Five Tips For Making Dog Crate Training Easy and Painless

Five Tips For Making Dog Crate Training Easy and Painless
by Lynn Reynolds


Most dogs who are crate trained enjoy the den-like atmosphere their crates provide them. If your dog has never seen a crate, however, she might not know that. Here are four tips for making crate training easy and painless.

1. Let your dog discover the crate on his own. When you first get the crate, dont force your dog into it. A dog who is forced into a crate will never be happy there. Start by leaving the door open and dropping some treats into the crate or feeding your dog in the crate. Dogs associate food with pleasure, and if they associate crate with food they are on their way to loving their crate.

2. Start small. The first time you crate your dog, dont make it for a whole day. In fact, dont even leave the house at first. Crate your dog and then go into another room where your dog will not be able to see you. Gradually increase the length of time you leave your dog crated.

3. Make it feel like home. Put your dogs favorite blanket in the crate. Add a toy or two like kongs and nylabones. If your dog is going to be in the crate for awhile, add water.

4. Location, location, location. Dogs might love having their own little rooms, but they also love to be involved with their family. Dont put the crate in a room away from where the family spends the majority of its time. Instead, choose a central location like a living room. This will prevent your dog from feeling lonely when she is in her crate.

5. Praise your dog when he goes into his crate. Never put him in the crate as a punishment. Punishing a dog never works and will only cause more problems. Instead, make the crate a rewarding place. Teach your dog to enter the crate on command. Give him a favorite treat or toy for entering the crate.

If you follow these five tips, your dog will be a happy, well-adjusted, crate-using canine in no time. Remember to use these guidelines for deciding the maximum time a dog can be in a crate:

Age ------------- Time
9-10 Weeks -- Approx. 30-60 minutes
11-14 Weeks -- Approx. 1-3 hours
15-16 Weeks -- Approx. 3-4 hours
17 + Weeks -- Approx. 4+ (6 hours maximum)




Lynn loves all dogs, especially well-behaved ones. To learn more about dog training, visit her site at http://www.squidoo.com/positivedogtraining