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 7: Close the door of the crate for just a moment
When - and only when - the dog seems to think going into the crate is no big deal, try standing next to the crate and very gently and calmly closing the door of the crate while he's inside. Do this only for a moment: you should close the door for less than the count of one, and open it all the way back open again. Immediately give the dog the yummiest treats you have, and praise him a lot. The message the dog gets is that a) the crate door can close, but it opens back up again and b) it's OK when the crate door closes, and I'm still getting all this great stuff near this big box.
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