How To Kennel or Crate Train

Crate training gives a dog a safe place if it needs some down time and is also useful while you are housebreaking your pet. When visitors arrive, a crate or kennel is also ideal to keep the dog away from people who may not enjoy its company. If crate training is done correctly, your dog will view the crate as a good place and will not refuse to enter when told.

Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a crate that is large enough for your dog to turn around and stand up in. Avoid crates that are large enough for the dog to be able to lay down and still have extra room to use as a toilet.

    • 2

      Place a dog bed or thick blankets in the floor of the crate so that your dog has a comfortable place to lay. Place the crate in an area where the dog will be around people most of the time.

    • 3

      Place a few treats or favorite toys in the crate for your dog. Rather than forcing it into the crate, allow your dog to enter on its own and praise it when it does so.

    • 4

      Teach a crate command as soon as your dog is comfortable entering the crate on its own. Throw a treat or toy into the crate as you give a command such as "crate time" or other command that you choose. Praise your pet when it enters the crate. After a few times, issue the command without putting the treat in the crate. When the dog enters the crate, offer the treat and praise.

    • 5

      Confine your dog to the crate when you are unable to supervise it. When you release your dog from the crate, take it to a designated bathroom area immediately. Praise our pet when it uses the bathroom in the appropriate area. Allow it a long period of playtime afterward before confining it to the crate again.