Crate training basics

Many pet owners are leery about leaving their puppy out and about unattended in the house when they are away- and with just cause!

Types of crates

There are several different styles of crates on the market. In terms of size your dog should have enough room to stand up, turn around and lay back down. Anything larger could lead to potential accidents in the kennel. You can choose between a plastic kennel (often called a travel kennel) and collapsible metal ones. The benefit with a metal kennel is that the dog is able to see through to its surroundings, which can help with separation anxiety. If you know that your puppy will grow up to be a large breed, you will want to buy the appropriate sized kennel for them as an adult and simply section off half of it with a rubbermaid box or many wire kennels come with an extra partition. You want to make sure that your dog doesn’t have extra space until he needs it.

 

We have the puppy, we have the crate … now what?

Don’t just shove your puppy in there! In order for crate training to be successful you need to spend the time introducing it to your dog so that they see it as a safe and happy place- their own personal “cave”. Place the kennel in a room where you spend a lot of time (living room, dining room) and place a nice soft blanket or bed in it. Make sure the door is propped open so it doesn’t accidently close on your dog, and you’re set to go!

If your dog enters the crate on their own, make sure to give him a ton of praise! A happy “Yes!” and high value treats such as chicken or cheese will go a long way in helping your dog realize the kennel is a happy place. Work on slowly putting treats near the door and tossing them inside the kennel, but don’t close the door on them just yet. It might take hours or days for your dog to comfortably walk in and out of the kennel, but trust us, your patience will pay off!

Once your dog is ok with going in and out of the kennel, you can start feeding them their meals inside the kennel with the door open. This will help to create a positive association with the space (much like humans and couches- when we sit on them, we usually eat tasty snacks!). Once your dog will stay in the kennel to eat, you can start closing the door while feeding is happening. At first you’re going to want to open the door as soon as he’s done, but you can start building up his endurance by leaving the door closed a bit longer each time.

One of the most important things to remember with crate training is consistency- your dog may whine, cry or shriek but you know that they are fed, watered and happy. If you let a crying dog out of their kennel they will learn that barking/howling will get them what they want, and you will have to go back to the beginning and re-train everything.

Next steps

Now that your dog is comfortable eating and being in the kennel for short amounts of time, you can start to increase the duration he is in there. Start off by kenneling him for longer periods of time when you are home. You can associate a command with going into the kennel such as “kennel time!” or “in your cave!”. You can encourage your dog to go inside by pointing to the door with a treat in hand, and tossing it in once the dog has entered.

This process may happen quickly, or you may find it takes your dog a bit longer to catch on. The key is patience! A dog who is properly kennel trained will often go into their kennel on their own accord when they are tired or need a break, and they begin to view it as their safe place.

Sources:

• http://www.winnipeghumanesociety.ca/crate-training