Crate

The crate as a favourite den, not a punishment. Priceless for travel, vet visits, guests and peaceful nights.

🐾🐾 · ~14 days · 10 min/session

Step-by-step

1. Make the crate cosy

   Place the crate in a lived-in room with soft bedding inside, and remove or fix the door open. Scatter a few treats inside and walk away. Let your dog explore entirely on their own, zero pressure.

   💡 The right size: the dog can stand, turn around and lie stretched out — no more, no less.

2. Throw parties inside

   Several times a day, toss treats deep inside and praise your dog for going in to get them. Start giving chews and meals only in the crate. The crate should become the place where good things happen.

3. Add an entry cue

   Once your dog enters happily, say “Crate” just before tossing the treat. Soon they’ll go in on the words alone, with the treat following once inside. Also reward staying inside with several treats in a row.

4. Close the door in slices

   Close the door for two seconds, feed a treat through it and open up. Extend gradually — ten seconds, thirty, a minute — always before the dog worries. A chew or a stuffed food toy inside makes the closed door a non-event.

   💡 Only open the door for a calm dog. Whining doesn’t open doors — but don’t let it escalate to panic either.

5. Leave the room

   With the door closed, leave the room for a few seconds and return before the dog gets uneasy. Extend absences in small steps, always leaving something to chew. The goal is a dog that naps peacefully even when you’re gone.

6. Build the crate into daily life

   Leave the door open during the day so the dog naps there by choice. Use the crate before car trips and when guests visit, while it’s still easy. Never use it as punishment — one angry slam can undo weeks of work.

Common mistakes

• Forcing the dog into the crate — it creates a fear that takes months to undo.
• Using the crate as punishment — the den must never be a jail.
• Long stints too early — crate time is built in seconds and minutes.
• Letting the dog out right as they whine — whining becomes the door-opening button.

Problems & solutions

My dog darts in for the treat and shoots straight back out.

A completely normal start. Feed a second and third treat while they’re still inside, and toss the next one deep before they exit — time inside grows without them noticing.

They howl and scratch in the crate at night.

Move the crate next to your bed — closeness soothes, especially young puppies. Make sure they’ve toileted and are tired, and take a step back in your daytime training.

My dog panics whenever the door is closed.

True panic (drooling, bent bars, injured paws) can be separation anxiety — more crate time won’t fix it. Stop closing the door and consult a trainer or veterinary behaviourist.

Reward ideas

A stuffed Kong-style toy, chew strips, dinner served in the crate. The crate itself should become the reward.