- Prevents your dog from destroying your home when no one is there to supervise
- Can keep the peace between dogs that aren’t getting along
- Give an overexcited dog time to chill out
- Stop a dog from wandering all over your home while you sleep
- If guests aren’t fond of dogs or pestering children come over it gives you a safe place to keep your dog
- If you are traveling you can keep your dog in it
A good size for a crate allows your dog enough room to turn around and lie down comfortably. You may like to get a crate that your puppy can grow into. If this is the case you can block off the back end of the crate with a box. If the crate is too big then the puppy can defecate in it. Eventually your dog will find the crate a positive place and his safe haven. He may crawl in there from time to time even when you leave the door open. One way to make the crate more comfortable is to lay down a rug, soft pad or fleece rug. You need to make sure though that your dog will not chew these when left alone, if he does you should remove them so he doesn’t ingest the material and get sick.
You can begin by leaving the crate door open and tossing in treats. If the dog is very hesitant in entering you can toss treats inside closer to the door or just outside the crate. As he is getting the treat you should praise your dog. If you are using the clicker then you can click as your dog is in momentum towards the crate and treats. As he gets more confident you can begin tossing treats farther into the crate. To get the treats as far back as possible you can toss them from the sides of the crate. It is best to not force him into the crate but let your dog decide to enter, dogs naturally fight against pressure. As the dog begins to enter inside the crate you can give a command, like “kennel.”
Once the dog is confidently entering inside you can swing the door closed but don’t latch it. Then swing it open and then click/praise and treat. After doing this a few times and increasing the amount of time between swinging the door closed and open you can latch the door. Immediately after latching the door click/praise and treat. When your dog doesn’t show signs of anxiety at this stage you can begin to walk away and varying how long you walk away for. Sometimes when you return you can click and treat, and walk away without opening the door.
During down time when you are not working on training this behavior, you should leave the door open should he choose to discover himself what a comfy place it is. You can randomly toss in his favorite treats so he may not even know what he can find in there. I have heard a suggestion of putting a favorite smelly object in a closed crate, like a peanut butter Kong , which can help a dog enjoy being in a crate. The dog can smell the toy but can’t get at it. Now he’ll really wants what he can’t have and he will be very excited to enter once the door is open. If you attach the toy to the back of the crate then he’ll have to stay in the crate to eat it, making being in the crate more reinforcing. Another thing you may try is feeding all your dogs' meals in the crate with the door open. This causes the dog to associate the crate with positive feelings. Crate training can take owners as little as one day to complete or as long as a few weeks or more.
If your dog is whining or barking do not allow the dog out until he stops. If you do you will be reinforcing his barking and whining.
- Leave an old shirt or other piece of clothing that smells like you for him to cuddle with when he sleeps
- Place a ticking clock near the crate, this will remind him of his mothers' heartbeat
- If your dog has been in the crate for some time and then woke up and is whining he may need to be relieved.
*If your dog begins to panic and is at the point of injuring himself he may have separation anxiety and will not benefit from crate training. If this is the cause it is best to consult an available hands-on expert. |
