How to Crate Train Your Dog

Why Crate Train Your Dog?

• Housetraining: Housetraining a crate trained dog is much quicker and easier than housetraining a dog who hasn’t been crate trained.
• Containment: You can keep your dog in his crate whenever you can’t supervise him, such as when you have visitors or when you’re away from home. Doing so ensures your dog’s safety and protects your guests from any unwanted attention from your dog.
• Vet and groomer visits: Dogs usually have to spend time in crates whenever they visit the vet or the groomer. Crate trained dogs handle these situations without anxiety.
• Transportation: It’s generally safer and easier to keep your dog in a crate when transporting him by car, and it’s essential if you plan to take your dog on a train, a bus, or an airplane.

Crate Training in Four Easy Sessions

Session 1

1. Place the crate in a room where you and your family spend a lot of time, such as the kitchen or the living room. You want your dog to feel as if the crate is a part of everyday life, not a dungeon hidden in the basement or an out-of-the-way room.
2. In your first session, open the door to the crate and place several treats inside it. Keep the door open and wait for your dog to approach and enter the crate.
3. Once he’s inside, mark the behavior with verbal praise, such as “good dog,” and leave the crate door open.
4. Allow your dog to exit at will, but be calm and don’t offer more treats or praise once he exits the crate.
5. Instead, place another bunch of treats inside the crate and wait until your dog enters. When he does, deliver more verbal praise and let him leave the crate at will.
6. After just a few rounds of this exercise, your dog will begin to understand that crate = treat + praise. He’ll likely start entering the crate on his own, hoping to find treats inside. At that point, you’re ready for session 2.

Session 2

1. Repeat steps 1–4 from session 1 above.
2. This time, once your dog emerges from the crate, wait a few seconds, then motion toward the crate and direct your gaze from your dog’s eyes to the crate. Do not put any treats inside the crate or say anything to try to get your dog to enter it—he must do so on his own.
3. Your dog will soon get the sense that you are asking him to enter the crate. Once he enters on his own, reward him with treats and verbal praise. Leave the crate door open.
4. Repeat steps 2–3 until you can consistently get your dog to enter the crate just by eyeing it or motioning toward it. When this happens, move on to session 3.

Session 3

1. Get your dog to enter his crate by using your eyes and/or motioning toward the crate.
2. This time, as he approaches the crate (not before or after), say the word that you’d like him to associate with crate. Most owners use the word “crate,” though any word will work—as long as you don’t plan to associate that word with any other trained behavior.
3. Once the dog enters the crate, reward him with treats and praise. Leave the crate door open.
4. Repeat steps 1–3 several times to solidify your dog’s understanding of the crate command.

Session 4

1. Say your crate command and wait for your dog to enter the crate.
2. When he does, reward him with praise and treats.
3. This time, if your dog seems comfortable within the crate, close the door for a second, then open it and give him a treat.
4. Repeat step 3, leaving the door closed for a few more seconds each time until you can leave it closed for 30 seconds without upsetting your dog.
5. Get up and take a step away from the crate. If your dog stays calm, come right back and give verbal praise and a treat. Then let him out.
6. Repeat step 5, moving a few more feet farther from the crate each time.
7. Continue this training regimen until you can leave the room and eventually the house, all while your dog is content in his crate. Over time, he’ll feel completely comfortable staying in his crate while you’re away or with guests.

How Long to Leave Your Dog in His Crate