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Crate Training Your Dog Or Puppy - Part 6

Crate Training Steps

Just like with any other type of training, crate training should be based on reward and not punishment.  The first step as outlined above is getting your dog used to having the crate around in his environment.  Next, you should get him inside the crate and used to staying inside the crate.  This process may be different depending on your dog's personality but generally you could use the steps below.

First of all, I should note that you must make sure that your dog doesn't have to go to the bathroom if you're planning on keeping him in the crate for any length of time.  You should pay particular attention to this if your dog is a puppy because they simply can't hold it for as long.  Once you know your dog's regular routine and when he does his "business" you will have a good idea of when it is "safe" to put them in a crate. 

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, first we need to get to the stage where he actually goes in on his own and spends some time in there.  Here are some steps you might try in your crate training endeavor:

1. Once you have your dog or puppy used to having the crate around, you want him to go in on his own.  It's good if you can figure out a time when your dog wants to take a nap and kind of lure him in there with a treat or simply by sitting beside the crate and sort of directing him in.  He probably won't go in and fall asleep at first but after several tries he might find the comfy dog bed you have put in there pretty tempting.

2.  Another thing you can try is putting his favorite toy inside the crate.  The next time he wants to play he will likely go in to get the toy.  Of course he’ll probably come right back out but at least you made a little bit of progress.

3.  Now it's time to let your dog know that it's good to be in the crate.  The next time he goes in on his own, sit down beside the crate.  When your dog gets inside the crate pet him  and praise him and tell him what a good boy he is.  This way he'll associate the crate with “good things“.

4.  It's important not to shut the door at this time because you don't want to scare the dog and make them feel imprisoned.  So just keep repeating step three until the dog stays in there for longer and longer periods of time.

5.  When you feel like your dog is pretty comfortable in the crate, gently shut the door the next time he goes in.  Remember to sit beside the crate and pet them and let them know that everything is good.  Don't leave the door closed for a long time, just a few minutes while you're sitting there and then open the door and let them go about his business.  Keep repeating this and over time you can increase the length that you leave the door closed.

6.  Over time, your dog will become more and more familiar with his crate and you'll see that he starts going in there by himself. 

Congratulations, your dog is now crate trained!

Conclusion

Crate training a dog is important, not only to help in-house training and keep your dog from destructive behavior when you're not home, but also for his own safety. 

If you can get your dog to go in his crate happily on command, you can make sure that you have him in a safe spot should there be any sort of emergency in the home, or if you are traveling and have him what the crate. 

Crate training is an important part of dog training and you should seriously consider adding it to your dog training regimen, using the steps above you will see how easy it is to give your dog a place of his own where he can feel safe and secure.

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