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Crate Training

Crate training your dog can be a great tool to have in your back pocket for a variety of situations.
Why should my dog be crate trained?
  • Housetraining: for puppies that aren’t fully housetrained, crates can be a great tool to prevent accidents from happening. Most puppies will instinctively hold their pee or poop until they are let out. Unless you are someone who can follow your puppy around 24/7-crate training from a young age is likely to come in handy!
  • Destructive behavior: For dogs who find themselves tearing up the furniture while the family is out, crate training can prevent the demolishing of your household items. The crate can be a safe and comfortable space for your dog to stay during the day until they can be trusted to not destroy anything while you are away.
  • Medical reasons: Surgery and medical needs are a part of most (if not all) dog’s lives. If your dog is already comfortable staying in the crate, then in situations where they are already under stress-you won’t need to worry because they have a safe place to go.
  • Travel: For car trips and hotel stays, the crate is a portable comfy space for your dog to hang out while on the move.
How do I crate train my dog?
You’ve brought your crate home, and you are ready to get training. Where should you start? Keep in mind, that these steps should happen over a course of time and not in one sitting. You are working towards your dog loving their crate, so this is going to take time.
First, make sure the crate is comfortable for your dog. Put a plush bed in there for them and/or some blankets for them to sleep on. Leave the door open so that your dog can investigate the crate on their own. Throw in some treats as the dog is investigating the crate. Continue to treat your dog as they enter the crate and explore it (do not shut the door!).
If you’re having a hard time getting your dog to go in the crate-not to worry! Drop some treats by the entrance of the crate and a few more just inside the door. Once they are comfortable, you can start throwing the treats in further. Do this on the first day and leave the door open at all times. Drop treats in there throughout the day.
By pairing the new crate with yummy snacks, you are creating a positive association with the crate. To your dog, “the crate=yummy snacks, I better go check it out!” That’s the goal at least. If you have an adult dog who has a negative association with the crate, the first step may take you longer-that’s okay, you need to go at your dog’s pace and you will get to the end goal, I promise!
Only move to this next step if your dog is happily going into their crate on their own. Teach your dog to go into their crate on cue. Say “crate” or whatever cue you prefer and toss a treat inside of the crate. Close the door as the dog goes inside and treat them heavily (you should be using the good stuff for this like hot dogs or string cheese). Praise your dog for going inside and tell them what a great job they are doing. Open the door and let them out after this. Do this several times throughout the day (or however many days it takes for your dog to enjoy this step).
Next, you will want to build the duration that your dog is in the crate. Use a frozen kong stuffed with cream cheese, bully stick, or a pigs ear and say your cue “crate” and close the door. Sit near your dog while they work on finishing their snack and let them out before they finish their treat. Similar to the previous steps, do this step a couple of times while you are home and move on to testing it with you leaving the house. You can record your dog while you are out to see if they are enjoying their time in the crate or if they are panicking and trying to escape-you will want to know which is happening!

Again, the point of all of this is to get your dog to love the crate. If at any point in this learning process, your dog responds negatively by barking for hours or crying and injuring themselves by trying to get out of the crate- you’ve gone too fast and you need to do some work at the beginning stages.
Crate training is a great skill for your dog to learn during this snowy weekend so grab the cheese and start practicing!

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