Crate training a dog

People often get worried when they think about crate training a dog, and have the impression that this form of training could be cruel.

In reality, though, crate training your dog is a great way to bring up your dog, and it will stand him in good stead from puppyhood through to old age. When it is used for the right reasons it will help to give your dog the security he desires.

5 tips to get started crate training a dog

Crate training is a method of training for dogs that involves giving your pet dog his own special space, and it will help to get your dog to understand which behaviors are acceptable in your home.

Here are five tips to help you with crate training:

• Never use the crate as a means of punishment. He has to think of his crate as a good place to be. So if you see him misbehaving, all you need to do is to take him to his crate and if necessary you can stay with him for a while so he knows you are not cross with him.
• Make the crate a homely place for him to be. Offer him chew toys, and blankets while he is in his crate, but do not give him food or drink while he is in there. It will become a special place to rest.
• Don’t leave him in his crate all day, for example, if you go to work. Dogs are primarily pack animals and they need to be able to socialise with other animals (including us). In a doggie’s mind, the family he lives with is the pack he belongs to, and he will want to spend time with you.
• Be consistent when you are crate training. If your dog misbehaves, for example, jumping up at people, you need to use the crate to redirect him, so make sure that you put him into the crate every time he jumps up. But you need to make sure that you remember to keep this as pleasant as possible for the dog, so let the visitor drop by his crate to say hello to your dog and to pet him – this way he will not feel excluded.
• Just like a child, your dog needs to have a rest. Dogs are constantly ‘on guard’, so some time in his crate will give him a chance to rest properly, and will go some way to making him better behaved and much calmer.

Think of your dog’s crate as his own little kingdom, you can even have fun decorating it for him. If done correctly for the right reasons, crate training a dog can help stop some of the drama of dog training.