Training Tips: Crate Training

Crate training can be a great way to housebreak a puppy and give them a calm space of their own.  Often, people feel that confining a dog to a crate is a bad thing.  However, a crate can provide a safe place for your four-legged friend.  You are not alone if you are on the fence about crate training your dog.  This article will talk about some of the benefits of crate training and some tips on how to effectively do so.

Crate training allows your dog to go to a space that is secure and comfortable for them.  It can also help you train behaviors that are otherwise hard to instill in a dog.  As an example, think of housetraining.  A dog who is crate trained has a much easier time becoming housebroken than those who have free reign.  Dogs do not normally want to soil their own beds and dens and will only do so if they must.

The process of crate training your dog can be a bit of a process.  Keep in mind that it will not happen overnight, and you will not see the benefits immediately.  You will need to be patient and consistent along the way. Below are some tips to help you yield the most success.

• Allow your dog to get used to the crate.  Put the crate in a heavy traffic area which will allow your dog to explore it on their own time.
• Let them lay in the crate with the gate open.  Allow them to realize that the crate can be a comfortable, safe environment for them.  Line the crate with some of their favorite blankets and toys to make them feel more “at home”.
• Use food and/or treats to entice them into the crate.  Positive reinforcement makes a huge difference!
• Be firm if your dog barks or whines when you close the crate.
• Increase the time that your dog spends in the crate.  The time spent in the crate will need to be increased gradually.  This should preserve the positive associations and let your dog get the most out of crate training.
• Place your dog in the crate overnight or when you leave for work.  The process of increasing gradually will let you leave them in there for the entire period without worrying.

Please make sure that the crate is comfortable for your dog.  This way, they will be able to relax without being destructive!  As always, practice makes perfect.  Your dog is not going to fully understand the concept of a crate without your positive mindset and consistency.  Once they start going into the crate on their own, you will begin to see the many benefits that will come about!