Crate Training – The Basics

September 29, 2008 by Richard Cross

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, crates are boxes made out of thin wire mesh used for keeping dogs confined. This might seem like not a particularly nice thing to do for you dog! The reality though is that if done correctly, the dog will love the crate as its own bed and it will also help greatly with house training and travel.

The crate is like a room for your pet and he sees it as a security blanket. In fact once the pet gets used to the crate he will feel safe and at home inside it.

For us the crate may look like confinement, but the dog will take it to be his den and will feel comfortable as long as you never use it as a punishment. It is quite simple to make a small puppy feel that the crate is a very pleasant place. Here are the basics of crate training:

First of all, make the crate comfortable by adding bedding, a toy and perhaps even a bowl of water. You want your dog to feel as relaxed as possible within the crate.
Next, leave the door of the crate open for a while and just let your dog get used to it naturally. Don’t force the dog inside.
Now place a treat at the door and wait for the dog to go and get it. When it does, later on put one a little way inside and so on until the dog is fully inside. Don’t shut the door yet, but let the dog get used to it.
When you feel the dog is comfortable, try shutting the door. Stay in the same room as the dog to start with, and only keep it confined for short amounts of time. Gradually increase the amount of time, and then start leaving the room. Gradually build your dogs confidence until it can be left there for sometime.

Crate training is often simple when the puppy is very small but can be a little more tricky got older dogs. You will have to spend more time as well as effort for crate training an adult dog that has never been in a crate before. It is definitely possible though!

The most important points to remember are:

Never use the crate as punishment. Just by doing this a few times can destroy all your previous work.
Always allow the dog to stretch itself regularly. If possible, don’t leave the dog confined in the crate for more than a few hours at a time. Even less when first training.