Crate Training as Preventative Medicine
Not everyone wants or needs to crate their dog when they are out and that's okay. Crating can certainly help with housetraining, preventing unsafe or destructive behaviours, and keeping pets from getting into things they shouldn't. It can be a temporary management strategy for young pets who can be gradually given more freedom as they get older.
Even if you never have to crate your pet when you're out, crate training is still beneficial. If your pet requires surgery or has a medical issue requiring strict kennel rest or restricted activity, if you need to travel with your pet, or if your pet needs to be crated to go to the vet (your cat or other small animal, for example), it's best that your pet is familiar and comfortable with the crate. This is particularly true of small animals who only go in the crate to visit the veterinarian. If they've had unhappy experiences at the vet or on car rides, they may associate their crate with these things. Do your cats run and hide whenever you break out the crates? Leave them out all the time (you can take the doors off so they don't accidentally close on your pet), make the crates a normal part of their environment, you can even toss a treat inside every once in a while as a nice surprise for them.
Crate Training
Putting your pet in a kennel or other confined space
(such as in the kitchen with a baby gate) is not meant to be
a punishment. If done correctly, your pet can learn to feel comfortable and secure in his crate and will likely go into it voluntarily.
Step One
Toss some treats in the kennel and keep the door open. Start with a treat right at the entrance, then further back, then all the way back. Do not close the door. Do a few sessions each day (perhaps before his meals when he is hungry and after a good, long walk or play time when he is more relaxed), each session only needs to last about one to two minutes.
Step Two
(Note that progressive steps may happen after a few minutes of training or after a few hours or even days of training, depending on your pet's previous experience with the kennel). Please be patient and don't rush the process.
Once he is going into the kennel without looking nervous about it, or is anticipating and going in the kennel on his own, then you can put a name to it (i.e. “go kennel” or “go to bed”). First, say the word, then pause, then toss the treat. Next, say the word followed by a gentle hand gesture towards the crate. This time he doesn’t get the treat until he is already in the kennel. Click or say “good!” and give him a treat, then let him exit, still do not close the door.
Remember, you want this kennel to be one of the best places he knows, so keep it positive!
Step Three
Once your pet is entering the kennel on cue, shut the door for a very brief time (two or three seconds), feed a treat through the door, then open it right up again.
Step Four
When your pet is comfortable with the door being closed for three or more seconds, cue him to go inside, then close the door and give him some treats through the door. Do this for five or six seconds and praise your pet for being inside the kennel, then open the door. Keep everything calm and relaxed.
Step Five
Once your pet is in the kennel with the door closed comfortably, gradually increase the length of time (i.e. from 6 to 10 seconds), and start taking one or two steps away from the kennel, then coming back to him. Slowly work your way up to going around a corner out of sight for just a second, and then returning. If your pet starts to vocalize when you move away, or starts to paw at the door, slow down and go back a step. We don't want your pet feeling anxious about the process, we want this to remain a positive experience.
Step Six
Start preparing stuffed Kongs or other stuffed toys or treats that take a long time for your pet to eat, but are safe to chew unsupervised.
For my dogs I like to fill a Kong and keep it in the freezer for when I need it. It’s a refreshing treat for the pet, and takes him a longer time to work on it. For cats or small animals, you could just put a few crunchies (wet food, kibble or treats) in an extra small Kong, let them eat it, then let them out of their carrier.
Ask your pet to go into his kennel, give him the Kong, close the door, and let him enjoy.
For dogs, if you are working on increasing the time in the kennel for when you are out, leave the house for – you guessed it – 10 or 15 seconds, and then return to your dog. Gradually increase the length of time you stand on the front porch, and when you come back to your dog, remove the Kong. He’ll start thinking that it’s better to be in the kennel because that’s where he gets the yummy stuff, and when mom or dad returns, the yummy stuff disappears. This is good, because he’s learning to like his alone time!
*Important: In order to prevent resource guarding behaviours, if your dog still has food in the Kong when you return, trade for something else (i.e. a soft, chewy treat or piece of meat). This way he doesn't start to anticipate you returning and taking away his resource. If your dog already struggles with resource guarding, please contact a
qualified trainer to help you.
Steps 7+
Now all that’s left is very gradually increasing the time you are away and leaving your dog in his kennel with a yummy treat. Start with a walk around the block, then a drive to the corner store, then a quick grocery trip, etc. The more tired and relaxed your dog is when you start doing this, the better, so take him for a good long walk first and he may just have a little nap while you’re gone. Some people find their pets are comforted by leaving the TV or radio on, or leaving a piece of their clothing in the kennel with their pet.
The Key to Success
The key to success with crate training is to not push your pet before he’s ready and to keep everything relaxed and positive. Each step can take a day or a week or a month to complete; it all depends on your pet's previous experience with the crate and his personality and learning history. Keep the sessions short (one to two minutes at a time) and sweet with lots of treats and praise for being in the kennel.
The End Goal: Never force your pet into the crate, especially if you are frustrated with him. You want the pet to learn that crate = GOOD STUFF!
Important
If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, isolation distress, or confinement distress, please seek out a
qualified and compassionate trainer for help. Ensure the trainer you find plans to help your pet feel more comfortable with being crated and/or being left alone, rather than correcting the behaviours stemming from his anxiety or distress. For more information on this, see Jillian's blog post "
You Cannot Correct The Fear Out of Your Dog". This blog post also has some suggestions for good places to find a trainer if you are struggling to find one in your area.
About The Author
Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.
