How to Get a Dog to Stay in a Crate

Crate training your dog can be a good investment of your time for both you and your dog. A properly crate trained dog sees her crate as a den. It is a place for her to go during times of stress or when she just wants to be alone. The crate will also help you in house training a puppy and in keeping your dog safe. Your dog can travel in her crate and you can use the crate as a safe place for her to stay if you have guests or workers in your home.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Crate, appropriately sized for your dog
• Blanket or dog bed
• Dog toys
• Dog treats

1. Select a crate that is big enough for your dog to stand, turn around and lie down. When house training a puppy, it should be no larger than this or the puppy will use part of the crate as his bathroom. Rather than buy a different crate as your puppy grows, select a crate that will accommodate the dog as an adult. Use dividers to give the puppy access only to the amount of space he needs as he grows.

2. Set up the crate in a busy area of the house, where the dog can feel as if he is near the family when he is in the crate.

3. Place a blanket or your dog's bed in the crate.

4. Add a few of your dog's favorite toys and put some of the dog's favorite treats at the back of the crate.

5. Leave the door of the crate open for a few days to allow the dog to become accustomed to its presence and to investigate it without feeling trapped.

6. A few times throughout the day, drop a couple treats in the crate. Don't point these out to the dog but let the pet discover the treats on her own. This is creating positive association with the crate.

7. Begin feeding your dog in front of the crate. As your dog feels comfortable, move the food bowl into the crate so the dog is actually eating in the crate.

8. Praise and pet your dog when he goes into the crate. Do not push or force him into it.

9. Teach your puppy the command "go to your room" or "go to bed" in association with the crate. For example, let the dog see that you have a treat in your hand and let the dog see you put it in the crate. Tell the dog to "go to your room" and allow him to retrieve the treat. Do this activity several times over a few days.

10. Tell your dog to go to his room. Shut the door and leave him in the crate for 15 minutes. Stay in the room with him.

11. Build up the amount of time the dog stays in the crate, gradually getting him accustomed to longer times in the crate and to your absence from the room and then the house.

Tips & Warnings

• If your dog will be in the crate for more than a couple hours at a time, you'll need to provide water. Water bowls that attach to the side of the crate are best. This will prevent your dog from knocking over the water bowl and getting her crate wet and uncomfortable.
• Always give your dog a potty break before putting her in a crate.
• Never use the crate for punishment. You should never send your dog to his crate because of bad behavior. This will lead to the dog associating the crate with bad things and undo all efforts at crate training.
• Except for overnight crating, dogs should never be in their crates for more than six hours at a time. For very young puppies, an hour is the maximum. For dogs younger than three months, three hours is maximum.

References

• How to Successfully Crate Train Your Puppy
• The Crate: A Modern Dog Den
• Crates and Crate Training

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