Thinking About Crate Training Your Dog?
By Scot Korth on October 12th, 2009
If you like the idea of keeping your dog in an indoor crate or dog house when you leave home, you’re not the only one. Many veterinarians and dog trainers agree that crate training can provide positive support, structure, and comfortfor your dog while you’re not home. As well as satisfying your dog’s needs, an indoor crate or dog home can satisfy your needs as well.
The proper crate can provide your dog with the safety, comfort, and security it needs when you’re not home. A crate trained dog may even prefer to rest or nap in its crate, even while you’re home. Aside from providing a comforting home for your dog to rest, crate training can help to relieve and eliminate some of the common problems that dogs exhibit when they’re left alone. Crate training can relieve separation anxiety issues and destructive behaviors, keep your dog from getting into anything dangerous around the house, and even help to supportin training your dog to be housebroken.
A well-trained dog will even learn to love their home, often running right into it at the sound of your car keys or when you shake the treat jar. Imagine leaving home, not worrying about your dog’s safety while you’re gone. Just knowing that your pet is not getting into the garbage, chewing the foot of your couch, or clawing at the door while you’re gone is worth the time and care it takes to provide your dog with a stable, safe environment when you leave the house.
While it isn’t difficult to crate train a new puppy, it might take some time. Depending on the nature of your dog, it might adapt easily to the idea of going into its crate, or safe place, when you’re not around. It might just take a few treats to help the dog understand that a crate is not a punishment, but a reward.
If your dog is food-motivated, crate training can be simple. Start by placing a few of your dog’s favorite treats in the crate. When your dog enters, reward it with a few more treats, lots of praise, and some heavy petting. Your dog will soon learn that it can find some tasty rewards, just for going in its new home.
Next, try closing the crate door for just a minute the first time. Let it out and offer it a few more treats. Try repeating the process a few times until the dog shows that it can safely stay in its crate for about 5 minutes with you out of the room. You may find that you need to take a step back and give your dog a break from training, or lessen the amount of time you leave your dog inside its crate. Remember, the goal is to help your dog to feel like its crate is a reward, not a punishment.
A good game to play is “let’s go in your house”. When your dog is unaware, drop a few treats in its crate. Then, without going to the crate, start saying “let’s go in your house” in a fun, friendly, excited voice until your dog discovers the treats in its new home. Repeat the praisingwhen your dog discovers the treats in its crate. Eventually, when you’re ready to leave your house, all you’ll have to do is say “let’s go in your house” and your dog will run straight into its crate. Don’t forget to reward it with a few more treats before you leave!
Continue to practice with your dog until it will safely stay in its crate for an hourat a time. Not sure if its barking or feeling stressed while you’re gone? Try setting up a video camera so you can see what your dog is doing in the crate when you’re away. If your dog barks or cries constantly while its in the crate, it may be feeling too much separation anxiety and you want to revert to less training for shorter amounts of time. Continue to reward and praise your dog until your dog appears comfortable and is not showing signs of stress.
Continue the training and rewarding, reinforcing the idea of the crate as a reward, not a punishment. Pretty soon you’ll have a dog that feels comfortable and secure so that you can feel comfortable and secure that your dog is safe while you’re not at home.
About the Author:
Scot Korth is the owner of Fido Flat LLC, a company that specializes in luxury dog cratesthat double as indoor furniture. He shares his knowledge of crate training and the indoor dog crate at his website.