Crate Training Puppies - Longer Period In The Crate

In the initial period of puppy crate training, your pet will only wish remain in his crate for a small period. He in… he’s out. That’s not truly what we’re training for, so let’s train him to remain in the crate for a little more time. Meal time is the easiest time to train your dog to remain in the crate during the day. Begin by placing your dog’s food next to the crate. If he’s satisfied eating next to the crate, put the food inside, beside the crate opening. If he’s comfortable with that, move it in a bit further. Eventually, you will be able to slide the food the whole way to the back of the crate. Remember to say your “crate phrase” as your puppy is going in.

If your puppy is comfortable eating in the crate, lightly shut the door while he is inside. As soon as he is done feeding, open the door and congratulate him for being such a good puppy. Note: don’t leave the room during this introductory training period of time. Stay nearby where your puppy can find you. The following time your dog eats, leave him in there a little longer after he finishes his meal. Your goal is to get to 10 minutes of “waiting time” after he’s through eating. Again, because all puppies react differently to crate training, this may take a few meals before he is ok with remaining in the crate. Or, he may get to 10 minutes of “waiting time” on the initial effort. Be flexible. If your dog whines before the waiting time is over, that means he’s not quite ready. Decrease the waiting time at the next meal. However, don’t let him outside until you’ve achieved the predetermined time limit. If you’re aiming for 5 minutes, and the puppy whines at the 2 minute mark, you must wait for 3 more minutes until you allow him out. It’s critical that you don’t honor the whining.

Now that your dog is starting to become more comfortable with the small time periods in the crate, let's start teaching him to stay for longer amounts of time in the crate. When he grows comfortable staying in his crate for longer periods of time, and you can become comfortable allowing him unattended when required. To start, call your puppy to his crate and reward him with a treat, and/or some encouraging words. Then, gesture for your dog to go into the crate while saying your “crate phrase." When he goes inside, praise him once again, and then close the door. Next, sit beside the crate. After a few moments, softly walk away. A few minutes later, come back and sit by the crate over again. Wait a few minutes more, and then open the crate. Reward your dog for a job well done.

During basic puppy crate training, you will want to duplicate this multiple times each day, attempting to increase your dog's time in the crate with each session. As you can notice, this method is designed to ease your puppy into becoming comfortable with this new crate. Forcing him to stay in the crate from the beginning can create fright, which might make the long-term results less successful. As you continue to honor your dog for his crate time, he will associate his crate with those rewards.

Once you and your dog have mastered a 30 minute time frame, you may begin experimenting with allowing your pet in his crate while you are away from the home. Remember, you must let your puppy outside to urinate, poop, and exercise after longer times in the crate.