Instructions
How to Stop Crate Anxiety
Begin feeding your dog its meals in its crate. If your dog is too frightened to even go inside for its meal, feed him just outside the crate, gradually moving the food deeper inside the crate as your dog becomes more comfortable. When dealing with anxiety, it's important to move at your dog's speed. If it gets uncomfortable, slow down.
Toss treats in the crate and give your dog a command, such as "kennel up" or "go to bed." Don't close the door. Allow your dog to run right back out if it wants.
Once your dog is feeling more comfortable in the crate, give it a special treat and close the door. Treats include larger bones or a toy such as a kong or marrow bone stuffed with peanut butter, cream cheese or liver paste. Open the door as soon as your dog has finished.
Gradually begin to build up the amount of time your dog stays in the crate. Once it begins to be comfortable, you can begin to leave. Just be sure to come back in a reasonable amount of time, depending on where you are in your training. For example, just because your dog can stay in the crate for 20 minutes doesn't mean it can do it for four hours.
How to Stop Crate Anxiety in Dogs
Dogs are den animals, so most will take naturally to spending time in a crate. Crates can become a source of comfort or nice place to relax. However, if your dog has spent time in a crate or been punished in a crate, it may have developed a fear of the crate. In this instance, a crate isn't comforting at all. To combat this, you need to develop a new association between your dog and the crate so it can again use it for comfort.