How to Crate Train
Crate Training
All dogs should be introduced to a crate, even if the dog will not use that crate as confinement at night or when the guardian needs to leave home. Situations in which your dog may need to spend time in a crate:
An emergency vet visit that requires any monitoring
An injury in which they must be confined in order to heal
While drying at the groomers post bath
An emergency trip via airplane
A crate should be a truly happy place where only wonderful things happen! Never ever use your crate for any type of punishment. If you need a place for a time out please check our worksheet on that and consider removing yourself from the situation rather than confining your dog into their crate.
Ways you can easily make the crate a happy space - without “training”:
Feed your dog in the crate
Give your dog bones and other exciting chews in the crate, even if they carry them out
Never close the crate door until you’re sure your dog is comfortable.
Before you start crate training:
Ensure your crate is placed in a central area of the house. A place in which you spend a lot of time and your pup can easily survey the space while inside. I usually pick the living room or office. You’ll be doing a lot of training in there so it’s always good to have it where you’ll be more likely to stay on top of that.
Put a blanket, towel or bed which you won’t mind getting destroyed in there. Puppy is likely to have an accident or two or even chew their bed at some point.Add a few small (but good!) toys and some treats and then leave the door open so puppy can explore on their own. Never force them into the crate. This may take some time but it’s crucial not to rush it!
Introducing a crate gradually:
As soon as one of puppy’s paws enters the crate, mark and reward. Do this in a minimum set of 5 repetitions per paw. If puppy takes more than 5 repetitions and still doesn’t want to add another paw to the crate, that’s okay. Take it at their own pace.
Once puppy is reliably entering the crate on their own, work on just swinging the door shut, without locking it in any way, and staying in the room. The door should open immediately following treat delivery. Do several repetitions of this, until puppy is comfortable settling with the door shut. Then add the lock and do several more repetitions.
Once puppy is comfortable settling with the door shut and locked, begin adding in absences. You can praise your puppy when you leave but do not make any fuss when you return. You want your dog to understand that you will always come back, but not be waiting anxiously for your return. That means no food reinforcer when you return, unfortunately. You returning and opening the crate should be enough of a reinforcer for your pup! Begin with just going around the corner out of sight. Do you want to repeat the same time length until the puppy can withstand it without any signs of stress. Increase the time of the absences by mere seconds each time.
If your puppy begins to show signs of stress go back to the last successful step in the training process! You likely increased the training criteria too quickly.
Signs of stress:
Licking lips
Whining/crying/barking
Digging
Chewing feet
Trembling
Yawning
Tensed muscles
Signs of settling:
Laying head on paws
Stretching out
Falling asleep
REMEMBER: keep your training sessions very short. Young puppies should only have training sessions no longer than 1-3min. Adolescents and adults can have training sessions up to 5min long. You can do many sessions in a day this way. Post nap and post walk are great times to incorporate a small session of crate training!