How to crate train a puppy

You should begin crate training puppy shortly after you bring him home. Introducing your puppy to a crate from the beginning makes house training easier, provides a safe place to keep him when he can't be supervised, and serves as an ideal way to travel with him. The sooner the crate training process gets underway, the sooner your puppy will have a den to call his own.

Four easy steps

Place the crate in a high traffic area

Put your puppy's crate in a room you're in often such as the kitchen or family room. He should be able to see what's going on around him while he's crated so he feels like he's part of the pack. If you keep the crate in a secluded area such as a basement or bedroom, your puppy will feel isolated and come to associate being in the crate as punishment.

Let puppy investigate at his own pace

Put your puppy next to the crate with the door open. Set a treat or some kibble in the crate to coax him inside. Once he goes in after the treat, say a command such as "in the crate" and praise him. Do this for several minutes, luring your puppy into the crate, saying your chosen command as he enters, and then praising him.

Never force your puppy to go in the crate, which can create a bad association with being crated. The best results come by crate training puppy in a positive manner.

Shut the door when he's ready

Once your puppy seems comfortable, have him go into the crate as described above and shut the door for a minute or so. Then open it and call your puppy. Give him lots of praise when he comes to you. Repeat the process several times leaving the door shut for longer periods.

Do not open the crate if your puppy whines or barks! He'll quickly learn that whining and barking opens the door, which can hamper the crate training process. Instead, slap the door of the crate and say "Quiet!". Wait until puppy settles down and is quiet for at least a few minutes before you open the door. Then call him and give lots of praise when he comes to you.

Feed puppy in his crate

After a few days, you can begin to feed your puppy inside the crate. Draw him inside with his food bowl and shut the door behind him. Once he has finished eating, he may start to whine and cry to be let out. Again, don't open the crate. Correct by slapping the door as before and wait for him to be quiet. Then take him outside to use the bathroom.

Tips for crate training puppy

Keep experiences with the crate positive

If you use the crate to punish your puppy, i.e. as a means of detention, then he won't want to be crated. If you need to put puppy in his crate because he's misbehaving with guests or for some other reason, lead him away from the situation and then put him in his crate using your chosen command.

Use the crate both when you leave AND when you're home

Your puppy will associate the crate with your absence if you put him in it only when you leave, which can cause problems. Be sure to crate your puppy for short periods while you're home with him as well as when you're away.

Use the crate, but don't abuse it

If you need to leave your puppy in his crate for extended periods other than at night, be sure he gets plenty of exercise beforehand and give him a chew toy or two to pass the time. Limit the time your puppy stays in his crate as follows:

If you have to leave your puppy crated for 8 hours or more each day, you should consider doggy day care or hire a pet sitter. Crate training is no substitute for human interaction.

Learning how to crate train a puppy can be a simple process if you're patient. And, in the end, your puppy will have a new den to call home.