILE IN CRATE
  • During this training give your dog a lot of verbal praise for being in the crate (make sure to give your dog praise when it is calm, not whining, crying, or barking- this will make your dog think it is okay to whine and cry)
  • You want your dog to know that while in the crate you will be coming back, this will build your dogs confidence
  • You can keep the crate in your bedroom at night, it may make it less stressful for your dog (you can also put a scented towel into the crate)
  • DO NOT OVER CRATE YOUR DOG, SPENDING 16-18 HOURS A DAY IN THE CRATE IS NO WAY FOR A DOG TO LIVE (if this is a problem consider hiring a dog sitter/walker or look into doggy day care. As a last resort re-home your dog with someone who can spend time with the dog)

Problems with crating your dog- there are numerous problems that can arise while crating your dog, I offer solutions to these problems in my training.