How to make your dog’s crate a great place
That is a fabulous idea! When determining if a dog was eligible to board with us, we always ask if the dog is crate trained. Trainers do it. Vets do it. Groomers do it. Airplanes do it. Boarding facilities do it. At some point, your dog’s life will include being crated, so you should do it, too.
I am a trainer who loves crates! I love them because I know that my dog and my home are both safe when I’m out. Dogs love being in crates when the crate is comfortable, covered with a sheet, and feels like a den. As long as your dog is getting enough exercise every day, they don’t need to be free in the house while you’re out. Being free in the house can sometimes be stressful for a dog. Especially when our dogs are home alone. Having free run of the house can feel like we are asking them to protect the house. This can be taxing and exacerbate stress barking or separation anxiety. It can also lead to scratched doors, chewed furniture and potty accidents.
No dog is too old: but it's a good idea to introduce your dog to the crate as a puppy.
It’s better to create a positive experience than to try to fix a bad one, so take your time.
Picking the right crate
As you can see in the photos, my favorite crate is wire because it allows for maximum airflow. Unless you are conditioning your dog to fly in an airplane there is no need to get a solid plastic sided crate. The soft crates are relatively useless because they are so easy to get out of and should be avoided. Expensive heavy duty crates are only necessary for true escape artists - which your dog isn’t likely to become if you introduce them to the crate in the way I describe.
You can easily find a used wire crate on Craigslist, Nextdoor or Facebook Marketplace for under $50 and disinfect it with a diluted bleach solution that you then rinse off and let dry in the sun. If you have a growing puppy this can be the best option. You might buy a larger crate for the size you expect them to be and block off unneeded space as they grow, but if you err on the side of too large you may end up trading it out anyway.
To find the right size measure your dog from nose to tail and top of head to the floor. That should be the bottom dimensions so your dog can lay flat on their side with their legs extended. You also want to make sure the height allows for them to stand without ducking. You don’t need to feel guilty leaving a dog in a well sized crate because they can’t be more comfortable than that outside of it. If your crate is so small that your dog has to curl their legs to lay down and they don’t have room to stretch that is similar to trying to sleep in the backseat of a small car with no room to stretch your legs and it would be understandable if they didn’t like spending time in there.
Generous pet owners may try to get a larger crate, but your dog doesn’t really need room to take any steps and for potty training puppies more space could allow them to designate one side as the bathroom and the other as the bedroom, which we don’t want.
Start by making your crate a nice cozy space in the common area. You could even pick up your other dog beds so the crate is the comfiest place in the room. Think of it like their bedroom or a little dog cave.
You can get a cute vintage sheet from a second hand store large enough to drape over your crate so it reaches the floor. A nice color or pattern keeps the crate from being an eyesore and a covered space feels more contained to your pup, like a bedroom or cave. You want to be sure you invest minimally at this point because your crate cover could get torn up in a frustrated moment during the learning process. Do NOT use a blanket or towel or custom crate cover because these do not allow for as much airflow and trap the body heat dogs let off. You want your dog’s space to be the same temperature as the climate controlled room they are in.
For the bedding, start simple with a bed or towel. There is a chance that it may get chewed in the learning stages, so don’t start out by putting your finest dog bedding in there.
Lots of owners wash blankets before it goes in the crate. I can assure you that your dog does not appreciate the fresh scent of Tide. The best bedding is something you have slept with, sat on or otherwise gotten your scent on. Shoving new blankets in the dirty clothes bin (after an initial wash for chemical residue) is heavenly for a dog. Don’t judge ‘em! Show your love by giving the pup the stinky bedding they want.
After you have made the crate as cozy as possible, start making it happy by building positive associations.
First get some really high quality treats. From now on, at least for a while, this will be a crate only delicacy - gotta be in the crate if you want to enjoy it!
For this I like freeze dried treats, bully sticks, pigs ears, frozen marrow bones or whatever else makes your dog happy.
Lead your dog to the crate, toss the treat in the back, then help guide your dog in with encouraging words, and happy energy. You can stick your arm inside to pat the bedding and wave the treat. Once they pop in, give pets, scratches and verbal praise,
If this doesn’t work, you can add a few little leading tugs on the collar or ‘pulsing’ pushes on your dog’s booty.
Then, once they are able to stand in there for a few seconds without you holding or blocking them, slowly let them out. You don’t want a starting gate break, just a casual saunter.
If you are feeding a long chewing treat like a bully stick or marrow bone, toss it back into the crate if they try to bring it out to enjoy.
You can sit by the open crate or close it and stay within the view of the opening that isn’t covered by the sheet.
If the treat isn’t enough to keep your dog occupied, take time sitting with them by the open crate and petting them while they are inside. *Whatever motivates your dog, reserve it and try to associate it with the crate.
Once your pup is comfortable with the space, start feeding all meals in the crate. For most dogs, you haven’t shut the door yet as we are just acclimating.
Food should be placed against the back wall.
If your dog chooses to miss a meal avoiding the crate, that is okay! Sometimes people skip meals too and they’re alright. Your dog will likely eat the next one. Good things come to those who get in their crate.
When your dog has a meal or two in the crate, go ahead and try shutting the door while they eat, first staying in the room.
Shut the door. Open the door.
The door is shut momentarily at first so your dog knows they won’t be in there forever. You can do this many times a day, leaving the door shut for seconds, then minutes, growing longer each time.
Shut the door for the whole meal and let your dog out after they are done but before they whine or fuss.
If your dog does start to whine, it’s very important that you don’t let them out till they have settled for at least 5-10 seconds. Otherwise you teach them the way out is to whine and you will very much regret creating that association! An important factor in crate training success is how tired your dog is. Trying to get an energetic dog to settle and be happy in a crate is an uphill journey.
Try to work your crate training schedule to follow some good vigorous exercise, some water drinking, then potty time. Your dog should be happy to kennel up at that point!
If you have a lot of energy, you don't want to be forced to sit still! If you are exhausted, however, you are happy to bring on a comfy place to rest where you don’t have to worry about being bothered. The first time you leave your house, it’s only going to be for a second. Literally a second.
Crate your dog, walk around the house for a few minutes doing chores or something other than your ‘getting ready to leave’ routine. Then without saying anything to your dog, walk out your door, shut it, take one breath, then walk back in, again not saying anything to your dog.
If your dog is alert, but not whining, you can let them out, being sure to ignore any excited behavior.
If they are whining, wait for them to settle.
If they are pretty content, maybe try leaving them in and going outside for another round.
You want to briefly crate your dog then go in and out of your door as many times as possible this week, making it longer and longer till you can sit outside for 15 minutes playing on your phone or doing those push ups you have been putting off.
After that, try to go run a quick errand.
Coming out of the crate is a great opportunity to practice the ‘wait’ command. In our training sessions we talk about impulse inhibition, your dog’s ability to regulate himself and his emotions.
Wait until your dog has calmed themself before you even approach the crate.
If your dog’s excitement level rises as you approach, stop, turn away, take a few steps back, or even leave the room so your dog can calm down.
You want to teach your dog that only a calm pup gets let out.”Calming down is the toll you have to pay at the crate door.”
Lean down to unlatch the door and say “waaaait” in a calm, low voice.
If your dog is overly excited they won't do very well here, so their excitement level has to be at a moderately contained stage before we begin.
Start to open the door, and say, “wait” again, and slowly increase the size of the gap, staring at the base of the crate and watching your dog from your peripheral vision.
If your dog makes a move for the opening,quickly close it. Even if your dog has squeezed part way through, grab them and put them back in.
It is really important that they don’t dart out of crates, or out of any doors. To be honest, there should not be a lot of darting going on, period.
Frantically rushing out the opening can make your dog feel more anxious about being in and let out of your crate.
Once the door is fully open, slowly stand up, still watching your dog out of the corner of your eye. Be ready to shut that door if your dog makes a run for it.
After you get all the way up, I’ll take a breath and wiggle your shoulders to be sure your tension isn’t what is holding your dog in place.
Then, with calm energy say “okay” or “let’s go” and slowly start to walk away, ready to correct any jumping, whining or over excitement.
Many a crate training has been disrupted by whining. When people hear a dog whine, they associate it with crying and assume their dog is distressed. Most of the time it’s more of a temper tantrum. Your dog is frustrated because, likely, they almost always get what they want and right now they want to be with you instead of in their crate. When we let our dog out in response to whining we teach them that they can have their way and that whining is the way to get there. You will surely earn yourself more whining by responding favorably to it. Even though, whining is unpleasant, your dog needs to understand, just like a toddler, that ‘go to bed’ means ‘go to bed’ and it isn't a negotiation.
First ignore the whine, go about your business. This is called waiting for the behavior to go extinct by not rewarding it. Sometimes it works, so always try it first, but often this alone won’t do the job.
Be prepared for the ‘extinction burst.’ This is another term that means it will get worse before it gets better. Basically, your dog is going to pull out all of the stops, and if not even that works, then, and only then will they extinguish the behavior.
If ignoring the whining doesn’t make it stop,don’t suffer in silence. Try to find a way to express to your dog that nothing bad is happening and they need to accept that the crate, like a dentist appointment, is just part of life.
Start with a verbal correction that you will deliver without going into the room or, ideally, even stopping what you are doing. Call out a firm, but gentle “eh’eh” or say “dog no” or “quit” and then wait a beat to see what happens.
If your dog stops, great! If not, increase the pressure. Call again with more intensity from another room.
If your dog is really fussing, go right into the room where the crate is and repeat your verbal correction.
It’s important to remember that your dog wants you to come into the room to let them out, so you need to be sure that your dog knows the moment you cross the threshold that the desired result has not been achieved. In fact, this isn’t a version of you he recognizes at all. You have booty kicking energy and should not be messed with. Say “QUIT” in a loud, sharp voice then stomp out of the room, closing the door.
If this doesn’t work, it’s trainer time! Give us a call to get a hand dealing with the tough to train pup who seems resistant to my ‘best of crate training’ suggestions. Sometimes there are relational cues that we give our dog in other areas that can undermine our training results.
