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 10: Leave the room with the dog in the crate and the crate door closed
The next step is to leave the room, and be out of the dog's sight while he's in the crate. Again, go very slowly with this, and be out of sight for only a moment, then slowly extend the period of time you're away. If your dog gets anxious, its OK to talk to them from another room.
Just don't push it - you do not want your dog to be anxious at any step of this process. If they are getting anxious, you should go back to an earlier step that they're calm for, and then redo your training from there. It takes time, but successful crate training requires you keep your dog below their anxiety threshold.
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