The Dog Crate - Steps for Getting Your Puppy Used to It Gently
07.12.2022 - Reading time: 3 minutes
It makes sense for a puppy to get used to a crate, because this way, you can leave your little four-legged friend without supervision for a short time without anything bad happening to it and without it destroying your home furnishings. In addition, the dog should sleep in it at night because it learns to let you know when it needs something. If you go about it the right way and gently get the dog used to its crate, which by the way also serves well as a safe means of transport in the car, then the puppy will certainly love it. It will become a cave, a cosy place to sleep and a safe haven!
The first steps to it getting used to the crate
Place the crate in a designated place in the home for the dog to get used to it. With some crates, you can remove the top half so that the dog can get to know the crate as a place to lie. Now throw something tasty into the crate. Your puppy can run after it and get the food out. At first, the pieces of food are still at the entrance, but later your puppy will have to go all the way into the crate to get to the food. In the next step, you throw in a larger amount of food so that your puppy has to stay in the crate longer if it wants to eat all the food. Don’t close the door yet, the puppy can come out again if it wants to.
Finally the door is locked
Now you can leave the door ajar for the first time, but your puppy can still come out if it wants to. After passing a few more times, close the door firmly. Stay right next to the box so your puppy doesn’t feel abandoned. You can also give it something to chew on, such as a pig’s ear or a Kong filled with frozen yoghurt. This will keep it busy for quite a while.
Train when the puppy is tired
Use the times when your puppy is tired and goes to sleep for training. Pick it up quietly and carry it to the crate. Wait until it is completely asleep before moving away from the crate. There will come a time when your puppy realises it can’t get out the way it wants to. Ignore the whining and only let it out when calm and relaxed in the crate. Now increase the time more and more until your puppy likes lying in the crate for longer without any problems. However, if it panics in the crate, you should let it out of the crate immediately and then start the training again taking smaller steps!
