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Crate Training
it's called “Boxy.” You can call it whatever you want – but you should decide on
a word before you get started. That’s the easiest part. Crate training is not
difficult if you do it right. You will need a few simple things:
The Crate. You dog should be able to stand up comfortably and turn around.
With puppies, be sure that the crate is not too big, as this may tempt them to
potty at one end and sleep at the other.
The Comfort. You can spend a fortune on bedding for your dog’s crate. A small
blanket or thick towel is just as good. Keep an eye on puppies to be sure they
don’t eat the bedding.
The Toy. An indestructible toy to chew on. If your puppy is teething, this is a
must. It's also nice for all dogs to have something to keep them from getting
bored.
The Treat. Use a portion of your dog’s kibble and stuff a Kong toy for crate
time. You can get creative and add yogurt or a little broth and freeze it for a
longer lasting treat.
Patience. Your dog may test it, so be prepared.
Day One
Choose a central area in the house to place the crate. Your dog will want to be
near you, he won’t want to be in the crate if it’s in an area where you are not.
Once you have the crate set up with the bedding, allow your dog to explore. If
he goes in right away, celebrate like he’s just discovered a new world! If he
seems nervous, practice some sits near the crate and then toss some treats
into the crate. Don’t rush him, he will find his way in. Do this periodically
throughout the day.
If your dog is noticeably tired you can coax him into the crate and sit nearby
while he falls asleep. Do not shut the door. Be sure to praise him anytime he
wanders in.
Feed your dog inside the crate. You want to establish that the crate is where
good things happen. Use a Kong or other durable food puzzle toy. This keeps
him happy and occupied, burns energy and is great for teething pups. While he
is working on his Kong, close the crate door (you don’t have to latch it,) and be
sure that you open it up before he is finished eating.
Day two
Spend some time practicing your cue for entering the crate. We use “Boxy
Time.” That way my husband and I can discuss our schedules and use the word
“crate” without reaction from our dogs.
Start with some tiny, high value, soft treats and let the games begin. Here is
the sequence:
1. Toss treat into crate
2. Dog enters crate
3. Feed treats and give praise while introducing the cue “Good Boxy!” or “Nice
Crate!”
Once your dog gets it, hold out on tossing the treat. He will be looking for more.
Eventually he will realize that going into the crate will make the treat appear.
Play the game two or three times during the day. Also feed your dog in the
crate and allow him to nap in the crate if he likes.
Day Three
Early in the day you will do a few practice runs. Use a treat that will require a
moment to consume, such as a large biscuit. Toss the treat into the crate and
use the verbal cue. Close the crate door and remain in the room. Get up and
walk into another room, wait a couple minutes and return to the room where
your dog is. Wait another moment or two before you open the crate door. This
whole process should last about 10 minutes. You will do this twice early in the
day.
During the afternoon, you are going to repeat the process. This time you will be
stretching the length of time to 20 minutes. You will also be feeding him inside
the crate. Try to keep him occupied while he is crated, so that he doesn’t start
to get anxious. On the evening of day three, have your dog spend an hour in
the crate. If he’s fine, you may want to get started on the nighttime training.
The Coming Days and the First Night
When he’s ready – and it may or may not happen in 3 days – you will be crating
him in your bedroom at night. If your dog is still a puppy, you will need to set an
alarm and take him outdoors to potty after 4 hours, he should be able to go
back to sleep (hopefully you will too.)
It all seems so simple, right? Well it is, but there’s one thing you need to be
prepared for. Eventually your dog or puppy is going to complain about being in
the crate. It usually comes in the form of whining or barking. When Meiko was a
puppy she would turn up the drama as if we were torturing her. The whining
was awful, but it only lasted a few nights. We never caved in and took her out
because of the whining. If you do, you are setting yourself up. Your dog will
learn that whining is the key to open that door. If you think your dog needs to
go outdoors, wait for a pause in the whining before you open the crate door.
A Few Tips...
If your dog has an accident in the crate, don’t make a big deal about it. Dogs
don’t go potty indoors because they are mad at us or because they want
revenge. They do it because when you gotta go - you gotta go. Use a cleaner
like Nature’s Miracle to break down the urine. It’s also good to have a backup
bedding set.
You should always treat the crate as your dogs “happiest place on earth.” A
crate is like a den to a dog, and it can be their safe place. Never use the crate
for punishment. It will make for a rough road of using the crate in the future.
Keep in mind that you should limit the amount of time that puppies are crated.
This is the time when you want your puppy to be socialized with as many
people and animals as possible. It’s fine to have him crated at night, but during
the day you should follow these age guidelines:
12-14 weeks About 1 to 3 hours
15-16 weeks About 3 to 4 hours
17-18 weeks No more than 6 hours
Ideally, no dog should be crated for more than 6 hours. Let’s face it though;
millions of working Americans have dogs that are left home during a normal
workday. A good alternative is to either have someone give the dog a break
mid-day or switch over to a gated area. Adult dogs shouldn’t have a problem
holding it for 8 hours. Make sure your dog gets walked for at least 20-30
minutes before you leave for work. When you go, make your good-byes short
and sweet (it’s no big deal, you’ll be back soon.) While on his own, your dog
should have access to the crate, toys and fresh water.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN EDUCATION PAGE
-Daisy | Hello Bully
Permission to reprint with a link to Hello Bully
a word before you get started. That’s the easiest part. Crate training is not
difficult if you do it right. You will need a few simple things:
The Crate. You dog should be able to stand up comfortably and turn around.
With puppies, be sure that the crate is not too big, as this may tempt them to
potty at one end and sleep at the other.
The Comfort. You can spend a fortune on bedding for your dog’s crate. A small
blanket or thick towel is just as good. Keep an eye on puppies to be sure they
don’t eat the bedding.
The Toy. An indestructible toy to chew on. If your puppy is teething, this is a
must. It's also nice for all dogs to have something to keep them from getting
bored.
The Treat. Use a portion of your dog’s kibble and stuff a Kong toy for crate
time. You can get creative and add yogurt or a little broth and freeze it for a
longer lasting treat.
Patience. Your dog may test it, so be prepared.
Day One
Choose a central area in the house to place the crate. Your dog will want to be
near you, he won’t want to be in the crate if it’s in an area where you are not.
Once you have the crate set up with the bedding, allow your dog to explore. If
he goes in right away, celebrate like he’s just discovered a new world! If he
seems nervous, practice some sits near the crate and then toss some treats
into the crate. Don’t rush him, he will find his way in. Do this periodically
throughout the day.
If your dog is noticeably tired you can coax him into the crate and sit nearby
while he falls asleep. Do not shut the door. Be sure to praise him anytime he
wanders in.
Feed your dog inside the crate. You want to establish that the crate is where
good things happen. Use a Kong or other durable food puzzle toy. This keeps
him happy and occupied, burns energy and is great for teething pups. While he
is working on his Kong, close the crate door (you don’t have to latch it,) and be
sure that you open it up before he is finished eating.
Day two
Spend some time practicing your cue for entering the crate. We use “Boxy
Time.” That way my husband and I can discuss our schedules and use the word
“crate” without reaction from our dogs.
Start with some tiny, high value, soft treats and let the games begin. Here is
the sequence:
1. Toss treat into crate
2. Dog enters crate
3. Feed treats and give praise while introducing the cue “Good Boxy!” or “Nice
Crate!”
Once your dog gets it, hold out on tossing the treat. He will be looking for more.
Eventually he will realize that going into the crate will make the treat appear.
Play the game two or three times during the day. Also feed your dog in the
crate and allow him to nap in the crate if he likes.
Day Three
Early in the day you will do a few practice runs. Use a treat that will require a
moment to consume, such as a large biscuit. Toss the treat into the crate and
use the verbal cue. Close the crate door and remain in the room. Get up and
walk into another room, wait a couple minutes and return to the room where
your dog is. Wait another moment or two before you open the crate door. This
whole process should last about 10 minutes. You will do this twice early in the
day.
During the afternoon, you are going to repeat the process. This time you will be
stretching the length of time to 20 minutes. You will also be feeding him inside
the crate. Try to keep him occupied while he is crated, so that he doesn’t start
to get anxious. On the evening of day three, have your dog spend an hour in
the crate. If he’s fine, you may want to get started on the nighttime training.
The Coming Days and the First Night
When he’s ready – and it may or may not happen in 3 days – you will be crating
him in your bedroom at night. If your dog is still a puppy, you will need to set an
alarm and take him outdoors to potty after 4 hours, he should be able to go
back to sleep (hopefully you will too.)
It all seems so simple, right? Well it is, but there’s one thing you need to be
prepared for. Eventually your dog or puppy is going to complain about being in
the crate. It usually comes in the form of whining or barking. When Meiko was a
puppy she would turn up the drama as if we were torturing her. The whining
was awful, but it only lasted a few nights. We never caved in and took her out
because of the whining. If you do, you are setting yourself up. Your dog will
learn that whining is the key to open that door. If you think your dog needs to
go outdoors, wait for a pause in the whining before you open the crate door.
A Few Tips...
If your dog has an accident in the crate, don’t make a big deal about it. Dogs
don’t go potty indoors because they are mad at us or because they want
revenge. They do it because when you gotta go - you gotta go. Use a cleaner
like Nature’s Miracle to break down the urine. It’s also good to have a backup
bedding set.
You should always treat the crate as your dogs “happiest place on earth.” A
crate is like a den to a dog, and it can be their safe place. Never use the crate
for punishment. It will make for a rough road of using the crate in the future.
Keep in mind that you should limit the amount of time that puppies are crated.
This is the time when you want your puppy to be socialized with as many
people and animals as possible. It’s fine to have him crated at night, but during
the day you should follow these age guidelines:
12-14 weeks About 1 to 3 hours
15-16 weeks About 3 to 4 hours
17-18 weeks No more than 6 hours
Ideally, no dog should be crated for more than 6 hours. Let’s face it though;
millions of working Americans have dogs that are left home during a normal
workday. A good alternative is to either have someone give the dog a break
mid-day or switch over to a gated area. Adult dogs shouldn’t have a problem
holding it for 8 hours. Make sure your dog gets walked for at least 20-30
minutes before you leave for work. When you go, make your good-byes short
and sweet (it’s no big deal, you’ll be back soon.) While on his own, your dog
should have access to the crate, toys and fresh water.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN EDUCATION PAGE
-Daisy | Hello Bully
Permission to reprint with a link to Hello Bully
