Dogs should receive plenty of exercise and attention, especially when crate training.
Dogs are instinctively den animals; their ancestral lineage sought out the safety of confined places where predators could not reach them. Training a dog to be comfortable in a crate means taping into the dog's natural tendency to feel safe in den like places. By going through the steps slowly and not being overly aggressive in your expectations, you can get to the point where your dog readily goes into the crate on his own.
Instructions
1. Place the crate in the room where you spend most of your time when you are home. Since dogs want to be around their humans, it is best to be in the same room as your dog gets used to the crate. Make the crate comfortable. Add a soft bed and a few of your dogs favorite toys. Latch the door open so there is no chance of it accidentally closing as your dog explores the crate.
2. Toss one of your dog's favorite food treats into the crate. Make sure he sees you and the treat. You can speak to him while you do it to get him excited about the treat but do not force him to go into the crate to retrieve it. Do this several times throughout the day until he enters the crate for the treat readily. Praise the dog for entering the crate. Do not close him into the crate at this point. Let him explore it at his own pace.
3. Feed the dog in front of his crate or, if he enters the crate willingly, right inside of it. This should not be an unpleasant experience for the dog. If he does not eat, move the bowl further away from the crate until he does. Move the food closer to the crate with each feeding. Do this until he is comfortable with the crate. Then you can continue to feed him where you'd like.
4. Take your dog out to defecate and urinate. Doing so before proceeding to closing the gate on the crate lets you know that any whimpering or crying is not because your dog needs to eliminate body waste. Once inside, hold a treat in front of the crate door and call your dog to you. Using a command, such as "crate up" or "kennel," toss the treat into the crate. Once your dog enters, quietly close the gate.
5. Sit close to the crate but do not make a big deal out of the dog being in the crate. After five minutes, quietly walk out of the room. Wait another five minutes. Return to the crate and open it. If your dog whimpers, barks, or howls at any point, do not open the gate right away. Wait for the dog to be quiet for at least three to five minutes before opening the crate. Otherwise, he will learn that if he is vocal, he will be released from the crate.
6. Repeat steps four and five until the dog enters the crate on command without the need of a treat. Also extend the time out of the room to 10 minutes. Continue to extend the time until you can be out of the room for 30 minutes. Then use the crate while you leave the house for an hour. Put the dog in the crate and wait five minutes before you leave. When you return home, let the dog out of the crate and immediately take him out to defecate and urinate. Repeat this process in one hour increments, up to four hours. With each increment, wait a few minutes after you arrive home before letting him out. Work up to being home for five minutes before letting him out of the crate and taking him outside so he doesn't associate his crate with always being left alone.
7. Take the dog out for a final defecating and urinating of the day and then command her to enter the crate. If she needs to eliminate during the night, you can first move the crate closer to your bedroom so you can hear her when she needs to go out. If she is used to sleeping through the night without having to go outside, you can leave the crate where she has been using it. She should now be acclimated enough to her crate to sleep in it without any problems.
Related posts
Make the crate a happy place for your dog.Crate training gives a dog a safe place if it needs some down time and is also useful while you are housebreaking your pet. When visitors arrive, a crate...
To properly crate train a new dog, consider how the crate functions for the dog, and use the crate as a tool to teach the dog about its new environment, your home. Canines in the wild sleep in den...
Crate train your pit bull.Crate training your pit bull is a good idea not only for housebreaking purposes, but also to give you a place to safely keep him when you are away from home. Pit bulls ar...
Crate Train ShitzusShih Tzus are wonderful family pets with a lot of energy, personality and intelligence. They are, however, prone to separation anxiety, which can prove to be stressful for the o...
One of the most important things you can do is crate train your dog. Be prepared to spend some time and effort when it comes to crate training. It can be the best way to stop unwanted pet behavior...
