How to crate train a puppy or dog: easy-to-follow steps to effective crate training
As a puppy or dog owner, your health and well-being will always be your top priority. After all, a happy and content puppy or dog goes a long way towards their overall good health and well-being.
Making your puppy or dog feel safe and secure in their environment is of the utmost importance. Let’s be honest, everyone needs a hideaway they can escape to for some peace and quiet once in a while and believe it or not, puppies and dogs are no different.
The box as a piece of equipment can seem a bit intimidating. After all, isn’t it a cage by another name? Well, yes it is, but that’s a human perception. Your puppy or dog doesn’t know. He doesn’t really think the way you do and has no idea what a box is.
Successfully crate training your puppy or dog is much easier than you might think. First of all, the crate has to be the most amazing, cozy and friendly place for your puppy or dog to be.
So how do you go about achieving this environment and making him feel happy and safe in the cage?
From day one, when you first get your puppy or dog, the first step is an introduction to the crate. We want it to be a friendly place, remember? What better way to do this than by placing your food in the box at mealtime?
You will find that your puppy or dog will focus on food. He will be hungry and will not really take into account the environment in which he is eating at this stage.
Repeat this procedure at every feeding time and before long you’ll find your puppy or dog running towards the crate eagerly awaiting his dinner wagging his tail.
Another good familiarization technique is to get a favorite toy and play with it and your puppy or dog. After a short time, place the toy together with him/her in the box. Close the door and let the play session continue, he/she will be absorbed in the toy and not in the box.
Try to keep these training sessions reasonably short to start with. Puppies have a short attention span and get bored very easily. You want him/her to spend stress-free time in the crate, and as easy as it may be for your puppy or dog to adjust to the crate, it will also require time and patience on her part, so little and often is the right thing to do. better.
Always try to end your training sessions on a positive note, not always that easy to do, but a little extra help in the form of treats is a useful training tool. You’re trying to make your puppy or dog crate happy, so use some closet love to help.
Place him in the crate, close the door, and give him a treat or chew while he spends time in the crate. So by association, your pup or dog will soon understand that this is a great place to be. Whether they think they can get a treat, they can get fed, or just spend some time with a toy.
Your training progresses by extending the periods of time your puppy or dog spends in the crate, culminating in you being able to leave him safe knowing that he is more than happy and content to be in an environment that makes him feel safe.