Crate Training without Trauma

Crate training is a somewhat controversial topic among some pet owners. There are those who feel that it is cruel to lock a dog in a cage. But crate training actually satisfies a dog's instinctive desire to find a safe, enclosed place to spend time. Many people who crate train their dogs soon find that their companion goes to his crate on his own when he is nervous or frightened or just wants to relax away from the people for awhile. For each one of these though, there is a dog who is terrified of his crate, who fights while going in and spends the entire time inside it trying to get out. With proper training even these dogs can come to see their crate as a safe haven.

The Benefits of Crate Training

Crate training has many benefits. Providing your dog with his own den retreat gives him a haven in times of stress. This can prevent or help lesson many behaviors related to anxiety. A dog who is kept in his crate when his human pack is not at home is less prone to separation anxiety and will not get into trouble while they are gone. A dog who is crated in the car will not disturb you while you are driving and is less likely to be harmed in case of an accident than a dog who is not crated and once you get to your destination, the crate becomes a safe haven for your dog in an possibly unfamiliar situation. Since dogs instinctively urinate and defecate away from their den area, a do who is crate trained is also easier to housebreak.

But My Dog Hates His Crate

The trick to successfully crate training a dog is to associate the crate with positive feelings rather than negative ones. If a dog is forced into a crate, sent there as a punishment, left there for long periods of time and picked on (perhaps by mischievous children) while he is in the crate, the dog is not going to like his crate. If the crate is too small or located in a drafty area or isolated from the rest of the household, he's also not going to like it. If scary things happen every time he's put in the crate- he's put in the back of the car, he's left alone, someone makes loud noises, strangers come over, etc. he's not going to like his crate. All of these things can happen to a well crate trained dog, but they can't be the only things that happen. Good things must happen to. Unfortunately, it often takes just one early experience to ruin a crate for a dog and a lot of work to make a dog who hates his crate love it again.

Your Dog Can Love His Crate

If you got your dog from a shelter or a pet store he has probably already spent some time in a crate and he may be used to it, or he may have developed negative associations with it already. Whatever the case, your dog can come to love his crate pretty quickly if you follow these basic guidelines.

Choose the right crate. The crate should be just big enough for your dog to stand up and sit down (note that many dogs are a bit taller when they sit) and turn around and lay down in. A crate that is too big doesn't give that den-like feeling and a crate that is too small will leave you with a stiff, unhappy dog. If you're dog is a puppy, you may wish to get a crate that will be big enough for him when he is full grown. Many larger crates come with dividers so that you can section off a small portion of the crate for your puppy and make it larger as he grows. If you put your small dog in a giant crate during the day, you should still train him to a smaller traveling crate which you can place inside the larger crate while you are at home. You may choose to use a wire crate or a plastic crate. If you use a wire crate, you may wish to put a blanket or other cover over it to give it a more den-like quality. If your dog tears at this blanket, remove it. You should also invest in food dishes and water bottles that fasten to the crate itself.

Place the crate in a comfortable spot. Once your dog is used to his crate you can move it about the house as you please but to start it should be in a place where you spend time, not removed from the household. The spot should not be in direct sunlight or right over a heating vent and it should be well ventilated, but not drafty.

Introduce the crate in a unhurried, pleasant way. The first time your dog goes in the crate should not be the first time you leave him alone for the day. Introduce the crate on a day when you can spend some time on it.

Establish firm rules relating to the crate. Let everyone in the household and all visitors know that when the dog is in the crate he must not be bothered. No banging on the crate, no running back and forth past the crate and no poking the dog through the crate; though it is okay to occasionally toss a treat into the crate.

Be patient while your dog gets used to his crate. Follow the steps below to make your dog love his crate.

To Crate Train Your Dog

It will take 3-5 days to train your dog to love his crate. If you must leave him alone in the house before he is ready, consider taking him with you, having someone dog-sit or taking him to doggie day care or Camp BowWow for the day to avoid his making negative associations with the crate before the positive associations are firmly in place.

Exercise 1 "Go in your crate"

• Allow your dog to skip a meal so he's good and hungry. Have his usual amount of dog food on hand to use as a reward and some of his favorite treats.
• Sit on a chair next to the crate. Open it and call the dog to you. Pet him and praise him.
• Toss a treat into the crate and say "Go in your crate". If he hesitates give him a little nudge in the rear to get him moving into the crate. If he resists strongly, you may need a better treat.
• As soon as he's in the crate, tell him how wonderful he is while feeding him kibble alternated with treats. When he hops back out, stop feeding him.
• Repeat 10-20 times
• Now say "Go in your crate", but don't throw a treat in there. If he goes in on his own, tell him how wonderful he is and give him lots of his favorite treats. If he doesn't, give him a nudge and then praise and treat him. If he still doesn't go in on his own, go back to the beginning and repeat 10-20 times then end the game and start over at your next session.
  
• Repeat 10-20 times
• By now your dog is probably close to full and you're both probably a little tired so take a break.
  

Repeat exercise 1 twice a day until your dog will go into the crate when you ask him to without being lured or nudged. This will probably take 2-3 days. Don't be surprised if this soon becomes a game!

After he goes into his crate easily, close the door of the crate before giving him the treat, then open it up again right away.

Exercise 2 "Eat in your crate"
Begin this exercise once your dog will go in his crate on command without nudging.

• Fasten a food bowl to the inside of the crate. At feeding time each day, fill the food dish while your dog watches. Make him sit and stay until you are done placing it inside the crate then tell your dog to "go in your crate". When he goes in, praise him and let him enjoy his meal. If he refuses to go into his crate to eat his food, try adding a bit of warm water to it.
• Let him have his food for fifteen minutes while you linger nearby doing whatever you do.
• After 15 minutes, regardless of whether he has eaten remove the food. Some dogs will resist eating in the crate at first. Don't worry, he won't let himself starve. Simply take the food away and try again at his next scheduled feeding. Leave the crate open between meals so he can relax in it at his leisure.
  
• Repeat at every feeding until he is eating normally, then close the door with him inside for the 15 minutes he is eating rather than leaving it open. Feed your dog this way forever after. (This is especially helpful if you have multiple dogs or a toddler running around!)
  

Exercise 2-A "Chew in your Crate"
Begin this exercise once your dog will go in his crate on command without nudging. This should be done between feedings in conjunction with exercise 2.

• Find a chew your dog just loves. I recommend bully sticks and smoked knuckle bones which are particularly good for this because they stink and you probably don't want him running around the house with them. You can also use a Kong if you prefer. Let your dog sniff the chew and then toss it in his crate.
• Tell your dog "Go in your crate"
• When he goes in don't praise him till he starts working on his chew, then tell him how great he is.
• If he brings the chew out of his crate, toss it back in. If it starts becoming a fetch game, take it away and try again later.
• Now, forever after, your dog never gets a chewy (or Kong) unless he is in his crate! If he goes to his crate on his own and looks up at you expectantly, praise him and give him his chewy. Don't be afraid to mix it up if there's more than one kind of chewy he really likes or give him a bully stick or smoked knuckle bone one day, a Kong the next, a Twist & Treat once in awhile, etc. The idea is that you're giving something he's going to enjoy that will last him awhile.
  

NOTE: Do not use rawhide, stuffed animals or any sort of toy that the dog can tear apart into chunks and swallow or long bones that can splinter. Eventually you will be leaving your dog alone in the crate and unsupervised and you won't be able to help him if he chokes or stop him from swallowing pieces of stuffing.

Exercise 3 "Stay in your Crate"
Begin this exercise once your dog is happily chewing in his crate with the door open.

• Tell your dog "Go in your crate" and give him the chewy (or Kong) once he is in there.
• Close the door.
• Leave the door closed for 10 minutes or so regardless of his protestations (he'll probably start grumbling after he gets bored with his chewy, realize he's being ignored and lay down for a nap. )
• After the designated time, open the door in a matter of fact way, don't fuss or praise him as he comes out of the crate. Remove his chewy or toy from the crate and put it away. He only gets it when the door is closed now and forever!
  
• Repeat 3-4 times a day. If 20 minutes isn't a problem, leave him for 30, then 45, then an hour.
  

Once you've got your dog used to being alone in his crate for an hour, you should be able to leave him there all day!

Some Crate Training Tips

If your dog is freaking out in his crate; barking, howling, whimpering, etc. wait until he is quiet (even if it's just a split second while he's catching his breath) before you open the door- but let him out as soon as you can. Don't talk to him in the meantime, just ignore him. We don't want him to get the idea that he'll be rewarded for whining but we also don't want him to panic in his crate!

If your dog is soiling his crate out of spite or anxiety (versus out of desperation because he wasn't taken out to potty on time) check to make sure the crate isn't too big. It should be just big enough for him to stand up, sit, turn around and lay down in. If it's the right size, remove any bedding. Most dogs don't like lying in their own urine and feces. If there's bedding they can hide it underneath and lay on top. Once he's happier in his crate you can give him his bedding back.