Dog Training Articles

The following article offers many effective tips for crate training your dog. If you would like professional help crate training your puppy or dog, contact us. We offer range of convient dog training and obedience classes, private lessons and consultations that both you and your dog will enjoy. We can help with dog potty training, dog crate training and dog leash training. Would you like to hunt with your dog? Or train your dog for agility? Let us help! Our dog training center in Baraboo, Wisconsin, is within convenient driving distance of Wisconsin Dells, Lake Delton, Reedsburg, Portage and other central Wisconsin cities and towns.

Crate Training a Dog

Dogs have a natural instinct to den. They find security and comfort in their dens. Typically, dogs keep a clean den refusing to soil in it, which helps to keep other predators from finding young pups.

You may have also noticed how your dog likes to lie under tables and chairs or seeks to curl up between a wall and couch or the corner of a room. They learn that they only have one direction to keep vigil over since nothing can approach from the other sides.

We use the natural tendencies of the desire to keep a clean den to aid in the dog and crate training process. We also use the dog crate to provide a safe, comfortable place for the dog to be kept so they don't get into trouble while you are away or as a get-away place when children or other things begin to make them nervous. To utilize the dog crate properly, we first want to help the dog realize how comfortable the crate can be for them. Start the crate training when you have a day off or, better yet, when you have two days off in a row. Crate training a dog will significantly help dog potty training! Find out more!

Begin crate training by introducing your dog to the crate gradually.

Begin by placing your dog's food dish at mealtime (stop free feeding your dog during this process and feed on a schedule) just outside the crate opening with the door open. After a couple of feedings set the food dish just inside the crate with the door open. The dog's body will be outside of the crate and its head will be inside. Gradually place the food dish further into the crate leaving the door open. Eventually, place the dish all the way back inside the crate and yes, leave the door open. Soon, because the dog will look forward to mealtime, carry the food dish toward the kennel commanding, "kennel". Within a short time your dog will run for the crate and go inside waiting for you to place the food dish in with it.

During the day when you are home position the kennel so that it is 'where the action is' with the door open. Place treats and highly valued toys in the crate allowing the dog to enter and exit for treats and toys as it wishes. Let the dog see you occasionally walk up to the crate and toss a treat into it. Do this very nonchalantly. Don't say a word. Just to up to the crate, toss the treat and/or toy inside and walk away. If your dog just sticks its head inside, grabs the treat and eats it outside the crate that is just fine! All you are trying to do is to make the crate a wonderful inviting place.

Crate training for sleeping

If you are going to use the crate as the place your dog sleeps at night, take the crate to your bedroom. Lure the dog into the crate with a treat or toy or place the dog inside if need be without confrontation. That means no yelling, just get the dog inside. If the dog protests to the point of growling or protest biting, call the dog away and to you. Make the dog sit and praise it for sitting. Then, put the dog where he slept previously and work more on acclimating the dog to the crate before trying to use it as a sleeping place.

If your dog goes into the crate for bedtime and begins to whine or bark to get your attention and to be let out...IGNORE the dog. DO NOT speak to it, do not touch it and for heaven's sake do not let it out! If you do, you will have set this training back for weeks. If you let your dog out once when he is demanding you do so, it will be ten times more difficult to leave him the next time. His demand to be released will become even more intense. He will think that it worked the last time and be willing to go much longer demanding his release. If your dog is whining and/or barking to get out, reach over and smack the top of the crate with your hand. Say nothing. Every time the dog barks you smack the crate. If it keeps up then gently 'rock' the crate from one side to the next quickly and then settle it. You may lose a couple hours of sleep. This is why you need to do this on a day off! I also suggest that if it is a wire crate, cover it with a blanket leaving only the door opening open. Again, think earthen den, enclosed on three sides with an opening for looking out.

Buying the correct crate for crate training your dog

Crates are available in many different sizes and are usually plastic or wire. Be sure to use a crate only large enough to allow the dog to enter, turn around and lie down. Do not use a crate bigger than that. To a dog, a tight den is more secure than a roomy den. Too large a crate will give the dog an opportunity to soil on one end and try to lie down at the other end. If you have a breed that will grow to be larger than the correct size for its young age, get a crate that will be suitable for its adult size and partition it off when it is smaller.

Crates provide a very secure and safe place for your puppy and/or adult dog. They are very valuable in the housetraining and dog training process and give you peace of mind when not at home to supervise your pet. As a general rule, you can crate a dog for one hour of each month of age plus one. In other words, if your dog is three months old, it should be able to be in a crate for 4 hours.

Do yourself and your dog a favor and teach it to enjoy using a crate! It will come in very handy many times.