Crate Training... The Earlier The Better!
Crate training can be a huge benefit to both you and your dog. Keeping your dog in a crate while you are unable to supervise them can keep them from hurting themselves, as well as prevent problems that can turn into habits later on, such as chewing on inappropriate things or accidents in the house.
(I’m going to repeat this for the 1000th time) Dogs are den animals, which means they often feel more comfortable and secure in a small, enclosed area. A crate provides your dog with their own private space to chew on a toy, relax, or get away from outside activity. The crate may be used to keep your dog safe while traveling in a car and is necessary should he have to fly anywhere. Crate training will also help them be comfortable in a confined area in case they must be boarded at a kennel or stay overnight at the vet.
Dogs of any breed and any age can be crate trained! The size of crate you get for your dog should be big enough for them to comfortably stand, turn around, and lie down. When purchasing a crate for a puppy you have several options: buy an appropriate sized crate at each stage of their growth or buy one that will accommodate them as an adult; a wire crate, or a plastic crate. With the larger crate, simply block off the unneeded area of the crate and keep expanding their area as they grow. Dogs are often more at ease in plastic crates as this gives them more privacy, but they are still able to see out. In choosing a wire crate, your dog may be more relaxed with a blanket covering the top and sides, leaving the front uncovered so they may see out- but be careful, most dogs can and will pull the covering into the crate... You will want to keep the crate in an area of your house that is quiet and has reasonably low traffic through it at first. Once they are used to the crate it may be moved to whatever area best suits you. Comfy bedding and special (durable) toys can be kept in the crate to keep your dog comfortable, unless the dog is destructive or eliminates in the crate (see our Potty Training Blog!) Toys that are small enough to swallow or choke on, or that may be torn up should not be kept in the crate. Safe interactive toys or chews (I like bully sticks) work well!
These particular toys/chews CAN only be given to them when they are in the crate so they will be excited about them and therefore excited about being in the crate. Meals may also be fed to your dog while they are in the crate, but make sure you are able to take them out to potty shortly afterwards to avoid an accident (again, see our Potty Training Blog!)
Crate training can begin at any age, but it is usually easier to begin when your dog is young. To start, place the crate in the area where it will be kept with the door open. Toss a treat to the back of the crate and allow your dog to get it and come back out.
Repeat this several times until your dog shows they are comfortable going in and out of the crate. Next, toss the treat into the crate and allow your dog to go in and get it, but this time close the door behind them. Leave the door closed for a few seconds, reward them through the door and then release them. Repeat this several times so they will get used to being in the crate with the door closed. It is EXTREMELY important to not release your dog from the crate until they are calm and quiet. Releasing them when they bark or whine will show them that this is how they get attention from you/are released and can turn into a problem behavior later on. Gradually increase the amount of time they stay in the crate with the door closed until they can rest calmly, no matter the amount of time. Add in you walking away almost immediately, and then going out of sight, going out the front door/garage door, etc.
It’s okay that your puppy may cry initially. Wait them out. Only give attention and food rewards when calm and quiet. And if you need to, use the treat toss in to get them to go in on their own for a while. Then switch to asking them to go in with the same hand motion, and reward after they go in, this will allow you to wean the need for a treat out of the equation. Use a leash, if needed!
Generally, try to maintain: Crate Rest> Potty Break> Play> Repeat
**Just to add, Gating can be used in place of Crating in some cases, but we do need to consider whether or not the dog will be destructive to walls/doors/etc. Crates are always best for young puppies, so that we can truly limit their space, to limit accidents.
Maintaining a consistent routine will get your dog where you want them to go. No training process is one size fits all, but this seems to do the trick in most situations! Please reach out to us for any of your training needs, we offer Virtual Consults as well! We’re here for you!
Instructional Video coming soon!!!
-Courtney, Owner and Head Trainer of Bold City K9!