11 Day Crate Training Course
You can do this course over 11 days. Some dogs or older puppies may be able to proceed very quickly and can be crate trained in as little as one weekend. But if your dog is skittish, or you are undoing some bad crate training, finishing the steps included here could take nearly a month. It depends on your dog.
Patience is key -- giving your dog an extra day or so to adjust to a certain step will save you MUCH more time than pushing your dog forward when they are not ready because you will just be creating a problem that you will have to undo later.
Day 11: When you can leave the dog alone in his crate, with you out of sight for more than 20 minutes, the dog is basically crate trained. Work him up to one or two hours in the crate slowly, then increase the time to no more than six hours in the crate. Some good training opportunities for short-term crate stays include you taking a shower, going out for a very quick errand, or doing the laundry.
A word about whining: Do not let your dog train you. If you come to their crate or let them out of the crate even once when they're whining, you have just taught the dog that when they whine, you come. Dogs learn this VERY quickly.If your dog is already a chronic whiner, you're going to have to toughen up a little and learn to wait until they stop whining - even if its only for 5 seconds - and then let them out of the crate. The rule is, if they're whining, they stay in. Then work up the time so that they have to have not whined for the count of ten (count out loud; sometimes dogs learn the trick faster), then they can come out. After that, up to ante so that you do not look at them in the crate until they're quiet.
Its hard to change old behaviors, and its hard not to come running when your best friend sounds like they're in trouble, but crate training is indisputably for their long-term benefit. Besides, dogs who whine in their crate will learn to whine elsewhere, so breaking the habit early is best.
Train Your Dog to Love Their Crate.
Get Our Crate Training Made Easy ReportARTICLES:
Crate Training a Puppy
Crate Training a Dog
How Crate Training Uses Your Puppy's Den Instinct
Potty Training for Puppies Under 16 Weeks Old
Your Puppy's First Night Home
Puppy Growling & How To Handle It
How to Stop Puppy Biting
Does Your Puppy Whine in Its Crate?
Crate Training for Very Young Puppies
How to Pick the Right Crate for Your Dog
Crate Training for Puppy Mill Puppies
The Importance of Eye Contact in Dog Training
How to Potty Train your Dog
How to Stop a Dog from Pulling When Walking on a Leash