How to Stop Your Dog from Crying When Crated

By dlmiller

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Crate
Blanket
Toys
Treats
Time
Patience

Introduce the dog to the crate

Step 1:
Choose the correct size crate. Your dog should have enough room to comfortably stand, sit, lie down and turn around. If you have a puppy, you’ll probably want a crate that will be big enough to fit your dog when he is full grown. If you can’t decide how big a crate you’ll need, consult a breed recommendation chart (see Resources). Remember that if you are crate training your dog, get a crate with a divider so you can adjust the space your puppy has access to has he grows.
Step 2:
Put the crate in the middle of a room where your dog is. Put a yummy treat just inside the crate door and leave the door open.
Step 3:
Watch your dog. Praise him when he goes to sniff the crate. Eventually your dog will poke his head in to eat the treat. Use a toy if your dog doesn’t seem interested in the treats.
Step 4:
Place another treat in the crate, but father back.
Step 5:
Repeat these steps a for a few minutes a few times a day until your dog will go all the way into the crate.
Step 6:
Put your dog’s food dish in the crate so he begins associating his food with his crate.

Getting comfortable with the crate

Step 1:
Ask your dog to go into the crate. He might need to be helped into the crate until he understands what you are asking for. Give him a treat when he’s in the crate.
Step 2:
Hold your hand in front of the crate to keep him from leaving it. Remove your hand after 10 seconds or so. Repeat this until your dog will stay calmly in the crate for about 30 seconds.
Step 3:
Repeat Step 1. Then close the door of the crate. Repeat this step many times, gradually increasing the amount of time the dog is in the crate.
Step 4:
Put your dog in the crate and leave the room. Gradually increase the amount of time he is in the crate.
Step 5:
Start putting your dog into the crate while you go on errands or for short periods of time. Once he is comfortable with this, you can try keeping him in the crate at night or while you are away at work.
Step 6:
Play with your dog or take him on a long walk before you put him in the crate. If he has too much energy, he will be more likely to cry in the crate.
Step 7:
Give your dog a toy or treat when you put him in his crate. You might try a Kong filled with a treat. This will reward your dog for going into the crate and also distract him during the first few minutes he is crated, which is often the most difficult time.

Resources

Crates Online

More Puppy Pages

How to teach your dog to love the crate

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