A Pet Parent's Guide to Crate Training

Have you begun crate training your pup? It's important to begin by noting their crate isn't a negative thing. Crate training should be a positive process because your pup should associate the crate with positive things.

Placing a dog in a crate isn't cruelty. Crates are an essential item to have for safety, comfort, and calming reasons. Crates will help keep your dog safe when you're not home and can even become your pup's comfort zone or safe place.

Dogs who suffer from anxiety enjoy laying down in their crate to escape anything that may be causing them that anxiety. However, before you place your pup in a dog crate, you should know some of the best crate training tips. With all the right training tips, you can show your dog that their crate is a safe and comfortable place for them to relax.

Continue reading below for our list of dog crate training tips!

Choose the Right Size

Before you do anything, make sure the crate you're using is the right size for your dog. If the crate is too small, then your dog might feel uncomfortable in it and can potentially prevent them from wanting to spend time inside of it. You also don't want to choose a crate that'll be too big for your dog once they reach their full size.

For this reason, do your research and know an estimate of how big your pup will be once fully grown. Then, purchase the right size crate. When they're still a puppy, you can use a crate divider to ensure the crate is the right size for them as they get bigger.

Take It Little by Little

A big new crate can seem daunting to a pup. It's big and new and something they've never seen before. If your pup seems frightened by the crate at first, don't feel discouraged.

This is normal. Take it little by little to help them adjust to it. You can start by placing them in the crate for just 10 minutes at a time.

What works best will depend on your dog's personality. You can place them in the crate for 10 minutes and sit next to the crate. Gradually begin to keep them in the crate for longer and without you as close by.

Eventually, you'll want your dog to feel comfortable staying in the crate for an extended period of time without you being home.

Take Them For a Walk Before

Because your pup isn't used to a crate, it's beneficial to take them for a walk before placing them inside of it. Taking them for a walk will help them get some of their energy out. This also allows them time to use the restroom before staying inside of their crate for a few hours.

Doing so can help prevent accidents in the crate and the desire to get out and play. They'll soon begin to view their crate as the ideal place to lay down and relax.

Reward Them With a Treat

A great way to show your dog that the crate is something positive and not negative is to reward them with a treat. After asking your pup to go into the crate, shut the door, and then reward them with their favorite treat. If you do this every time they get into the crate, then you'll start to notice them getting excited to go into the crate so they can get their treat.

If your dog is going to be in the crate for several hours, then you might want to consider giving them something to keep them busy while in there. You can toss them a toy filled with frozen peanut butter, for example. They'll have to work hard to thaw the peanut butter.

You can also give them a safe bone to chew on as well.

Incorporate the Crate With Play

To show your pup that the crate is nothing to be scared of, it's important to incorporate the crate into their playtime. You can do this by always keeping the crate's door open for them to go in and out of as often as they'd like. Then, take one of their toys or balls and play fetch with them.

Toss the toy into the crate and allow your pup to retrieve it from inside the crate. This shows your pup that it's safe to go in and out of the crate and it doesn't always mean they'll be locked up.

Stay Patient Throughout the Process

An important tip to remember is to do your best to remain patient throughout the entire process. Crate training your dog won't happen overnight and it can take some time before your pup feels comfortable enough to go willingly inside of it. During this time try to stay patient and stick to the script.

Keep doing what you're doing and eventually, you'll see the results you've been waiting for.

Find a Safe and Quiet Place

When choosing the location of the crate, try to find a place that'll help your dog feel safe. A location out of the way from high-traffic areas that's secluded and quiet is ideal. This will help your dog feel even safer when laying down inside of it.

When your dog's feeling tired or simply wants to get away from everyone for a while, they'll then have the option to do so.

This Is Crate Training Made Easy

Crate training is not something to take lightly. You'll need to dedicate time and effort to the process. It's important to correctly crate train your dog so that they feel safe and comfortable every time they're inside of it.

With all of these helpful tips listed above, you can be sure to properly crate train your dog in no time. Are you ready to find the perfect crate for your pup? Browse through our collection today to get started.