Crate Training

 

This is training your dog to enjoy being in their crate and to go to it when commanded.

Overview

  • The most responsible act for a puppy owner is to train their dog to spend time in the crate. Sadly, many pet owners believe crate training is cruel, and are quick to abandon the crate when the puppy whines and cries. This is unfortunate because eliminating the crate leads to most of the problems puppy owners endure.

  • When an owner decides against using the crate, I ask if they would leave a toddler to roam around the house unattended. Naturally, none of them would. I then explain that a free-roaming puppy is in just as much danger as an unattended child. As well as all your material possessions!


 
 

Videos

Crate Training New Foster

See the progress over a few days of teaching a new dog to enjoy the crate.

How to Crate Train Your Dog

Learn the steps to introducing the crate.

Crate Games

Another variation to get them to love the crate and be polite while opening it. See the Crate Games handout for more informaiton.

Free Shaping the Kennel

How to have your dog choose to go in the crate on their own, and love it!

Why You Should Crate Train

  • Housebreaking issues – Puppies normally do not eliminate where they eat and sleep.

  • Stealing and chewing – crating a puppy when you are unable to keep an eye on them drastically lowers damage to furniture and belongings.

  • Give other animals a break– if animals could speak, they’d all agree puppies are annoying. Crating a puppy prevents him from bothering other animals in the home, which limits fights.

  • Blockages and surgeries – Every year dogs undergo surgery to remove blockages caused by eating something their bodies cannot pass.

  • Separation Anxiety – dogs need to learn to amuse themselves. Those who become reliant on their human for everything, grow anxious when their caregivers are away from home.

  • Stimulation – puppies either sleep or learn. Exploring this new world is exhausting for puppies. An over stimulated or tired puppy tends to nip more than usual. Crates allow puppies to relax and sleep without any concern of their surroundings.

  • Running away – we need to protect puppies from slipping out the front door when someone opens it.

 

How to Crate Train

Steps

Phase 1 - Acquisition (Learning and Luring) & Phase 2 - Automatic (Motivation)

  1. Throw Treats in Crate:
    Throw treats in the back of an empty crate. The dog will hear and find them easily.

  2. Mark Entry:
    When the dog fully enters the crate, mark with "Free". The dog will finish the treats inside and then come out for a treat from you.

  3. Repeat:
    Repeat throwing treats and marking until the dog starts going into the crate before you release the treats.

  4. Introduce Hand Signal:
    Once the dog consistently goes into the crate, introduce a hand signal.

  5. Add Command:
    Now say the command (“Crate” or “Kennel”) before your hand signal. Mark with "Free" when the dog enters. Repeat, adding the command first.

*If the dog won’t go in no matter how many treats or luring is done, then you can use leash pressure to guide the dog in. Just remember if you apply pressure you cannot remove it until the dog turns it off by moving in the right direction.

Adding the Implied Stay

Once they are getting 5/5 tries on the verbal command without needing the lure/hand signal you can start to work on the Implied Stay.

  1. Say “Crate” (and hand signal if needed) and mark with “Yes” when they enter.

  2. If they try to leave, gently stop them and guide back in.

  3. Mark and reward for calm behavior with the door open.

  4. Wait for them to break the stay, marking and rewarding when they remain.

  5. Close the door without latching, marking with “Yes” and rewarding when they stay inside.

  6. Gradually increase difficulty by closing the door, waiting, then marking and rewarding for calmness.

  7. Start building distance by stepping back, marking, and rewarding when they remain in the crate.

  8. Use “OK” or your release word when letting them out.

This will involve guiding the dog back into the crate while saying “Nope.” As crate training is a primary skill, the dog may not yet understand leash pressure or the “Nope” marker. Consistent repetition will teach these concepts, and over time, your dog will prefer staying in the kennel as you mark and reward them frequently. Stay calm during the process.

Randomize the Crate

  • Separation anxiety and a dog's dislike of kennels usually stems from the owner only putting them in it right before they leave for long periods of time. Or they’ll use the kennel to punish the dog. What kind of pattern is that showing the dog?

  • By doing this randomly throughout the day and varying the amount of time they spend in the kennel the dogs can’t see a clear pattern. 

Easy Crate Game

  1. Warm them up with 10 treats for looking at you (engagement/marker training).

  2. Toss a treat in the crate. 

  3. When the dog enters, mark and toss another treat in the crate. 

  4. Repeat 10x (only feed inside the crate). If they stay in the crate keep feeding them! You can coax them out to get more repetitions in.

  5. Take a short break and do it again 10x. 

  6. Take a break again and do it again 10x, for a total of 30 repetitions. When you are done, release them from the crate and ignore them for a few minutes.

  7. If they sit in the crate looking at you, JACKPOT them with lots of treats. The goal is to have them go in the crate, sit and stay there looking at you with the door open. 

  8. As you progress you can work on them learning it's rewarding to stay in the crate (door open) while you walk away. It's about building a love of being in the crate to help with the isolation anxiety. 

Homework

  1. Practice the steps above multiple times a day, and before you crate them for the night (if applicable). Randomize the length of time they are in it and the length of time you are around vs. outside.

  2. For the first few days feed all their meals in the crate. We want them to associate this place as a good safe comfortable space. Close the door for meal time.

  3. Give them special toys that are only available in the crate and that would help with teething puppies. Other treats like Kong’s filled with frozen kibble and peanut butter give them a pleasurable experience in the crate for a long time while you aren’t there, helping with separation anxiety.