How to Crate Train Your Puppy in 5 Easy Steps

Crate Training Your Puppy – An Overview

What is Crate Training?

Crate training involves using your dog’s instincts as a den animal. The idea behind this method is that the crate becomes your puppy’s den, a haven where they can retreat when tired or anxious.

Benefits of Crate Training

1. Safety: A crate ensures the puppy won’t become destructive when left alone.
2. Toilet Training: Dogs do not like to soil their dens, so toilet training encourages them to hold their bladders/bowels longer.
3. Travel: Dogs accustomed to crates will be more comfortable during car rides or other travel situations.
4. Veterinary Visits/Hospitalization: If your dog ever needs to stay at the vet for medical reasons, familiarity with a crate environment can reduce stress levels.

Last update on 2025-02-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Steps for Crate Training Your Puppy

1. Introducing Your Puppy to the Crate: Place the crate in a common area where you spend lots of time, but avoid high-traffic areas where your pup might be disturbed while resting. Encourage exploration by leaving the door open so they can come and go as they please.
2. Feeding Meals in the Crate: Begin feeding meals near the crate before gradually moving them inside if your pup seems relaxed.
3. Introducing Longer Crating Periods: Once they’re comfortable eating in their crate and have had some quiet moments, you can begin closing the door. In contrast, they eat and gradually extend this period after meals.
4. Crating Through the Night: Once they’ve gotten used to extended periods during the day, try creating them overnight.
5. Leaving Them Alone: After overnight success, try leaving them alone while you leave home for short periods.

Remember, each dog is unique and may require modifications to this general approach depending on their temperament and history.

Choosing a Crate

A good choice is a wire cage allowing airflow and visibility or a plastic carrier that feels more closed off, like a den would naturally feel in nature.

Crate Size The size should be just large enough for your pet to stand up and turn around comfortably but no larger than this; otherwise, it might encourage eliminating at one end and sleeping at another, which isn’t beneficial for toilet training purposes.

Important Tips

• Never use the crate as punishment
• Make sure all experiences associated with the crate are positive
• Be patient – rushing things will only create negative experiences

Crate Training Your Puppy

If you have a puppy or dog that needs to be in their crate for long periods, keeping them calm and quiet can be hard.

Keeping them occupied with their food, toys, or other activities can help them stay focused and content.

Once your puppy has become comfortable with going into their crate for short periods, you can leave them alone for longer.

Practice this a few times, and as you go along, increase the length of time that they stay alone in their crate.

Get the Right Crate

If you have a young puppy, crate training is the perfect way to give them a safe and comfortable place to sleep. Plus, it’s a great tool for preventing accidents and protecting your furniture and floors while away from home.

Start by picking the best crate for your pup. There are many types and sizes of crates, so find one appropriate for your dog’s height and weight.

Add a blanket and some toys to make the crate as comfy as possible. A blanket is also a good idea for keeping the dog’s scent in the crate, which can help them feel more secure and reduce anxiety when alone.

The crate should be placed in a room where you spend a lot of time but away from foot traffic. It’s recommended that you choose a space in the living room or bedroom where you can keep your dog happy and relaxed.

To acclimate your puppy to the crate, you must get them used to being there for short periods. This will teach them that being in the crate is not a punishment.

Once your dog is comfortable being in the crate for short periods, slowly increase the amount of time it spends in it. Try leaving it for a few minutes after meals, increasing the time progressively until your dog stays in it for ten or so minutes without whining.

Once your dog is happily spending long periods in the crate, you can start to leave the house. Just keep the crate door open briefly before you leave, and make sure she’s calm before letting her out.

This will help prevent separation anxiety when you leave the house.

Pros and Cons – Crate Train Your Puppy:

Pros:

1. Safety: A crate can provide your dog a safe and secure place during specific situations, such as traveling or working at home.
2. House Training: It can be a very effective tool for training a puppy or new dog. Dogs do not like to soil their sleeping area, so they generally wait until they leave the crate to eliminate.
3. Reducing Separation Anxiety: Crate training can help reduce separation anxiety in dogs by providing them with a familiar place to feel secure even when you’re not around.
4. Injury Prevention: If your dog has had surgery or is injured, a crate can help keep it still and safe while it recovers.
5. Management of Behavioural Problems: The crate can act as a time-out zone where the dog can calm down if it’s overly excited or anxious.

Cons:

1. Can Be Misused: If used incorrectly, a crate could be seen as a punishment rather than a safe space, leading to fear or anxiety in your pet.
2. Limited Mobility: Extended periods in a crate limit your pet’s ability to move freely, which may lead to depression or aggression due to pent-up energy.
3. Lack of Social Interaction: Dogs kept in crates for long periods tend not to get enough social interaction with humans and other animals, which is essential for their mental well-being.
4. Potential for Accidents: Dogs left inside their crates for too long may have accidents because they cannot hold them in any longer.
5. May Not Suit All Dogs’ Temperament: Some dogs might never adjust properly to being created – causing distress instead of comfort.

Remember that while crates offer several benefits, misuse could have negative consequences.

Always ensure your pet has plenty of time outside the crate for playtime and exercise.

Last update on 2025-02-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Set Up the Crate

Crates are a great tool for controlling and training your dog and creating a safe place for it to go when it needs to relax or sleep.

While they may not like a cage, dogs of all ages can easily learn to be comfortable if properly introduced.

To get your puppy used to the crate, start by introducing it to her positively. The key is to make it feel like a fun place where she can rest and relax. Fill it with cozy blankets, pillows she likes to lay on, and a toy or two.

Once she feels relaxed and secure, gradually increase the time. Initially, you’ll want to keep it short—just 10 minutes—so she doesn’t associate crating with being left alone for long periods.

Before she’s ready, however, you’ll need to teach her how to enter it herself. Use small food treats to encourage her, dropping them near the crate door, then just inside it, and finally, in.

Don’t push or force her to enter a crate – that’s a surefire way to cause her to become anxious or uncomfortable.

If she starts crying or whining when you try to get her into the crate, ignore it until she stops. But it’s normal for pups to cry while in their crate, as they’re learning how to self-soothe.

After a few days, you’ll be ready to use the crate to housetrain her. Just ensure you don’t leave it open too long, as puppies can’t control their bladder and bowels for longer than an hour or two at a time, which can lead to accidents.

Give Your Dog the Right Cues

Before you can begin crate training, you must cue your dog to enter the crate. This cue can be a verbal or visual word, such as “kennel up” or “kennel.”

You will want to use this cue as often as possible and remain consistent over time.

Once your dog is comfortable entering the crate, you can try to teach her how to stay inside and quiet when you leave. This may take some time, so don’t be afraid to break this up into several sessions over a few days.

First, give your cue authority and calm to ensure your puppy pays attention. When she hears the cue, she should look to you for confirmation that you are telling her what to do.

When your dog clearly understands what you are asking them to do, begin rewarding them when they comply with the cue. This means using praise and treats, or another reward, to show your pet that you are happy with their response.

Your cue must be easy for your dog to understand and distinct from other things they have already learned. This can be a verbal or visual word, hand signal, or presentation of something they see.

As you continue to train your dog to use her cue, you will find they are more responsive and focused on you, not just what she’s being asked to do. She’ll also begin to pay more attention to you and your other commands, which is always good!

Once you have mastered the basics of cueing, it’s time to work on other behavior training. This will help your dog learn to pay attention and respond to you in different situations, which is essential for being a well-rounded family member.

Best Dog Crates For Home Use

Numerous dog crates on the market cater to various needs – size, portability, durability, and design. Here are a few popular options:

1. MidWest Homes for Pets Dog Crate: Known for its sturdy build and pan stop for easy cleaning. It is also foldable, which makes it portable.
2. AmazonBasics Single-Door & Double-Door Folding Metal Dog Crate: A great budget-friendly option from AmazonBasics. This crate has an optional divider panel and a removable plastic pan.
3. New World Folding Metal Dog Crate: This is a strong and durable metal crate with a leak-proof plastic pan and secure slide-bolt latches.
4. EliteField 3-Door Folding Soft Dog Crate: This EliteField model is a great choice if you prefer a soft crate. It has three doors, offering plenty of ventilation.
5. Petmate Sky Kennel: If you are looking for something more robust, Petmate Sky Kennel offers heavy-duty construction that is suitable even for air travel.

Please remember that while crates can help train your pet or provide them with a safe space, they should not be used to confine dogs for extended periods.

Also note that the ‘best’ crate depends on your specific requirements, such as your dog’s size, how much space you have at home, whether it will be used primarily indoors or outdoors, etc., so consider these factors when choosing.

Last update on 2025-02-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Close the Crate Door

When you first begin crate training your puppy, make sure that you leave the crate door open when you’re home so that your dog can use the crate to go to sleep. This will help them associate the crate with a safe place to go.

Once your dog is used to the crate and it’s a positive place to sleep, you can close the door during the day. This is useful for two reasons.

First, it will allow you to monitor your dog during the day. This will be especially helpful if you have small children who may be tempted to take your dog out of the crate and let him run around the house unsupervised.

Second, it will help prevent your dog from destroying furniture or chewing on things they shouldn’t. This can happen when your dog is still a puppy and you’re not able to supervise them all the time.

You can also close the crate door during the day if you need to get work done or have another adult dog in the house.

This will ensure your puppy doesn’t have a chance to get out of the crate and potentially knock over something or run away.

To get your puppy to want to go into the crate, you should use treats and toys as rewards. Using this method, you can gradually build up to having your dog stay in the crate longer.

Crate Train Your Puppy – Letting Your Dog Out

Crate training is one of the easiest ways to train your dog, but it can also be difficult. Depending on your dog’s personality and level of obedience, crate training may take days to weeks or months to complete.

Put your puppy in the crate with a favorite toy and a food dish filled with treats near the door to get started. Once he’s comfortable entering the crate, begin letting him out of it alone.

As you do this, give him lots of praise and rewards for good behavior and a soft voice when he does something wrong. This will help your puppy associate the crate with positive things, not negative ones.

Repeat this process several times a day, gradually increasing the time you leave him in the crate and the amount of time you’re out of sight.

It might take a few days or a week, but eventually, your puppy will learn that staying in the crate for short periods is no big deal!

Once he’s doing this, you can leave him crated when you go out for short periods and/or let him sleep in the crate at night.

This is a great way to ensure your dog has a safe, comfortable place to stay while you’re away from home and will help prevent accidents in the house.

For best results, use a dog crate large enough for your puppy to stand up comfortably and in an ideal room.

Don’t forget to have a toy handy, like a chew or puzzle toy, so your pup can relax and play inside the crate!

Lastly, remember that excessive time spent in a crate without exercise or social interaction can lead to anxiety or depression, ensuring a balance between crate times, play/exercise times, and human interaction.