Crate Training

Sometimes there just isn’t any other option- a dog needs to be contained and there is no time to completely rebuild his relationship with the crate. What then?

These notes are for resistant dogs, not aggressive, dogs.

Use a Furrari or a Vari-Kennel  (or any plastic crate with a solid bottom half)

Does your dog freak out in the crate? Pant nonstop, filling the crate and himself with drool, howl or bark for hours on end, or does he try to fight his way free – breaking the crate bars/gate and his teeth/nails in the process? No matter what his level of distress, the following protocol can help most dogs learn to accept the crate again:

What do you do when your puppy or dog is urinating and/or defecating in his crate or you have to leave you pup longer than he can yet hold it? You take a “crate break” by setting him up in a pen, hall, or small room where he can, when he needs to, move away from his sleeping/eating areas to relieve himself.

Here’s what you do:

DO:

Dogs are supposed to keep their crates clean – right? Usually, but that desire can be worn down in several ways. Once it is worn down, a dog will start dirtying his crate more and more often since he cares less and less each time he does.