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A COZY SPOT - The 7 Steps to Crate Training Your Dog
By Cherie Maitland, Trainer and Behavior Specialist with Our Furry Friends Training Centers and Canine College
Dogs are den animals by nature and a dog crate is a modern form of a
den. It's the dog's personal and quiet space away from the hustle and
bustle of life. The crate is a sturdy box made of varying materials - usually
plastic and metal wire. It needs to be big enough for a dog to stand up,
turn around and lie down comfortably. It also needs adequate ventilation
and a secure door.
When dogs are introduced to a crate in a positive manner, they are drawn back to their private oasis of comfort time and time
again. When I adopted my Border Collie mix Pepper at the age of 3, I discovered that he had serious cat aggression. At the
time, I lived in a 1-room studio with 1 other dog and my 3 cats!! In order to manage this challenging situation until I finished his
training and cat desensitization program, I needed to crate Pepper when he and the cats were all inside. He often ate in his
crate which increased it's positive associations. Months later when I finally moved the crate out, Pepper would often settle
down under the dining room table. The table had a tableclothe hanging down which created a safe place just like a cozy crate.
A year later I had to go through the same process with my new 10-month old Flat-Coat Retriever mix who wanted to chew on
fun, inappropriate items during the night.I used the crate for Bear until he grew out of this typical puppy habit.
Crates offer other benefits too - they really speed up the house training process. The crate can also be a spot that allows
your dog to stay in your living area when guests visit and the activity level is too stimulating for your dog. This is especially
helpful when your dog is not yet trained to perform polite meet and greet behaviors with more than 1 person at a time. (See
article on Doggie Door Manners.) Especially if your young child is having friends over, it is a safer way to introduce your dog
to other children. Your dog still gets to be a part of things without potential injury or chaos. Crates are also a good tool when
your dog has had surgery or is injured and needs to be confined. This already stressful time is not the best time to start
crate-training. Crates can also be beneficial when out of town guests bring their dog with them, or you want to slowly integrate
a new dog into your family. (Information coming soon on introducing a new pet to your pack!)
The following are tips to help you crate train your puppy or adult dog. If your dog has had negative crate experiences, or is an
anxious or fearful dog, you may need additional professional help.
STEP 1: Start with the door tied open. Toss in yummy treats - starting at the door's entrance. Praise and pet your dog when
he is in the crate - even just part way - and ignore him when he exits the crate. Gradually toss the treats in further towards the
back. Do not close the door!!
STEP 2: As your dog becomes more and more comfortable entering his crate - add a verbal cue so that you can teach a
new command.To teach the new phrase - say it as your dog fully enters the crate, not before. Saying it before comes once
your dog has learned the command. The phrase could be "Go to bed," "In your crate," "Kennel up," or whatever you like.
Periodically feed your dog's meal in the crate to continue to create positive associations.
STEP 3: When your dog has learned that being in the crate is a rewarding experience - take the next step of momentarily
closing the crate door. Toss in treats, praise, and open the door. Gradually increase the length of time that you are keeping
the door closed.
STEP 4: When your dog is performing step 3 comfortably, now after you close the door, toss in a few treats, and praise -
add taking a few steps away. Pause a moment, praise, and return to open the door. Remember you are conditioning the dog
to like the crate, so when you let him out, don't use that time to praise and tell him how great he is for learning to be in the
crate. Do that loving positive talk when your dog is IN the crate. Slowly increase the distance you move away from the crate
when your dog is inside.
STEP 5: Continue to increase the distance you move away from the crate - building up to disappearing into another room for
a moment. Then slowly proceed to adding more time that you are out of sight.
STEP 6: Once your dog is comfortable with this, add going outside and eventually going off for a very short car ride. For
safety, you need to remove your dog's collar. You could also leave music on for your dog to help block sounds from outside
that might be too arousing for him when he is confined. I always calmly tell my dogs when I leave, "I'll be back." Calm comings
and goings can help prevent separation anxiety. Before you go, you can stuff a Kong with something delicious that they have
to work out of the Kong's innards.
STEP 7: Finally - SLOWLY increase the time that you are gone. The maximum time depends on the dog, though probably no
more than a couple of hours for a puppy and 4 to 6 hours for an adult dog during the day. For additional information on this,
please consult your breeder, trainer or veterinarian for their opinion.
CAUTIONS: For safety, take off your dog's collars before you leave them in a crate. Do not crate dogs with serious
separation anxiety. You also do not want your dog to learn to bark or whine to teach you to open his crate door. Only let your
dog out when he is being quiet - unless of course he panics or is injured. If it seems that your dog or family is not a candidate
for crate training, then you can research other confinement options.
Some dogs move through these steps quickly, others take longer and require more repetitions of the steps. Another thing you
can do to create a cozy and pleasurable spot is leave the crate door open and throughout the day without your dog seeing,
toss in some yummy treats or his kibble.
Please contact me for further information on this or on any other training and obedience issues.
You can call me at 209-296-4DOG or 530-622-PUPS. Toll-Free at 1-888-DOG-B-GOOD.
E-mail to: PackLeader@Polite-Pups.com
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