How To Crate Train Your Dog

Properly used, a crate becomes your dog’s safe space, and is an invaluable training tool. Whether just a pup, or an older dog learning a new trick, the steps bellow will make crate training a positive, successful experience.

Preparing for success
  1. Your pet’s crate should be large enough to turn around in, but not much bigger. This prevents them from soiling one end of the crate and sleeping in the other.
  2. For puppies, find a crate with a moveable divider so you can make it larger as they grow.
  3. Choose an initial location for the crate – ideally this is a quite area away from traffic, though if you are having difficulty getting them interested it may help to place it in the family room.
  4. Make sure they’ve had a chance to relieve themselves and a bit of play/exercise prior to crating or training sessions.
  5. Don’t feed them before crate training sessions (or any training sessions) – we want them a little hungry to make those food rewards more motivating.
Week 1: Getting comfortable with the crate
  1. Make the inside comfortable, with a blanket or bed.
  2. Initially, just leave the crate open and encourage them to explore.
  3. When you see them enter, use a positive marker word like “good girl” and toss them a food reward to build a positive association.
  4. Offer meals inside the crate.
  5. Avoid forcing them into the crate – this will make them fearful of the crate, in turn making training much more difficult. Be patient!
Week 2-4+: Learning to stay in the crate
  1. Once your pet is comfortable going in the crate on its own, start closing the door for brief periods while they are distracted by a treat or toy.
  2. Initially this should only be for a few seconds; offer a high-value treat when you close the door.
  3. Over time, increase the duration the door is closed in 10-15 second intervals. You may periodically offer them more treats through the crate IF they remain relaxed. Be patient!
  4. Once they are relaxed spending a few minutes in the crate with you there, use the same process to increase your distance from the crate until they are comfortable with you leaving the room.
  5. Finally, slowly increase the amount of time you are out of the room. Each time you return, offer them a treat if they are relatively relaxed.
  6. As you build duration/distance with each step, it is helpful to intersperse “easy” runs of shorter duration/distance.

  Other Tips

  • DON’T use the crate as punishment – the goal is to make it a place they enjoy being.
  • DO remove collars or harnesses before leaving pets alone in a crate, as they could get hung on something and cause a choking hazard
  • DO make sure any toys left in the crate can’t be destroyed or swallowed. Kong-type rubber toys are a good option, and peanut butter stuffed ones are great during acclimation.
  • Always take your pet out to relieve themselves after crating, or after training sessions.
  • Be patient, and have realistic expectations – good training doesn’t happen overnight
  • Realize that the younger they are, the less time they can hold their bladder AND the more quickly they will get bored and frustrated. Under three months crating should be less than an hour; by five months they can usually handle 4-6 hours in the crate.
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